Saturday, March 16, 2013

in which there are pictures of the Mutterland

So on the off-chance you don't follow my every move on facebook, this is what's been going down for the past two months:

In January I got sick. Really sick.
As I've mentioned before, I have a delicate lady tummy and a delicate butterfly immune system, so it wasn't a huge cause to worry in the beginning. After about a week or so, though, I couldn't eat food or stand up so much anymore, so I figured I'd check in with the health unit. Basically all my organs were going to crap. So I had an emergency-ish appendectomy in Dakar, very much against my will. (NEVER HAVE SURGERY IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY). I did not get better. At one point I thought my intestines had turned to liquid and were coming out of my incision, which is TMI, I know, and what happens when you get a bad infection at a surgery site. So the health unit patched that up. And I did not get better. Eventually my darling mother and I medevac'ed to Germany, where it turned out my organs were still going to crap and I also had a parasite and also cancer.
So. That was mildly terrifying.
But then I had more surgery and a crap ton of meds and lost 30 pounds and now I'll probably live for twenty years or more.
(Also: if you think 20 years is a short amount of time, bear in mind that's literally the length of my life minus one year, so to me it seems like infinity. And I'm pretty psyched about that.)

Oh! And we also learned that when you take me off the cray cray pills and put me on an excess of percocet, I end up doing my velociraptor impression through the aisles of a convenience store at night. I am such a wildly good time, guys. 

So that's pretty much what happened there.

Anyways, that was really just my transition into what's really important, namely, the fact that we've been in Germany for almost six weeks.

My relationship with Germany is complicated to explain. By my father's definition, which necessitates being born and graduating from highschool in that place, I am "from" here.  However, saying I am from Germany is an inaccurate statement, in my opinion. While I speak decent German, and went to German school,  love German food and the German people, I've really only lived on American bases- which we affectionately refer to as "little America." However, I hold more emotional ties to this country than I do any other, including the one printed on my passport.

I was watching something once- couldn't tell you what now if I wanted to- where the pretentious ex-pat character said that America was their country, but Paris was their hometown.
Horribly pretentious, right?
Now that I'm old and wise and have spent more than a consecutive year or two in my home country, I kind of get it.
America is my country, but Deutschland ist meine Mutterland.

So that being said, here are a ton of pictures of our brief outing to Stuttgart. They're mostly of food, because I love food and people the most, but neglected to tell anyone we were coming.
Sorry about that, friends in the Stu. I was all full of radiation and you really shouldn't have spent time with me, anyways. I'm sorry. I love you?


In our family, if you get a vaccine without crying you can have a candy bar. If you get cancer and two surgeries and a parasite and only cry four times you get to go wild at the Ritter Sport factory.

Field between the base and Plingingen- home to lots of walking and filming and biking and other various activities. 

 Two of my favourite theaters in town- the SI and Kelley.

One of my many bus stops.


 
I have lived longer in this one building than I have anywhere else in my whole long life. 


 Outside the Imbiss


Getting an Elizabeth burger, AKA the best burger EVARRR. It features potato patties and chocolate sauce. <3<3<3

 
Favourite couch in the library. On which I have never been reprimanded for PDA. Ever.


Reading the Domino Book of Decorating (again) in the teen section of the library, aka my home away from home in high school. 
Store within walking distance of my Realschule that turned a blind eye to kids cutting class.


BEST gelato- extra dark chocolate, cherry vanilla and lemon. Under appreciated by both of these weirdos.

 Exhibiting six times more enthusiasm than I did the entire time I went to school here.

Nanu Nana!

 Engaging in the sacred ritual that is Noodling.


Falafel!

Basically the Mecca of toys. 

 
An army of Bessie the Cows.


Playing in the toy store.

 
Schlossplatz.

 Maultaschen


 STARBUCKSSSS

Attempting to consume my body weight in Frappucino. 


 A Farewell to Stuttgart.





4 comments:

  1. Oh man. My heart is hurting. I miss Germany.

    Oh yes, AND I'm glad that you're alive. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  2. My heart is hurting just thinking about getting on the plane tomorrow... Oh, the joys of being Third Culture!

    ReplyDelete
  3. You just made me uber homesick. Just sayin'. :) And--the movie is "Sabrina."

    ReplyDelete
  4. YES!THAT'S WHERE IT'S FROM!
    And I'm sorry to make you homesick, love.

    ReplyDelete

I'm a sucker for kittens and fancy dresses.