Happy Valentine's Day!

This year is extra special, because it's also the Chinese New Year / Year of the Tiger!

We celebrated with a much deserved dinner after a full day of packing. Thankfully everything will be finished by this time next week, including furniture deliveries. (Can I tell you how happy I will be when this is finally over?)

For dinner we went to Emiko, a restaurant that opened shortly before we left for our trip, in the new Louis hotel at Viktualienmarkt. The food is Japanese inspired and it was excellent. Lots of tiny portions served family style, which ensured a lot of variety. They also had a lot of little origami decorations hanging around for a sweet touch.

It was such a great way to celebrate - a mix of old favorites (a bottle of one of our favorite wines, Grüner Veltliner) and new classics (touches of Japan when we're missing Tokyo).

handwritten letters

I saw this window at the Schreibwaren-Fachgeschäft Schreibmayr window, in Fünf Höfe, here in Munich. I love the nostalgic feeling with the beautiful handwriting and postmarks. This would be a perfect way to decorate for an anniversary party.

I'm definitely storing the idea away, especially because Stefan and I have boxes and boxes of letters from each other from our 2 years of long distance.

It reminds me of this image, from the now defunct Blueprint Magazine by Martha Stewart. It's a great way to display a special letter.

I've combed through some of the letters at the flea markets - such as the Auer / Jakobi Dults, but I think it's probably better if there's more personal meaning to it.

Maybe I'll get my hands on one from a grandparent or Stefan's Oma who was once quite the world traveler herself.

P.S. ich liebe dich

It's a pretty fitting theme for this week. I just happened to put it on our Amango list and it arrived today.

Amango is for Germany what Netflix is for America. If that analogy still isn't working for you, it's a home DVD delivery service where you pick the movies you want on their handy website, walk to your post box and pick them up.

It's even more of a simple process in America, where you can put mail back in your box to get picked up. Germany would rather make it's residents hunt for yellow boxes.

The anticipation for a new movie ranges between picking up a roll of film and discovering the old photos you don't remember taking (who still uses film!?) and knowing someone has a wonderful surprise for you (right Stefan?). It depends who is picking the movie. Stefan and I both have access to our list, so I can always bump my movies to the top or if I'm feeling especially nice I'll add something he didn't even realize was out on DVD.

I have wanted to see 'P.S. I love you' since I first saw the trailer in at the theater - and then even more once I found out my very own cousin has a minor speaking roll in it.

So tonight is my night. Stefan will just have to watch it again this coming weekend, because he is a sucker for romantic movies... OK, usually comedies, but I'm sure he'll sit through it so I can scream out 'hey that's my cousin!' and because he loves me so much.

Isn't love sweet?

2 ♥

It’s amazing to think of all that we have accomplished in the five years of knowing each other and two years of marriage. We've been fortunate enough to see each other through many highs and a few lows. We've visited many places that most people only dream of. We've chased and caught many of our dreams, and best of all we've done it as a team. What's equally fantastic is this is only the beginning!

While it is unfortunate that we must spend our anniversary apart this year, one day is livable when I think back to our history. It simply comes with the territory. When you meet someone so unbelievable there isn't a question as to what you do to build a strong foundation together.

Before we were married we survived two years separated by an ocean and a 6 hour time difference.

Those two years were filled with so many visits, phone calls, letters, and reuniting airport hugs that they would be impossible to count. I believe it made our friendship, communication, and feelings stronger. We learned patience, trust, and what a blessing each and every day is.

There wasn't time to take things for granted, and now that we've been through so much we don't let a day pass without showing and telling each other that we are thankful and appreciative.

We made the conscious choice to stick through struggles and invest ourselves wholeheartedly in the relationship, while also taking the time to invest in ourselves and our futures.

Looking back I wouldn't have it any other way. I truly believe distance is a wonderful challenge for a relationship and if it can withstand that, there isn't much you can't make it through together.

Stefan's humor, charm, work ethic, and sincerity are just a few of the things that I admire about him.

I also appreciate that he loves me for being me, and never once asked me to give something up or change myself to fit his agenda. What would have been easiest was if one of us dropped everything and gave up a bit of ourselves to be together, but we gained so much more in the long term by taking the road less traveled. The unorthodox approach was a testament of our strength and dedication to each other, and now the reward of being together is that much sweeter.

Rather than wallowing about how unfortunate it is that we must be apart (after all, we have two weeks together as soon as he's back), my friend - the ever wise and eloquent Lane, made a fantastic suggestion. She said that I "should celebrate the fact that I'm still my own person, the person that Stefan loves so much".

