I have been in the Frankfurt international airport for the last twelve hours…and I don’t even have a ticket.

More about that later, but for now, here are this weeks links.

David DeFranza at Wisebread gives us “5 Easy Recipes Perfect for the Traveling Chef“. Aside from the obviously common batch of noodles, I haven’t actually made any of these things. I have been going for homemade vegetable soup, and a jalapeno/sausage delecacy I am calling “Josages”.

The new york times really shows us what NOT to do for our vacation. This concept of moving your personal hotel room into the wilderness is frankly a stupid one. Leave it to the American corperate world to instigate this mess. Anyways, check out this profile of “Canvas Chic” on the NYTimes

A man is walking around the world. Not a new concept, but he’s got some good ideas. One of his ideas which I have been eternally thankful for the opportunity to emulate is making sun-tea as your primary drink (cold water + tea bag + sun) instead of plain old water, and/or soda. Check him out at http://www.walkingman.org

Warning: if you are a romantic like me, this article is very depressing. A survey conducte by Sheraton Hotels has shown that 35% of those surveyed would pick their blackberry cell-phone over their spouce. 35%!!! That either means people don’t love each other, or the crack in the crackberry isn’t fictional after all. Read the depressing details here.

Well that’s it for this week…my battery will die in about 45 seconds so I’m going to hit publish. I’ll post more soon!

The thing is, if wild camping is mixed in with stay overs at hostels (say, every 3 days) then it becomes more practical (and accommodation costs are still down to nearly a third).

The way to handle the stuff intermittently would be:

Teeth - Bring in enough water to brush your teeth and “swish” afterward. This isn’t really a problem. If ultra eco-conscious, use Tom’s of Maine or other natural toothpaste (even make your own) or collect your “swish” water in a separate container for dumping and washing later on.

B.O. - Unavoidable, but if in a dryer climate this is less than an issue than say, in the Philippines. Possibly a basic small sponge that can be doused in drinking water and used to cleanse the more odoriferous areas. Washing the sponge obviously necessary every few days. I also recommend basic speed-stick deodorant for long-lasting coverage.

Clothes - I usually wear my Icebreaker shirts two or three times EACH before washing, so this isn’t really that much of an issue. They don’t begin to smell until the fourth time or so. If you MUST wash in between I could see filling a plastic garbage bag with water, laundry soap, and clothes, tying the end off, and kicking it around a bit.

So really, mixed in with hostel stays, I’m a lot less likely to end up getting a seat to myself on the train

In other news, I’m heading to Witzenhauzen tomorrow to visit two friends I met in a Hostel in Cologne (Imke and Jenni). I’ll be there for a couple days enjoying some local festivities and the room they are so graciously providing for me (though it looks like a good town to stealth in) and will move on after that to London where I will be joined by my mother on the 24th.

Though I would prefer to be “stealthing” full-time at this point, my mother isn’t quite as adventurous (in that way) as I so we will most-likely be staying in hostels and hotels. In a month, though, I will be back in Germany and stealthing like crazy.

I will be a wealth of knowledge then.

I was tired of paying a premium for a place to sleep and wanted to enjoy nature without paying for (or dealing with the other users of) a campground spot.

I began to research stealth camping online. The amount of information available is next to nothing aside from some random forum posts and bicycle tourist diaries.

I went to the “Globetrotter” (a HUGE German outdooring store with four levels and a huge pool in the middle) in Cologne to check out my gear options. The smallest “tent” was a single-person bivy sack.

Some suggest using a hammoch when “stealthing” as you do not have to concern yourself with the terrain below. While this made sense, the amount of trees I had seen in Germany were nothing in comparison to all the sleepable bush areas in cities and towns, where one could be easily hidden by the overgrowth.

I was told it would be colder than I thought it was at night, and would only get colder, so I bought a sleeping bag rated for a maximum of -28 degrees celcius (that’s -18.4 fahrenheit).

