munich

The Bavarian countryside is currently rolling past my window in a blur of green, brown and blue. Chiemsee is to my left nestled between orange trees and blue mountains. Fall is officially here in the south of Germany (despite the occasional pile of snow here and there) I'm sitting in one of the rear-facing seats. This train ride feels like a carnival ride. I'M FLYING THROUGH TME AND SPACE. I wish. Ha.

There's something very comforting about both the Austrian and German landscapes. Even the little smatterings of towns and houses seem friendly and welcoming, although perhaps a little sleepy. I'm headed back to Graz after a long weekend in Munich. München. I grew a lot during my time there: a year in a foreign country is a petri dish of adventures, mild trauma, confusion, life lessons and adulthood. And alcohol. :) Sometimes I find myself longing for the carefree days of studying in Munich, with all my friends, the familiar streets, smells and sounds…But now that I've been back, it's clear it would never be the same. I still love the beer and pork-laden city with all my heart. I love wandering the streets, hearing the people, watching everything…And I still have friends there, a few. But after a year in Portland and now a summer and a half in other parts of Europe, the size of Munich has become alarming. Not so much the actual distances between points but rather the amount of human (or cylon, we're not sure) bodies roaming from place to place is INCREDIBLE. I can't believe I adapted so easily to so much going on. So many shoulders to bump into! Tiny Graz no longer feels too small but rather comfortingly cozy. I definitely notice the 1.4 million person difference between Graz and Munich… I think this means that I've once more adapted to my surroundings, adopted a new city to call home. Just like Portland will always be a kind of home, one that will no doubt feel a bit different upon arrival, so too is Munich: It's a home I can always come back to, but one that will not wait for me. It will keep on living its life, greet me with open arms when I come back, but not miss me when I'm gone. And I'm okay with that. I'm okay with the way time stops for no one. I couldn't bring myself to visit my local student haunts in Stusta. It was just too much…Maybe next time I'm in the city of monks I'lll brave the cheap, dimply lit student bars that I once loved so dearly..

I would certainly call the visit a success: I saw Monica and Jan <3 two of the most delightfully odd people I know, I understood what every German said, I saw my dear elf-friend Leo, had a long afternoon with the English Garden, drank beer that made my mouth and heart happy, rode the familiar rails of the U-Bahn, and watched more German tv than one really should. I cannot complain! It wasn't the sight0seeing filled romp some people might have had. I didn't need to do anything necessarily, just being in a place I love with people I love was quite enough for me. Don't worry, the next time I find myself in Munich I'll get really drunk and stay up until 6 am and watch the sunrise. Next time. Ahhh, just like old times….