Happy Birthday America

The Barbeque, a quintessential American past time. There's nothing quite like a Summer afternoon and evening spent in the backyard while the men barbeque, the women gossip, and the children run around with water guns like wild heathens in bathing suits. Some of my fondest Summer memories have been passed lounging around in the sun with friends and family, watermelon juice running down my fingers. It is all so very American. No wonder that on our Independence day we break out the barbeques and rub on the sunblock. Nothing goes better with red, white, and blue like some yummy baby back ribs.

You wouldn't believe how many people here in Germany ask me if I like BBQ sauce. And most of the people who ask me then tell me I'm weird for liking it (ahem, Bernie...). I guess it's one of those things that is just super American and I never really stopped to think about it, just like barbeques. Here in Germany they call the grill (the machine) a grill like we do. But unlike us, they call the act of having a barbeque, grilling ("Oh we are grilling on Saturday, want to join in?"). Which is just so strange to me. All the same, a tomato is a tomato whatever you call it, I'm glad they enjoy grilling things too. I've been seriously missing out on BBQ. The Summer weather (in between all the rain) has provided for some lovely opportunities to have grills with my friends.

About two or so weeks ago I began to ponder what I should do for the 4th of July. My friends had told me they would gladly celebrate with me, so I had to think of something fun and super American to do. Then it hit me, duh, we would have a barbeque. That's what I've done on the 4th of July as long as I can remember, so why wouldn't I do it again this year?! Of course I came to this conclusion like three days before the actual holiday, typical me, so I had to throw together plans at the speed of light. Nacha and Bernie graciously offered up their apartment for the event, and with that part squared away, I invited people and suggested food items to bring. And of course I told people to wear red, white, and blue... we can't have the 4th of July without being a little patriotic now can we?? Well, technically we could. But it's no fun that way, so hush.

Since the 4th of July fell on a Wednesday this year (middle of the week? laaaame), I had to work. I wore a cute red, white, and blue outfit that was perfect for the warm day. And while Martha, Frieda, and I colored, I created very holiday themed pictures. I tried to get them to join in on the fun, but no such luck. They just kept doing their usual coloring, which, is as usual awesome. I love that we get to get all crafty together. I didn't get to spend much time with the girls that afternoon though, Christiane had me run a bunch of errands for Martha's mermaid themed birthday party that's coming up soon. Which was a really fun shopping trip I must say.

After work, I biked over to Penny Markt (a fabulously cheap grocery store), and got some steaks, potato salad, lemon cake mix, and fruit for my part of the potluck. Then I headed over to Nacha and Bernie's apartment, which isn't too far from Penny's.

I was the first to arrive at Nacha's (shocker, I know), but I expected this considering our "party" wasn't going to be a big one; just Nacha, Bernie, Ivanka, and I with Albert and Daniel possibly coming.

I broke out the cake mix and added the needed milk, butter, and eggs and then put it a typical rectangular cake pan (well, it wasn't technically a pan since it was glass.... I'm not good with kitchen-y things). While the cake baked, Nacha and I sat on the balcony chatting and enjoying the beautiful evening.

Soon Ivanka arrived (not wearing red, white, or blue... shaaame), and not long after Bernie got home from work. With Bernie home, we started up the grill. Nacha brought out all the food onto the balcony; a delicious assortment of fruit, meats, potato salad, sodas, pretzel sticks, and beer. I took the cake out of the oven and set it near the window to cool.

View from the balcony, the grill, and the cake.

Albert came and we started to munch on the food in earnest. The meat wasn't quite cooked yet, so we didn't want to fill up on pretzel sticks. Once my cake had finally cooled, Nacha whipped up some whipped cream for me and spread it over the top of the cake.While she did this I cut two bananas into slices and cut a handful of strawberries in half. With the whipped cream on the cake and the fruit cut, I was ready to begin my creation. In the top left corner of the cake I took blueberries and lined them up into a couple rows until they had made a nice square. Then with the rest of the cake I made alternating stripes of strawberries and bananas. The result? An American flag cake!

Me and my cake creation.

After I finished the cake, I rejoined everyone on the balcony and our barbeque really began. Nacha cut up all the meat into little pieces and stuck toothpicks in them for easy eating. The balcony isn't very big, so we all could reach the different foods on the little table from where we were sitting. The food was delicious. The only thing missing was watermelon. A tragedy to be sure.

Sadly after we were done eating Albert had to go. He had a birthday party to go to, but we were all glad that he was able to stop by. Not long after he left, Daniel arrived. He ate while we all just hung out on the balcony and talked about random things. We usually have really strange conversations on the balcony, one time we talked about the history of the toilet. No, I'm not kidding.

Ivanka and I like to pretend like we are sisters.

Bernie consented to be in a picture with Nacha (and his beer)./The girlies and I posing in a "family" portrait.

Then it was cake time. Always the best part of a party right? Oh gosh, it was so yummy. This being the first time I had attempted this recipe, I was a little worried, but it turned out lovely. And I'm not the only one who thought so, everyone else loved it too. I'm always quite proud when my cooking skills somehow manage to create yumminess. (There's been too many cookie massacres in the past to count. I think I have a better handle on cakes. Sort of...).

