May 23/Monday started off very relaxed. I worked in the morning to get everyone out the door. I immediately went back to sleep. It was raining and cold and I didn't have any real reason to leave the house. I ended up staying in bed until 2pm. When I finally got up, I went for a run. The rain had stopped and I decided I shouldn't be too lazy. I knew I'd have trouble falling asleep that night if I didn't do some kind of physical activity. HM and the kids got home at 5 and I started working. HD and One left for swim class at 6, and I helped HM with Two so she could get a few things done. I finished work early, at 7, and didn't have anything planned. Fiona texted me shortly thereafter and asked if I wanted to go for a drink in town. Again, I hadn't really wanted to leave the house, but I caved and met her for a drink. We went to O'Shea's for a drink, then down to Molly's to see Meg. When Meg got off work, the three of us went to the Shamrock and then to Finnegan's for a drink. There was a huge soccer game on (Frankfurt vs Nürnberg), and all the pubs were packed. Whenever I intend on going out for one drink, I always stay out much later than expected. I wanted to be back home by 11pm, but I didn't make it back until 1:30. I guess this is what being young is all about?
Tuesday started off fairly similar to Monday. It was cold and raining in the morning, so any motivation I had to be productive was extinguished. I worked in the morning, though I had to drive HM and the kids to work/school and then drive the car back home. I climbed back into bed and slept another four hours. I'd only gotten about three hours of sleep before I had to work, so I actually needed it this time. I got out of bed at 1pm, ate lunch, showered, and then watched tv before I had to leave to pick up the kids. The evening with the kids was business as usual. I brought them home, we watched some tv, played in their rooms, ate dinner, and then I put them to sleep. I did some chores once they were asleep. HD arrived shortly thereafter. I went to bed rather early, though I was awoken at 12:30 by screams from One. He was shouting, "Farrah! Farrah! Farrah!" I guess HD didn't hear him (my bedroom and his bedroom share a wall), so I went over to investigate. He was thirsty. I gave him some water and tucked him back in.
Wednesday was significantly busier than the previous two days. I worked an hour in the morning, went back to sleep, and then made myself get up at 10. I showered and went into town to run some errands, then went over to Fiona's to help her build some furniture. In the afternoon, I went back home. I packed for my trip to Budapest, did some chores, and waited for everyone to get home. HM and the kids arrived at their usual time and I started working. I only worked for about two hours, or until HD got home. We all went over to M and T's for dinner. I left in the late evening for town. I went to visit Fiona at work, and then popped into Finnegan's to see who was there. Not much was going on in town, so I made my way home to finish packing.
I leave in the morning for Budapest! I'll be there Thursday through Monday with Adam. I am so excited! I need a break from Nürnberg. I have a restless spirit, hence why I try to travel once a month.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Er ist ein bunter Hund.
May 20/Friday was a gorgeous day. It was in the mid-60s and sunny, aka perfect running weather. I worked an hour in the morning, slept a little, and finally got up. I took my time doing my chores and then went for a run. I cooked myself a big lunch and lazed around for awhile. HP and the kids got home a little later than usual. I only spent a couple of hours working, and then I was given the rest of the evening off. I made my way down to O'Shea's to visit Fiona at work. While I was sitting there, Conor walked by and I beckoned him to come have a drink with me. The two of us had a couple of drinks together before he went home and I made my way over to Kloster to meet Lucas. Ina was working there as well. I spent the next few hours hanging out with them. Fiona eventually came and joined us after work, though I had to leave shortly after she arrived. Lucas and I left to catch the bus, stopping at a bar to say hi to Johnny and Kat on the way. Lucas lives right around the corner from me, hence why him and I could take the same bus home. I think I finally got into bed around 3:30am.
Saturday was busy busy busy. I was up at 10 to work, though I mostly just sat around. I ate breakfast with HD and the kids - HM was away for the morning - and then HD wanted to go for a bike ride. He never ended up leaving. One was being really moody and throwing a fit, so I guess HD didn't think he should go. There really isn't much point in more than one adult watching the kids at any time. I also feel like I'm intruding when I just sit there while HP are with the kids. I basically ended up roaming around the house doing random little chores while HD played with the kids. I did cook lunch for us when it was time. We ate outside, as it was quite warm and sunny. I finished working exactly at 1pm. I quickly got dressed to leave, putting on my Dirndl. When One saw me wearing it, he walked by and said, "Woah!" and then stood there looking at me for a moment. I caught the train to the Hauptbahnhof to meet Mike and Simon. We were supposed to ride the train together to the Bergkirchweih (aka "Berg") in Erlangen, but we ended up getting on separate parts of the train. The two of them sat together and I sat alone. Anyways, the Bergkirchweih is a huge, two-week long festival in Erlangen. It's similar to Oktoberfest in that it's geared towards beer drinking, but the origins of the festivals are different. Everyone does dress up in their Dirndls and Lederhosen, hence why I was wearing mine. For the record, Dirndls and Lederhosen are not "German." Well, technically they are. But more specifically, they're Bavarian. People in Bavaria are the only group in Germany who would have worn them as traditional clothing back in the day. Oktoberfest takes place in Munich (which is in Bavaria), hence why they're worn there. A number of my friends from home made a comment about my "German" dress, but really it's Bavarian. The three of us stayed at the Berg for a few hours. It was absolutely packed full of people, so we couldn't find a table. We walked around for about three hours, drinking and enjoying each others company. We headed back to Nürnberg at 6pm. I had fun, but I was ready to change out of my Dirndl. They are not exactly known for being very comfortable. I arrived back at home just as HP and the kids were eating dinner. They had grilled outside and I joined them. I showered and headed back out to meet up with my friends. I met Johnny, Kat, Fitzy, John, and Lucas at Finnegan's. We stayed there through the end of the soccer game (Bayern vs Dortmund) and then headed over to Molly's to see Meg. We ended up staying there for the rest of the night. Around 4am, Meg and I went to Fitzy's and crashed.
Sunday was much more action-packed than I intended. I didn't get home until about 1pm. I showered and got back into bed, with every intention of staying there all day. I skyped with my mom and watched some tv. John texted me, wanting to go get lunch. I met him and Fiona at Chilli's. We sat on their patio for the next three hours, enjoying each others company and laughing. We went over to Finnegan's later, as Johnny was working and we wanted to see him. We spent the rest of the evening there. Meg also showed up after she finished work. I went home around 11pm, exhausted from the adventures of the weekend.
Saturday was busy busy busy. I was up at 10 to work, though I mostly just sat around. I ate breakfast with HD and the kids - HM was away for the morning - and then HD wanted to go for a bike ride. He never ended up leaving. One was being really moody and throwing a fit, so I guess HD didn't think he should go. There really isn't much point in more than one adult watching the kids at any time. I also feel like I'm intruding when I just sit there while HP are with the kids. I basically ended up roaming around the house doing random little chores while HD played with the kids. I did cook lunch for us when it was time. We ate outside, as it was quite warm and sunny. I finished working exactly at 1pm. I quickly got dressed to leave, putting on my Dirndl. When One saw me wearing it, he walked by and said, "Woah!" and then stood there looking at me for a moment. I caught the train to the Hauptbahnhof to meet Mike and Simon. We were supposed to ride the train together to the Bergkirchweih (aka "Berg") in Erlangen, but we ended up getting on separate parts of the train. The two of them sat together and I sat alone. Anyways, the Bergkirchweih is a huge, two-week long festival in Erlangen. It's similar to Oktoberfest in that it's geared towards beer drinking, but the origins of the festivals are different. Everyone does dress up in their Dirndls and Lederhosen, hence why I was wearing mine. For the record, Dirndls and Lederhosen are not "German." Well, technically they are. But more specifically, they're Bavarian. People in Bavaria are the only group in Germany who would have worn them as traditional clothing back in the day. Oktoberfest takes place in Munich (which is in Bavaria), hence why they're worn there. A number of my friends from home made a comment about my "German" dress, but really it's Bavarian. The three of us stayed at the Berg for a few hours. It was absolutely packed full of people, so we couldn't find a table. We walked around for about three hours, drinking and enjoying each others company. We headed back to Nürnberg at 6pm. I had fun, but I was ready to change out of my Dirndl. They are not exactly known for being very comfortable. I arrived back at home just as HP and the kids were eating dinner. They had grilled outside and I joined them. I showered and headed back out to meet up with my friends. I met Johnny, Kat, Fitzy, John, and Lucas at Finnegan's. We stayed there through the end of the soccer game (Bayern vs Dortmund) and then headed over to Molly's to see Meg. We ended up staying there for the rest of the night. Around 4am, Meg and I went to Fitzy's and crashed.
