Back in Europe after a 10 year absence
2004-05-16 ~ 2:45 p.m.

I guess I should start documenting my trip to Europe - before I forget it all!

The trip over was uneventful. Except for the part where our seats sucked major ass. We were booked into the bulkhead seats, which, if you're a frequent flier, means that you have a little extra leg room and no one in front of you. Yeah. Only if you get the bulkhead seats on the sides of the plane, not in the centre. Ye gads, it was uncomfortable. Oh, and the seats? A 10 year old would have a hard time wedging their ass into those seats. D. and I had to eat in shifts, as our arms were constantly in each others personal space.

I also remember a certain, ahem, broad-in-the-rear end stewardess who, for some reason, couldn't move sideways through the aisle. Consequently, every time she passed me, her ass would knock my arm from the armrest.

All in all, a very trying 8 hours.

All that was forgotten, though, when we finally landed. We were there! It was very exciting for me to be back in Germany after so long. It was a little unfamiliar at first, hearing the language and seeing the traffic signs, etc, but I soon began to remember little things - how to ask for a glass of water, how to drive on the Autobahn, stuff like that.

It was nice to see my parents again, but honestly, sometimes I wonder that they are really my biological parents. Sometimes the littelest things really grate on my nerves. A lot. Especially my mother. Familiarity breeds contempt? Oh yeah. Big time.

I'm trying to ignore all that though and concentrate on having a good time. It was nice to come back to this area. At first I was a little lost, due to the fact that my parents live in a different area than last time - an area I didn't frequent. Once I went back to the old haunts, though, it was just like I never left.

This area is beautiful - little hamlets separated by farmland. It's very quaint and old. You can tell that they built the houses first, then created the roads after - they are all twisty and windy. Lots of people ride their bikes everywhere, and they still say hi to each other when they pass on the streets. You only have to walk for 5 minutes before you are walking on a path through a farmers field, sometimes populated with cows and horses. It's quiet and peaceful and I love it. They live differently over here. There isn't the hustle and bustle and rush-rush lifestyle you get in North America. Even the larger cities are laid back and relaxed in their attitudes.

Next entry: Cologne

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