The Greens of Germany

Expat writers like to capitalize on all the differences of their adopted homeland. Its sensational, it draws an audience, it’s often funny and it’s easy to do.

I thought about writing a post about a salad I ordered the other day at a German restaurant—which was all German, no salad. (Half the plate was sauerkraut, the other half was peas and carrots drowning in a mayo-ey type dressing, topped with a couple leaves of lettuce)—but instead, I decided to focus on the pluses--commend and not complain.

Since May, I started teaching twice a week at a company on the other side of Lauf. As I am car-less, my transportation options are limited to:
A) a one hour walk lugging my heavy laptop and books with me
B) 30 minutes + of walking to, waiting for and taking public transportation
C) a breezy 15 minute bike ride along a forest path.

(Not hard to guess which one I chose, eh?)
I look forward to that ride every Monday and Wednesday evening. It gives me a chance to take my eyes off the screen and the clock and to spend some time in nature. Beautiful pine trees and lots of colorful wild flowers dot the path. The last two weeks have even had blue skies and lots of puffy white clouds. My ride tends to take me home right around the time when the sun is starting to set.

I really appreciate that one extra hour a week I can pedal on my beat up bike through the forest and let my mind breathe easy.

God bless the greens of Germany.