The two pieces of gear I decided on were the Meru Large Let’s Move Cotton sleeping bag and a Vaude Bivy Sack. The one in the photo was a nice camo-green, perfect for hiding out. The one I received, however, which happened to be the last one in the store, was an unfortunate bright orange. All is not lost, it will just force me to be more aware and cautious.

I needed light. Not the Dynamo self-powered Lantern which I was tempted to get, but would have produced far too much light for my purpose, but something efficient and streamlined. Something small but powerful. The answer was a Fenix P2D.

This flashlight is VERY bright and water resistant. According to them, it can be dunked into the water and brought back out again without any trouble. It is extremely light.

Below is an account of my first ever night of stealth camping. I chose this night because I still had access to my room just 20 minutes walk away and could easily retreat if need be.

8:48 pm – I am at my room now, frightened and excited at the same time. It is to be my first night stealth-camping and I really have no idea what to expect.

I have been reading up on the subject, and though the amount of literature online is scant, I have assembled (in my mind, and now here) a pretty basic list of ground rules:

1. Pitch your tent (or bivy in my case) after the dark ascends, and before the dawn breaks.
2. Make as little noise as possible.
3. Don’t leave behind anything (and shovel your feces into a hole).

Those are the basics. I have yet to see for sure (as the circumstances could have changed since this afternoon) but I believe I have found a good spot near what looks like an RV park nearby. I have chosen to do my first round of stealthing today because I still have this room in Siegburg to come back to. If all goes to hell, I can just run back to my room with my tail between my legs. Having spent nearly $400 on gear though, it would have to be something pretty major to get me to back off at this point.

The only reason I am frightened is that on one of the websites I was reading it said to beware of wrappers or other signs of human life. It said that this could mean it is a frequented area by teenagers who like to party in the bush.

As I have been LOOKING for teenagers in Siegburg and found none, though, I sort of doubt this is the case. Still, I don’t want to be taking over some homeless person’s turf. I would happily move on, but they don’t know that.

Ah well…I suppose I’m just stalling at this point. In the words of our dearly beloved American president GWB, “Bring it on.”

10:38 pm - I have arrived and managed to set up my tent and sleeping bag without too much hassle. When I came in on the private road to get here and passed the RV/Camper park I was surprised to see no lights on at all. I wandered around a little bit until I found a nice flat spot and put my bag down.

I unpacked my little “tent” and laid it town long-ways on the grass. I am very glad I practiced setting the tent up before I left the house. I put the poles of the head-area together and staked two sides down, then I went to the other side and stretched it to give me some space inside, and staked it down.

To my surprise, upon returning to the other side, the stake was gone. I fished around in the dark but couldn’t find it. The string had just slipped off.

Finally I found it under a tuft of grass, and staked down the right side again, taking care to put enough tension on the frame so that the same thing would not happen again.

I proceeded to stake the bottom two points, and was about to stake the third when I realized I was missing a stake. Where the hell could it have gone? I decided I had left it back in the room and moved on without the stake.

Having set the tent up I unpacked the sleeping bag and laid it inside. I put my pack inside as well (a surprisingly good fit) so it would not be stolen in the night. I took my shirt and shoes off, and got inside.

I zipped up the tent and laid back. That was a relief. I heard nothing but the silence you hear only in nature. It is not true silence, as crickets and birds still make noises around you, but it is the closest I have come.

And so I am writing this journal. Soon I will turn off my flashlight (of which I am taking great care to defuse as much as possible, I don’t want anyone spotting me) and try to get to sleep.

11:34 pm - I have been hearing sounds that I thought might come from a nearby animal who has come to figure out what I am. The sounds are like a deep purring. Could it be a cat? I just hope its owner isn’t nearby. I have also heard reports of wild boars in this area, and I don’t want to be dealing with one of those. I have tried opening the little window of my bivy and pointing the flashlight at the darkness, but the slit is too narrow to see much. I will just hope it goes away.

11:38 pm - I finally realized where the “purring” was coming from. On the way in, I noticed some telephone polls making funny vibration noises as they transferred electric signals. I am so close to a telephone pole that it simple sounded like purring. Thank god that mystery is over!

