Saturday, February 27, 2016

Friend Spotlight!

For this entry, I am going to put the spotlight on: Travis. 

 
Travis and I met under what are now humorous circumstances, during my brief foray into the world of online dating. This didn't last long, both due to my short attention span as well as my inclination towards things more along the lines of romance and a certain preference in ideas connected to fate as well as timing.  So I quickly decided to leave my relationship status up to the universe and deleted my profile after just a few weeks.  Travis and me had gone on a couple of dates and came to the conclusion that we were not a romantic match but were interested in continuing to spend time together platonically. 
 
Hence the beginning of this awesome friendship.
 
 
 
Travis and I have done loads of fun things together.  We get coffee and tea together often, we both LOVE books and talk about them all the time during our get togethers.  In fact, I believe Travis may be the only person who has read every single book I have ever recommended him.  How cool is that!?  He says I am his go-to person in terms of finding his next read.  We have celebrated birthdays, traveled to Freiburg together for the Christmas market, sampled many, many burger joints throughout the city, we have checked out the way cool "Blind Museum" in Frankfurt, we frequent the local bookstore routinely, Travis has attended my dinner parties, we are currently discussing a likely long weekend trip to Amsterdam and possibly Belgium too sometime in the near future, the list goes on.
 
 
Travis is hands down my most generous friend.  He is incredibly reliable and loyal.  He is someone I know I can count on.  He is a person that I trust.  We always have interesting conversations, whether venturing into silly territory, or more serious and contemplative.  Travis is fun to be with, warm and caring.  He is hard working and intelligent.
 
Travis is someone around whom I feel I can be myself.  I can be goofy or serious.  He is one of the few friends that I feel I can talk to easily about all sorts of things, but can just as easily sit in companionable silence with as well.  He is someone I can laugh with, a person I feel supported by and cared about.  He is someone I always have a great time with.
 
 
His friendship is one I treasure.  I am very lucky to be able to call him one of my friends.
 
 

 

Friday, February 26, 2016

Tickets are booked! MAJOR trip is in the works!

Hi all,

MAJOR upcoming adventure with my fabulous Madre coming up in just four fast weeks!!!  The countdown has begun.  I never, ever would have expected the excitement that is unfolding in terms of our plans for when she comes to visit.

So the tickets are booked.  See below for our travel itinerary!!!!  

There is some big time checking-off-of-bucket list must-sees on this venture.


Stop #1: Zermatt, Switzerland for Skiing!!!!!!!!!!!

I NEVER would have imagined I would actually make it here within my lifetime.  So this alone fills me with wonder and thrill.  We will be spending about 2.5 days time here together.  One full day skiing what are supposed to be some of the best slopes in literally the entire world (with the awe-inspiring and totally awesome Matterhorn as our backdrop), and then the rest of our time exploring what is said to be the ultra-charming town of Zermatt.  Fun fact: apparently this is a car-free town.  How cool is that?









Stop #2: Barcelona, Spain!!!  

A newbie for both my Mom and me as neither of us have been here.  We will spend about two days in this happening city.  Stay tuned for a more detailed report of plans as they unfold for how we will spend out time in this exciting spot.







And finally, our last stop.  Stop #3: Lisbon, Portugal.  

I have already been here (and LOVED it) but my Mom has not.  I am SO psyched to show her around.  And be still my dessert-loving heart.  That incredible coconut bread with which I fell in love during my solo trip to Lisbon last year, I am looking forward to this with the kind of excitement that only someone who adores sweets as much as I do could ;-).  Mom, get excited.  This is a game-changer in terms of sweets.













Monday, February 22, 2016

Guess who is coming to visit???? BIG News!!!!!

THIS lovely lady.  My Mom!!!!!! <3

That is right.  She is coming to visit me, tickets are booked, here in Germany.  She arrives on Wednesday, March 23 and will stay until Monday, April 4!!!!  I am SO thrilled.  I am counting down the weeks.




Our itinerary is not yet set in stone, so stay tuned for that.  We are working on this right now, via lots of research and discussions.  But see below for what we are leaning towards, and what seems highly likely that we will end up doing...



Oh yeah.  You saw that right.  SKIING, in most likely the SWISS ALPS!!!!!!  See the two previous photos, as well as the one below for potential ski towns we may be in.  Stunning, eh???  Definitely on my lift list.  So thrilled for this.


 
Annnnnnd, again, not set in stone yet but highly likely, Barcelona for a few days!!!!




Tapas!!!!



Stay tuned for plans as they finalize in the next week or so....another adventure and with one of the people I love the most.  The drumroll of suspense is rolling...!!!!

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Limburg Adventure!

Hi All,

Just got back from a very rainy albeit charming, enjoyable and entertaining exploration of Limburg with a great friend.  We ventured through the entire old town area of Limburg on wet, cobbled ground, making our ascent to the top of the hill for a view of the focal point, the cathedral.  

We took the requisite tea and cake break of course ;-) as well as ducked into a few of the particularly inviting shops that piqued our interest along the way.

The day was drizzly and dreary but we had a great time.  Lots of interesting conversation, as always.  Laughter, photo taking and a leisurely train ride through snow blanketed forests and winding back country roads, glittery white and lovely, giving me pangs of nostalgia for not only home but New Hampshire specifically.  

Enjoy the photos below!















Above were the photos I did some editing on.

Now for the uncut, straight up photos from the entire day.  See below for the whole batch!























And, enjoying one of my photo walls while I write on my blog from the coziness of my room :-D  The other of my collages covers another wall of my bedroom.