Ten Days, Seven Years Ago...

(Schloss Neuschwanstein, with daughter, Katie) 

The title sounds like the beginning of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address...

But no, I was actually referring to my "Germany in Ten Days" EF Tours trip in July of 2005.  I can't believe it will be seven years!  I know years from now I will still reflect on my trip and say, "I can't believe it's been 20 years..."  Hopefully, I will remember the wonderful time I had there, the people I met, the experiences I had--the history, the scenery, the food and most of all, the rich culture of Deutschland itself.

While there, I never really saw myself as a tourist, though I'm sure I was identified as one as I walked the cobble streets of Heidelberg... 

 

I'm sure my slow, somber walk through the halls of the Dachau "Work Camp" memorial gave me away...

My constant companion--my camera, was surely a sign that I was not from wherever it was I was visiting...

And, I'm almost positive my bus and U-Bahn travel companions were aware that I must be just passing through...

But I didn't feel like a tourist.  I felt like I was home.

I know that sounds strange, but Germany and I had a strong connection, a bond, an immediate friendship that will last a lifetime. When I arrived back home in the states, I felt "homesick."  I felt like turning around and driving back to the airport to board a plane that would whisk me away as quick as I could say "schnell!"  While I'm sure there MUST be some name for this "syndrome," I know the fondness I had and still do, is largely attributed to attaining a personal goal of traveling to the country of my ancestry. 

I did it.

I was actually there!

Someday, I hope to return to Germany and become more "intimate" by visiting areas specific to my heritage.  Until then, I will look at my photos, watch the videos, and recall the time in 2005, I toured Germany in ten days...

It seems like a lifetime ago...or was it?