We basked in the last few rays of the sun as it slipped behind the clouds and then went inside. It was almost 10 o'clock at night after all. After a clean up and some chatting, Nacha scooted us all out of the apartment because she had Bernie had an early morning the next day.

Like most holidays this year, this wasn't a very typical one for me. But I loved it anyways. 4th of July is my second favorite holiday, I gotta party it up! Well, I'm not really a partier. Grilling is nice and tame, enough of a party for me.

Friends, food, a grill, and a dash of patriotism made for a wonderful 4th of July barbeque. Like the many 4th of July barbeque's that have come before it, it was a great display of the American spirit. American spirit, in Germany, with two Chileans, an Argentinian, an Irish girl, and a German. What a melting pot.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Sometime in the past month it hit me that I now consider Karlsruhe my home. Which is crazy to me. Especially considering when I got here I felt like I was in an alternate universe. I absolutely love living here. But don't get me wrong, I miss home a lot. Not a day goes by that I don't dream of sand between my toes, the ocean breeze, and diving into the salty waves of the Pacific. The ocean and I will eventually be reunited, so I don't worry too much. But living here for only a short time makes me want to treasure what I love here so much. So I thought I would give you a list of some of my favorite things (that I've experienced and seen so far) in Germany.

1. Karlsruhe Schloss & the Schloss Gartens
My absolute favorite place in Karlsruhe. The castle isn't grandiose or anything, but it's adorable. But then again I'm probably partial; I love that it's yellow and grey, which are colors I've always wanted to paint my future house. But it's not just the castle that I find amazing, I love the castle gardens as well. They are ridiculously picturesque. Lots of green grass, a lake, and hundreds of huge ancient trees. A perfect place to sit and think or drink in nature.

A beautiful view of the castle from the castle grounds.

2. Friends
I have been so blessed with an amazing assortment of friends while living here. They make living far away from home easy. I love the mix of cultures (Chilean, Brazilian, Argentinian, German, American, Irish; just to name a few) because it makes anything we do like three times as fun and adventurous. We do lots of fun things like shopping, having card nights, going out to bars, going on day trips to nearby cities, and so much more. I so deeply enjoy all the time I get to spend with them.

Nacha and I striking a silly pose.

3. Changing Seasons
I feel like I talk about the weather on this blog all the time, so I'm dreadfully sorry, but it's amazing. Being a California girl is great, but I don't really get to see the seasons change. Here in Germany, I would have to be without my five senses to not notice the seasons changing. There is nothing more glorious than getting to watch this occur. I arrived in Germany in the midst of stark blue skies, cold crisp winds, and burnt orange leaves. Then I survived the ridiculous cold temperature drops, rain, bare looking trees, and everything being covered in white. Just when I thought I would never be warm again, the world came to life. All of the sudden everything was green and colorful. Sun and rain played hide and seek. I can only imagine what Summer will bring me.

4. Drinking Age
In the States, because I am not 21, I cannot legally drink. Which is utterly ridiculous. I think the U.S. needs to take a leaf out of other countries books and lower the legal drinking age. Here in Germany, you can start drinking stuff like beer at 16, and then when you turn 18 you can drink hard liquor. I find this to be much more reasonable. Since I am 20, I can legally drink here. Which has been strange and liberating all at once. I love it. But it does kind of take the specialness out of my 21st birthday (which is oh so soon), and that really is a bummer. But I think I'll survive the disappointment.

My friends and I having some wine after a yummy Chilean dinner.

5. Food
If you've ever heard the stereotype that all Germans eat is bread, meat, and cheese, then you know what I eat haha. But honestly, as much as I eat bread, meat, and cheese... I do love it. Especially in the many combinations it comes in. Probably my favorites are Käsespätzle and Maultaschen. But what's really stolen my heart here is all the foreign food. Before I came to Germany, I had never eaten Turkish food. But now, let me tell you, I am in love with it (oh, kebaps why are you so delicious?). And there are some fabulous Asian food places here that I am constantly craving. But I think what I've really loved the most is all the home cooking that my friend Nacha makes. It's this delicious blend of Chilean, German, and her own creations. All this food talk is making me hungry for dinner!

6. Walking, Biking, and the Straßenbahn
Now as much as I miss my car, I really love the how I get around Karlsruhe. Mostly I walk or bike to and from places. Which is great because I get exercise and get to enjoy the outside world all while going somewhere; something I can't do in a car. If it's raining, or I have a farther destination to reach, I take the Straßenbahn (street cars, kind of like the metro in LB). The Straßenbahn is great, but I often get lost because I take the wrong train (typical me). I'm not the most skilled when it comes to public transportation (I blame So. Cal's lack of good public transport).

Sebastian the Bike.

7. No Sheets
I know this seems random and strange. But you see, here in Germany they do beds and bedding differently. Most beds are lower to the ground, which freaked me out at first, but now I'm used to it. But what I really find fascinating is that they don't use sheets. Yes, there is one on the mattress, but there isn't one to sleep with. Usually you just sleep with a down comforter. Which at first confused me. But then I fell in love with the idea. You see, I move a lot when I sleep. This usually means my sheets, blankets, and comforter get all messed up in the night and are always a pain in the butt to fix the next morning (well, on that rare morning I decide to make my bed). Here it doesn't matter how much I move, because fixing my bedding is like crazy easy. So great.

