Something lost, something gained

Before I flew back to San Diego for the summer, I was reflecting on my year in Germany and I was realizing what I have not done in a year.

In the last year, I had not:

• Driven a car
• Eaten a Burrito Bowl or any real Mexican food for that matter
• Seen an ocean (not a sea)
• Heard John Coleman talk about the breeeeeeeeze
• Watched TV for more than 30 minutes (not counting movies with friends)
• Shopped at Target
• Enjoyed central AC
• Talked for hours with Courtney (one hour on Skype every few months just isn't enough!)
• Hugged my mom...or my dad...or my grandma...or my brother...

However, I had also been thinking back to all the things I had gotten to do in one year and it's amazing.
I had:

• Eaten a danish in Denmark
• Lived out a childhood dream of visiting La Sagrada Familia
• Lived out another dream of cruising down the Grand Canal and living like a local in Venice.
• Gone on a "ski weekend"...with no skiing of course, but still!
• Ridden the Paris Metro so often that I have a commuter card
• Commuted to work via my feet, my bicycle or public transport
• Set aside part of my monthly budget to cover "cafes with Christine"
• Celebrated a real English Christmas

So now I look forward to next year, knowing that I will be home for Christmas (cue song) but will also be having some fun adventures such as Christine's birthday weekend in Wuerzburg and a week in Ireland in November and friends who will be visiting in the spring.  Some things were lost (temporarily), but other great friends and memories have been gained and I can't wait to see what happens next!