It's time to throw on your reindeer pajamas, lace up the snow boots and wear that Snuggie as if it was born to be a jacket.

Wallace and I are headed to Germany!

As we start a new month today, the last month of 2016, I am reminded that this trip will mark my 4th new country for this year alone. Every time I think about that I end up feeling some kind of way.

We are about 5 days and 500 errands away from departure and the ensuing two weeks of Bavarian experiences. There have been many alterations and changes along the way concerning trip companions, travel dates, plane routes and departure cities. However, finally- FINALLY- things are set in stone and happening in less than a week. I cannot wait to meet my Chicago friend, Cara, in Frankfurt next week. We met in Italy almost two years ago and have been super nosy about the other's life since- so it works out well.

On the list of places we will be while gone are Munich, Stuttgart, Nuremberg and Frankfurt. Cara will head back home after the first week because she's got a new big kid job being an amazing Counselor and stuff. After her departure I will continue on for about another week making snow angels and admiring lederhosen while strolling through Christmas markets.

So from here we just wait and pack and wait and pack some more. During the preliminary packing phase, I made an executive decision to purchase my first pair of boots as I do not own any particularly snow friendly pairs of footwear. I am not really a boot person, so deciding to purchase them was something in and of itself. Then came the searching process. Then the purchasing process. I am currently in what I would call the acclimation process. I wouldn't exactly say it is going well either. I constantly feel as if I am stomping around town like an angry toddler. Boots are just so much shoe and it's a huge commitment for your feet to be trapped inside of them. I have taken to calling them "big feet" instead of boots because that is essentially what is happening.

So. The big feet and I are still actively getting acquainted and now you all can live the next two weeks of your life picturing me stomping around Germany with my actual big feet stuffed inside of the big feet that I purchased for this trip. The scene in your head should look a lot like Nessie stomping around the marsh. I fully expect German citizens to see my boot prints in the snow and wonder what kind of large monster has passed through the area and should they arm themselves with pitchforks and sticks ablaze with fire on the off chance they encounter the beast lounging in lederhosen. 

So I think that is all for now on the front end. In the spirit of keeping everyone actively engaged in learning things about this new country between now and departure next week, I will leave you all with a little game called- 

Name That Famous German Product:

May the odds be in your favor while you guess at the products and may the odds be in my favor as I track them all down beginning next week. Well. most of them.