8. Biergartens
Biergartens are quintessentially German, and I love them. While they share similarities, each restaurant has it's own personality. My personal favorite is Badish Brauhaus (four stories of amazingness). But no matter the biergarten, they are all a great place to get yummy, cheap food and enjoy a great time with friends. 

Me, Bernie, and Gabriel drinking beers at the biergarten Cafe Bleu.

9. No Contract Cell Phones
In the States it's the norm to have a cell phone contract. Which of course is bloody expensive. And you are bound to a phone company for about two years. Fun... not. In Germany, cell phone contracts are not typical. In fact most people here just use prepaid SIM cards. Which I think is so darn brilliant.

10. Spielplätze, Parks, and Green Spaces
I could go on forever describing all the green spaces that Karlsruhe has, and I haven't even seen all of them. I so enjoy that the city has provided so many places for it's population to relax, play, and soak up nature. The playgrounds here are ridiculously cool (much better than the ones back home), and I love playing on them almost as much as the little kids. The parks, big or small, always impress. Green grass, plants, trees, and cool structures everywhere. I especially love the parks with lakes in them. Can't wait to go swimming in those this Summer. Another thing I really love is how in what otherwise could have been a place for concrete, the city has created a grassy area where wild flowers often grow. It always makes me happy to see that even though I live in the city, I get to see so much nature around me.

Th dog park near my apartment.

11. City Living
To me, "the city" has always been a magical place. I think this especially due in part to my upbringing in the suburbs. So I'm delighted to get to live in a city for a year. There's nothing quite like having everything nearby and easy to get to. I also love all the tall buildings (even though most aren't over 5 stories high). I even get to enjoy living in one of those "tall" buildings. So much about city living is really new and interesting to me.


12. Getting Airmail
I have always loved getting mail that isn't bills or junk mail. And being far away from home makes me love it even more. It's so exciting to open my mailbox to find a letter. Or get a package delivered. Always makes my day. I even bought a box to keep all the letters I get from my friends and family. So would you please, please, please, write me a letter and make me a very happy girlie?

Me with a letter from Juliette :)

My letter box. Isn't it pretty?

I am amazed by all the wonderful things that Germany has to offer! And there is so much more. It totally kills me that I won't be able to see and experience it all. Oh, to have limitless time and money to travel and explore. Someday.

Luck of the Irish

On my father's side of the family, we can trace our Irish roots back several hundred years. Apparently one of my ancestors was knighted. There's even a castle named after us. Fancy smancy right? So, I feel this Irish heritage gives me the right to get stoked about St. Patrick's Day and pinch anyone not wearing green.

This was my first St. Patrick's Day that I could legally drink (considering the legal drinking age in the states is 21 and I'm only 20). Which, I'm not going to lie, got me pretty darn excited. So I made sure that my friends and I had plans to go out and frolic about Karlsruhe (wearing green of course).

As usual, I ended up having to buy something green last minute. I never seem to own anything green even though it's a fabulous color on me. I tend to stick to my neutrals. Point being, I went and bought green jeans. Which I love, and plan to wear quite often. So, see, they weren't just a superfluous St. Patty's purchase. (The fact that I'm trying to justify buying green pants to you shouldn't worry you in the least bit...). And in a very Ashley fashion, the buying of pants late made me late to meeting at Nacha's. When will I ever learn? Queen of procrastination and being unable to be on time ever? Why, yes that's me. (It's so bad that this will probably end up on my gravestone: "Sorry I'm late!").

Nacha, Bernie, Ivanka, and I had a very green themed dinner (see the picture and you know I'm not lying). I had brought along a couple St. Patty's accessories that a friend (thanks Ger!) had sent me from the States. So we decked ourselves out, us girls with green hair extensions, and Bernie wearing a floppy green and white top hat. Then I drew shamrocks on Nacha and Ivanka's faces. And my face as well because both declared my shamrock drawing skills far superior to theirs haha. After our self decorating, we headed out to meet up with friends in front of the Karlsruher Schloss.

Our yummy green dinner!

Nacha, me, and Ivanka with green hair and shamrocks.

We met up with a pretty big group of friends (and friends of friends) near the front of the castle. Our original plan was to meet and then immediately go to one of the Irish pubs in town, but as we should have predicted, they were all jam packed. So we decided to just hang out a bit and try our luck later in the evening. Which turned out to be quite fun. We just stood around talking and drinking beer under the stars. Simple, yet so perfect.

After an hour or two, our group split up to pursue different adventures. The group that I was with (my closer friends), decided to go to Sean O'Casey's Irish Pub. Which is in Marktplatz and only like a five minute walk from the castle. So we gathered our things and set out into the night.

Apparently our waiting didn't help in the slightest. We got to the pub and found it to be full of people packed in like sardines. For a time we loitered out front debating if it was worth it to go in. But several of our bladders made it a necessary thing, so we stirred up our courage and dove into the crowd.