Now my mind is at ease I can get back to trying to sleep.

5:26 am (next morning) - Woke up with only a slight amount of confusion as to where I was, but I soon remembered. The second thought I had this morning was that of amazement. I did not feel drowsy at all. I had only gotten roughly five hours of sleep, but they were good natural hours, and I feel as though my body enjoyed every minute of it.

Apparently I went undetected during the night, or at least, no one bothered me. My shoes were still there when I opened the zipper of the tent.

The night is still dark, and I could pack up now, but it is so comfortable in this sleeping bag, and in this tent, that I am going to try to dose a little more. I am quite undetectable in this position, especially in the dim light.

6:15 (next morning) - I have been lying here for long enough, and am starting to wake up mentally. I think I will pack up and head back home.

I am sure it is still dark enough that no one will see me.

7:50 am (next morning) - Back safe and sound and did not forget anything back at my “campsite”. I feel great, and had a smile on my face the whole walk back.

I feel truly independent now. What a great feeling to know that by taking up only a small patch of ground I can be free of all those accommodation costs, and I can enjoy top-rate views and mind shifting silence.

Even though I have my room to sleep in through the 19th, I think I’ll go and sleep out there again tonight. Maybe I’ll try to find another campsite.

I had my camera on me as I was walking back from the train station the other day and decided to start things off with a good old “hold the camera away from you as you’re walking and have no idea what to say” video.

Enjoy!

You can expect a “links” post every Monday!

To start things off, over at Wise Bread (the best personal finance blog around) Nora Dunn (who has her own blog at Life Happens) talks about getting international flights for FREE as an air courier. I have read about this topic in a number of different books, and each author seems to have a different opinion about this technique. This girl really has it together though, so I trust her judgement.

Another Wise Bread post, this time from David DeFranza, who I know far too little about, talks about websites related to couchsurfing. We all know CouchSurfing.com, but do you know about AirBedandBreakfast.com? See more at his post.

At Treehugger, which I’m sure most of you know, there was a post a while ago about the world’s only pocket-sized solar lighter. I had to read the title twice to figure out what they meant by that. Doesn’t look practical unless you’re planning on starting full-sized campfires, but it is an interesting concept.

And finally (for this week) recently Tynan, who has the fantastic travel blog (now on pause) LifeNomadic posted on his own blog about electricity in RVs. I personally could care less about having an RV, but the way he explained solar panels and watts/watt-hours/amps/etc in plain English helped me to understand solar systems in a much clearer sense.

Hope you enjoyed these links! Some will be more interesting, some will be less, and if you don’t enjoy visiting some of the posts I filter on a daily basis, skip these posts!

Swan near the riverbank in Siegburg, Germany   

Because I had this place for storage when I went to visit Braulio in Hamburg, I took with me in my pack even less than usual. I left the heavy things which were used rarely, and took only what I absolutely would need. This is supposed to have been what I had with me in the first place, but extra items slipped in along the way (people love to give gifts to people “passing through” for some reason, especially when their pack is light).

The items I took with me on my journey were:

