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If it seems like I'm on vacation every other weekend, rest assured it's just perception. Still, it's true I did use my passport for the second time in two months, spending last week in London and Berlin with the special friend. We caught up with old university friends, and met his sister and her family in England. We also were gleeful attendees at our first gay wedding -- yes, same-sex marriage is now legal in Germany, apparently -- which meant the standard array of drinking, eating and dancing... all with a scenic German twist.
I came away from the week armed with a few important lessons:
1. A piece of cake a day keeps the hunger away.
Only on holiday can you justify interrupting every afternoon with a pit stop at a nearby patisserie or cafe to indulge your sweet tooth. Somehow it escaped my attention until last week that DC really doesn't have any sort of cafe culture! They're everywhere in London, making chocolate croissants and Napoleons a 3pm currency I'm having difficulty abandoning.
2. Ten hours of sleep a day isn't extravagant -- it should be standard.
Who needs coffee when you give into your body's natural desire not to be disturbed? It's almost cruel, having to use my damned alarm clock every morning.
3. Navigating foreign countries is much easier with someone who speaks the native tongue.
I visited Berlin in 2002, and came away completely intimidated by the city. It's sprawling, somewhat gray, and filled with a rich history that can be incredibly difficult to understand when you can't interact authentically with its residents. This time, I spent it with folks with a history there -- and it was as if a black-and-white sketch had suddenly come to life. I'd love to spend more than 3 days with it next time around.
I came away from the week armed with a few important lessons:
1. A piece of cake a day keeps the hunger away.
Only on holiday can you justify interrupting every afternoon with a pit stop at a nearby patisserie or cafe to indulge your sweet tooth. Somehow it escaped my attention until last week that DC really doesn't have any sort of cafe culture! They're everywhere in London, making chocolate croissants and Napoleons a 3pm currency I'm having difficulty abandoning.
2. Ten hours of sleep a day isn't extravagant -- it should be standard.
Who needs coffee when you give into your body's natural desire not to be disturbed? It's almost cruel, having to use my damned alarm clock every morning.
3. Navigating foreign countries is much easier with someone who speaks the native tongue.
I visited Berlin in 2002, and came away completely intimidated by the city. It's sprawling, somewhat gray, and filled with a rich history that can be incredibly difficult to understand when you can't interact authentically with its residents. This time, I spent it with folks with a history there -- and it was as if a black-and-white sketch had suddenly come to life. I'd love to spend more than 3 days with it next time around.