Sunday was much more action-packed than I intended. I didn't get home until about 1pm. I showered and got back into bed, with every intention of staying there all day. I skyped with my mom and watched some tv. John texted me, wanting to go get lunch. I met him and Fiona at Chilli's. We sat on their patio for the next three hours, enjoying each others company and laughing. We went over to Finnegan's later, as Johnny was working and we wanted to see him. We spent the rest of the evening there. Meg also showed up after she finished work. I went home around 11pm, exhausted from the adventures of the weekend.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Wer, wenn nicht wir.
May 16/Monday was a German holiday. There's three German holidays throughout the month of May, all of which I have off. I do not ever work Sundays or German holidays. I had fully intended on spending the entire day in bed, but of course that's not what happened. I woke up around 10am and laid in bed for awhile, even taking a nap in the afternoon. HP and the kids had left before I woke up and got back during my nap, so the house was quiet all day. I had planned on staying in bed all day. HP and the kids left again while I was showering, which is also coincidentally when Lucas texted me asking if I wanted to go for a drink at the bar where Ina works. I said yes, and we met at the train station an hour later. Again, I hadn't intended on being out long. I told myself I'd head home at 10pm, but that was far from what happened. Being friends with bartenders is a blessing and a curse. They always seem to put another drink in your hand before you finish the last...and they never make you pay for them. I didn't get home too late. Kind of. Lucas and I caught the 1:31 train back to our station. It's certainly nice having a friend who lives in my neighborhood. I've always hated taking the train so late all by myself.
Tuesday was my first day working after a four day holiday, yet I only ended up working an hour and a half. I was up entirely too early (6:45) considering that I didn't fall asleep until 2:30 and I wouldn't get a chance to nap during the day. I got everyone out the door on time and then spent 30 minutes doing chores. An old friend of mine from university, Drew, came into town in the late morning. We met sophomore year at MSU in German class. We drifted apart for a year or two before reconnecting our last semester. He just finished his masters degree and booked himself a vacation in Germany. He spent half his time down in Munich and spent the second half in Cologne, but he wanted to stop by and visit me in Nürnberg as well. He arrived in town at 10:30. We spent the next four hours sight seeing, eating lunch, and catching up. It was slightly weird for me to have a friend from home in my new stomping grounds. It wasn't weird in a bad way. I guess surreal would be a better way to describe it. I suppose I felt as if my old life and my new life were colliding. I've certainly created a new life for myself here, one which is completely removed from my old one. I'm the "new" person in my group of friends. I'm the "different" one - I'm American (most of my friends are European, the majority of them being Irish) and I don't work in a bar (most of my friends here work in bars, as I've certainly mentioned before). Anyways, it was still really cool to see him. I'm glad he thought of me and wanted to come visit. He left around 2:30. HP told me I could have the evening off since they knew I had a friend coming into town. I was tired, yet I didn't want to go home. I went to Finnegan's to have a drink. Alan ended up being the one working, so I spent a couple hours chatting with him. I eventually got tired of sitting around. I went for a walk around town for a bit. Fiona was working (at O'Shea's), so I decided to go visit her. A number of my other friends also work there, like Frank, Donal, and Kat. I decided to text Simon, who came and joined me for a drink. Johnny also showed up later. Johnny and I left later to meet up with Meg. The three of us met at Finnegan's and then took the U-Bahn out to the bar where Fitzy works. We stayed there for an hour and a half and chatted with him. We went back into the city around midnight and I caught my train home. My four day weekend had somehow turned into a five day weekend. I was sufficiently exhausted.
Wednesday was much more sensible. HD left at breakfast time for a business trip. I worked an hour in the morning and went back to sleep. I had intended on going for a run, but I was still too tired. I showered, ate lunch, and then went into town to meet Fiona. She wanted to go Dirndl shopping and I went with her. Our trip was successful and she found one she loved. We stopped at Finnegan's on our way back into town, where we found Johnny. We sat with him for awhile. I had to leave relatively early, at 3:30, to go home for work. I stopped at the grocery store on the way back, purchasing some things requested by HM. HM and the kids got home about 15 minutes after I did. She left 20 minutes later, leaving the kids with me for the evening. It was business as usual. We played, watched a little tv, ate dinner, played some more, and got ready for bed. One has been going through a phase lately. He's been more defiant and overall difficult. This is probably the third or fourth time he's gone through one of these phases since I've been here. When I threaten taking away things or activities he wants, he's pretty quick to change his tune. The kids went down easy and I spent the evening catching up on some things I'd been neglecting for a week. I was in bed early, happy to have a night in.
Thursday was an ugly day here. I mean that quite literally - it was raining nearly all day. I worked an hour in the morning. HM informed me at breakfast that I didn't need to work in the evening. Too bad she couldn't have chosen the day before, as many of my friends didn't have to work Wednesday night (and I was stuck at home working late). I suppose I needed a few days break from going out though, so I can't complain. Anyways, once HM and the kids left I thought about skipping the nap and going for a run, but the rain didn't appear to be stopping anytime soon. I basically had nothing better to do but sleep. I did have a few chores to do, so I made myself get out of bed at 11am. I vacuumed the first and second stories, wiped down the counters, ironed the kids clothing, and did a load of the kids laundry. All of this took me about two hours. I cooked lunch for myself, took a shower, and then left the house. I didn't have anything specific to do, I just wanted to get out of the house for a couple of hours. I knew I likely wouldn't be going out to the bars that night. The thought of not leaving the house all day depresses me. If I had been able to go for a run, I probably wouldn't have gone into town. Alas, I went into town and walked around for the better part of two hours. I arrived back home as HM and the kids were finishing up with dinner. The rest of the night was spent doing a number of random things like reading a German newspaper, browsing the internet, and watching a movie.