1. My Lenovo Thinkpad X61 Laptop
   This guy is essential wherever I go. Keeping in contact via Skype, continuing my work (even if only monitoring work being done), writing. I’m not proud to say I can’t live without it, but in truth, I probably couldn’t.
2. My Canon G9 12.1mp Camera
   Not as essential as the laptop, but still pretty darn important. One time I forgot my bag at McDonalds, and as I was rushing back in a panic only one thought was in my mind: Oh dear god my camera. The idea of not having the opportunity to take photos of the amazing places I visit is a terrifying one.
3. My Packtowel
   I ended up not using this item, as my host Braulio had prepared a towel for me and I was only too eager to use it. Packtowels, while effective, can get a bit moldy and tiring when used frequently. Usually, it is a good idea to have this item on-hand as typically the way to impose the least amount on your host is to minimize the amount of laundry in-which they need to do following your visit.
4. My Chicobag
   This awesome little stuffable shopping bag must have seams of steel. I constantly pack it full of groceries when I visit the store (here in Germany there are no baggers to pack your things away, and no bags either). This item has proven consistently useful to me as a shopping bag, “overflow” bag for when you are transporting something (like surplus food) from one location to another, and more. I can’t recommend them enough.
5. My Sea to Summit Mummy Silk Travel Liner
   This I also didn’t end up using, as he had prepared a full bed for me. The night prior in Hagen, however, I did use it. I was sleeping on a leather couch and (this is the laundry principle again) didn’t need to bother my host about sheets or a blanket. I simply wrapped myself up in this, used my jacket as a pillow, and went to sleep. I have used this item on planes, trains, buses, etc to create a nice sleeping environment for my body. It works!
6. My typical clothes
   I’ll spare you the details, as it has all been covered before.
7. My Lonely Planet German Phrasebook
   I really should get rid of this. I haven’t used it EVER. I read it once on the plane-ride over, but at this point in my German languge skill, most of it is simply review (or antiquated and invalid to what the Germans actually SAY in the relevant situations). I’m gonna get rid of this. Its too slow to use.
8. My Passport
   In its typical waterproof casing, I always bring this with me if I’m going anywhere for a specific amount of time. If I am stopped on a border somewhere (they can be sort of indescript in Europe) I want to make sure I have my bases covered. They also help ALOT as a secondary ID.
9. My typical toiletries
   Including deoderant, travel toothbrush, full-size tube of toothpaste (the travel-sizes are such a waste of packaging), 8oz bottle of Dr. Bronners (half full at this point), and two hotel-shampoo bottles emptied and replaced with Head and Shoulders shampoo, and Garnie Fructis conditioner (I bought big bottles, and condense them into smaller ones. Much more economical this way). I also brought my drain plug for the sink, but Braulio’s sink came equipped with one already.
10. My leather jacket
    I use this jacket the most. It is still just getting to be the end of summer here, so it is still warm and, though the night air is quite brisk, I am usually walking when I’m outside, and warm up quite quickly despite the cold. I didn’t use my jacket once the entire time.
11. A CocaCola bottle filled with laundry detergent
    After a LONG struggle with piffling little plastic envelopes of “sink-sized” laundry detergents, I have tired of this game. I now simply purchase the largest container of detergent I can find (which isn’t that bag here in Germany, its MUCH less watered-down here) and then fill up as many empty soda bottles as I need to. Laundry detergent gets used quickly, and the economic savings (let alone the ability to use as much as you need without worrying about rationing) is worth the couple of days of extra weight. The soda-bottle packaging allows you to get rid of unused packaging quickly.
12. My pocket notebook
    Of course. I am always thinking and writing, and I have been known to remove my notebook in the middle of a conversation and begin writing while continuing a level stare with my peer.
13. My pocket watch
    A little bit of extravagance for me, this pocket watch was 48 euros and worth every penny. Not being one who likes to be late, I am at a constant battle with myself, for I just as passionately HATE time. This is a compromise, and lets me keep time in my pocket, instead of letting it rule my life.
14. My MP3 Player
    Long train rides (when there is no one to converse with, of course) are made surprisingly bearable by a well-read audiobook. I also use the radio function on my litle Sansa Express as a way to “tap into the local communications” as it were.

That’s it!

And it was quickly proven that that is all that was needed.

What I didn’t bring with me, and left in the apartment was:

