Family & Frankfurt

Midway through the semester when the novelty had worn off I was feeling the normal homesickness. Not that I really wanted to come home, but I missed normal downtime with family and friends. The cure? One train ticket to Frankfurt, Germany, to visit my cousin Chris & his wife, Sonia, and absolutely adorable daughters Emilia & Abby. This was my first solo travel experience, and of course it came with a few mishaps.

I printed my ticket and unlike Budapest, went to the correct station. I boarded and got comfortable. Everything was going smoothly until I got to Dresden, where I had this uneasy feeling that I should get off with the dozens of people who were doing so. My ticket didn't say anything about transferring so I stayed on. When the ticketing assistant came to check my ticket again, she told me I should have gotten off but I would have to wait until the train stopped at Berlin to transfer. No Big Deal. Except that I had no way to tell Chris that I would be late. In our hopefully mutual excitement we hadn't exchanged our European numbers. Oops. If I hadn't known that Frankfurt was the transportation center of Germany, the size of the train station would have showed me. I wandered around keeping my eyes up for the 6 foot something Chris, with no luck. I finally went to the entrance and was ready to give up - right as I heard a whistle. Sonia was there to save me from the train station and take me home!

I was greeted warmly by Emilia & Abby, who I hadn't seen in ages. I was surprised Abby came right to me, but I figured she was just following in her big sister's excitement. The first question I was asked: Did you bring your bathing suit? Of course I made another amateur mistake. I've traveled with my father enough to learn that the opportunity to swim can come up anywhere, and I will always take it. To be held up by lack of attire should never be the reason to not swim.

Oh, how nice it was nice to be at a home, even if it wasn't mine. I ate like a queen (3 meals a day), called home from their land-line, and learned German from Emelia (schmetterling, hund, heis). Emilia and I spent most of the time at home playing pick-up sticks or watching iCarly. I was so relaxed, not worrying about plans, catching the metro, or class. I got a tour of downtown Frankfurt including where Chris plays and coaches.

One of my favorite moments of the trip was on Saturday night. Emilia stayed up late and watched Star Wars with Chris and I. (It played all weekend, I watched it twice). I've only seen bits and pieces of whichever part of the series this was. Chris and Emilia followed along quite well. It was of course in German so I was lost, but the action scenes were entertaining, and I knew most of the main characters. Finally, after an especially long, apparently funny dialogue, I turned to Chris and Emilia and reminded them "You know I can't understand any of this right? So even when Chris explains, it doesn't help me at all. I hope you realize I've been sitting here for an hour, not knowing what's going on." Emilia laughed like this was the funniest thing she had ever heard. I'm glad that at her young age, she could appreciate the language barrier and actually find it as hilarious as I did.

My trip home went without a hitch, besides the fact that I didn't want to leave. Chris & Sonia are getting ready to move to the United States, so I was so glad that I got to see their home and life in Germany before that happens. Rojik houses tend to be warm and welcoming, but it was especially nice to feel family when I am so far from home.

And now: for the jungle-gym extrodinaire, EMILIA ROJIK!