Well, spring is rushing by at an ICE 3 pace. The jump into May didn't only bring Maibäume (a cute tradition in this area of Germany where boys put a decorated tree in their girlfriend's and/or crush's yard in the middle of the night before May first) but quite a bit of merriment in good ol' Aachen as well with family and friends, both new and old.
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| Liebe Mai Grüße aus der Pontstraße! |
May first is a national holiday here. That means no school and events all over Aachen. Some buddies and I met in the student quarter of town where plenty of people our age were out and about enjoying the holiday as well. We even ran into some pretty awesome students who'd spontaneously decided to set up a living room on the street, complete with sofa, blankies and a potted plant. It had a Portlandia interactive street art project vibe to it. Naturally we had to hang out with them for a while. Maybe next year my friends and I will grace Eugene with our own living room installation.
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| Take a seat in the guest chair! |
Saturday my soccer coach had his 50th birthday party. Almost the whole team was there and it was definitely a memorable celebration with quality teammate bonding time. I mean, there was a cruise ship-worthy buffet and even a live band consisting of four saxophonists. When I first joined this team back in fall I'd never have guessed come spring we'd all be hanging out in our coach's backyard listening to a saxophone troupe jam out to You're the One That I Want from Grease. But what could be better!?
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| Meet some of my favorite people in NRW. |
Sunday was a major family bash. My host brother had his confirmation, something he's been preparing for and looking forward to since I first arrived here. Although I've known him less than a year, it was pretty special seeing my little brother during this important life event.
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| Post-church ceremony with the host bros. |
After the church service we all headed back home for a delicious, top-notch four course meal together with twenty five or so family and friends. By the time dessert rolled around, the stories were definitely flowing. They were your typical tales about "back in the days," almost always with some sort of amusing ending. When families get together, it's bound to happen, whether you live in Oregon or Aachen.
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| Lily-Madeline-- sounding pretty sophisticated! |
May has been lovely so far. Spending time with my newfound friends and family is the best way to enjoy a long weekend. However, it's also bittersweet taking a glance at the calendar. Not even fifty days left! I may not be able to stop a speeding ICE3 train, but I can enjoy the view before arriving at my stop. Plus, who's to say I can't hop back on a year from now?
