“As you move outside your comfort zone, what was once unknown and frightening, becomes your new normal.”  Robin S. Sharma

Of the eight countries we visited in Europe, Germany was the one I was most excited about.  I took German for three years in high school (Mein Deutsch ist nicht gut).  I also believed, until a recent DNA test, that a large part of my family heritage was German.  However, each city we visited presented a situation that caused me varying levels of discomfort.

At the time, I was a complete Type-A personality.  I needed a plan for everything and everything needed to go according to that plan.  Unfortunately travel, especially international travel, does not always adhere to an itinerary.  Below are a few examples of issues I dealt with from the least stressful to the most. (they are not in chronological order so apologies in advance for bouncing back and forth a bit)

I was most excited to visit Munich.  We (by this time our best friends had joined us on our adventure) had only one day planned in Munich and there was so much I wanted to see.  We caught an early train out of Baden Baden, but ended up getting off at the wrong stop.  Not only was that disorienting, but it delayed our arrival into Munich, limiting are time even further.  I was already a bit uncomfortable with the time we had allotted for Munich and missing our stop caused my stress levels to skyrocket.  Luckily, we were able to find something to ease my discomfort (i.e. beers- really large German beers).

Our time in Heidelberg started after two consecutive nights of train travel and because we had not reserved a cabin or bunks, we got very little sleep.  Flights were cancelled all over Europe and trains were packed full due to the volcanic eruptions in Iceland.  My wife and I arrived around sunrise and we weren’t due to take our departure train until after 1AM. That gave us about 19 hours to spend in Heidelberg without access to a hotel room.  Even though we arrived hours before it opened, we caught a bus to go explore the castle (Schloss Heidelberg) grounds.  With no tourists to contend with, we could easily envision former royalty strolling the grounds. It was peaceful and beautiful, especially watching from the castle’s stone walls as the sun rose over the mountains.

After the castle, we explored the small surrounding town in search of food.  After a good German “breakfast” of pretzels, sausage, and local beers, it was clear we needed to recharge.  We still had more than 12 hours to kill before our train and we were exhausted. Strolling around town, we came across a nice park by the river and my wife suggested we take a nap.  The last thing I wanted to do was sleep in a park, in a foreign country, with our luggage. (we were so far from my comfort zone I could no longer even see it)  However, I realized I desperately needed sleep and reluctantly dozed off expecting to be robbed or worse.  To my surprise, I woke up hours later feeling refreshed and realized that several other couples were following our lead.

Our time in Baden Baden was focused around two activities- hiking to a local winery for wine tasting and relaxing in the indoor hot springs at the spa.  Arriving early in the morning by train, we found a place for a much-needed breakfast.  As we ate, we discussed how excited we were to go wine tasting!  It was a beautiful start to the day and we were assured the winery was just a short distance away. We left the hotel in great spirits as we walked through town, admiring how Spring had finally reached southern Germany.  Everywhere we looked, trees and flowers were blooming.  Our journey eventually led to a path through a wooded area and our assumption was that the winery was just on the other end.

After an hour or so of walking, we began to suspect we hadn’t chosen our path wisely.  We talked about turning around and heading back, but the lure of sipping on wine was too strong. (especially since we had long since finished the one bottle of water we had between the four of us)  We continued on our path, heading deeper into the woods and farther from the city.  It was obvious we were lost, in a foreign country, and we were hoping that my limited knowledge of the German language would save us.

After walking for hours, we decided turning around and going back the way we came was not an option- we had gone too far.  We were sure the winery was “just around the next corner!”.  After more corners than I’d like to admit failed to produce the result we were looking for, we found ourselves on a single road cutting through the forest.  Luckily, there was also a bus stop located there.  Again, my knowledge of German was tested because we were unsure if we should take the bus back into town or follow the road to the now mythical winery that had to be close.  Deciding to take the bus, our decision was tested when it did not arrive near the scheduled time. The wait seemed endless. However, eventually the bus arrived and we headed back into town exhausted and completely ready for our visit to the spa. (which we hoped and prayed served wine)

Finally, the experience that led to my most uncomfortable situation occured in Berlin.  We decided to visit Berlin because a friend of ours from California was actually in town visiting her family.  The plan was for her to show us around since she was raised there.  We hadn’t researched anything for Berlin in advance because we anticipated having a real local as a guide. Unfortunately, the day before our visit we found out she’d been called out of town unexpectedly for a family emergency.