Tuesday was my first day working after a four day holiday, yet I only ended up working an hour and a half. I was up entirely too early (6:45) considering that I didn't fall asleep until 2:30 and I wouldn't get a chance to nap during the day. I got everyone out the door on time and then spent 30 minutes doing chores. An old friend of mine from university, Drew, came into town in the late morning. We met sophomore year at MSU in German class. We drifted apart for a year or two before reconnecting our last semester. He just finished his masters degree and booked himself a vacation in Germany. He spent half his time down in Munich and spent the second half in Cologne, but he wanted to stop by and visit me in Nürnberg as well. He arrived in town at 10:30. We spent the next four hours sight seeing, eating lunch, and catching up. It was slightly weird for me to have a friend from home in my new stomping grounds. It wasn't weird in a bad way. I guess surreal would be a better way to describe it. I suppose I felt as if my old life and my new life were colliding. I've certainly created a new life for myself here, one which is completely removed from my old one. I'm the "new" person in my group of friends. I'm the "different" one - I'm American (most of my friends are European, the majority of them being Irish) and I don't work in a bar (most of my friends here work in bars, as I've certainly mentioned before). Anyways, it was still really cool to see him. I'm glad he thought of me and wanted to come visit. He left around 2:30. HP told me I could have the evening off since they knew I had a friend coming into town. I was tired, yet I didn't want to go home. I went to Finnegan's to have a drink. Alan ended up being the one working, so I spent a couple hours chatting with him. I eventually got tired of sitting around. I went for a walk around town for a bit. Fiona was working (at O'Shea's), so I decided to go visit her. A number of my other friends also work there, like Frank, Donal, and Kat. I decided to text Simon, who came and joined me for a drink. Johnny also showed up later. Johnny and I left later to meet up with Meg. The three of us met at Finnegan's and then took the U-Bahn out to the bar where Fitzy works. We stayed there for an hour and a half and chatted with him. We went back into the city around midnight and I caught my train home. My four day weekend had somehow turned into a five day weekend. I was sufficiently exhausted.
Wednesday was much more sensible. HD left at breakfast time for a business trip. I worked an hour in the morning and went back to sleep. I had intended on going for a run, but I was still too tired. I showered, ate lunch, and then went into town to meet Fiona. She wanted to go Dirndl shopping and I went with her. Our trip was successful and she found one she loved. We stopped at Finnegan's on our way back into town, where we found Johnny. We sat with him for awhile. I had to leave relatively early, at 3:30, to go home for work. I stopped at the grocery store on the way back, purchasing some things requested by HM. HM and the kids got home about 15 minutes after I did. She left 20 minutes later, leaving the kids with me for the evening. It was business as usual. We played, watched a little tv, ate dinner, played some more, and got ready for bed. One has been going through a phase lately. He's been more defiant and overall difficult. This is probably the third or fourth time he's gone through one of these phases since I've been here. When I threaten taking away things or activities he wants, he's pretty quick to change his tune. The kids went down easy and I spent the evening catching up on some things I'd been neglecting for a week. I was in bed early, happy to have a night in.
Thursday was an ugly day here. I mean that quite literally - it was raining nearly all day. I worked an hour in the morning. HM informed me at breakfast that I didn't need to work in the evening. Too bad she couldn't have chosen the day before, as many of my friends didn't have to work Wednesday night (and I was stuck at home working late). I suppose I needed a few days break from going out though, so I can't complain. Anyways, once HM and the kids left I thought about skipping the nap and going for a run, but the rain didn't appear to be stopping anytime soon. I basically had nothing better to do but sleep. I did have a few chores to do, so I made myself get out of bed at 11am. I vacuumed the first and second stories, wiped down the counters, ironed the kids clothing, and did a load of the kids laundry. All of this took me about two hours. I cooked lunch for myself, took a shower, and then left the house. I didn't have anything specific to do, I just wanted to get out of the house for a couple of hours. I knew I likely wouldn't be going out to the bars that night. The thought of not leaving the house all day depresses me. If I had been able to go for a run, I probably wouldn't have gone into town. Alas, I went into town and walked around for the better part of two hours. I arrived back home as HM and the kids were finishing up with dinner. The rest of the night was spent doing a number of random things like reading a German newspaper, browsing the internet, and watching a movie.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Möglich ist alles.
May 13/Friday was an incredibly long work day. I worked 12 hours by the end of it. That's officially the most I've worked in one day since I've been an au pair. Technically speaking, I'm not supposed to work more than six hours in one day. Whoops. I was up at my usual time to work in the morning. As I was getting One dressed, he said something alarming. He was definitely not being serious, but I couldn't help but being taken aback. He said, in German, "I'm going to pee all over you!" I knew he wouldn't actually do it. He is 5 years old and has control over his bladder. He was just being fresh. I had to drive to school/work with HM and the kids so I would have the car later. I dropped them off and went home to do a long list of chores. I had originally wanted to nap, but I didn't have enough time. I decided to continue being productive and went for a run instead. I showered, ate, and then left the house to pick up One. I brought him home and we rode our bikes to his little ball class. The class is from 3-3:45. Parents (or in my case, au pairs) are supposed to leave while the class is in session. Johnny had texted me earlier in the day. He said he was going to be in my neighborhood visiting his friend, Lucas, and that I should stop by. Lucas just moved back to town (he's also German) and is Johnny's very best friend. Ergo, I used my free time from 3-3:45 to visit with Johnny and Lucas. It was nice to have a break in the monotony of my Friday and laugh a bit with my friends. If I hadn't seen them, I wouldn't have spoken to anyone outside of my host family all day. One and I stopped for ice cream on the way home. This has become our little routine, as the ice cream shop is on the way home. The weather is also now warm enough to justify eating ice cream. He always orders for both of us, something I find cute. We hung out at home while we waited for HP and Two to get back. HP took the kids to the little fair in our neighborhood to give me some time to rest before they left again for the evening. I spent my hour of free time laying in bed. They all got back around 7:30, dropped the kids off with me, and left again. I put the kids down to sleep by myself and then spent some time catching up on some tv shows. I got into bed very early, at 11pm, before HP had even gotten back. I needed the sleep and had nothing better to do. Since I was going to be working the next morning, it didn't make sense to try and go out with friends. I'd have to head back home shortly after I got out. I was better off anyways, as I also need to save my money.
Saturday morning I began working around my usual time, 10am. HM had left earlier for a haircut and it was HD, the kids, and I for breakfast. HD started cleaning up at the end of breakfast time. I heard my phone beep and picked it up to check out what had come through. I was still sitting at the breakfast bar, while HD and the kids were in the open area of the kitchen. I wasn't paying any attention to the three of them when suddenly, I looked down and felt Two pulling on my hand. This is what he does whenever he wants you to go somewhere with him. He dragged me over to the open part of the kitchen and started to dance. Yep, that's right. He wanted me to go over and dance with them. It was probably the most adorable thing he's ever done to me. The four of us spent 10 minutes or so dancing together. HD left the kids with me and went on a bike ride. The kids and I spent the next two hours playing upstairs while we waited for HP to both get back. The five of us went to the little fair in the neighborhood for lunch. We got back to the house at 1pm and I finished with work at that time. I relaxed in bed for a bit before I met up with Johnny for a picnic. The weather didn't hold out, and it got really cold and windy. We only lasted about an hour until we decided to pack it up and head home. I was only at home for an hour before I got a call from John. He had forgotten something important at his place (he lives 40 minutes outside of Nürnberg and only comes here on the weekends). He wanted someone to go with him so he wouldn't spend the 1.5 hours on the train alone. I met him at the train station at 7. We grabbed some food, caught the train, went back to his place, picked up what he needed, and then caught the train back to Nürnberg again. We went to a couple of bars and later met up with Adam, Eddie, and Felix. The three of them had decided to come into town and we wanted to meet up. We all waited for Fiona to get off work at 1. We had intended on all going to another bar together, but somehow we all got separated along the way. Adam, Eddie, and Felix went somewhere else, while Fiona, John, and I went to the Shamrock. Throughout the night we encountered a number of our other friends, including Meg, Alan, Kayleigh, and Bruiser. The Shamrock closed at 5am and most people went home. I went to another bar with Alan, Donal, and Jimmy, though we only stayed a little while. I finally made it home at 8am. I woke up Saturday morning not having any idea what I was going to be doing after work. It's always those days that end up absolutely ridiculously fun. I ended up spending time with nearly all my friends, walked around most of the city, and didn't get home until my host family was already awake. Success? I think so.