1. My portable chinese-checkers playing set
   I LOVE Chinese checkers, and will play a game with anyone who can spare a moment. I searched high and low for a portable magnetic Chinese checkers set before coming across my current beauty in a tourist shop at Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco. I am really at a battle within myself with this one. The space it takes up is not so great, and the spectacular (though unfortunately rare) games of Chinese checkers really almost make this little guy worth it. What should I do? Should I keep it or not?
2. The two physical books I had with me
   I am a frequent reader, but more recently I have been moving into reading eBooks and RSS items instead of physical books. I didn’t miss these at all when they weren’t there, and are WAY too heavy to justify their weight. I am going to have to either ship these back or leave them with someone who will read them.
3. My now defunkt cellphone
   This thing is completely pointless for me now. The joys of being able to enjoy the present without the constant ringing of cellphones or vibrations on my thigh have convinced me many times over that my cell-phoning days are over. I don’t ever use this and would love to sell it, but am not sure how to do it in Europe (Craigslist is dead here). I suppose I’ll ship it to my parents or give it away.
4. My eagle creek shoulder-bag
   Grrr…I’m undecided about this one. I didn’t need it when I was with Braulio, and that says something. Usually, I use this shoulder bag as a “day bag”. When I was in the US I carried my laptop with me to use at Cafes with WiFi, etc. Here, WiFi in public places is FAR less prevalent and this is not a necessary or useful practice anymore.Furthermore, I’ve noticed that Cafes simply aren’t a good environment for me to work in. I love to examine the interactions of people and their personalities, and this study can keep me entertained for hours while I sip at a tea. This isn’t a particularly work-enhancing trait however. I find I do my best work at “home” wherever that is at the time, and shouldn’t be lugging a laptop around anyways.
5. My external CD/DVD player
   Another internal battle with this one. A recent client requires some DVDs to be ripped to be put on her website (its legal, they’re hers). This is the first time, however, that I have needed a DVD player since leaving Maui. Does this justify bringing one with me? My laptop (thankfully) does not have one integrated into it. This keeps the weight down signifigantly, and as the compact disc is a dying media, it is the “right” way to go. Unfortunately, this means I have to carry around an external (albeit small) DVD drive. I think I’m going to send this to my Dad who can really use it.
6. My Black Diamond Gloves
   These were a moment of weakness when I saw them in the clearance bin at REI in Santa Monica. I had thought about getting some gloves, and this rock-bottom price convinced me. I haven’t used them, and judging by the items which get cold first for me in my experience, I don’t think I’ll have any use for them in winter either. I suppose I should give these away.
7. My computer lock
   In the US, this was an imperative item. Theft is a trend in those big US cities. Here in Europe, however, I have seen laptops left unattended in trains, cafes, and more for more than AN HOUR with not even a slightly suspicious looking onlooker. I simply don’t need to be that paranoid in the rest of the world. This is getting trashed.
8. My laundry line
   I’ve used this thing maybe once since I’ve left Maui. It seems like a good idea, but is rarely practical as the chance of a “loopable” or “hookable” item to hang this up on being in the place where the sun is the most beating is next to nothing. Furthermore, the more its used, the more tangled and stretched out it gets. I’m getting rid of this one too.
9. My titanium rain jacket
   I don’t mind rain, and I never have. In fact their’s something wonderful about feeling the raindrops against the back of my neck, or my hair. Perhaps this is why I was a bit sceptical when my mother offered to buy me this bright red rain-repelling jacket. It has rained every day since I arrived in Siegburg, hard and light respectively, but I simply don’t use this jacket. When its raining, I wear my leather jacket out to repell the liquid (it does a great job, and doesn’t look like I’m trying to be rescued from the ocean) or nothing at all. All of my clothing is engineered to dry quickly and I don’t mind being wet in the least. I told my mom (who bought it for me) I would give it a fair try, but I have and its not worth its weight. I’m going to send this back.

And that’s that. I am tired of feeling like The Digital Freighthauler. When my backpack is light I feel impressive, limitless, confident. When my bag is heavy, all I can think about is getting to the next destination, and don’t give myself the chance to enjoy the wonderful scenery in-between.

I spent the last two days in Hagen, where I was scheduled to meet a new client, and catch up with the friends I had made in the weeks before.

After that, the plan was to continue up to Hamburg where I would meet an old friend from back at Ballet School (Idyllwild Arts Academy) named Braulio in Hamburg.

Here’s how it all happened:

I arrived at the train station in the late afternoon. Stephan Mock (an extremely friendly guy who was eager to work on his english skills) picked me up and brought me to his home. I had planned either to stay at the local Hostel, or take the train back to Siegburg for the night, but he was nice enough to offer his couch as a free alternative, and I leapt at the chance.