Nacha, Bernie, Gabriel, Ivanka, and I hanging out in front of O'Casey's.

Me, Albert, Maria, and Gabriel wearing green!

Gabriel, Nacha, me, and Albert in front of the pub. See! Here is evidence of my green jeans.

After our bladders were happily relieved, we began to scout for seats. Well, it was more us staring desperately at the full to the brim tables and telepathically willing the people to get up and leave. It seems that our telepathic skills are better than we knew; a whole table stood up and left about twenty minutes into our wait and we all jumped into action and claimed a seat before the other pub goers could.

The rest of our time at O'Casey's was spent drinking ourselves silly and singing along with the live music. We also had a little contest to see who could down their beer the quickest, which I won (of course). But probably the most memorable part of the night was when Ivanka and I bought a rose for Nacha (yes, a guy was randomly selling roses in an Irish pub on St. Patrick's Day). Her reaction was hilarious, I don't think anyone has ever been that excited or grateful for receiving a rose (not even The Bachelor contestants could compete with her enthusiasm).

Maria, me, and Gabriel.

Carmina, me, and Gabriel.

Me showing off my beer and Gabriel being a total goon in the background.

Me, Gabriel, Albert, Bernie, Nacha and Ivanka wearing the hats that the pub gave out to some of the crowd.

Me and Ivanka with Nacha's rose.

Nacha getting emotional over the rose Ivanka and I gave her.

Then our group of eight slip once more. Ivanka and I headed to another Irish pub, Scruffy's, that was less than a ten minute walk from Marktplatz. She and I arrived to find that it was so packed inside that people were drinking out front. We stood for a minute, figuring out a plan, when all of the sudden a very large (tall and wide) man in a kilt approached us. He talked to us a bit (figured out we were foreigners immediately), and then randomly he picked up Ivanka and spun her around in a circle. I laughed, but immediately took a step back not wanting to be next. But I was next, even though I tried to reason with the guy. Once he set me down on the ground he said "It's nothing to pick up someone as small and pretty as you." I blushed, thanked him, and then grabbed Ivanka and we headed into the pub. That guy totally made my week.

Scruffy's is smaller than O'Casey's, so we had quite the adventure getting from the front door to the bar. But Ivanka and I prevailed, getting our beers and making a dash (more like a slow crawl) to the front of the pub to drink out front. We ended up chatting it up for over an hour, enjoying ourselves quite thoroughly, before we decided it was time to call it a night.

It was a lovely St. Patrick's Day. I am one lucky girl to have such awesome friends, great experiences, beer, and green pants all in one evening. And I don't even own a four leaf clover.

Dreaming of You

There is so much about Germany that I love. Fresh baked goods being very high on that list. And no, I'm not kidding. Their bread's the best everrrr. It's been a great five months here (yeah, five months already, can you believe it?). But I must confess, I do miss America. A large portion of my day dreaming, aside from hot German men taking me on fabulous vacations, is spent thinking about home. Since this takes up a lot of my thoughts, I figured I would give you a list of the top American things on my mind. My American friends and family will laugh at most of these for sure, knowing that they get to enjoy the awesomeness that I am missing out on (love you guys too...). As for my German friends, you don't realize what you are missing out on. At all. And for that I apologize. And invite you to come to my neck of the woods, if you ever decide to go to California, where I will treat you to the best burger ever. EVER.

1. Disneyland
My home away from home. Things are a little less magical when one can't go to Disneyland at least once a week. Sigh. But the magic lives on... in my dreams. I seriously have a ridiculous amount of dreams about being at Disneyland doing various things. The great tragedy is waking up to my alarm clock.

Rainy night with the girls walking down Main Street U.S.A.

2. In-N-Out/Taco Bell/Subway/Jamba Juice/Terri House/Lucille's BBQ/Every other restaurant I love
Food, glorious food! Americans just have so many freaking choices when it comes to food, especially in Southern California. It's amazing how one little smell or thought can trigger an intense craving for a food item I have long been deprived of and then last the whole day (or week). I drool just thinking about an In-N-Out Burger. Mmmmm...

Amy and I comparing burgers at In-n-out.

3. School
I will admit, I'm quite the nerd. I love school. I love being in a class, taking notes, doodling, getting lost in my own thoughts, learning lots of nerdy things.... being away from college means I don't get to fulfill my nerdy needs. I am stuck making due with online classes. Which are evil soul sucking creations of doom. I need a classroom pronto.

4. Watching T.V.
Although there is a T.V. in the apartment, I don't ever watch it (unless it's the kids channel with my girlies). Why? Well, it's being all in German is a major factor. Also, we don't have a bunch of channels. And I really don't have the desire to watch it. I mostly catch all my T.V. shows on iTunes (yes, I actually pay to watch things), so I don't feel the need to suffer through only understanding half a T.V. show. But I've come across a problem... how am I going to watch the Olympics?! I love the Olympics, and will be tremendously sad if I can't get some coverage of it in English online. This, along with not watching Top Gear every five seconds on BBC America, makes me really miss my American T.V. channels.

