Tuesday, May 13, 2014
DAY
1-ish...(written on May 12, 2013)
As many who follow me on
Facebook know...I am leaving on a trip for Europe tomorrow. The trip will span
two countries and 19 days. I am scheduled to return on June 1st. My trip has
two purposes. My primary purpose is to conduct research for a fellowship I was
awarded through the American Council on Germany. My secondary purpose is to
visit my mother and family in Germany...I have not seen them in...GASP...11
years.
Today and tonight I will be
completing my preparations. Thankfully tomorrow morning I will enjoy the
assistance of Davy Secondclasscitizen Beam in reaching the airport here in
Minneapolis.
The "real" Day
One. My friend is scheduled to arrive in 30 minutes. I have traveled so many
places in my life (I have been really blessed!) that I have packing down to an
art. I can assess the length of a trip, what I need to take and the luggage
available to me and pack almost down to the minute of what I estimate I will
need time-wise to accomplish packing. It's a bit surreal.
I'm super excited to take
this trip. More details once I am sitting in the airport twiddling my
thumbs....
Day One,
Part II.
So now I am at the
airport...and feeling quite proud of myself. My checked bag was a full ELEVEN
pounds under the limit of 50 pounds. That is GOOD! I will have some space to
bring back some leather from Germany.
Eleven is a timely number.
It's been eleven years since I last visited my family in Germany. The last time
I touched down on German soil (technically) was three years ago on my way back
from Norway...and that doesn't really count!
Here is
more of the backstory now for those who are curious...
Two years ago...almost to
the day...I was visiting Maui to celebrate my graduation from the Monterey
Institute of International Studies. On the Sunday morning of my visit to Maui I
opened up the Maui Times and saw a front page article focused on the Nazi
legacy...a very different period in German history. Through all my travels
throughout the world I have come to believe that we start receiving hints
(which we will notice if we are really present in our lives) about something
coming to us in the future before it necessarily actually manifests in present
space-time. I don't know what the term for this phenomenon is...but I firmly
believe it is real.
On that warm Sunday morning
in Maui...as I read through the article...I felt a hint...an invitation from
Germany...a door that would open some time in the future. I could not know the
how or when that door would open...but my intuition told me that the door would
open at some point...somehow...somewhere.
Fast forward nearly a
year...to 2012. I was living in Washington, DC. I had applied for a fellowship
with the American Council on Germany. Before I got the word that I was in fact
awarded a fellowship I was seeing signs all over the place that evoked Germany.
Whether it was advertisements on buses to travel to Germany or running into
people on the Metro connected to Germany I was 'seeing' Germany everywhere. And
within days I literally saw the invite that has now led me to the airport
today, May 13, 2013, to travel to Germany.
I am deeply grateful for
this day...and for this opportunity which has come to me. I pray I realize the
full potential of this journey.
May my
ancestors be with me, protect me and lead me.
Day One,
Part III
My flight to Brussels will
start boarding in 50 minutes. It's been an interesting day...and not just
because of the trip I am embarking on. It's been interesting also to be leaving
Minnesota on the day the Senate is debating...and will soon be voting on...gay
marriage. When I arrive in Brussels tomorrow morning I will be curious to learn
what the outcome was.
I send my and support to
all my fellow gay and lesbian Minnesotans!
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I invite you to accompany me as I document my own journey of healing. My blog is designed to offer inspiration and solace to others. If you find it of value I welcome you to share it with others. Aloha!