We spent a good part of the afternoon looking at his photos from various class trips. I enjoyed every minute of this, as he had funny stories about almost all of the characters in the photos. It was humorous, also, to see my newly acquainted friends in their less mature forms. We both howled in laughter as one particular photo showed an almost direct contrast in the appearance of one of the people I had met.

In time, the others joined, and we all convened at Michael “Michi” Timmerman’s house, the house I had spent a whole two weeks at earlier. It was so nice to see everyone again. I had only been away a short while, but the isolation that came from not speaking conversational German in Siegburg was a great burden to be rid of, and I was soon laughing and smiling along.

It could be assumed that I am simply faking my knowledge of the German language when I am seen smiling and laughing at a complex joke that I obviously didn’t understand. To some extent, I suppose that is true. But my constant desire to laugh, coupled with the general human ability to sense the emotion of others without verbal assistance is what drives my enjoyment. I don’t always have to understand it.

And so is the way of timeless friendship.

Soon we were pulling up at the “Roadstop” bar and grill (I don’t know what the German name was, but in America, it would have been called a bar and grill). They had said that they served American food, and styled the resteraunt to seem American.

As I stepped into the crowded building, it was like stepping over the border back into Anywhere USA. At first, I couldn’t put my finger on the situation. These were German people, with German waitresses, German beer, and we were IN Germany. Finally, I understood.

Everything was so BIG.

The restaurant was bigger (and the ceiling higher) than any German restaurant I have eaten in. The tables were large and circular, with high-stools flanking their circumfrence. The portions were gigantic (though in the US, they would be considered typical). TVs everywhere were showing American football (it looked like it might be reruns, though I don’t know much about that sort of thing).

I had forgotten what it was like in the US. I sure remembered now.

I began to feel uncomfortable. Slowly, the feeling of being in an oversized corporate society was taking over. “What could these German people be feeling in this environment?” I wondered.

“They don’t have any room for us” Michi said. I breathed a breath of relief. I was eager to return to the European air, and the world I had escaped to. This “back to the homeland” feeling was stifling.

We moved on to the second choice. This was either the “Bluebird” or “Bluejay” (or something like that) restaraunt. I can’t actually remember the name.

I quite liked the decor of this place. Modern interior design, mixed with traditional European “pub”-like elements made it a really fun place to be, and look around in.

I ordered a plate of “bufallo chicken wings”. I was houngry. The last place I had eaten chicken wings (the “Buttercup bistro” in Oakland, California) had resulted in a terrible experience. I thought I’d give the Germans a chance.

Soon the food arrived. The wings were indeed good. The buffallo sauce was not draped over the wings in the typical “Dennies” American fashion, but instead the sauce was placed in a bowl to the side. This was nice, as I could adjust the taste and spiciness to my liking.

The night was very enjoyable, with much laughing and fooling around. I got a chance to practice some of my German (heartily encouraged by Carole who had spent time in the US and Australia. Carole has a friendly demeanor and is always readily to patiently explain a German phrase to me).

After the restaurant, we paid a visit to another friend of theirs. His house was huge, and I jokingly speculated that it must have been a hotel in a past life. No one contradicted me.

The night continued onward, and during the time, I was not bored for a single minute. When my head fell against the pillow, I felt nothing but contentment and a feeling of thankfulness. It really touched me to be a part of this group. In some ways, it was the first time I had really felt that I had peers. So “danke meine Freunde!”

The next morning came quicker than I would have liked, and I soon found myself on the doorstep of my newest web-client, Martina. We had organized a meet time in Hagen (where she lives) and here I was.

Before I had removed my finger from the doorbell, a resonating series of barks arose from inside the house. I love dogs nearly more than I love humans, and this one was no exception, though this dog’s constant jumping and barking, teeth bared, into my face was making him a challenge to pet.

In time, it seemed he began to trust me, and within a few minutes, he was resting his head on my foot as I exchanged pleasantries with his master.

