Gretch and I were blessed with getting to spend four weeks with Greg and Annelise, two weeks with Mama and Papa Kirschling, and four days with lil brother Michael. You never know what you are going to get when the Kirschlings come to town because we all have such different dynamic personalities, but it was just a great time with lots of amazing memories.
First, Greg and Annelise flew in for two weeks of them-and-us-time before my mom and dad joined in the festivities for all-of-us-time. They spent the weekends with us and the week in other countries; Barcelona and Cinque Terra, Italy.
The high point was definitely going to Salzburg, Austria and climbing a mountain with Paul and Lucia. The trip almost didn't happen because Gretch's car semi broke down on the way out of town... It was jerking backwards everytime we went in reverse.. seriously whiplash type jerking. We know now her tires were just low on pressure... oops (I think 11 PSI)! But being two girls, we didn’t figure it out at that time so we ditched that car and took other means of transportation to Austria. (sidenote: Remember her husband is not here so how were us two girls to know that) We ended up renting a car and driving. AND IT WAS DEFINITELY WORTH IT!!!
Ever since my last trip to see my friend Paul, I have been dreaming of going back and climbing mountains, hanging out with real Germans, eating mountain food, and drinking Schnapps while singing Sound of Music songs. For this trip, Paul secured us a room in a hut on the top of a mountain for Saturday night. So we got a lil bit more serious about hiking and decided it was going to be an all day event which ended up being an eight hour hike. It was such an adventure. There were definitely times when it was an extremely hard hike. I also did not make it easier on myself because I decided if we were going to climb, we were also going to drink delicious Schnapps, beer and wine on our way up. I am a big fan of yin and yang and balance and find it quite enjoyable to balance physical activities with a lil bit of jolly juice. But it is not so fun when the jolly juice adds a significant amount of weight on your back.
I think the pictures speak for how beautiful the hike truly was. And then we got to the hut which was an unforgetable German/Austrian experience. These huts are big rooms where you are sleeping with strangers. The six of us had a top bunk which was a long board where we all slept side by side and six strangers slept below us. I should also mention the bed created A LOT of noise everytime you got off and on the bed.
So we got to the hut about 8 pm, took freezing cold mountain showers, and had the tasty German goulash meal that was included in the cost of the hut. Everyone was a little bit tired but Annelise and I got our second wind and stayed up to drink some Schnapps and Chimay beer (I wanted to lighten my load for the way down by getting rid of some of the liquid I carried up) and talked about life. It was beautiful to watch the sun go down behind the mountains and all you could hear were cowbells since there were cows everywhere. It turns out that we are the only two people in the whole place that stayed up. But it was a great conversation with lots of laughs.
Actually about two hours into it, we hear from the window in a German voice, “Be Quiet Please.” We were not really talking at this time so Annelise was able to convince me that this German must be talking to the cows because their cowbells were really loud. I did believe her but now in hindsight realize that there probably would be no reason for the German to speak to the cows in English, not his native tongue, because the cows were just as liking to listen to his German request to be quiet as his English one. But I did convince Annelise to move with me to a place away from the windows of those sleeping and to continue to enjoy our mountaintop experience.
And that is what we did for awhile longer until we decided to retire for the night. Then problem two occurred. Neither one of us really scoped out the room with the lights on before everyone else went to bed, and now we would have to navigate to our places on the top bunk between our hiking mates and in the room with about ten other German strangers. As we proceeded upstairs to our slumbering place, Annelise states, “I can’t wait to snuggle with Greg!” who has been asleep for a good four or so hours now. I then open the door to the room and realize there is no way this is not going to be obnoxious and awkward. And I instantly feel very AMERICAN!
So there is no really easy way to get on the top bunk. There is a bench below but tons of strangers sleeping right next to the bench and the top bunk is really high. I found out later there was one ladder between Gretch and Greg but someone had hung their coat on it and I had no idea it was there. And this would be the time to admit that I had the giggles… REALLY BAD! So I am trying not to laugh as I also try to feel out this situation so I can get into bed. I give up on it being simple and quiet, and leap into bed (still not sure how I did that) and then giggle like a little school girl who just heard her first naughty joke and can’t stop even though it is inappropriate and extremely rude. I am so mortified that I take my pillow and suffocate myself to try to stifle the laughs. And fall asleep as I am suffocating myself to Greg saying, “Annelise, no… don’t touch me.” Guess Greg wasn’t as key to cuddling after a long day of hiking as she was.