Sunday started out rather innocently. I slept until 2pm, skyped with my family, and eventually showered. John texted me asking if I wanted to go get food with him. I then texted Johnny, and the three of us decided to go to Chilli's. I ran into Lucas at the train station in my neighborhood. It was a happy coincidence. We chatted on the train all the way to the train station. John, Johnny, and I stayed at Chilli's for a few hours. We then made our way over to O'Shea's, die rote Bar, Finnegan's, and Molly's. We have friends who work at three of those bars and chatted with an assortment of them throughout the evening. I ended up going home rather "early." Monday was a holiday for me, but my train options were either going home at 12:15 or 6:30, and I knew I wouldn't be able to stay out that late again. I ran into Lucas yet again at the train station. We both joked that we must be stalking each other. We again chatted all the way back to our stop. I crawled in bed around 1, exhausted but happy.
Saturday morning I began working around my usual time, 10am. HM had left earlier for a haircut and it was HD, the kids, and I for breakfast. HD started cleaning up at the end of breakfast time. I heard my phone beep and picked it up to check out what had come through. I was still sitting at the breakfast bar, while HD and the kids were in the open area of the kitchen. I wasn't paying any attention to the three of them when suddenly, I looked down and felt Two pulling on my hand. This is what he does whenever he wants you to go somewhere with him. He dragged me over to the open part of the kitchen and started to dance. Yep, that's right. He wanted me to go over and dance with them. It was probably the most adorable thing he's ever done to me. The four of us spent 10 minutes or so dancing together. HD left the kids with me and went on a bike ride. The kids and I spent the next two hours playing upstairs while we waited for HP to both get back. The five of us went to the little fair in the neighborhood for lunch. We got back to the house at 1pm and I finished with work at that time. I relaxed in bed for a bit before I met up with Johnny for a picnic. The weather didn't hold out, and it got really cold and windy. We only lasted about an hour until we decided to pack it up and head home. I was only at home for an hour before I got a call from John. He had forgotten something important at his place (he lives 40 minutes outside of Nürnberg and only comes here on the weekends). He wanted someone to go with him so he wouldn't spend the 1.5 hours on the train alone. I met him at the train station at 7. We grabbed some food, caught the train, went back to his place, picked up what he needed, and then caught the train back to Nürnberg again. We went to a couple of bars and later met up with Adam, Eddie, and Felix. The three of them had decided to come into town and we wanted to meet up. We all waited for Fiona to get off work at 1. We had intended on all going to another bar together, but somehow we all got separated along the way. Adam, Eddie, and Felix went somewhere else, while Fiona, John, and I went to the Shamrock. Throughout the night we encountered a number of our other friends, including Meg, Alan, Kayleigh, and Bruiser. The Shamrock closed at 5am and most people went home. I went to another bar with Alan, Donal, and Jimmy, though we only stayed a little while. I finally made it home at 8am. I woke up Saturday morning not having any idea what I was going to be doing after work. It's always those days that end up absolutely ridiculously fun. I ended up spending time with nearly all my friends, walked around most of the city, and didn't get home until my host family was already awake. Success? I think so.
Sunday started out rather innocently. I slept until 2pm, skyped with my family, and eventually showered. John texted me asking if I wanted to go get food with him. I then texted Johnny, and the three of us decided to go to Chilli's. I ran into Lucas at the train station in my neighborhood. It was a happy coincidence. We chatted on the train all the way to the train station. John, Johnny, and I stayed at Chilli's for a few hours. We then made our way over to O'Shea's, die rote Bar, Finnegan's, and Molly's. We have friends who work at three of those bars and chatted with an assortment of them throughout the evening. I ended up going home rather "early." Monday was a holiday for me, but my train options were either going home at 12:15 or 6:30, and I knew I wouldn't be able to stay out that late again. I ran into Lucas yet again at the train station. We both joked that we must be stalking each other. We again chatted all the way back to our stop. I crawled in bed around 1, exhausted but happy.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Es ist was es ist.
May 9/Monday was more or less a blur of a day. I was tired and in a bit of a bad mood. I worked an hour in the morning and then got ready and headed to class. After this week, we have two weeks break from class. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to not have a reason to get up and out of the house so early two days a week. I couldn't really concentrate during class and spent most of my time daydreaming, even on the verge of falling asleep a couple of times. In the middle I got up and went for a short walk to get my blood flowing and wake me up. When it finished, I caught the train back, bought a sandwich, and then sat downtown while I ate it. I went home at 2pm, took a nap, and then got up and cooked my lunch. HM and the boys got home a little earlier than normal and I was in the middle of cooking. I finished cooking and started working. HM left with One for swim class and Two and I spent the evening eating dinner, dancing in the kitchen, and reading books. HM and One got home just as I finished getting Two ready for bed. HM tried to go put Two to bed, but One threw a temper tantrum, insisting that she put him to bed instead. I told HM I could try to put Two down instead, though I expected it to be challenging. It wasn't as bad as I expected. Two cried a little when HM left the room, but he calmed down soon enough and I was able to get him to sleep. I left the house as soon as I was done working to go see Meg. We'd both had bad days and wanted to vent. I only stayed out for an hour and a half and then went back home. I fell asleep before midnight (which is early for me).
Tuesday proved to be a much better day. I had gotten enough sleep that I wasn't even tired when I woke up! This hardly ever happens to me. I worked an hour in the morning and got everyone out the door at a reasonable time. I then spent an hour and a half doing my chores for the day. I ate some breakfast and left for a run. I came home, ate lunch, and then left for my haircut. After my hair was done, I went into town to meet up with Meg and Johnny. We had a little picnic in the park since it was a gorgeous day outside. While we were sitting in the grass, two separate girls from the radio station came up to us. One wanted to interview us about if we participated in any crazy diets to get our bikini bodies ready, and the second asked if we wanted to participate in a game the station does on air. I explained to both that Meg and Johnny don't speak German, and they continued talking to me in German. The second one was amazed that I wasn't German. She couldn't believe it, and even went as far as to say that I don't have an accent at all when I speak. This simply isn't true. I actually had a conversation with someone about this not too long ago. He said that at first, I sounded German. But once he'd talked to me for awhile, he could hear my accent and noticed some of the mistakes I had made. It's nice to know I can still fool some people! Anyways, we left the park and walked downtown to get some ice cream. After ice cream, Johnny went home and Meg and I went to Finn's to get a drink. She didn't have to work until 7 and I didn't start until 6 so we sat outside enjoying the weather. I caught the train home and walked in the door ten minutes before I was supposed to start working. HM ended up telling me that I didn't need to start working until nearly 6:45, as the kids were watching a movie and she was watching with them. I took over kid duties when she had to get ready to leave. The boys and I ate dinner together and then HM left. We played in their room for a bit, and then the bedtime activities began. Both boys took longer to fall asleep than normal. I was obviously less than pleased about this. Such is life with kids. I spent the evening doing homework. I crawled into bed early, exhausted from a long day and ready for another.
