To say that I am excited about this priviliged opportunity to live abroad for the long term would of course be an understatement... anyone who knows me, knows how I feel about the chance to meet cool and interesting people from around the world, and to represent our great country, the United States, abroad.
Of course, there are many great countries and cultures around the world - and the seasoned traveler knows this. I believe mine is the best of the best, but many others could make strong arguments for themselves too.
Few things seem to bring a smile quicker than the memory of an old friend made on a train journey through Europe years before, or the thought of Espresso and bagel at a local cafe next to the schoolhouse in Siena... save maybe the current one of a Kaffehaus (Coffeehouse) at the Schlossplatz (castle square) in Schwetzingen in 2009!
A rainy Saturday often means the reinvigoration of the coffee society after all... and so, I trudged the 20-minute walk - car forthcoming at a later date my friends - to the Weldebrau Schlossplatz Cafe. Some three hours later, I was some 60 words smarter in German! Or, at least I hope so... don't ask me to remember them in a few hours.
It was a very cliched, cheesy, but ever-so-true "world traveler" moment as I have come to consider them... it all seemed so much like old times when I'd be filling out my journal - yes, I'm THAT old school guy who still manually writes travel journals... and keeps real CDs at home too!
The rain falling outside, the American pop music (Lenny Kravitz anyone?) overhead... it could have been 1994 in Amsterdam... but it was not, and it was not a dream or a memory relived. It was Europe III in 2009, and it is fantastic to be back. I am lucky to have this chance, and I will grasp it wholehearedly with both arms...
To my extended global friends and family - apologies for the wordy novelette, and thanks for stopping by!
Auf Wiedersehen!
BT
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