We talked of many things. I expounded on my opinions of the world, and she seemed to agree with me. Her command of the English language was very good, and she communicated quite effortlessly about what she did for a living:

“I am a video producer, I make videos independantly and for television”.

“Awesome” I thought to myself, “I’m in.”

We discussed many things, her new website included, and before I had a chance to check my pocket-watch, it was 2:30pm.

“I must be going.” I said “I have most of the details now, and the rest you can email me”.

The walk down to the “Bahnhoff” (train station) was much easier than I had expected.

I bought my train ticket, and called Braulio to let him know the time.

“OK, I’ll be there!” I heard from the earpiece of the payphone.

I don’t have a cellphone anymore. Frankly, I’ve learned to detest mobile phones. Home phones are ok, though it seems any device that has the capability to shatter your thoughts into a million pieces when, at some arbitrary moment, it decides to ring, is not such a good idea.

I have been using payphones and skype-out. This seems to work quite well.

My train was scheduled to depart in 10 minutes, and I walked confidently to the platform. The LCD showing the arrivals of the trains said nothing of mine, but sometimes these sorts of computer errors happen, even in highly organized systems such as this one, so I didn’t think much of it.

30 minutes later, I was thinking of nothing else. Almost hopping up and down with anxiety, I realized I would have to try to get another ticket, and hope that Braulio could bend his plans to meet me.

It turns out the train never came. I was quickly given a schedule for another route, this one direct (and faster) though still arriving later into Hamburg. I was hungry, and anxious, and I gazed hungrily in at a bag of chips in the platform vending machine. My hand automatically reached into my pocket, and clutched upon 50 cents. When I inserted the coins and pressed the corresponding number however, my meal was halted in mid-fall. It seems the corners of the packaging had caugh on one of the shelves as it was falling.

Not one to waste good money, I realized I would have to buy another bag of chips to get this one to fall. Ah well, I was pretty hungry.

The second bag of chips got stuck further up.

With just 50 cents left in change, and nothing in my stomach, I feverishly pushed the number of the chips compartment once more. To my relief, the third bag was the charm, and it knocked the others to the bottom of the compartment. I retrieved them and hungrily tore into one.

Unfortunately, they were terrible.

I don’t like wasting food, however, and finished off each of the bags.

The train soon arrived, and with a sigh of relief I sunk into a window seat. Just a three hour ride away from meeting up with Braulio and, hopefully, eating some real food.

Fate wasn’t finished with me for the evening though, and as the train began to move, a little German man walked up to me and pointed anxiously as he said something in German. I didn’t understand him and told him so. He said in broken english “Das ist…mi…seat”.

Realization flooded through me. I had never quite been able to figure out which seats were reserved, and which weren’t on these trains. I had bought the cheaper “unreserved” seat ticket, and thus was required to find a seat that WASN’T reserved.

I moved one seat over, and let him sit down in my previously occupied space by the window. He seemed appeased, and so I assumed the seat I occupied was not reserved.

“mein Deutsch ist nicht sehr gut, aber ich verstehe, wenn Sie langsam sprechen” I informed him. In English, this basically means “My German isn’t very good, but I can understand if you speak slowly”. This is true, for the most part. The intention of the words mixed with the parts I understand usually provide enough evidence for me to figure out the meaning.

“Its the same with my english” he told me, “But I need to work on it for the job”.

I noticed that he had not stopped smiling since he had sat down. I decided that if he wanted to learn english, than I was darn well going to do my part and let him practice.

We talked of many things. He told me he was an “IT specialist” and worked with Deutch Telecom (the biggest telecommunications company in the country). I told him I had also worked in IT, but was a computer programmer and journalist by trade. He seemed excited by this, and many nods and winks were substituted for verbal communication when the topic of Google’s new browser “Chrome” came up.

With this friendly German man for company, the train ride seemed to whiz by, and we were arriving in Hamburg. I bade him goodbye and looked around for Braulio.

Hmmm…he was nowhere to be seen.