5. Target/The Mall
Target, my love. I pretty much live at Target. Lived. I haven't seen the interior of a Target in far too long. I miss going just to look at all the things I wish I had money for or running around the aisles trying to get all the things I can afford. There really is no place like Target here in Germany. Which is tragic. I also miss American malls... here malls are a relatively new thing, and they are slightly smaller and more compact. I get all claustrophobic and want to leave as fast as possible. Shopping is great here, I just miss my typical stores.

6. Talking
I love to talk. So not being able to be understood all the time drives me bonkers. Most of the people I talk with either speak in German or English (a lot of them know other languages). My German isn't so great, but I can get on well enough, especially when the people I talk to can't speak English. But on the whole, I know quite a bit of people who speak English here. Which is great (and not so great for practicing my German). But, I really miss talking to native English speakers. Many American idioms and many of my strange words ("sassy" being a prime example) are lost on people here. To their credit they often just nod and smile haha.

7. Rhonda the Honda & Road Trips
Here, if I want to get somewhere, I either walk, ride my bike, or take a train. That's just the way things are. Not everyone has a car. And if they do have one, they don't use it as frequently as Americans do. I can count the amount of times I've been in a car here on my fingers. It's such a rare thing, and I pretty much get giddy when anyone mentions a car ride. I miss my Rhonda the Honda desperately. I love getting around how I do here, but there is just something so wonderful about having my car to take me places (I have a huge list of reasons, I won't bore you with them). And taking trains to other cities is great, but they take all the fun out of a "road trip". I need a road trip through the desert like now.

Rhonda the Honda and I chilling out in Niland, CA.

8. Reading
I get really excited when I can perfectly read a sign these days. Sound pathetic? It's not. When you live in a country where everything is in a different language, suddenly being able to read signs is difficult. Being able to read them and feel like a normal part of society is pretty freaking exciting. Same goes for walking into a bookstore. There's nothing more horrifying than seeing thousands of books that I am unable to read.

9. "No Weather"
Ahh I never realized how spoiled rotten I was when it came to weather. I mean, I "knew", but I didn't really "know". When cold to me means throw on a sweatshirt, jeans and sneakers; it's a real shocker to suddenly find myself wearing three pairs of socks, boots, leggings, jeans, an undershirt, shirt, sweater, coat, scarf, gloves, and hat. Long, cold Winter to say the least. The other day it was warm enough to wear just a skirt, shirt, and jacket and I told freaked out. Why? I felt naked.

10. The Beach & Ocean
Oh how I long to feel sand between my toes and frolic around in the waves. So Cal girls aren't meant to be away from the ocean this long. My inner mermaid is having some serious withdrawals.

The girls and I striking a pose on the beach in San Diego, CA.

11. Coffee Shops
Gone are my long afternoons and evenings spent pouring over homework (and facebook) while slurping up ridiculous amounts of good coffee with friends. For something that was such a big part of my weekly routine, it's strange not to have it happen anymore. I miss it so.

Jarae and I at It's a Grind pondering one of the big questions of life: Face in a book, or Facebook?

12. American People
I've met people from all over the world the past couple months. I've seen many cultures in action, and it's fascinating. I love meeting new people. But as much as I love all the people I've met, I miss my Americans. There's no one quite like us. We are weird, but I love our weirdness. And it would be really nice to be able to say I'm from California and not have it be in the least bit interesting or exciting. Just once.

All that being said... these may be the things and places I miss, but I mostly miss my friends and family. Because these places and things wouldn't be so awesome without them. Can't wait to tackle you all with hugs when I get home. Until then, I continue to bask in the awesome adventure that is Germany. Even if that means six more months of no In-N-Out Burgers.

Raccoons & Parades

When I think of the word "carnival", several things pop into my head. One thought being of a carnival that is similar to a traveling circus with Ferris Wheels and freak shows. Then I think of my church's Halloween carnival that we throw each year. Lastly I think of Carnival, where people celebrate the time before Lent and the coming of Spring. Then I laugh and think of Mardi Gras (drunk people and beads).

America, unlike the rest of the world (how very typical of us), calls Carnival, Mardi Gras. And it isn't a very huge holiday in the States except for in New Orleans (that I know of... I mean someone random in the Midwest could celebrate it and I would never know haha). However, a large portion of rest of the world celebrates Carnival.

Basically, Carnival and Mardi Gras are the same. It's one big party to shake off Winter and bring in the Spring. A long time ago pagans celebrated it as a way to get rid of the witches and evil spirits associated with Winter (similar to what they did for Halloween). But like a lot of pagan holidays, the Catholic church stepped in an created their own holiday to counter act the pagan one. Carnival became a time to give one last big hoorah before entering into the forty days of Lent. Basically a week to party like there is no tomorrow. And Fat Tuesday is the grand finale. Then you gotta be all holy and give up something on Ash Wednesday. I, for instance, said bye bye to Coke (the SODA... get your mind out of the gutter!), my all time favorite addiction besides chocolate.

Spring cleaning time! Gotta get rid of those witches in your closet!

So Fat Tuesday rolled around and I was pretty excited that I would get to celebrate actual factual Carnival. Since Tuesday is a work day for me, I worked. Imagine that. But, I did get off early to go to Karlsruhe's Carnival parade! Originally Martha was going to go with me, but she decided last minute that she didn't want to go. I was bummed, but it was better in the long run... it was absolute chaos at the parade.

