Like all good things, they eventually come to an end. In life, chapters close and new ones start. I have to say, my last day in Munich was extraordinarily unexpected and did not go as I intended it to go at all. And these two weeks were an amazing interruption to my La Ripa chapter of life. My last day of traveling started with a four hour train ride from Zurich to Munich, where I had a very brief time to say good bye to my family.
I locked my stuff up in a locker at the train station and headed off on an unknown adventure. Low and behold 3 great things happened. First was experiencing a fair in another country. There was live music, dancing (swing, country and salsa), food (brats, crepes, ice cream and beer), and great people watching. I sat underneath a tree and had a good reflection on where I was in life. I cried a bit and laughed a bit. I cried because my goodbye was too short, because for a moment my future was incredibly overwhelming, because I missed home, and because my grandpa died, I cried because of joy in my life and I cried because I can. I laughed at the dogs and kids playing in the park and I laughed at the ironicy of my life. I took pictures and journaled and allowed myself to just be in the moment…no agenda, no plan, no rush. I ate a brat, listened to a guitarist and watched entertainers put a sparkler on their heads.
At 6 pm I went to Mass. I know Mass is Mass, but there is something to be said for really understanding the words, not just what is happening. This Mass was an ENGLISH LANGUAGE Mass. I needed desperately some spiritual food for my brain. I layed my worries down in prayer and rejoiced in being home again, getting to really interact with other believers. Still, as I left Mass my heart was still kind of heavy, I wanted to share my last few hours with someone, anyone familiar, sometimes you don’t want to be alone and I was strongly having one of those afternoons.
I walked to Marienplatz and saw a huge crowd gathered. It looked like Mass. I asked a lady. Wrong. In her simple English she explained to me that it was a Procession for Mary because it was Mary’s name day…or something of the sort. They were celebrating her. The lady’s name is Hildegard and she asked if I wanted/could join. After a brief pause, I agreed. She gave me her candle just in time for the start of the procession. And so I spent my last night in Munich walking the streets praying the rosary in German and singing German praise songs with thousands of others by candlelight. As I walked and prayed I watched the people around me. Some were wearing cultural clothes (forgot the technical names, but the dresses and suspenders…liederhosing clothes), some current fashions. There were seven year olds and eighty seven year olds. When I turned behind me all I could see was a sea of candles. As I walked and prayed peace filled my heart and I was reminded that my family is all around me…in Christ, in my heart, in a country thousands of miles away, in heaven. And I felt joy that where I felt desolate, God surrounded me with more people of faith than I possibly could have imagined possible in that moment. I didn’t want to leave.
When I looked at my clock I realized that I stayed much later than planned. I had fifteen minutes to get back to the Haupbahnhof, get my luggage and get to my train. YIKES! I RAN through the station and made it on at 9:02, one minute before my departure time of 9:03. I am getting good at this just in time stuff! I found out when I got on that it was running late, lucky for me! So I had time to get settled in before the long 11 hour train ride, 3 hour layover in Florence, 2 hour train ride to Siena, 4 hour wait in Siena, 45 minute bus ride to Tocchi and 10 minute hike home. Needless to say I was tired.
And much to my delight it is great to be back home….where cars don’t wake you up every half hour, where the flies still drive you bonkers and where communication lines are still fuzzy. I am serious; I actually almost missed being covered in dirt every minute, the leaking showers and barking dogs. Who would have thought I’ve actually become fond of this rustic apartment? And as per usual, things are hectic…as in getting a good grumble or two out of Claire and I from Vittorio’s unrealistic expectations. Fall is here and its been raining virtually non stop. The cool weather is a pleasant surprise and a great incentive to keep working.
Lessons of the week:
- Chocolate cures all
- Sometimes you have to go through the valley to stand on the mountain of God
- When you bring something with you for a whole trip and leave it behind one time…that is the one time you will need it
- A minute early is still early
- When you have clothes for warm weather, it will change on you and finally cool off, leaving you chilly
- Flies are obnoxious
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