My family came to visit me!! The days I spent with them exploring Europe and sharing snippets of my new life here were the best I’ve had yet. Here’s a brief summary of our adventures:
The weekend before they arrived, I visited Switzerland for the first time with some of my Fulbright friends. Our first day, Friday, February 17th, we explored the city, baked cookies, played board games and were very merry.
The next day, we took a ski lift to the summit of Kronberg, a mountain in the Swiss Alps, and hiked down from the top. The views were beyond compare. There were several moments during our descent where I was so stunned that I had to simply stop and stand in awe of my surroundings. It is the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited.
The fries were good, but nothing beats the view.
Made a new friend in Jakobsbad.
The group wrapped up our weekend in Switzerland with a trip to Lindt’s headquarters on Sunday. We toured the factory and filled our stomachs with free samples.
The morning of Monday, February 20th, my family arrived in Munich! As quickly as I could, I rode a train down and met them in the airport. The moment when I spotted them, ran to them, and finally embraced them for the first time since Christmas break is a memory I’ll treasure forever. We then took a tram to our quaint AirBnb, spoke with the kind old German woman who was our host, and toasted our reunion with German beer.
After a collective nap, we enjoyed some Bavarian food at the aptly-named Schneider Bräuhaus. To end the evening, we explored the area around Marienplatz and stumbled upon a band playing to celebrate Karneval. The jubilance of the crowd and players was contagious, immediately lifting our spirits.
The next day, we visited the Dachau concentration camp. Everyone should be informed about the Holocaust and for me, I've long considered it vital to visit a memorial site in person. After visiting it twice within three months, I can soundly say that I need to take a brief emotional break before visiting another concentration camp again. That night, we spent time around the city center and ate some typical German street food: meat and bread.
Our next stop was Salzburg, Austria! Though we only spent a few hours there before continuing on to Vienna, I loved walking through the city, especially the Mirabell Palace and the surrounding gardens, which may be recognisable to fans of "The Sound of Music". We also visited the Mozart Wohnhaus, a museum dedicated to Mozart and his family.
Vienna is an incredible city. Even though we spent hours on a bus tour and walking through the city, I felt like I barely dipped my toes into what Vienna had to offer. My favourite part was the House of Music, which included many interactive exhibits, lengthy biographies of numerous historic composers, and gorgeous music. There was even a theatre within the museum playing a full orchestral concert. The music was so wonderful that Mom and I were tempted to stay there and listen for hours and hours.
Conducting like a mad genius or engaged in a wizard duel?
Sigmund Freud museum
Next stop: the Czech Republic! Out of all the places I’ve visited so far these past 6 months, Prague felt the most distinct. Unlike Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, I cannot speak or understand a lick of the Czech language, which made navigating and ordering food challenging. Overall, I enjoyed the architecture, the candy shops, the messy Trdelnik, and so much more!
Memorial to the victims of the earthquakes in Turkey.
We hiked up to the Prague castle, which gave us a magnificent view of the city.
On Monday, February 27, my week of vacation was over and I returned to work. My family stayed in an AirBnb close to my Studentenwohnheim (student apartment) and explored on their own until I got off work and joined them. For lunch, we ate with my friends Lea and Laura, then we met up with a wonderful colleague of mine and hiked up to the Walberla peak in the Franconian mountains. Afterwards, we enjoyed some Schnitzel at a local Gasthaus.
Tuesday after work, my partner teacher invited us over for a Raclette dinner with her family. I’m hoping that my family enjoyed it so much that there’ll be a Raclette grill back home when I return in the summer!
Wednesday, March 1st was my final day with my family. We had lunch at my beloved cat café, then spent the day in Nürnberg. Saying good-bye to them was extremely tough, but I feel so lucky to have shared this time with them.
In all places except Prague, I served as my family's primary navigator and translator. I impressed myself with how well I adapted to each location, despite still being relatively new to Europe myself, and it reminded me how much progress I've made in just 6 months. I think I handled my role well and I even helped teach my family a little German!
Overall, I wish we had a bit more time at each of the cities we visited. We had just enough time to get a small taste of each city, but not enough to fully indulge and settle in.
My favorite part was just spending time with my family. There’s nothing better than being in the place I love with the people I love. I am so thankful that they came to visit me and I can’t wait to see them again.
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good bye…