You could imagine my excitement while we waited in the Roanoke regional airport for a puny propeller plane to take us to Philadelphia, then a massive Boeing 747 from Philadelphia to Munich. That first plane trip involved much excitement and sleeping as we flew from America to meet Lyndee.
It was in the airport. Arms flinging around, a bit of running and before I knew it we were all wrapped up in a big ol' group hug in the middle of the Munich Flughafen (airport). From there, our adventure starts.
My first impression of Germany were the houses that lined the train ride from the airport to Munich Central. It was enough for me, with these beautiful homes decked out with solar panels and gardens. Arriving at the center of Munich was exhilarating. Immediately, the german language tickled my ear and kept me on edge. I wanted to know what they were saying.
We went on to spend the rest of our day there in Munich, climbing church towers and walking through the English gardens. Bavarian music and food was everywhere. We left Munich that day, exhausted and amazed.
The following day was dedicated to Vienna, the nostalgic city had so much to offer. What I began to notice more and more was an underlying sense of wonder. The train ride through the Bavarian forests to vienna would have had my nose glued to the window, if not for the amazing orange juice I sipped and bread I nibbled at the whole ride.
Vienna was great, but I still rank Passau as my favorite city from our trip. Walking through the city ratified the idea that Passau was absolutely the Venice of Germany. Slim streets and sleek cars passed us every morning and I was in awe. I regularly had the thought to abandon my return flight and just stay in Germany. The city's location with respect to the three rivers was beautiful, with many regular stops just to take a picture just of the river and the opposite shore.
Bavarian food was another reason to abandon my return flight. It was a rare moment when I wasn't deeply impressed with the bread we picked up in bakeries, the jams we tried in a street shop, the hundreds of lattes and coffees from the trip. Lyndee's host parents cooked for us a traditional Bavarian meal and it was at that first, second and third bites that I had the thought, "I will return."
It was amazing, and I truly am grateful for how Lyndee's family was so friendly and open with their home. We are especially grateful for Lyndee too, and how we didn't have to pay for a personal translator.
The entire trip was the best experience, and I can't wait for another chance to return.
Cody Hopper
Guest Writer
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