Wednesday started out poorly, but ended on a good note. I worked my morning hour, showered, and then went to German class. It was the last class before a two week holiday. We did some practice tests. They were exactly what I had been needing, though I probably did poorly because I was still tired. On my way back to the train station in Erlangen, an older man and his son approached me asking for directions to the nearest Sparkasse (a bank). I had a total brain fart and told him I didn't know. Three seconds after I walked away it clicked, and I turned back around and gave him directions. He seemed grateful. I came back to Nürnberg and walked around a bit. I popped in and around the tourist attractions. I ate my lunch on the steps of a fountain and finished my homework in front of the cathedral. As I was headed home, I literally ran into Fiona and Johnny. They were heading to a cafe and invited me to join. We walked to a little place up near the castle and enjoyed the nice weather. I had to head home after an hour for work. I worked a few hours with One while HM and Two went to swim class. I got off early and took advantage of it. I met up with Fiona and Meg at O'Shea's. The three of us went back to Fiona's. I helped Fiona finish building her bed. The three of us left after an hour and went to Finnegan's. The three of us sat with two other friends, Hannah and Bob, and had a few drinks together. I went home when Finnegan's closed.
Thursday was a relatively short working day. I worked an hour in the morning, slept another couple of hours, went for a run, bought some bread, and then made myself some lunch. HD came home with Two early, around 3, and I was on duty. I was supposed to be watching Two so HD could work some more, but Two was incredibly cranky and wasn't having it. I've noticed a shift in Two's behavior lately. He's definitely in the "terrible two" stage now. I got off work at 5, incredible early, so I headed into town. I went to Finnegan's and waited for Fiona and Meg to show up. We spent the evening there with an assortment of other friends, such as Conor, Matthew, Paul, Alan, and Paddy. I only stayed out until midnight, but I was glad to spend time with my friends. I get a bit stir crazy when I spend too much time at home at night. This is mostly because I'm home so much during the day, so I try to limit my time there at night. Besides, if I didn't go into town at night, I would hardly see my friends during the week.
I can't believe it's already the middle of May! Time is absolutely flying by!
Tuesday proved to be a much better day. I had gotten enough sleep that I wasn't even tired when I woke up! This hardly ever happens to me. I worked an hour in the morning and got everyone out the door at a reasonable time. I then spent an hour and a half doing my chores for the day. I ate some breakfast and left for a run. I came home, ate lunch, and then left for my haircut. After my hair was done, I went into town to meet up with Meg and Johnny. We had a little picnic in the park since it was a gorgeous day outside. While we were sitting in the grass, two separate girls from the radio station came up to us. One wanted to interview us about if we participated in any crazy diets to get our bikini bodies ready, and the second asked if we wanted to participate in a game the station does on air. I explained to both that Meg and Johnny don't speak German, and they continued talking to me in German. The second one was amazed that I wasn't German. She couldn't believe it, and even went as far as to say that I don't have an accent at all when I speak. This simply isn't true. I actually had a conversation with someone about this not too long ago. He said that at first, I sounded German. But once he'd talked to me for awhile, he could hear my accent and noticed some of the mistakes I had made. It's nice to know I can still fool some people! Anyways, we left the park and walked downtown to get some ice cream. After ice cream, Johnny went home and Meg and I went to Finn's to get a drink. She didn't have to work until 7 and I didn't start until 6 so we sat outside enjoying the weather. I caught the train home and walked in the door ten minutes before I was supposed to start working. HM ended up telling me that I didn't need to start working until nearly 6:45, as the kids were watching a movie and she was watching with them. I took over kid duties when she had to get ready to leave. The boys and I ate dinner together and then HM left. We played in their room for a bit, and then the bedtime activities began. Both boys took longer to fall asleep than normal. I was obviously less than pleased about this. Such is life with kids. I spent the evening doing homework. I crawled into bed early, exhausted from a long day and ready for another.
Wednesday started out poorly, but ended on a good note. I worked my morning hour, showered, and then went to German class. It was the last class before a two week holiday. We did some practice tests. They were exactly what I had been needing, though I probably did poorly because I was still tired. On my way back to the train station in Erlangen, an older man and his son approached me asking for directions to the nearest Sparkasse (a bank). I had a total brain fart and told him I didn't know. Three seconds after I walked away it clicked, and I turned back around and gave him directions. He seemed grateful. I came back to Nürnberg and walked around a bit. I popped in and around the tourist attractions. I ate my lunch on the steps of a fountain and finished my homework in front of the cathedral. As I was headed home, I literally ran into Fiona and Johnny. They were heading to a cafe and invited me to join. We walked to a little place up near the castle and enjoyed the nice weather. I had to head home after an hour for work. I worked a few hours with One while HM and Two went to swim class. I got off early and took advantage of it. I met up with Fiona and Meg at O'Shea's. The three of us went back to Fiona's. I helped Fiona finish building her bed. The three of us left after an hour and went to Finnegan's. The three of us sat with two other friends, Hannah and Bob, and had a few drinks together. I went home when Finnegan's closed.
Thursday was a relatively short working day. I worked an hour in the morning, slept another couple of hours, went for a run, bought some bread, and then made myself some lunch. HD came home with Two early, around 3, and I was on duty. I was supposed to be watching Two so HD could work some more, but Two was incredibly cranky and wasn't having it. I've noticed a shift in Two's behavior lately. He's definitely in the "terrible two" stage now. I got off work at 5, incredible early, so I headed into town. I went to Finnegan's and waited for Fiona and Meg to show up. We spent the evening there with an assortment of other friends, such as Conor, Matthew, Paul, Alan, and Paddy. I only stayed out until midnight, but I was glad to spend time with my friends. I get a bit stir crazy when I spend too much time at home at night. This is mostly because I'm home so much during the day, so I try to limit my time there at night. Besides, if I didn't go into town at night, I would hardly see my friends during the week.
I can't believe it's already the middle of May! Time is absolutely flying by!
Monday, May 9, 2016
Neuschwanstein in Photos
Neuschwanstein Castle, as seen from the viewpoint below.
Marienbrücke, which was closed. It supposedly has an awesome view of the castle.
The view from a balcony on the castle.
The obligatory selfie with Adam
Aber du hast kein Fleisch gegessen!!
May 6/Friday turned out to be busier than I anticipated. I accidentally slept through my alarm in the morning, despite the fact that I had set five alarms to avoid this. I ended up waking up at 10:30 with a text message from HM listing all the chores I needed to get done that day. I had to leave the house at 1:30pm to pick up One, so I had to jump out of bed and start immediately. I spent nearly an hour and a half ironing, then I had to vacuum, organize the kids rooms, and pick up the kitchen and living rooms. I just barely had enough time to shower and eat before I left for the recycling center, where I dropped off a bunch of stuff (this was another one of the chores HM asked me to do). I continued on to pick up One from school. I brought him home and we rode our bikes over to his Ballschule. I dropped him off there and then drove to the store to get a few things. I picked One up again from his class and we slowly made our way home, stopping for ice cream and then later at the park. We got home just before 5pm to find that HP and Two had beat us home. The four of them left almost immediately to go have dinner with the neighbors. I stayed home to finish the ironing and then I got ready and headed into town. Adam and Eddie had decided to make a trip into Nürnberg and I had to meet them at the train station at 6:45pm. We walked around for a bit, chatting and eating street food. The weather was gorgeous and we wanted to enjoy it. We went to Finnegan's for a drink, the over to Molly's to see Meg. We had intended on only staying for one drink and then leaving again for somewhere else, but one drink turned into a couple and we stayed until Meg got off work at 12:15am. The four of us walked to the Hauptbahnhof. The guys opted to catch their last train back to Ansbach and Meg and I headed downtown. We first went to Finnegan's, decided it was boring, and then went over to the Shamrock, which was also boring. We had a drink there anyways as I waited for my train. I caught the 1:31 train home and was asleep by 2am.