That opens up a lot of exciting things... perhaps I want to cook something spectacular and enjoy a quiet evening with a great movie, or take myself to a museum. If the weather is nice I could head down to the Isar river banks and read, sketch, and simply enjoy the sun. It's rather exciting when I look at it like that. It's a wonderful day to celebrate life, love, and happiness - all for simply being myself and having found a wonderful person that loves me for who I am.

I am excited and blessed to have such a fantastic partner in the adventure of life.

Happy Father's Day

Being away from my family makes me nostalgic, even for seemingly mundane holidays. Today is Father's Day in America and of course it makes me think about my Dad. He and I have a lot in common - not only our dark brown eyes or our mischievous streaks, but also our laid back personalities and occasional stubbornness. I'm happy to have inherited his zeal for life and his curiosity.

Some of my favorite memories with my Dad are when he would take me and my sister on bike rides, nature hikes, and splash in rain puddles when we were young.

I recall one evening when we failed to make it to the library. We had decided to go on a nature hike and ended up lost, although he would never admit it. It was slowly getting dark and we probably had gone off the path. Another evening we sat for what felt like hours visiting some of my grandparents' elderly friends. My Dad has always been compassionate and kind. He always remembers the oldest people and makes sure they feel appreciated.

He was monumental in getting our pets. He had a cat growing up, which he fondly named 'blue kitty'. He even decided blue kitty needed his whiskers trimmed and cut them all off. I'm sure the poor cat had trouble after that. While my mom was concerned about getting attached to a pet and having it pass on, he knew it would bring us happiness - even if he didn't particularly like or know much about dogs before. Our family dog appreciates her daily walks and he must as well if he is entertaining the idea of a second dog.

He was the dedicated father that took us to 'take your daughter to work day', which was popular in the 90's, and he proudly attended all of our father daughter dances. He taught me a lot about not taking things too serious and to be self respecting.

As I entered high school, he taught me patience with learning to drive a manual car. I recall thinking it was impossible and I would never master it, however I persevered through it and he was patient and always stayed positive. Later I was happy to dazzle people with my new skills and bumper to bumper parallel parking abilities on the first try. It was a simple task, but I felt the same pride as I did when he taught me to first ride a bike.

In college, after I won a free flight to anywhere in the US, he accompanied me to San Francisco for 10 wonderful days. I still remember exploring the city, walking across the Golden Gate Bridge, and visiting John Steinbeck's old haunts further down the coast. I created a photo album from the Monterey sea glass for him filled with photos from our trip. There was also time when I was feeling slightly car sick as he sped around the coast on Highway 1, however I would never trade those memories for anything. It was such a nice trip and I think father daughter trips are essential - at least once in life. It is something I will forever treasure.

It's hard for my family to have me live so far away, especially when I miss out on family cookouts and other celebrations and family traditions. It's difficult to only be there in spirit.

I miss you and love you Dad! Thanks for being such a special person and the greatest Dad that I could ask for.

Tschüss

Today I had a ticket home that didn't get used. It's sort of strange for me to think about. I've officially moved. Not only that - I had to say goodbye to my parents.

Before, my life revolved around trips home since I had been buying round trip tickets out of the US. There is a subtle sadness to not knowing when I will be back, but I am not going to dwell on that. As of now we've been fortunate enough to make it back a couple times a year for weeks or even a month or more.

There's a definite sense of quiet here that seems really foreign to me and I'm already missing my parents a great deal. I look at the mementos left behind and it feels like they have been gone so long. Sure we have spent months apart, and I know we all experience these feelings when we must part, but it always seems to be harder on the person that is left behind. Little details remind me of the great times we had, while I know they will arrive home late tonight and be greeted by a happy dog and smiling faces. As much as I hate saying it, I'm usually the one leaving. Now I know what the grief feels like.

What's worse is knowing that my parents are wanting to gouge their eyes out by now as they endure their 10 hour flight to Chicago. Having them visit has really been a special time that I will always cherish.


I was thinking of them and our flight here since we flew together. I remembered a great plane window photo I took above New York City.

Thanks for everything Mom + Dad! You are undoubtedly the most selfless and generous people. I ♥ you!

Bittersweet

It's been such a great time having my parents around that I am really going to be sad to let them go. Last night we went to Ganesha... which I'm sure anyone who regularly reads this blog is tired of hearing about. I saw my old Indian pals, including the one who had hopes of going to the US. He told me he'd be staying in Germany because his paper work didn't go through. I really wish there is something I could do to help him. One of the other workers asked if the couple joining us for dinner were my parents. They knew I had to share the love.

