From Milan, we flew to Frankfurt, Germany.

At the airport in Frankfurt, I asked for directions to get to the bus (we were headed to Mainz/Wiesbaden).

I asked in German. The lady behind the counter answered me in German.

I understood every word and knew exactly where to go and how to buy the ticket.

Germany is a place where I understand the language, the culture, and the structure of things.

It feels like it has been a long time since I was in a place where I really knew what was going on all the time.

Traveling all this time, I’ve learned that there is really something to be said for being comfortable (in short bursts).

I think too many people get too comfortable, and it leads to stagnation.

Figuring out a balance in life so that I’m comfortable, but growing, is the best place to be.

In any case, being back in Germany really gives me a nice level of comfort. Being here (for the 4th time in my life – combined total of about 6 months in Germany so far), I know that I can easily do what I need to do.

I am comfortable here because I was once VERY uncomfortable here, and worked through it.

In Germany, I know the language and systems, but also because I know, understand, and was raised with (so I relate to) ideas based on the German methods of logic, it feels more like home here.

Germany is the kind of place where I don’t find myself asking “Why don’t they just…”

I don’t have to ask that question in Germany, because here, they’ve already done it, have an ongoing system for it, and a form to fill out in order to access it.

(That has it’s own challenges too, but it’s nice for a while to have a level of comfort and understanding.)

So, from Frankfurt, we took the bus to the main train station in Mainz. There, Nasser met up with us.

We had never met Nasser, but Nasser is Doro’s husband.

I met Doro when she was an exchange student at the University of Northern Colorado (my university) in 2002, and we have kept in touch since.

Doro came back to Colorado one time in 2004, and we met up then, but it’s hard to believe that it has been 7 years since I last saw Doro.

After meeting Nasser, he brought us back to Wiesbaden, where he and Doro live.

Carrie was feeling poorly (we think she may have eaten something bad), so she laid down and took a nap.

Nasser is fasting during the day right now because he’s Muslim and it’s Ramadan, but he still made me an AWESOME lunch.

He gave me the code for the Internet, so I turned on my computer and typed in the code, and I was online and fully functional right away, no problems.

It’s good to be back in Germany.