Saturday was simply beautiful outside. I worked in the morning, taking the boys to the playground while HM went grocery shopping and HD went for a bike ride. It wasn't too warm, in the low 70s, but I still managed to get a pretty bad sunburn on my back. The sun is stronger here than I expected. We came home at 1 and continued playing outside while HM finished cooking lunch. We all ate together sitting on the patio because we wanted to enjoy the weather. The boys went down for a nap after lunch and I skyped with some family and friends. I went for a run in the late afternoon. We all went over to M and T's for dinner. M's sister, brother-in-law, and nephew were in town and they'd been cooking big dinners each night. All the food was simply delicious, and I even enjoyed stuff I wouldn't normally eat. I came home early to get ready for my big day Sunday. HM and Two got home shortly after me and were standing in the foyer as I walked by. Two pointed at me and said, "Farrah!," or more like, "rar-rah!" It made me smile from the inside out.
Sunday was yet another gorgeous day. I was up entirely too early, at 6:30 exactly, to be out the door by 7:45. I caught the train to Ansbach and Adam picked me up from the train station. We left immediately for the Neuschwanstein Castle, about a 2.5 hour drive south of Ansbach and just 15 km above the Austrian border. The drive was uneventful - there was no traffic or delays. Once we got close to the border, we could see the mountains and they were breathtaking. We arrived right on time, just after 11:30, and parked without any issues. We met Marc and Christina at the ticket office, and the four of us immediately continued on to the castle. It was about a 25 minute walk uphill to the castle from the ticket office. The only other way to get up there was to pay for a horse and buggy, something we obviously were not interested in doing. Marc had bought our tickets on Thursday and our tour time was 12:35. We ended up having about 20 minutes to wait once we were at the top. The castle itself was a little underwhelming from the outside. It was never completed and was missing several of the original design elements. The parts of both the outside and inside which were completed were amazing. The detail was exquisite and there was always something new to discover. The tour itself only lasted 30 minutes. Entire floors of the inside were never completed and the castle was just barely inhabitable. All in all, I'd say our walk to and from the castle, as well as our time spent there, lasted just shy of two hours. We decided to get a late lunch in a town nearby, Füssen. We walked around for a little looking for a place to eat and exploring the cute town. We had lunch at a delicious German restaurant and then walked around and ate some ice cream. We all parted ways around 4pm. Adam and I made it back to Ansbach at 7:15, as we had to make a few stops and also ran into some traffic on the highway. I caught the 7:32 train back to Nürnberg and went directly to Molly's to see Meg. There are few days now when I don't see Meg for whatever period of time. She got off work early and we went into town to see if any of our friends were out, but none were. I was exhausted and caught the 11:13 train back home. The day was fantastic. I'll post some pictures soon!
Saturday was simply beautiful outside. I worked in the morning, taking the boys to the playground while HM went grocery shopping and HD went for a bike ride. It wasn't too warm, in the low 70s, but I still managed to get a pretty bad sunburn on my back. The sun is stronger here than I expected. We came home at 1 and continued playing outside while HM finished cooking lunch. We all ate together sitting on the patio because we wanted to enjoy the weather. The boys went down for a nap after lunch and I skyped with some family and friends. I went for a run in the late afternoon. We all went over to M and T's for dinner. M's sister, brother-in-law, and nephew were in town and they'd been cooking big dinners each night. All the food was simply delicious, and I even enjoyed stuff I wouldn't normally eat. I came home early to get ready for my big day Sunday. HM and Two got home shortly after me and were standing in the foyer as I walked by. Two pointed at me and said, "Farrah!," or more like, "rar-rah!" It made me smile from the inside out.
Sunday was yet another gorgeous day. I was up entirely too early, at 6:30 exactly, to be out the door by 7:45. I caught the train to Ansbach and Adam picked me up from the train station. We left immediately for the Neuschwanstein Castle, about a 2.5 hour drive south of Ansbach and just 15 km above the Austrian border. The drive was uneventful - there was no traffic or delays. Once we got close to the border, we could see the mountains and they were breathtaking. We arrived right on time, just after 11:30, and parked without any issues. We met Marc and Christina at the ticket office, and the four of us immediately continued on to the castle. It was about a 25 minute walk uphill to the castle from the ticket office. The only other way to get up there was to pay for a horse and buggy, something we obviously were not interested in doing. Marc had bought our tickets on Thursday and our tour time was 12:35. We ended up having about 20 minutes to wait once we were at the top. The castle itself was a little underwhelming from the outside. It was never completed and was missing several of the original design elements. The parts of both the outside and inside which were completed were amazing. The detail was exquisite and there was always something new to discover. The tour itself only lasted 30 minutes. Entire floors of the inside were never completed and the castle was just barely inhabitable. All in all, I'd say our walk to and from the castle, as well as our time spent there, lasted just shy of two hours. We decided to get a late lunch in a town nearby, Füssen. We walked around for a little looking for a place to eat and exploring the cute town. We had lunch at a delicious German restaurant and then walked around and ate some ice cream. We all parted ways around 4pm. Adam and I made it back to Ansbach at 7:15, as we had to make a few stops and also ran into some traffic on the highway. I caught the 7:32 train back to Nürnberg and went directly to Molly's to see Meg. There are few days now when I don't see Meg for whatever period of time. She got off work early and we went into town to see if any of our friends were out, but none were. I was exhausted and caught the 11:13 train back home. The day was fantastic. I'll post some pictures soon!
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Die Welt ist klein und wir sind groß.
Monday/May2 was back to business as usual. HM let me sleep in. I still had to wake up at 8am to go to my German class. Class was fine, nothing out of the ordinary to report. I immediately went back to Nürnberg. My ritual now is as follows: I get back into town, go buy a sandwich, and then walk around until I find somewhere I want to sit and eat my food. I opted to sit under a fountain near one of the cathedrals this time. It was gorgeous outside, in the mid 60s and sunny, and I enjoyed the warm, yet not too warm, weather. I couldn't stay out late, as I had a bunch of chores to do. I was home around 2 and immediately started my chores, which lasted nearly two hours. I started working around 5pm. I was excited to see the boys after being gone all weekend and they seemed happy to see me too. I stayed home with Two while HM and One went to swim class. HD was away on a short business trip and didn't get home until after the kids were asleep. When HM and One got back, I helped her get the kids ready for bed. As I was putting Two in bed, I started talking to him about his pillows. One of his pillows is part of the set that came with my bed. I asked him about it, and he proudly told me it was from my bed. I asked him why he liked to sleep with it, and he told me it was because it was mine. It warmed my heart. I finished working a little late, so I opted to stay home that evening. I spent my time doing some homework and some research online. HD got home and I spent some time chatting with HP in the kitchen. I told them about my mishaps over the weekend and they couldn't help but laugh. I went to bed rather early. I knew I'd have another long day Tuesday and I didn't want to be exhausted.
Tuesday was a day of questions. I worked my usual hour in the morning, but instead of going back to sleep, I got ready and headed out. I went to Erlangen to talk to someone at the university about an interpreting/translating program I'm interested in doing. He was incredibly helpful and I was glad I made the trek all the way out to Erlangen to collect the information. On the way back to the train station, I stopped at the office of the community center to register to take the Goethe Institut C1 German Test. The exam is recognized across Germany and even Europe for language competency. It's going to be difficult, but I believe I can pass it. I'll be taking the exam June 18, which leaves me about a month and a half to study for it. I got back to Nürnberg around noon. I had to stop at the grocery store on the way home to pick up a few essentials. It had been over a week since I last went for a run, so I took the opportunity to rectify the situation once I got home. It was perfect running weather outside and I was glad I made the time to run. HD and the kids got home around 4:30. I had to watch the kids so HD could work some more. HM stayed at work late, and then went to her dance class immediately afterwards. HD, the kids, and I ate dinner together and I helped HD put the kids to sleep. HD took Two to bed first, and asked One if he would rather me or HD put him to sleep. One said he wanted me. I finished work around 8:30. I went into town to see Meg at Molly's. When she finished work, we went to Finnegan's to see Johnny and Fiona. I only stayed out until 1:30, but it was nice to see everyone in the same place.
