Day 22: 3 Weeks In!
A Personal Record
This is officially a new record for me: this is the longest time I’ve spent solo outside the US as an adult. It’s crazy to think that I’m already 3 weeks into my 12-week stay. So much has happened already. It’s turning into an unforgettable experience.
Writing has been a great way to take stock of each and every experience so far. I don’t think I’ve written this much in my life within a single period of time, and I absolutely love it. I’m also learning some important lessons. I’ll share those at the end of my trip when I’ve spent enough time crafting my thoughts over the remaining weeks.
Germany Sunshine
Das Wetter ist heute perfekt (translation: The weather today is perfect). It was almost 70°F/21°C. Blue skies and a bright sun meant ice cream at work. The cafeteria at work has a gelato bar, which is 👌🏾. Though it was closed today, I had a citrus-flavored popsicle. Wearing a long sleeve shirt and jeans was a mistake. I was sweating by the time I made it back to the office. This is the weather I’ve been waiting for. I really hope it stays like this for the weekend.
Evening Walk
While today was considerably less intense than the last few days, I spent my day summarizing and preparing for next week. I also spent part of my lunch booking my travel plans for this weekend. I need to hit the road by 7:30AM tomorrow morning.
Finishing up my day early-ish, I got back to my hotel and immediately threw on a pair of shorts. I walked over to the Kaufland to grab some snacks for this weekend’s roadtrip. I also bought laundry detergent. I’ve packed just enough to last 3 weeks at a time. I don’t think there’s a laundry service at the hotel, so I’ll have to find a Waschalon (translation: laundromat). That should be a fun evening outing.
Dropping off my goods back at the hotel, I decided to go for a walk towards the Sindelfingen “downtown” area. I pass it almost every day on my way to work, but I decided to trek over on foot given the beautiful weather.
To be really honest, I was on a mission to finally get a Döner Kebab. There is nothing like this anywhere else in the world outside of Germany (and I would assume Turkey, where it originated). Like a Greek gyro or Arab shawarma, it’s meat (beef) shaved off a vertical rotisserie with something that looks like an iron. The meat is stuffed into a pita sandwich pocket with lettuce, onions, cabbage, tomatoes, and savory sauces (I don’t know the names of these sauces, but I don’t care, because they are an amazing).
It is definitely not the same as a gyro or shawarma dish, despite coming off the same vertical rotisserie. There is something about the combination of ingredients in a Döner Kebab that is unique. I need to work on describing how it tastes and how it makes me feel. I still remember my first.
Having a Döner on a beautiful night like tonight was the highlight of my week. Finishing up my meal, I grabbed my Coke Zero and strolled around the nearby neighborhoods. People were out and about taking advantage of the weather. Kids were playing in the main city center, adults were enjoying beers nearby, some teenagers were blasting music and hanging out.
It was a good way to start the weekend. Speaking of, I’m now packing. Saturday and Sunday are loaded adventure days, and I can’t wait to explore new places and share.
Frieden und Liebe ❤️ (translation: peace and love)