Getting Away

One of the things everyone told me over and over when we arrived was that this was a post that you definitely need to escape from once in awhile. My response shifted from “yeah that’s probably true,” to “absolutely” within the last five months.

Aside: can you believe it’s been five months already?! What’s up December?! Where did the rest of 2015 disappear to?!

The deep, festering need to escape didn’t really set in until we started driving. It really does make you crazy. In the U.S. I trust most everyone to stay in their lanes, look when making turns, obey traffic rules, and other things they teach you in driver’s ed when you are 15. There’s always that one a-hole who thinks they are above the law but they are easily avoided. Here I trust no one. And it wears on you.

Sean also told me over and over that I would miss weird things when I was here. Like McDonald’s. I haven’t degraded that badly, but I do miss Chipotle and Starbucks and other comforts of home. It’s that old “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.” I never wanted fast food in the States, but now that I can’t have it, I want it.

Luckily, we are leaving for Germany and Belgium tonight. Tomorrow. The flight leaves at 3:30 a.m. so it’s technically tomorrow.

I can’t wait. I always laughed at those people who went all the way to Europe only to eat American fast food but now I will be one of them. I think we get a pass though since we are literally on the other side of the planet from our favorite American things. And we are only giving ourselves one “America Day” so I don’t really need any judgement thank you.

I’m also looking forward to some German order. Train schedules you can set a watch to, cars that stay in their lanes, speed limits, ordered streets with crosswalks and traffic lights, things starting on time, you know, stuff like that.

This will be the first time doing major jet lag in the other direction. I’m used to losing time on the flight to Europe. This trip we will arrive at 6:20 a.m. and be able to hit the ground running.

By ground I mean gluhwein and beer and brats and cheese. Bring it on.