November 28, 2015

We decided to check out our first Christmas Market on Thanksgiving Day. We thought the outing would be a good distraction and a fun way to recreate a Thanksgiving dinner. Perhaps, we would find a turkey leg amongst the many culinary options and call it good!

Since Glühwein (mulled wine) is one of the warm treats served at the Christmas Markets, we decided to take the bus to downtown Kaiserslautern for our first festive experience. We both wanted to partake and not have the concern of driving home. The day before, we talked to the checkout lady at our village market and learned that we needed to purchase a Tages-Karte for our family. It was our understanding that this ticket would give us an out and back ride. Danny studied the bus route and plotted our course. We were ready…or so we thought.

On Thanksgiving day, we walked up the street to the bus stop and caught the bus into Kaiserslautern.

The ride was smooth. We all enjoyed looking out the window at the passing villages and we made it to the Market. So far, so good.

Walking into the Christmas Market on the cobble stone streets felt like we were going back in time. The boys loved the kids rides. We snacked on a Nutella crepe…E licked the leftover chocolate right off the plate! We sipped on our first Glühwein of the season and walked by the festive stalls.

  

 

A little later, we ate pizzas cooked in outdoor wood ovens and shared a Käse-Griller im Baguette (a super long hotdog with cheese filling in a small baguette so that it hangs out both sides). As time slipped by, the temperatures dropped and the market filled with crowds creating a good time to exit and head home.

The hubby had a Bus App on his phone that directed us to a bus stop a short walk away to return home. According to the App, we were minutes away from the arrival of our bus. We hightailed it over to the bus stop and waited…and waited…and waited some more. As I kept the boys somewhat distracted, hubby tried to ask for help. Most of the folks seemed as confused as we were as he tried to ask questions. The language barrier wasn’t helping. Slowly, confusion and frustration set in.

Here are snippets of an incredibly, long story…

spending more than three hours trying to get home

waiting three different times for buses that never showed

standing at six bus stops

more hot drinks

running around a grassy knoll to get some of the boys’ energy out

whining children

whining wife

hopping on a bus because it said IKEA and we knew where THAT was

half of our family crossing a scary, busy, four lane road while the other half looked for a crosswalk thus missing our last bus connection by minutes. This led to a family argument alongside said scary, busy, four lane road.

taking shelter from the cold in a small quick shop, trying to linger as long as possible without being asked to leave

a pseudo dinner of gold fish crackers (that we bought at the quick shop) and a Cliff Bar

bloody finger from playing with a branch that had thorns as we waited another hour for a connection

walking home from our village bus stop exhausted.

My gratitude for making it home pulsed through every vein in my body. THANK YOU JESUS!!! We were hungry, cold, a little bloody and grumpy but we were HOME. I relished the immediate warmth of our apartment, the comfort of a familiar space and food from our own fridge. It wasn’t lost on me that this place, where we have only lived for less than two weeks, brought comfort.

I took pictures at the start of our day. Once the confusion kicked in, out went the picture taking. I think thats valuable to remember when we see pictures on Facebook. Its easier to catch the fun moments. Its rare to see pictures of the hard. That doesn’t mean those moments aren’t there too. Thankfully, there are many more Christmas markets to help balance the scales and get me out of my comfort zone once more.

**Lessons Learned**

1. Check with the bus driver on our outbound trip to find out where we are to catch the bus home.
2. Carry my German translation book in my purse at all times.
3. Pack more snacks!