I went to a payphone and called him.

“I’m here, where are you?” He said.

“Erm…I don’t really know. Where are you?”

“I’m looking at you.” I heard as the phone went dead.

Soon we were embrassing the way two friends do after not having seen each other for a long time. A very nice french girl who was also a dancer was with him. She doesn’t seem to speak much english, or German. In fact, throughout the evening, I kept speaking German to her without realizing that the accent I was hearing was of a different type.

We rode the S-Bahn to the neighborhood where they are staying (they happen to be roomates, with one other American dancer named “Nick”) and made our way up the stairs of his apartment building into their “place”.

Its quite nice, with a different room for each of them, and a communal kitchen and bathroom.

Braulio had been thoughtful enough to purchase my favorite chai tea during the afternoon, and I nearly swooned at this gesture. We drank a cup, and discussed - with much tossing back of heads to laugh - the exploits and experiences we had had for my short time at Idyllwild Arts Academy nearly 2 1/2 years ago.

The night was certainly another one of the best, with much commiserating and laughter.

As I write this, it is the next morning. I am waiting for Braulio to return from Dance rehearsals to guide me around the city of Hamburg. I have some work to do, but wanted to fill you all in on the past few days.

Until I post again, make sure (ALERT: corny cliche ahead) to follow your bliss.

The way I got here is not an extremely interesting story, but what is interesting, is that I’m here to stay.

Here to stay has a different meaning to me than it does (probably) for most of you. Seeing as the average time I spend in a single location is about 2 days, a week is considered a major move.

I’m here in Siegburg for 10 days sort of a month. I’ll be here until the 20th.

I’m mostly here to work, and get some “money” stuff done. For those who are contemplating trying your own hand at traveling with your business, I would urge you to build in “pauses” and rests into your long-term travel. When I first started out, I thought I would be able to “go, go, go”. Lack of infrastructure (for internet, etc) in Europe has caused me to need to create some more permanence, so I have the chance to create an environment that is productive for me.

Amongst the many things I have been experiencing recently, are a few select things I would like to highlight. Here they are:

1. Siegburg’s “Stadtfest”
   This was very cool, and completely by fluke. I happened to arrive in Siegburg on the same day (the 29th) as the starting of their local “Stadtfest”. For those who don’t know, each town has a local “Stadtfest”, and it happens just once a year for a select set of days. During “Stadtfest”, the city’s main market streets are closed off to vehicles, and taken over by little booths.Local businesses, local restaurants, carnival games, ice cream stands, all create booths that collectively create a representation of the spirit of the town.This was my first, and will certainly be my most memorable. My most memorable experience of Stadtfest was witnessing a show put on on the sidewalk of a group of young German people dancing in perfect synchronicity to remixed traditional German folksongs.
2. Joseph Campbell’s: The power of Myth
   My friend Richard Cray suggested this video series. At the time, I poo pooed the suggestion, as religion and spirituality for me have always been almost painful to hear about. This are a truly wonderful series of episodes, however, as Joseph Campbell’s views on the world show ultimate acceptance and tolerance, and his words create bonds between religions, rather than proving any one point.Even if you’re not a religious person (in fact, especially if you aren’t) these would be well worth a watch if you can track them down.
3. Michel Thomas Basic German Learning CDs
   Timothy Ferris recommended them, my new friend Bleicke recommended them, and all of the Amazon reviews strike this series as a nearly perfect 10. Michel Thomas, who grew up in Poland, was sent of to school in Germany, lived in France along the way, and ended up in the US knows his stuff when he talks about language. In these courses, he really guides you along and removes all of the typical angsiety surrounding language learning.If you need to learn a language quickly, you can’t get better than this.

So that’s the latest.

In 20 days or so, I’ll be heading off to London to meet up with my mother for a two-week-long jaunt accross Britain.

There are yet more interesting things in the works regarding my future destinations, but I’ll keep that a mystery until its fully shaped.

I’ll try to be more eloquent (and constant) in future posts…but for now, I’ve got work to do!