During all of my trips that happened from about November 2018 to July 2019, I realized and learned things I think I knew years ago, but I guess I just didn’t let the thoughts flow as they should have. In any case, I came to think about the tips and thought. What proceeds are what I think are the 11 best things that will be helpful to some, while some will say, yea, duh, I knew that a long time ago.
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.
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 …
In my 7 years of living in Germany, mainly here in Stuttgart, there are various meals I really do miss from the states. Now I can easily cook these things myself, but as we all know, there is a time, when you don’t want to have to go and buy the ingredients for whatever. You don’t want to have to go and have that random jar of this or that, then a month later think, “What am I going to do with this?” Over the years I have become resourceful. That big bottle of tahini, well you can make a dressing, use it for a crumble topping, even make a dessert, I should say desserts. I digress, those meals I really miss are those things that even though I can fix it, you want someone else to make it for you because that’s how you learn to taste food differently, figure out how something was made, then go back home, make it myself. That, in turn, saves me about €20 ($23), when I really want …
It’s the weekend! The weather here in Stuttgart has had its moments. a few moments of sun, followed by it going away for a while, then you get some rain mixed in there. With the weather being nice at points, here Stuttgart, that is anything over 72 °f (22 °c), I start going out for more walks in my neighborhood, as well as to the farmers market. Not to mention you see really nice seasonal fruits and vegetables come about. When I start seeing strawberries, blueberries, cherries, etc. I can’t help but just want to make a nice cocktail. Normally, if you follow my instagram, you know I love a Friday cocktail. I come home after work, hit my liquor cabinet and decide what I’m in the mood for. My Friday rule is pretty clear, nothing too simple, because I deserve something tasty as a reward for finishing a week of work. This time I was in the mood for a margarita. I enjoy the taste of a margarita, if you can find a nice tequila …
It has been over 2 years, 2 months, and 27 days, if anyone was counting, since I’ve graced my own my page with new written content. I’m always putting material up via twitter (@jacobkthomas) and on Instagram (@jacobkt225), however actually putting words to a page, hadn’t really happened. The question of why/how this happened is first question. That answer is kind of easy to answer, that little thing called life. Also, I didn’t have anything to live up to my mission statement. I’m supposed to be providing things about my travels, my food, and my life in Germany. I am still traveling from time to time. I’m still eating and making excellent food, look at my Instagram, seriously, I’m not ashamed of the food. Lastly, I’m still living here in Deutschland. I guess when it all came down to it, providing new content that I thought people would like to read wasn’t something I felt up to doing. However, after over 2 years of nothing, I feel like now I’m able to finally put something …
Jacob Thomas 