Before I left for the parade, I got all dressed up. Which is what a lot of people do for Carnival in varying degrees. It's kind of like the rest of the world's Halloween (I still think Halloween is better). I, being the ever so creative soul that I am, created a costume out of what I had at home. So I transformed myself into a raccoon. Sans tail (couldn't figure out how to make that in the time that I had). Dressed in a mix of grey and black with a face painted face, I headed out into the city.

My raccoon face painting (acrylic paint).

My whole raccoon costume!

I was running a little late due to my costume, and thus my plans for the parade failed quite epically. You see, I was supposed to meet up with Nacha and her family (who were visiting from Chile) in Marktplatz. But by the time I got there, I realized I couldn't cross the street like I had planned to do, and the parade was just about to begin. And my phone battery was about to die so I didn't have much time to work out a plan with Nacha. So I decided to find a good place to watch the parade and then meet up with Nacha and her family after.

Of course finding a spot to watch was easier said than done. Just to get where I was standing (across the street from Europaplatz) I had to wade my way through hordes of people, most of whom were drunk. I wasn't keen on doing that again, so I looked for a spot nearby where I was standing. I was starting to get desperate when I finally spotted an okay spot where I would only have to peer above a couple heads to see. The parade had already begun, and I was glad just to be able to watch it. Little did I know what I would be dealing with the whole parade.

The parade was almost two hours long, and I instantly regretted not wearing a thicker jacket. My fleece is warm, but not warm enough for the cold wind that was blowing as the sun began to get lower in the sky (being so high above the equator is so annoying sometimes). I spent most of the parade bouncing on the balls of my feet to stay warm. It was also not so fun to stand in one place for that long, but I was distracted enough by the floats and parade goers that it didn't really matter.

The parade was really interesting. It was filled with a lot of traditional German Carnival costumes and clubs. Many of both have been around for several hundred years. Some are newer. But it's clear the clubs take Carnival, their floats, and their costumes seriously. I think my favorite were the witch costumes, they had these scary and intricate masks. They also were hilarious... they walked around with confetti and threw it on people. Or tried to hit you with a pigs bladder (no, I'm not kidding). Other clubs dressed up as lots of other things like clowns, Native Americans, and animals.

One of the floats. The girls in the braids, hats, and dresses are one of the tradition outfits I mentioned.

Pretty sure these guys were jesters.

See all that confetti? The witches were having a field day.

Like most parades, this one involved candy throwing. Which of course is awesome (nothing quite like having hard candy chucked at your head, right?). I like candy, most people do, so I of course wanted some. Now, I really only wanted like a handful or two, which isn't much considering how much candy was thrown. But I was thwarted in my attempts almost every single time I reached for the candy. Why? Problem #1: I'm a butter fingers and can't catch things to save my life. This is always a problem at parades. But usually I'm able to just pick up what I've dropped. But here entered problem #2: The people around me were drunk, greedy little bastards. Anytime candy would come, it was like we were getting brand new iPads thrown at us, the excitement and greed was ridiculous. I would reach for a dropped candy, and either be beaten to it (fair game I guess) or have it snatched out of my hands (not fair at all). Mind you, these are adults I am talking about here. There was only one kid near me, and he was at the front of the crowd, so he was getting candy handed to him by the people in the parade. He didn't have to fight over it like everyone else was. Since I was unwilling to take part in this bloodbath, I just gave up on candy unless it landed directly at my feet. Even then it was a challenge to claim it as mine. Ri-freaking-diculous. I've seen seven-year-old's with more manners.

Blue wig and blondie were the worst of my drunk "friends"...

So aside from ever so delightfully dealing with the company of a drunken crowd, I really enjoyed myself. It was such a cool parade. Candy, costumes, music, and excitement abound. The people watching opportunities were immense. And the looks people gave me for my costume were priceless. My one regret of the afternoon? I wish I had been closer to the front.

Once the last float had floated on by, I entered the sea of people to make my way out of the city center to meet up at Nacha's apartment. Once I got there I was one happy camper to be away from so many people. Crowds really aren't my thing. (Which is hilarious, considering how much I love Disneyland and how I deal with crowds there all the time. Moving on... ) Hanging out with Nacha and her family was a blast. We had tea and cakes and just relaxed. I chatted with her parents (who are super sweet), played Cars with her little brother (lots of car crashes were involved), and watched Simon's Cat videos on Youtube with her two sisters (so hilarious). I was sad to say goodbye when the night was done.

Nacha, Azu, me, and Jo. (Azu was still in her cat costume and I in my raccoon costume).

Carnival. One big party. Fun, and not so fun. I'm not a big party girl... I like my nerdy activities such as book reading more than getting drunk. I am really glad I got to experience it though. My rule is to always try something once, and if I don't like it I don't have to do it again. And I must say that I would definitely go to Carnival next year if I had the chance. I mean come on, who would miss out on an excuse to dress up like a woodland creature?! Not this girl.