After dinner and sending my parents off at their hotel, Stefan and I went to bed and I simply cried my eyes out over nothing and everything. Being able to spend time with people I care about has become a privilege. It's been nice for my parents to see me function in my life here, but it's also been nice for me to see them out of their element. I'm a firm believer that traveling brings a lot out of people and my parents are no different. I love seeing a facet of them that makes me only appreciate them more.

It's difficult never being able to do things to show them how much I appreciate them. Sure, chocolates as sweet as they are and flowers are as beautiful, but the kindness they have shown me always warms my heart and makes me feel gratitude. A gratitude that feels like a continual debt. Not because my parents ever ask anything of me, besides to make myself happy, but because I like giving and want to reciprocate.

One of the hardest things in living abroad is always feeling bitter sweet about seeing someone and leaving someone else behind. My parents are quite young, but I already fear the time when they are aging and Stefan's parents are aging and the pull in different directions. I always try to see the bright side of things and I am really happy that I can be so aware of how important time is with people that I care about. That is something that I've been taught through absence making the heart grow fonder.

Blizzard

Mieka is a force to be reckoned with when it snows, so I decided to join in the fun and enjoy the snow for one last hurrah. In truth, I don't really like being in the snow. I love when it's pure, untouched, and windswept, but I do just fine looking out the window and admiring it. However, I wanted to spend some time with her enjoying something she likes so much. I couldn't stop laughing as she contorted her body and resembled an arctic fox as she jumped around and dug in the snow. Obvious signs of puppy contentment.

I think watching a dog run in the snow is one of my favorite things. She is definitely smiling the entire time.


Leaving a pet behind is very difficult. I can talk to my family on the phone and communicate with them, but watching Mieka's antics and being able to pet her is something that doesn't bridge the distance.

I try to remember all the funny things she does - stealing things to be chased, being OCD enough to recognize when something it out of place, and staring you down when it's time to go on a walk. That usually makes me dog-sick and I go to the parks to watch the dogs frolic about, thinking of her and wishing she could be there to appreciate that. She would undoubtedly be the misbehaved one that doesn't know how to walk off a leash, but maybe she'd return to her European roots, her ancestors are from the Pyrenees after all.



I decided to take a bit of the snow and puppy back to Germany with me by making a DVD.


One thing's for sure - I'm ready to say sayonara to is the snow. It's been real, but I'm ready for spring.

One sweet Valentine

I'm easy to impress and a simple card is plenty for me. Leave it to Stefan to be full of surprises. He sent some beautiful flowers, despite the fact he's an ocean away. I really lucked out having such a thoughtful and romantic husband. Last year he made me a great breakfast, complete with chocolate and a very sweet card. He always keeps me on my toes and finds inventive ways to keep life unpredictable and exciting.

I cannot wait to pick him up at the airport - just over 24 hours. Times like these remind me of the months that we were apart while we were dating and how great it is to see each other again. Even if it's only been a few days, I never get used to it. We have a love hate relationship with airports, where we have shed many tears over the years... both for joy and out of sadness. Thankfully months apart are a thing of the past and now we just sit in wonder and amazement of all we've been through as well as all of the happiness ahead.

Love

This may come a bit early, but I was just realizing that Stefan and I won't be together for Valentine's Day this year, since I am traveling to the US before him. We don't necessarily need a designated day to remember each other or celebrate our love, but I'm more than willing to have another excuse to do so.



We'll be together for our year and a half anniversary though, which proves how quickly time flies... and without sounding too smarmy, how our love continues to grow. I simply look at Stefan and wonder how I could be so fortunate. It's amazing what he puts up with and loves me for, as well as the small things he does to remind me. He also reminds me how grateful he is for the sacrifices I make for him and for us. I don't think I deserve so much credit though. The happiness of life together is rather cyclical - we want one another to be happy, which in turn makes ourselves happy. It sounds rather selfish but it's really a beautiful thing.

Simply being together is a blessing. If there is anything a long distance relationship can teach someone -besides patience of course, it is how to be more conscientious and aware. Having an ocean between us for two years really made us articulate our feelings, trust in our relationship, and appreciate each other more than we ever knew possible. Granted, we did have a year together and many visits in between, but it really has added to our relationship... and prepared us for his 80+ hour work weeks.

So here's to Stefan's wittiness in a second language, his compassion and kindness, his funny voices that he does for me, and the endearing ways he expresses his love and emotions- from locking the door to make sure I'm safe when he leaves for work, to leaving notes, emails, and phone calls to say he misses me. I am one fortunate girl - and I know it.