Now Annelise had brought up the point before we went to bed, “What if we have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night?” Anyone that knows me for an extended period of time knows that I have a very weak bladder and anyone that is my immediate family knows that I have a very urgent bladder at times. But I fret not about the bathroom situation because I never have to go in the middle of the night so this hut set up is perfect for me.. or at least I think it is.
Except then 445 am rolls around and I wake up with the fullest bladder ever. So I do the only logical thing I can think of and wake up my sister who is sleeping next to me. Surprisely she was not too amused that I had chosen her to help me out of this pickle. Now I was able to leap up and get onto this bed but there is no way I am getting down by leaping off. So I ask Gretch to help me… which did not make her so happy. She then tries to show me the ladder with the light on her watch. To which I take the watch off her hand and try to use it myself and can’t. Then like an angel my partner in crime, Annelise, sits straight out of bed and says “Are you going to the bathroom? Thank goodness, I have to go too.” Then Greg wakes up and says, “What are you guys doing?” To which a stern Gretchen says, “We are going to the bathroom but not by MY choice.” So Gretch helps the helpless Annelise-and-Meaghan-duo get down and find the bathroom. I now have the giggles again but find out that Gretch is not going to wait for me to finish giggling before going back to the room. So I think about sad things and stop giggling to get back to the room and have Gretchen push me back up to bed.
The next morning we get up, get breakfast, and make the five hour hike back down the mountain. I do have to say out of all the things that I have done in Europe, hiking in Salzburg has definitely been my favorite. And this hike was just good times with good people.
The next weekend my parents came and we went to Scotland for their international festival. We saw the military tattoos and went to the Whiskey Experience. It was such great times!!! The military tattoos was amazing and it was a great way to honor the troops and think of Josh.
The next day we went to the Whiskey Experience so that my family could learn about whiskey and then continued to drink while enjoying Scotland. Greg was in rare form and if anyone has ever had the privilege of seeing my brother when he is completely on, they know that great memories and major laughs are had by all. It is hard to explain just how funny that kid is but I will say that the night including Greg playing “Baby bird” in the streets of Scotland and having my dad feed him beer and being a robot at the dinner table…. To which the waiter came up and said “Why do you guys talk about robots so much?” We just played off that we were a geeky family that enjoyed conversations about robots and the movie "Weird Science" and "Short Circuit." The night ended with Gretchen deciding that she needed to get potato chips for my dad because she thought he would want a late night snack. So she walked into a bar and asked for a big glass of pistachios, because she was told potato chips were not an option, and a shot of vodka. Gretchen doesn’t like vodka and doesn’t take shots but this just exemplifies what she will do for my dad. She then took the shot and walked out with the pistachios to get home to my dad sleeping… These moments are when I know she is my dad’s favorite and rightfully so!
That next week my parents, Annelise, and Greg went to Berlin. Then we all flew to Venice to meet up with Michael. Michael had a traumatizing first night and actually ended up getting wet due to spending some time in a canal and got completely lost in the streets of Venice. So we had to wait at the hotel for two hours not knowing where he was. But everything ended fine and we actually had a good rest of the weekend. My favorite part was going to the island of Murano and Burano to see the glass blowing and lace making part. Those places were less touristy and quite pretty. Venice was beautiful and most places here are a lot smaller than I imagine but Venice was much bigger and cooler than I had imagined… but quite confusing!
The last week was spent just hanging out here and having lots of fun. Great conversations were had, trivial pursuit was played a lot along with Apples to Apples and the Game of Things. It was so nice to have family here and I miss having them around.
I forgot how hard I laugh when I am around the fam and it really made Germany feel like home for the first time having them here for so long. I have been so blessed to have such an unique experience with each of my siblings and a genuine relationship with each one. I have lived with each of them at some time or another in my life and I truly admire and appreciate the differences among us. I have learned so much from my family and was reminded during these few weeks how much life is enjoyable just being around them!
And I learned that it is super fun to travel here and visit me… so who is next?