Wednesday was simply exhausting. As usual, I worked an hour in the morning. I got ready and headed to Erlangen for class. Class was mostly boring, and I was surprised I didn't fall asleep. I came directly back to Nürnberg afterwards. I ran a couple of errands and then went to Finnegan's to visit Johnny at work. At 2 I met with Dominik, a guy who was referred to me by someone I know from Molly's. He has a similar education background as me, and our mutual friend thought Dominik would be a good person for me to talk to about where I can go from here in regards to work or school after I'm done with my year as an au pair. It was really refreshing to talk to him. He did the same program I am currently interested in doing, the one I went to Erlangen to ask about on Tuesday. It was good to get the perspective of a student instead of just listen to the administrators. We only talked for about an hour, as we both had to leave for work. I left feeling encouraged. I quickly made my way home, stopping to buy bread. I then had to do a few chores before everyone got home. HM and the kids got home too late for HM and Two to go to swim class. I spent a couple of hours working so HM could run some errands. I finished working really early, at 7pm, but I stuck around to eat dinner with everyone. I left for downtown at 8:30pm. I met up with Meg, Simon, and Fitzy at Finnegan's. We stayed for a drink, but it was really crowded inside and we decided to head to another bar. The four of us did some bar hopping throughout the evening, stopping at a few bar where our friends work to say hi. We didn't stay out late, only until about 2am. Meg and I went back to Fitzy's and crashed there.
Thursday was a German holiday, which meant HP didn't work, the kids didn't go to school, and I had the day off as well. I made my way home in the morning. I got back just in time to eat breakfast with everyone. I did my laundry and then took a nap, followed by a run in the afternoon. I'm really trying to stay on my running schedule because I feel so much better when I do. In the late afternoon I met up with Meg. We hung out for a bit before she had to leave for work. When she left, I went and met up with Fiona at O'Shea's, where she had just finished working. We enjoyed a drink there with Caitlin, Kat, Charlie, and Bruiser, and then we went back to Fiona and Ina's new apartment. Fiona wanted to get changed and I wanted to see their new place. On the way back, we stopped at Molly's to say hi to Meg. We then walked over to Finnegan's, where we had a few drinks and chatted with our friends, Johnny and Alan, who were working. At some point, we left Finnegan's to meet up with Bruiser and Lesley at The King's Arms. We only stayed there for one drink, and then we went to some Mexican restaurant known for their cocktails. They closed at 1, so we headed to the Shamrock, where a number of our other friends were hanging out. We stayed there until close and went over to The Dubliner where yet more of our friends were. I didn't make it home until nearly 5:30am, but I had a blast.
Tuesday was a day of questions. I worked my usual hour in the morning, but instead of going back to sleep, I got ready and headed out. I went to Erlangen to talk to someone at the university about an interpreting/translating program I'm interested in doing. He was incredibly helpful and I was glad I made the trek all the way out to Erlangen to collect the information. On the way back to the train station, I stopped at the office of the community center to register to take the Goethe Institut C1 German Test. The exam is recognized across Germany and even Europe for language competency. It's going to be difficult, but I believe I can pass it. I'll be taking the exam June 18, which leaves me about a month and a half to study for it. I got back to Nürnberg around noon. I had to stop at the grocery store on the way home to pick up a few essentials. It had been over a week since I last went for a run, so I took the opportunity to rectify the situation once I got home. It was perfect running weather outside and I was glad I made the time to run. HD and the kids got home around 4:30. I had to watch the kids so HD could work some more. HM stayed at work late, and then went to her dance class immediately afterwards. HD, the kids, and I ate dinner together and I helped HD put the kids to sleep. HD took Two to bed first, and asked One if he would rather me or HD put him to sleep. One said he wanted me. I finished work around 8:30. I went into town to see Meg at Molly's. When she finished work, we went to Finnegan's to see Johnny and Fiona. I only stayed out until 1:30, but it was nice to see everyone in the same place.
Wednesday was simply exhausting. As usual, I worked an hour in the morning. I got ready and headed to Erlangen for class. Class was mostly boring, and I was surprised I didn't fall asleep. I came directly back to Nürnberg afterwards. I ran a couple of errands and then went to Finnegan's to visit Johnny at work. At 2 I met with Dominik, a guy who was referred to me by someone I know from Molly's. He has a similar education background as me, and our mutual friend thought Dominik would be a good person for me to talk to about where I can go from here in regards to work or school after I'm done with my year as an au pair. It was really refreshing to talk to him. He did the same program I am currently interested in doing, the one I went to Erlangen to ask about on Tuesday. It was good to get the perspective of a student instead of just listen to the administrators. We only talked for about an hour, as we both had to leave for work. I left feeling encouraged. I quickly made my way home, stopping to buy bread. I then had to do a few chores before everyone got home. HM and the kids got home too late for HM and Two to go to swim class. I spent a couple of hours working so HM could run some errands. I finished working really early, at 7pm, but I stuck around to eat dinner with everyone. I left for downtown at 8:30pm. I met up with Meg, Simon, and Fitzy at Finnegan's. We stayed for a drink, but it was really crowded inside and we decided to head to another bar. The four of us did some bar hopping throughout the evening, stopping at a few bar where our friends work to say hi. We didn't stay out late, only until about 2am. Meg and I went back to Fitzy's and crashed there.
Thursday was a German holiday, which meant HP didn't work, the kids didn't go to school, and I had the day off as well. I made my way home in the morning. I got back just in time to eat breakfast with everyone. I did my laundry and then took a nap, followed by a run in the afternoon. I'm really trying to stay on my running schedule because I feel so much better when I do. In the late afternoon I met up with Meg. We hung out for a bit before she had to leave for work. When she left, I went and met up with Fiona at O'Shea's, where she had just finished working. We enjoyed a drink there with Caitlin, Kat, Charlie, and Bruiser, and then we went back to Fiona and Ina's new apartment. Fiona wanted to get changed and I wanted to see their new place. On the way back, we stopped at Molly's to say hi to Meg. We then walked over to Finnegan's, where we had a few drinks and chatted with our friends, Johnny and Alan, who were working. At some point, we left Finnegan's to meet up with Bruiser and Lesley at The King's Arms. We only stayed there for one drink, and then we went to some Mexican restaurant known for their cocktails. They closed at 1, so we headed to the Shamrock, where a number of our other friends were hanging out. We stayed there until close and went over to The Dubliner where yet more of our friends were. I didn't make it home until nearly 5:30am, but I had a blast.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Vienna in Photos
Kunsthistorisches Museum
I'm not sure what park this is, but it was gorgeous.
Rathaus
I thought the crosswalk signs were cute.
One of the bridges over the river.
Leopoldsberg, or basically a view of Vienna from above.
Stephansdom
Stephansdom
Schloß Schönbrunn
Schloß Schönbrunn
Schloß Schönbrunn
Schloß Schönbrunn
Monday, May 2, 2016
Vienna!
