Welcome to the West

Amelie and her girlfriend, Paula

I got off the plane, and look what greeted me!!  How incredibly happy I was to see my best friend, Amelie, at the airport.  I hadn't see her in over a year, when she left San Francisco and went back to Germany. 


I love it when people are waiting there with open arms in the airport lobby.  In middle school, my entire 8th grade class went on an East Coast Trip for a week at the end of the year.  I walked off the plane, scanned through the sea of "Welcome Back" balloons and we missed you signs only to realize I didn't see anyone I recognized.  Guess who's family got "stuck in traffic"?  My older sister, Diana, kindly revealed to me that there was no traffic, they had gotten distracted watching the Simpsons.  I missed you too, guys.  


My first order of business in Hamburg after a catch up session with Amelie was to go shopping for a new and updated wardrobe.  This is something I have been looking forward to since I was in Yekaterinburg and I really started to realize that I look the same in ever since picture I take of myself.  I couldn't justify the extra weight until now, as my backpacking experience is nearly over.  On a more practical note, I feel like I would freeze to death if I didn't buy some new warm cloths.  It is starting to get below 50 degrees F (7 degrees C).  


After spending like there is no tomorrow at H&M, I made my way past these beautiful sites.

Canals

I just love cities that are on the water!

New German Friends

That night, we met up with some of Amelie's best friends over drinks.  They all did an amazing time of making me feel at home, speaking to me in English, and teaching me some German phrases.  My favorite moment is when I realized they were talking amongst themselves about my voice.  I have been a little under the weather so my voice is especially low; my Russian friend from California would always tell me that I speak Russian like a man, and I think I realized that the same holds true in German.  They said it was very strong and I guess maybe that's a good thing.  Maybe it's because I hang out with Amelie when she speaks German, but German just sounds so much cuter than Russian does.  I thought if anyone was to understand the Russian need to be demanding and to the point, it would be the Germans.  Russian is very commanding and forceful language, but who am I kidding, why am I acting like that is a surprise?  I guess I am just a little more surprised that Germans don't yell, "GIRL! Bring me the check!" to get their waitresses attention.        

Me, Amelie and my new scarf