The German Way

The German Way, sort of like saying "The American Way" and leaving it at that one untouched thought. Every culture is complex and diverse in their own regard. Germany is truly no exception. I have been here for a month and this is just a short list of things I've noticed and have been adjusting to. It is very intriguing to be thrust from one giant comfort zone and place you know to a foreign land where you know nothing.

Let me first briefly tell you about my situation before proceeding to what I have noticed about Germany. I live in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (on the Garmisch side) in South Bavaria, less than an hour drive from Austria. I work at the Edelweiss Lodge and Resort, and even though I live and work in Europe, I am employed and housed by America. (Meaning I make crap wages and get crap benefits compared to local Germans I work with, yay!). Now, like I said, I work in Germany but I work for America, I am surrounded by American's every day and it is incredibly easy to go from the comfort of living in America to the comfort of living at Edelweiss because it is the exact same American culture! I must venture out and beyond the walls of confinement to discover more about this magical land. Garmisch is quite touristy, mostly everyone speaks English, but if not, then it is easy to navigate with head nods and pointing and basic German. Here is a short list of discoveries so far:

EVERYTHING is recyclable:

A great quote I read in a book along the way somewhere went something like this - "We do not inherit the Earth from our parents, instead, we borrow it from our children." Author unknown. Imagine if the world thought this way. The good we could do. The Earth sustained and nourishing it's being's instead of using and consuming endlessly until it is all gone. What then? OK, fear mongering done. But, German's live this. They truly care about this world and the environment. They take recycling seriously and there are bins for everything. They will even go as far as to pay you for it! Maybe not pay you, but you pay a deposit on certain consumable items and get that deposit back when you return the item, in order to encourage recycling. Granted, it's only 0.25 euro, it adds up.

Whatever you do, do NOT jay walk:

You might be able to get away with it with the old "no cop, no stop" rule, but I have heard rumors of cops posing undercover to catch jaywalkers and fine them for the act, upwards of 60 euro. It could be a myth, but I do not want to find out. Also, locals will go as far as to call you a "child killer" if they see you jaywalk, think about it. Don't say I didn't warn you. Berlin might be the exception in this law.

German dogs are better than great:

I'm a dog lover to the core, and I miss Kato and my other family dogs back home. Wish I could pet them everyday, so when I see these dogs running alongside their owners with no leash and they are incredibly trained they do not run off or disobey their owners, it makes me wonder. Germans are exceptional trainers, and it makes sense, a culture ingrained in order and structure will of course have great dog trainers everywhere. I am just hoping one will eventually run up to me so I can get a pet or 2 in, but don't go out of your way to pet the dogs- it's definitely not a social norm.

Berlin could be the exception to anything Germany:

We ventured over to Berlin for New Year's. I have been to a lot of cities in my day, but nothing is like Berlin that I have seen. It is myriad of art. Graffiti is everywhere. There is limited structure and order. Locals are nice, if there are any locals, that is. People offer you drugs on the streets at night, wait, ignore that part. Just kidding, but if that is your thing, Berlin is your place to be. You can get anything you want to eat from any culture around the world in Berlin. You can also get around the city in 30 minutes if need be with a plethora of transportation options, no need to drive because you will spend more time searching for a parking spot and wasting gas than you will pay for a group subway pass. Oh, and yeah, if history is your thing, head to Bernauer Strasse and learn about the oppression and division the Berlin Wall caused from 1961-1989. Berlin had me in love and I want to go back when I have more time to spend and enjoy the city.

Looking toward The Wank ("Vonk") after a brief snow

Tidbits of the minds abyss miscellaneousness:

If you think because you have been to one German city, you have seen it all, you are mistaken. That is comparable to claiming "I have been to New York, so I know what LA is like." Night and day. It is funny we live in such a diverse world where you can go to a country and there be multiple cultures within that country, but yet the same major culture norms overlap every part of that country. In order to truly learn and understand a culture, one would have to dedicate a lifetime of understanding to that country/civilization/entity/land/area/etc, and even then, they might not gather everything there is to know.

I find it fascinating how over thousands of years, Europe developed slowly. People spread slowly due to the natural geography of the landscape, it was difficult for European ancestors to traverse the mountainous and river lands. The wanderers pushed forward when they were born and continued to spread west, eventually settling as far northwest as Ireland and as north as Norway and Sweden. To the point where we have an entire continent that is "simply" a plethora of different cultures, languages, foods, and beliefs. If this diverse continent could eventually figure out how to live together after years of war and turmoil, I believe the rest of the world could figure out how to live in harmony as well. Relax, take a deep breath, and say hi to your neighbor.