Cali Girl & the Winter Wonderland

I am a California girl through and through. Many stereotypes go along with that name. Some are down right ridiculous, but many aren't far from the truth. Most people think of the beach when they think of my home state. The California coast is 840 miles long, which I admit is a lot. But, you need to put that in perspective with the rest of the state which is 163,707 square miles. That's a lot of state! And we have one of the most diverse states out of the fifty. Mountains, lakes, deserts, an ocean, forests, rivers, and so many other things fill up the Golden State. But before I start sounding like a promoter for California tourism, let me get to my point. Much like California, I am full of the expected and unexpected. 

Growing up as Southern California girl has defined me in a lot of ways. And true to So Cal girl form, I'm not the biggest fan of being cold or enduring Winter. We don't really have Winter, you see. It's not that I don't like the romanticized idea of wearing lots of cute layered clothes, playing around in the snow with friends, going on sleigh rides... the list could go on and on. But the reality is, I hate wearing too many layers because I get all hot and claustrophobic. And playing in the snow is all fun and swell until you get snow in every crevice and discover how wet and miserable you are. And sleigh rides just go and mess up your hair with all the wind whipping around. Not at all whimsical and wintery. Now of course Winter can be magical. I just like it in very, very small doses. Like a weekend trip up to Lake Arrowhead, or evening spent bundled up walking around Naples (in Long Beach) caroling to the unsuspecting homeowners, or even a nice afternoon of ice skating at the local ice skating rink. That's about all I need of winter, and I'm totally content.

I must admit, I was mortified about the idea of having to rough it through a "German Winter." Mortified. But as November rolled around, and then December, I realized that I had been worrying for no reason. Because I got freaking lucky. This year is considered to be the driest European Winter in fifty years. Now, that doesn't mean it is like 70 degrees and I'm tanning on the balcony. Nooo. It's been really cold (like between the 20's and 40's), cloudy, and raining. It was sunny the other day and I just about had a heart attack because I hadn't seen the sun in so long. I'm getting paler by the second. 

Because of the dry conditions, there hasn't been much snow. Not that there hasn't been snow. From the pictures I've seen, I would classify it as lots of snow in other parts of Germany. But I'm biased. Any snow is a lot of snow to me. But Karlsruhe is "the warmest city in the country" (as I've been told countless times), so we have seen a lot less snow here than the rest of Germany. It's really only technically snowed here three times, but it was like really wimpy. Even by my standards. But today changed that! It has officially snowed. And I must say I was (and still am) quite excited.

Last night, when I went to bed, it was snowing. So when I woke up this morning, I uncharacteristically bounced out of bed to see if the snow had managed to stick around. When I opened my blinds I was greeted with rooftops coated in a soft white powder. I giggled delightedly and got ready real quick. There was no way I was spending the morning inside.

View from my bedroom window.

Some snow on my window!

Not much later I found myself standing out on my street surrounded by all sorts of white covered objects. (The cars made me laugh the most, they just looked so ridiculous). One step into the street and I knew I was in trouble. It was coated in ice. Being the klutz of the century, I immediately put my arms out (air plane style) and tread as slowly across the street as I could. Thus, making a fool of myself in front of all the people who were out walking on this glorious morning. But I didn't mind. My child-like excitement was more concerned about snow than people. 

Me and the snow... such a rare sight to behold.

All morning I frolicked about in the park near my house. Most of that time was spent giggling evilly as I made tracks in untouched snow, basked in weak sunlight, and tried not to fall on my ass. 

Walking down the park pathway.

Playground area of the park.

My footprints.

After my park adventure, I needed to go into the city center to get some birthday cards. (February is quite the month for birthdays!) So I made the trek to a store called Ernhardt's, which has a fabulous selection of cards. Once I bought my cards, I wandered around and enjoyed all the snow on the rooftops. The snow on the ground had been cleared in most spots, but it was still a lovely sight to see.

I made it back to the house, quite grateful to have survived. Yes, I know, I'm such a drama queen. But as I said, this Cali girl doesn't do the whole "Winter" thing. Now, you are probably wondering why I was so excited about snow today if I don't like it. Well you see, I have a love/hate relationship with snow. It's gorgeous, and a blast to play in. But it's cold, and will eventually get me all wet, cold, and mushy. Or it will turn into ice and have me fall on my ass for the world to see. Snow. So fun, yet so evil. Point being, I like it in small doses, just like I like my Winter. And waking up to it this morning was just so lovely and wonderful and whimsical that I couldn't help but be excited. I also couldn't help being so excited that I acted like I five year old most of the morning. What made the day good was that I didn't fall and I kept dry and warm. And most importantly, I didn't get snow in my boots (long traumatic childhood story attached to that haha). 

So my verdict on Winter? Well, it hasn't changed. It can be magical. As long as it stays out of my boots.

Blonde Girl Takes on Paris (Day 4)

Here's part four of my story of how this blonde girl fell in love with the city of lights, and how she learned to blend in and stick out all at once.... all in quick and easy to read bullet points that I jotted down in a moleskine as I explored or took a breather from all of what Paris has to offer.

