I have to admit, Germany is not on the top of my list for places to visit in Europe. Well, it wasn't, but that has changed.
We hopped in a car and made our five and half hour trip to Innsbruck, Austria. Roadtrips for my daddy and I are exciting. For my mom and brother it is just five and a half hours of trip on the road. I begin jumping up in down the day before the trip when I was told we would leave at four. Yes, my kind of trip! I was slightly disappointed when we didn't actually leave until six.
The entire way up to the great Alps I was thrilled. Then I actually saw them, and I was stunned. If I can make this understandable to anyone who has not been there, think Sound of Music meets Polar Express meets Cinderella meets Honey I Shrunk the Kids.
These small portions on the world, make you feel so small. Like something is bigger and better and will last longer. Closer to God in the Alps is a feeling I am sure many people have experienced when their breath is taken away here.
We finally reached Innsbruck, and as much as they complained about the roads in Italy, they complained more in Austria. Kind of made me proud of my Italy. We ate, then felt full. I think Italian food is more my style.
Being in the city of Innsbruck is what I think of when I think Europe. It encourages me to stay for longer than a year. I love the cafes on every street, the attention paid to details on buildings, the nature well protected and beauty that is unmistakably Europeans.
I even bought a few classics of Germany in German, to add to my collection of classic literature in it's original language. Being here made me want to study language, and live in different cultures within five hours of one another.
After the long trip, my mom and brother were exhausted. They decided to relax at the hotel, while my dad and I took the town. And we did. It was interesting to see how similar my dad and I are, not to mention how similar my mom and brother are.
We then hoped back in the car to make our way to my peak, Neuschwanstein castle. Now please note the whole way up here I was singing Cinderella aloud, which may or may not have got on my family's nerves. For you to really get the spirit of our trip you must listen.
Although my dad did prefer his German yodel music. I am not what we would call a fan.
I am really happy my family got to experience this. Even more happy I was able to see them after four months away.
I am shocked at how much I loved Germany. It really felt like I belong in Europe. I am extremely happy to have come here this year. I don't know what is in my future, but for my present I live in Europe. This is what I want in my life.
But, let's get one thing straight, I belong to Italy now. Although I appreciate the common amenities Germany offers that is similar to that of America. And in particular my German ruled home with my parents, I really belong to Italy. I was happy to cross back into the border and hear Italian music on the radio. The little Italian I do know is much more than the no German I don't. I was thrilled when the GPS started to say, "enter round-about. Italy feels like home.
No comments:
Post a Comment