If you truly want to be a world citizen, travel whenever possible. Travel far and wide. But do not just travel, travel with a curious mind with the desire to learn and understand what you are observing. Share and learn. Learn more about the landscape, the history, the people. Ask stupid questions and make mistakes. Soak up the information like a sponge and write about it later. Do the local shit and get away from the comfort of knowing. You are a tiny little conscious live creature in a vast universe that is your playground filled with a vast wealth of knowledge waiting to be learned by you. You do not know it all, nor will you ever, and as soon as you realize this and truly focus on what you want to know and learn, you will be able to embark on incredible change. There are two types of people in the world: The fixed mindset group (majority), and the growth mindset group. As you can imagine, the fixed mindset believe things are the way they are and they will always be that way. Depressing, much? The growth mindset group believe the world is their oyster and there is always a lesson to be learned in order to continually grow and advance the malleable mind of our psyche. The growth mind focuses on positive attitudes, attributes, and outcomes. The growth mind has hope for a future all of man can live in while simultaneously dispersing the evils that be through acknowledging fear but instead choosing to pursue passions. Which mindset sound better to you?

Embark on the Journey of Fear and Change

Y'all, I'm here. I made it. I'm in Germany clinging to the youth I have left and beginning this new 15 month adventure. This place is a fairy tale land. Here is home for now:

Looking at the Alpspitze. I live here?

Not sure what lies ahead but I know it is more good than anything else. My head is on straight and I'm focused on the task ahead. I understand what fuels my drive, but I am not exactly sure how to make it a sustainable passion for the long run. Isn't that the key to happiness?.. Find something you love to do first and the money will follow. I love to travel and help people. I'm sure there are hundereds of ways for me to satisfy this personal need, and I will find at least one. Now I understand this is only the beginning of a majorly unknown journey. There will be tribulations along with great times but I will meet all of it with an open mind head on.

They say there are two ways to look at fear. You are either the type that fear enables you or you are the type that gets motivated by it. Mankind would get nowhere with the former. Come to think, I have been the former and I have struggled with developing my mindset to embrace change. Although, change is the only constant, realize this and change becomes much easier. Unless you are born into adversity, it's a process to develop.

To be completely honest, when I was offered this opportunity, I made hundreds of excuses as to why I simply could not embark on the quest, and each one satisfied the underlying fear and doubt that was in the back of my mind. The "But I have a decent job", "But what about your family", "But what about world relations", thoughts began to flood my mind and I began to dig deeper into world events the internet told me about. I was legitimately scared to move, let alone go across the world for a job. My mind, flooded by a river of cortisol because I was afraid of the unknown. This went on for a week or so, until I realized exactly who the hell I am.

I am strong. I am a bull. I don't back down or give in to negativity and naysayers and I never have. I stand up for what I believe is right. What type of man would let a dream die in the name of fear? No man I know or want to associate with. No man who can make a change. No man who will succeed. I am not this man. I love challenges, and I am here to step up to this quest. My subconscious mind had tried to sabotage my success by wanting the easy road and this is where fear collided with change and I met the crossroads. Many would let the change bringing on the advent of dreams and goals succumb to fear and stay with the safety net when life calls.

Life was calling. I answered. Will you?

Dublin in 4 days

River Liffey

Slainte!

This is cheers in Gaelic. (Pronounced: Slawn-chee).

If you are going to Ireland, you will need to know this. There are pubs everywhere and of course you will have to stop in and have a Guinness, an Irish ale, or some kind of whiskey.

Some need-to-knows about the Irish:

• They are sarcastic if they like you, be sarcastic back
• They are very outspoken and do not like insensitive a-holes, be kind
• They know how to have a good time!

Dublin, Ireland is a relatively expensive city in the EU, and you will need to budget accordingly. We stayed in an Airbnb on Capel Street for 4 nights for $540 total. The room was a studio with limited sleeping area and we had to share the bathroom with the studio across the hall. Needless to say, we were not in the room very often. Why would you be?!

Fly to visit Dublin in the fall through AerLingus, a round trip from New York is $550. Go on October 24th if you want a great weekend, Bank Holiday! (Basically means 3 day weekend with lots of drinking)...

Day by day: This will be arranged to give several options for you arranged in Daily activities, Restaurants, and Nightlife. Be glad to know Wifi is everywhere you go!!!


You will do a lot of walking around. Dublin is relatively small and you may see the same people several times. Don't be alarmed, it is a small world in Dublin. Our local Irish friend Darren told us, "There are no skeletons in any closets in Dublin, they are all out on the streets walking around." Duly noted.

