During this lockdown, self-quarantine, self-isolation, stay at home time. I’ve done a lot of interesting things. I’ve decided I wanted to relearn a few things. I’ve cooked, a lot. Boy have I cooked a lot.
I asked a few friends for some things they were cooking or buying. I was so happy when a few got back to me. With that, let’s look at what they were doing. I hope everyone is inspired to examine their habits and maybe it will show you something about yourself.
Wait, it’s September, which means summer is coming to an end? Even though the summer might be coming to a close, it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a great summer cocktail. During the summer I generally have two things around, some watermelon in my frig and some fresh basil that I’m growing on my balcony or somewhere in my apartment.
Where do we start? How do we start? Do we even bother to start?
What are these questions and what is the point of these things? I’m not really sure what to tell you. The events of the last several months have made a lot of us think and wonder about the world we live in. People are getting fired, they are quitting, you even have brands and companies rethinking various positions that have been widely held for a long time.
You walk in and you see empty shelves. You know that you had been hearing about people buying up certain things, but you think, nah, can’t be that bad. You walk into the market, OK, someone is wearing a mask. That other person is wearing gloves, latex gloves.
It’s been 6 months since I’ve moved from Stuttgart. It has been a mixed bag of feelings for me to be here. Living on the West coast of America has been different. The first reason some might think is kind of stupid, but I find it kind of interesting, especially after living in Europe for 8 years. I feel like I have more time to do things. I don’t know if it’s because I don’t have friends. I don’t know if it’s because I’m 3 hours behind the East coast and everything in America is based off of the East coast, but time seems endless. I get up early to watch football, the games end, then I can go and do things on a Sunday evening. I actually like watching Sunday night football, then I start watching random series, because the game is done, then because the West coast has their own separate prime time stuff, I get the best of both worlds. Like I said, this probably means nothing to a lot of people, …
The time has come for me to leave the place that I called home for the last 8 years. Like everything in life, the time has come for the fun to end and for a new adventure to begin.
It has been a very interesting time in the last few months since I wrote about the issues I had to go through in clearing out my grandmother’s house after her passing. A lot has happened. For one, I’m no longer in Germany. Yes, after over 8 years, the time came to move. This is the biggest thing of all. Of course, leaving from a place that I thought of as home and now being back in the states is a big deal.
Let me just get this out of the way. When I get these done, these won’t be my normal mission statement of things I like to write, but this is a platform for me to get my thoughts out overall. Where do I begin, the last few months have had a lot going on. I’ve traveled to several countries, checked off a few boxes on things I should’ve done a long time ago, but just now got to doing them. Those stories and all of that fun are going to come at some point. Currently though, I’m in the states, in Michigan at what is now my house. Do you know how odd it is for me to say, my house? I’m old enough to have a house, but still saying something like that is still odd. When my grandmother passed away in February, I knew life was going to be different. I knew I would have so many more responsibilities, but man, I have a lot going on. I was prepared in some ways …
When you get a call from your mother close to 4am on a Sunday morning, you know it can’t be a good thing. Especially when you aren’t at home in your place. I was sleeping in a multiperson hostel with friends in Freiburg. When I was able to call my mom, I was given the news, I never wanted to receive. My grandmother was gone. She was 84, so she lived a good life, it’s one of those ages where you really can be happy to get to. However, it doesn’t stop the tears, it doesn’t stop the pain. It doesn’t stop the regret. My grandmother was an interesting person, born in the great depression era, not to mention at a time, when racial equality wasn’t a thing. She made major strides in her life to raise a family with my granddad, have my mom and my uncle. After doing all of that, she raised me. Just like with any parent, there were conflicts, because she had her way of doing things, she was old …
To say it’s the most wonderful time of the year might be a little bit much. The most wonderful time of the year for me is when the weather is warm and I’m enjoying a beer or some other cold beverage outside. The very close wonderful time of the year is clearly when the Christmas Markets open and we are able to enjoy a nice Glühwein (mulled wine) and some other delicious food for about a month. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Christmas Markets (Weihnachtsmarkt), first of all, where have you been? Second, I’m really sorry for you, and third, there is no third. I just wanted to make it seem like I might be making a list. Christmas Markets are exactly what they sound like. They are an outdoor market, full of really awesome Christmas items. Would you like a really traditional ornament for your tree? You can get it there. Would you like chocolate, pastries, household goods, warm socks, etc? They have all of that. To tell you the …