To find the other parts of my Paris trip, you can click here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3

Day Four - January 5th, 2012

Weather:
- Crazy extreme! Cloudy and rainy on one side of the sky (East) and blue skies and sunny on the other (West)
Places:
- Seine River Walk, Place de la Concorde, and Train Station (Gare de l'est)
Events:
- slept in (still felt sick)
- got ready real slow, packed up, checked out, and left luggage at front desk
- went to the Seine River and walked along the river walk from the Eiffel Tower to the Place de la Concorde (after I missed my boat tour, this became my plan B, it turned out to be more fun than a boat tour anyways)
- saw a bunch of statues (mostly war memorials) as I walked
- saw/walked around the Place de la Concorde (the Obelisk was amazing)
- totally nerded out here (my guidebook helped me nerd out a lot the whole trip), but knew I had to get going so I headed towards the nearest metro station
- had another fun encounter with a guy (what is it with these French guys and I??), this time one who got seriously pissed off at me for not wanting to talk to him. fun stuff
- picked up my luggage at the hotel and headed to the train station which was almost right across the street
- got there 30 minutes before my train was to leave, and waited at the correct platform patiently
- little did I know that the platform next to me had my train, because they had switched things around (I didn't know because everything was in French)
- thus I missed my train, waiting at the wrong gate
- my ticket was non transferable, and Johannes and Christiane had warned me not to miss my train no matter what I did. I thought I was prepared for every possibility by coming early, but I wasn't
- I called Christiane, and she told me to talk to the ticket office. This turned into a several hour adventure of dealing with people that spoke very little English along with lots of ticket complications
- finally, once they were all super fed up with me, the ticket office just sent me on a train with a copy of my receipt for a ticket Christiane had bought for me online
- I was mortified that without an official ticket that I was going to be kicked off the train and either be completely stranded in Paris, or in the middle of nowhere
- the ticket master ended up taking pity on me after I was crying on the train while explaining to him why I didn't have a ticket
- he let me stay on the train but I had to pay for the train I would take from Mannheim to Karlsruhe in a few hours. Miraculously I had just enough money for that ticket on me (that's a God moment right there)
- I spent the rest of the evening on trains wallowing and trying not to cry about how miserably such a wonderful trip had come to and end
- I finally got to Karlsruhe Hbf near midnight, and then had to wait a half hour for a Straßenbahn to get me home
- when I finally got home, I dropped everything on the floor, got my pajamas on, and went to bed
Thoughts:
- "Let's Go Europe" (2010) is a great guidebook.
- I love the pop out map of the city that Christiane and Johannes got me. I used it so much. The mini metro map also came in handy a lot!
- I seriously have quite the creeper fan club in Paris. Is this what I get for being blonde?!
- One of Christiane's co-workers got me a Paris moleskine for Christmas. I used it a lot (that's where I jotted down all these notes about my trip). I love it, can't wait to add to it and use it as a reference next time I go to Paris.
- Though I am an over packer as it is, I need to bring along at least a little bit of cold medicine on trips from now on. Never know where and when I (or someone else) will get sick.
- The ominous weather made the Place de la Concorde so intense. I could totally imagine the place full of a blood thirsty crowd, watching people get their heads chopped off by the guillotine. It's so interesting that the Obelisk stands in place of the guillotine now.
- Oh, French people... so frustrating. I really missed my Germans.
Fun Facts:
- Seine River
    ~ It's pretty much brown. Lovely.
    ~ It took me almost 2 hours to amble just a portion of it.
- Place de la Concorde
    ~ Paris's most infamous public square.
    ~ Built between 1757 and 1777.
    ~ During the French Revolution it was named the Place de la Revolution.
    ~ In 1830 it was renamed to it's current name.
    ~ Also in 1830 the Obelisk was placed in the middle.
    ~ The Obelisk was given to Charles X by the Viceroy of Egypt.
Photos: 

It's super faint, but there is a full rainbow in this picture. Amazing that I had a rainbow the day I arrived and the day I left!

Boats on the Seine River.

View of the Eiffel Tower from a bridge over the Seine.

Clouds beginning to loom in the North and East.

It crazy windy! Me on a bridge over the Seine near the Eiffel Tower. As you can see, my firework burn starting to look less gross on this day, but it is definitely going to scar.

I love the character of the types of river boats in Paris.

The Seine River walk. Everything looks so bare and wintery, guess that makes sense haha.

I have no idea what these actually was, all I know is that I immediately thought: the Statue of Liberty's torch.

I love the contrasts in this picture, this is still on the path along the Seine.

This statue had all it's writing in English (I was ever so excited) because it was gifted by American school children to the French after a war (can't remember which war).

Epic view of the Paris Eye, the Obelisk, and the looming storm in the East.

Place de la Concorde... the place of peace, very ironic considering how many people were murdered in this location during the French Revolution.

Me soaking up my last bit of France.

Smiling, so stoked on my trip. Little do I know that I'm about to deal with missing a train and all that comes with that. Fun times.

On this trip I saw and experienced so much, yet I barely made a dent on the list of the many things that I can do there. Amazing. Paris was a city that I had a lot of preconceived notions about. While many of those turned out to be true, many proved false. I would say in this case it was great to be proven wrong.

Paris, keep the lights on for me, I'll visit you again someday!

To relive the story, you can check out my other days in Paris here: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3