Walk around the city in order to get a good idea of sights to see and places you would like to go. You may not be able to do it all in 4 days, but you will be able to see a vast majority of the city especially if you have an idea of what you want to do. If you have no idea what you want to see, I recommend a bus tour for 10 euro that will show you the most frequented spots in Dublin.

Daily Activities:

1. Guinness Storehouse
2. Pubs, of course
3. Churches/History museums
4. Walk around to see landmarks

Dublin is a very busy small city. People are walking everywhere in a hurry. It is difficult to compare Dublin to any American city as there are no high rise building and the tallest point is a monument that is a spire. The best view you can get is at the Guinness Storehouse Gravity Bar.

Best view in Dublin

Make Guinness your first destination on day 1 if you get there on time (closes at 5 pm), because once you get to the top, you have a map (provided by Guinness) in hand, and you can look out over Dublin in order to get a better idea of where everything is. (Be sure to book online before you go so you can save 2 euro and skip the line - Guinness Storehouse Tickets). At the storehouse, you will learn how Arthur Guinness was a boss entrepreneur and hustled hard to get Ireland's best beer spread around the world. He signed a 9000-year lease for the brewery in Dublin. It has only been a few hundred years, you better get there before the lease runs out.

After having the best Guinness in the world poured for you, you will be hungry, recommend here are several restaurants, and whichever you do not try the first night, go the next nights, or mornings, and try them. (In order of favor-ability).

Farm Restaurant

1. Farm Restaurant - This restaurant is slightly fancier and will cost around 20-30 euro for a meal and a beer, but it is worth every penny! They take basic Irish food (chicken, pot pies, roasts, etc), and make it up with delicious flavors. I recommend the Free Range Irish Chicken Supreme ----->>>
2. The Brazen Head (7-11 euro) - This is the oldest Pub in Ireland and is a must to go see, it is also very close to Guinness. Go have a pint and some onion rings.
3. Cafe Kylemore (7-10 euro) - A fast-paced breakfast place that will allow you to get a traditional Irish breakfast at an affordable price. Try your white and black pudding here. It's on a corner by the Spire, can't miss it.

After you have seen cool sights and had a delicious Guinness and filled your belly, it will almost be time for the nightlife! Be prepared, Irish people love to party. The nightlife is amazingly convenient to walk to, wherever you choose to go, unless it is 6 in the morning and you don't know which way is north and a local tells you to get a cab when you ask him where Capel Street is... Listed below are spots to go from on a drunk scale from least sloppy to sloppiest:

1. Local pubs - The Brazen Head pours a nice pint for a few euro. There are pretty much pubs on every block. Pick one, have pint, pub crawl.
2. The International Bar - Wasn't able to visit this bar but it has great reviews. They play music, put on shows, and pour beer from around the world. It will be a top priority on my next visit.
3. The Temple Bar District - This hip area is the largest bar scene in Dublin. It a touristy area where you are sure to find people from all over the world. Go here for slightly overpriced drinks and wasted people everywhere. A few notable bars in this area are Big Ben's and Fitzsimon, both have a diverse crowd with large dance floors.
4. The House - This local spot is easy to miss on Leeson Street. It looks like any normal house with people walking in and out. You would never know it exists if you aren't a local. We got lucky enough to bump into the bouncer and he invited us in. This place is a gem for nightlife! Drinks are reasonably priced, there are friendly locals who want to party, and there is a nightclub that opens at midnight in the basement. Grab a pint, be social, and check your coats at the door when you're in the mood to dance into the late hours of the night.
5. Xico Party Cavern - At this point, you should be feeling a little wobbly but still able to function. This club is a great spot for the youth in Dublin (21-28). There are several floors and a huge dance floor that is hard to get around, better to just dance through it.
6. Copper Face Jack's - This place would make the Virgin Mary scream in fear, do 10 Hail Mary's, and sprint in front of a bus in hopes of being closer to Heaven.  If you have made it to this club, you are hammered. This whole club might as well be a giant dance floor full of sloppy drunks locking faces. Prepare to see a side of Dublin that should remain a skeleton in the closet. Enter at your own risk (never sober). My oh my, is it fun though!

(Bonus: *For American Sports fans*: There is a bar called the Woolshed in the north end that has a plethora of TV's, they show every game you could think of, head on over and check it out on football Sunday, life-saver!)

When you awake with a hangover after a crazy night of baby guinness shots and late night grub, walk on over to your nearest coffee shop and reminisce in the beauty of world travel and your love for the Irish, then prepare to do it again because you might not get a chance to come back! Mybest  advice is to be as open and friendly as possible and be ready to say YES to anything that may come your way. Have a Guinness for me! Slainte!