Guten Morgen Quiedersbach

Hayden, Shawn and I spent the morning at the U.S. military base, called Ramstein. Germany actually has the largest number of U.S. forces outside the States in one geographic location—over 40,000! It's the second base we've gotten to tour, the first was called Vogelweh. My brother, Tanner, will go active duty (he's in ROTC now) pretty soon here and he put Germany as one of his top base choices, so it was kind of cool to see a place that he might be stationed. I wish I could have taken more pictures, but there's this whole 'security thing' that makes it difficult… We got a clearance pass for the week though, so I’m basically foreign intelligence.

After the tour, we grabbed lunch on base at a place called Lucky's Doner Kebaba Specialties, I guess you could call it German fast food, with an Arab twist. It was FAR better than any American fast food I've tasted. They cook this big hunk of meat on a turning-wheel and shave off the crispy outer layers to add to sandwiches, wraps, or salads. Honestly, I thought it sounded pretty gross and looked quite odd, but I was starving and figured I might as well try it while I was there. Shockingly delicious. Could be the only time I ever get a chance to taste authentic German food, so I might as well try everything I can, right? 

Me eating a 'Doner Salad' with some sort of delicious meat, feta cheese, and a really good white-yogurt sauce

This is how they cook the meat--kind of crazy looking, eh?

Oh, and remember that one time I said I beat jet lag? That was a lie. Holy Hannah, it hit me today. We got home from lunch and meant to go explore a nearby castle, but ended up sleeping for two and a half hours! Haha at least I got to nap with an adorable 6 day old, can't complain. :)

Jet lag at it's finest: Crashing for 2 1/2 hours with Brianna (6 days old!)
Didn't even have the energy to take off my coat before falling asleep.

Once we woke up, we decided to go tour the city—it is absolutely beautiful, very picturesque. American-made houses may be higher quality and more functional, but there's something about the narrow streets and old, unique houses lining the road that I can’t help, but love. It was just relaxing to walk around, even in the cold—a type of weather I did not come equipped for...luckily Janae let me borrow a coat. And as for my Toms shoes--let's just say that they will not be making the return trip to the U.S. And just a few things I’ve noticed. Anyhow, this was some of our walking view:

My Toms--not the best shoes for rain

Taking a walk with Katelyn :)

German houses galore! The pictures really don't do it justice, I'll work on my photography skills and try to put some better pictures up soon.

I love this picture because the old woman looking out the window,
she realized I was taking a picture of her, I thought she was going to present me with her pretty middle finger or something, but she smiled and waved! I am a fan of Germany and of Germans :)

And to end, some random facts/observations

• Music: they play EVERYTHING here—lots of American music and quite a bit of Spanish. It's funny because while the music is in English, all the commercials and talk are still in German.
• Money: is WAY too easy to spend here, I’ve got to budget!
• Locks: there are skeleton locks and keys for every room in the house; I realized the need for them—during my first potty break—when a 4 year old skipped happily in to join me in the restroom. Use them.

• Language: I swear, everyone here speaks English—it would be easy to move here and never learn anything in German (which would be sad). I've picked up a few words which makes me excited for Italy, where I actually have a background in the language.
• Accents: I never thought I'd say it, but there is something very attractive about a good looking man with a deep German accent :)
• Restaurants: are very different from American ones. Rather than waiting on your every need, servers and waitresses kind of ignore you. You have to flag down the server if you need anything. There was actually only one waitress at the restaurant we went to tonight—she took everyone's orders, got the drinks, served the food, and took our checks—it was impressive. Also, free refills are non-existent, and water costs as much (if not more) than the other drinks. One really cool thing is that most restaurants here are family owned, and they reserve a special table every night in case anyone in their family decides to come. "Actions express priorities" -Gandhi. I like what that says.

Paul, Hayden, Shawn, Me, Janae, and lil Brianna at dinner

Our dinner: @ Storennest

The restaurant may or may not have live Stork outside!

• Driving: the roads are super skinny and everyone speeds! SUVs are non-existent here, though I have seen a few mini vans.
• Windows: open from the side and the top!
• Shawn and Hayden: spoil me to death. From making me herbal tea and packing my lunch, to carrying my bags and always giving me shot-gun. Seriously, anything I try to do for myself, they convince me I should relax instead and let them do it! I guess I should enjoy the treatment while I've got it—another week and I'll be one my own! I may not have known them very well before we came, but they are absolute gems and the best travel buddies a girl could ask for! :)

Yes, that is a "K" on the bag for Kierea :) Just packing lunch for our boat ride tomorrow!

I’ve also talked more to the family I'm staying with in Italy! So exciting! They seem fabulous; I just have to figure out the best way to get from Rome (where I will be taking a train into from Paris) to their town. I'm guessing I'll just take another train or bus, but I should probably get that figured out in Germany where I have easy access to internet...ya know though: go with the flow, I'll figure it out.  Well, it is time for me to get ready for bed! We are leaving at 5am tomorrow morning! I got my SIM card working, so now have an international cell phone (which I feel pretty legit about). My throat is hurting, but I refuse to get sick—mind over matter. I thought I could mind-over-matter my height when I was 8 and be 6'3", which, given, didn't end up working out and therefore was probably not the best example...but I have a feeling that this time it will work. :) Wish me luck! Wish me luck in German: wünscht mir Glück.