My trip to Vienna ended up being absolutely fantastic. The start to it, however, was a nightmare. I woke up at 3 on Friday (April 29) morning. My bus was scheduled to depart at 5:05 and I had to catch the train to the Hauptbahnhof at 4:36, which meant leaving my house at 4:25. I got up, showered, ate, and made it to my train station with no problem. As I was walking up to the bus station, it hit me. I had forgotten my passport at home. I've done plenty of traveling between European countries without once getting checked for my passport, so I briefly considered going without it. In the end, I decided that getting stuck at the border was not exactly my definition of fun. I called the bus company to explain my situation and see if they could change my ticket or give me a refund. They said no. He did inform me that there was another bus leaving at 8:25 and that there were still seats available on the bus. I then asked if they could book me a new ticket over the phone, as I did not have any data left on my phone for the month. He again said no. By this point, my friend Johnny had texted me. He just got back from a six week vacation in Australia and was adjusting to the time difference, hence him being awake at 5:30 in the morning. We decided to meet up for breakfast. I first had to go home to pick up my passport and book a new bus ticket, so I told him I'd meet him at 7. I decided to leave my backpack in a locker at the Hauptbahnhof so I didn't have to carry it around for the next three hours. I didn't have enough change for the locker and was forced to buy something to get the change I needed. I caught my train back to my house. About five minutes away from home, I remembered that my house keys were in my backpack...which was in the Hauptbahnhof. When I was packing the night before, I thought, "well I won't need my keys until I get back Sunday, so I'll put them in my backpack so I have one less thing in my purse." Good plan, right? Wrong. By the time I made it home, it was about 6:15. I knew I would have to wake someone up to let me in. I rang the doorbell twice, but got no answer. I then called HM on both her personal cell phone and work cell phone. She answered on the second attempt and let me in. She looked absolutely bewildered at what I was doing at the house without my keys or backpack. She laughed and shook her head when I explained the situation. I quickly located my passport, booked myself a new ticket, and then left again. I got to my train station with two minutes to spare, only to read that my train was delayed five minutes. Arg. I finally made it back to the Hauptbahnhof just before 7 and met up with Johnny. We grabbed a quick breakfast, catching up on what all had been happening since he left. He didn't have anything else to do, so he walked with my to the bus station. I'm glad he did, because 8:25 came around and my bus was no where to be found. 8:45 came around and I received a text from the bus company saying the bus was 50 minutes delayed. Johnny and I spent the time joking around, even making friends with John, a American/German guy who was also going to Vienna. At 9:20 the bus finally arrived, and we finally left at 9:30. I slept a bit on the bus, as well as chatted with my new friend. The bus ride went by surprisingly quick, especially considering we got stuck in traffic that delayed our arrival another hour. I met my friend, Kara, at the bus station. Originally, I would have arrived in Vienna around 11:30, and Kara was scheduled to arrive at the same time (thought she came from Prague). Because I was an idiot and forgot my passport, she had to wait for me for over four hours. Anyways, I arrived in Vienna around 4:30pm and our adventure began! We went to the hostel and I dropped off my things. We then set off to walk around the museum quarter of the city. We walked around for the better part of two hours until we were both hungry. Every single building was absolutely gorgeous. No matter where you looked, there was something to take in. I've been to my fair share of gorgeous cities, but Vienna takes the cake, no questions asked. We had a decent dinner and some drinks at a restaurant recommended by the hostel. We wanted to go for another drink more in the center of town, but we didn't know where to go. We walked around until we stumbled upon an area bustling with activity, which also happened to be right on the river. We never actually went inside anywhere, just walked around more. We opted to head back to the hostel a little early. We were both exhausted and wanted to be well rested for the next day. I personally hate being tired when I know there's a lot of activity planned. I was happy to get in bed early. Kara and I unfortunately were in different rooms in the hostel. I got upgraded to a six person room with private toilet, while she was in a six person room with dorm style bathrooms. I shared a room with one other girl and four guys. None of us knew anyone else in the room, so the room was always fairly quiet.
Saturday was simply wonderful. We were up and left the hostel around 9am. As I was getting ready, one of my roommates came back. He was an older guy from India, maybe in his 40s. He said he'd been working all night. At one point, I turned the light on for five minutes so I could finish my makeup, as there was someone in our bathroom. He got really mad at me and started cursing at me to turn the light off. He did the same thing when the other girl started blow drying her hair. Who says hostels aren't fun! Anyways, our first stop was the grocery store, where we purchased some breakfast. We then went to the Naschmarkt, which is a huge market. There's a section that more of a flea market and then another section with food and souvenirs and the like. It was overwhelming how much was there. We took our time walking around, though we bought very little. We went back to a grocery store to pick up the makings for a picnic. We took our groceries and went up to Leopoldsberg, or a hill 1394 feet above Vienna. The view was exquisite. We ate our lunch sitting on the ledge, looking over the river and the city. The weather was also perfect, in the low 60s and sunny. We stayed up on the hill for the better part of an hour, and then caught the bus back down into the city. It had taken us nearly an hour to get up there and then another hour to get back down, but it was absolutely worth it. Once back, we went back to the downtown/commercial area and walked around a bit. We stopped at a cafe to have a piece of cake. We walked around yet some more before we went back to the hostel. We both freshened up and then we headed back out. We went to dinner at an awesome local bar/restaurant and sat there for awhile chatting. We left in search for another bar we had heard about. This bar was the definition of dodgy. We walked directly downstairs through a number of empty rooms with graffitied walls and second hand furniture until we reached the actual bar. There were only a few people there and the drink options were limited. An adorable golden retriever did greet us upon our arrival, but that's where the pleasantries ended. We stayed long enough to finish our drinks and then headed out. Our third and final bar for the evening was known for being a "student and traveler" bar. This was apparent the moment you walked inside. We again stayed for one round and then headed out. I was fairly tired by this time and wanted to head back to the hostel, so we did. When I got back to my room, two of my roommates were there. For whatever reason, they had the windows closed and the heat turned up on high. I was absolutely mortified. I managed to at least turn the heat off before I went to bed, though I still woke up several times because the room was too warm.
Sunday was our last day there. We left the hostel a little earlier so we could have more time to explore before our buses left. We headed to the castle, or Schloß Schönbrunn, first thing in the morning. We got there about half an hour after it opened and therefore beat all the crowds. We did the quick tour of the castle, though we probably only went into 30 of the rooms. I know "30" and "only" don't seem like the right fit, but this castle was ginormous. It was gorgeous, as expected, and I learned a bit about the lives of those who once inhabit aged it. I also learned a little about the construction of the castle and the surrounding gardens, both considered incredible since their first days. There really isn't anything on the castle grounds that isn't beautiful. Everything was so ornate and well-maintained. We probably spent three times as much time in the gardens as we did inside, despite the fact that the weather wasn't nearly as nice. We left the palace and headed back to the hostel to pick up our belongings. We intended on grabbing some more makings for a picnic at the grocery store, but 10 feet from the store I realized it was probably closed. It was, and we had to regroup. We went to the train station and ate lunch there, as it was one of the only places with open stores. We finally made our way to the bus station. My bus was already waiting, and I boarded relatively quickly. As I was waiting to get on, I accidentally dropped the little piece of paper which accompanies my residence permit that I keep in my passport. It wasn't until I saw some German girl shouting my whole name while holding the paper that I realized what I had done. She'd picked it up and was looking for the owner. Crisis asserted, indeed. The bus ride back seemed to drag on forever. We left on time, but we got delayed at the border. The bus driver came over the intercom and told us that yesterday on his bus, the border control came on and checked everyone. They found two people without the proper paperwork and arrested them. Though we ended up not getting checked, I was beyond relieved that I went back and got my passport Friday morning. I arrived about 45 minutes after we were scheduled. I immediately went over to Molly's. Meg, Johnny, Alan, and a couple other people were all hanging out. I didn't stay out long, just long enough to catch up with everyone. I was home around midnight. I was exhausted, yet pleased with the trip. I'll post some pictures in the next couple of days!
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