Although I was anxious about the visit, due to the lack of planning, we decided we had to at least take the night train from Paris to Berlin in order to stick with our original travel itinerary. To make matters worse, that was the point in our journey when we found out about the Icelandic volcanic eruptions shutting down most flights, causing the trains to be at full capacity.  We arrived in Berlin stressed, tired, and unsure of what our next step was.

We realized upon arrival that we would be able to take a train to Heidelberg right away, instead of the next morning as originally planned, but after much deliberation we decided to spend the day in Berlin and see what the city had to offer.  Although unsure of our decision at the time, it led to one of the most memorable parts of our vacation. (more on that below)

I was most excited for the German leg of our vacation and had planned every moment carefully in advance, but it was in Germany that I encountered a reality of travel- expect the unexpected and go with the flow. No matter how carefully you map things out, plans will sometimes change at the last minute. That can be extremely stressful or it can force you outside of your comfort zone and into new adventures.

Pro Tips:

Take advantage of night train schedules:  

The night trains in Europe are clean, punctual, and a cheap alternative to a hotel stay.  There’s nothing like going to bed in one city (or country), and waking up in another.  When your time is limited, night trains provide an excellent way to see and do more without having to spend your day traveling.  You have options for seats, public sleeper compartments (sleeps 4-6 with cots for bunks), or private sleeper cars (sleeps 1-2 with a private shower and bathroom).

The seating option does not require a reservation but can make sleep uncomfortable for obvious reasons.  The cots were comfortable, but the downside is the possibility of sharing the room with strangers. I do not have personal experience with the private sleeper cars, but our friends chose to do this on their first night in Europe.  While they enjoyed their privacy, they found them to be so uncomfortably hot (this was around late April) that they had trouble sleeping.

Invite Friends:  

I have found that when traveling Europe with a group of four, it made for a much more convenient and economical experience.  Splitting the cost of hotels, taxis, and any other expenses that come along is always nice and small groups are easy to plan an itinerary around.  For Europe, when booking sleeper cars for four people, they would allow you to keep that compartment private even though technically you could fit two more people in.  Finally, there is always safety in numbers.  We didn’t experience anything that made us feel unsafe while in Europe, but the more people in your group, the safer you are bound to be.

Bring supplies on the train:  

Our experience may be a little atypical due to the volcanic eruptions, but we found it was best to be prepared with some snacks and beverages for the train ride.  The hours for the dining cars are not always convenient to your schedule (Heidelberg was an early stop on the way to the final destination of Munich, and the dining car was not open when we arrived)  Also due to it being such a full ride, there were limited options available to us when we chose to partake in the dining car.  Finally, its not frowned upon, so why not stock up so you can focus all your energy on getting “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” perfected Karaoke style no matter how many attempts it requires? (sincere apologies to our fellow night train passengers)

Visit sites before they open:  

Visiting Schloss Heidelberg early in the morning was our favorite experience in Germany.  We spent several hours there and only ran into three other people!  Now, we weren’t able to go inside the actual rooms, but we explored the entire castle grounds in privacy.  It did not cost us anything, and being able to watch the sun rise over the town from the castle will always be a memory I hold dear to my heart.  I find that when a, attraction is filled with tourists (Roman Colleseum, Machu Picchu, Alcatraz Island) it takes away from the experience.  It’s hard to imagine these places as they once were when you’re surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of tourists.  Arriving early is truly like stepping into history.

Hop on/hop off bus tours:  

When your time is limited in a big city and there are a lot of sites you would like to see, bus tours can be a great way to see more in a short amount of time. Bus tours can also be advantageous when you are unsure of what you want to do or see.  These tours typically accommodate multiple languages and hit all the major sites of a city.  If there is something you would like to spend a little more time investigating, hop off the bus and spend as much time as you like.  The buses run on a fairly quick schedule, so when you are finished exploring, you can just catch the next bus coming through to continue the tour.

Go with the flow:  

Finally, learn to unwind a bit.  Now the challenges I’ve discussed may not seem like a big deal depending on your personality.  In hindsight they really weren’t major issues, but at the time I was very stressed out.  It’s those experiences that have helped me grow as a person.  Sometimes the most stressful situations end up being your best stories!  Having helped a friend with her travel business, I’ve led groups in foreign countries and encountered many different personality types.  Some guests were laid back and others had that Type-A personality I once had.  Those guests, that got upset or stressed out when the itinerary got a bit fuzzy, usually realized at the end that the issues were minor and ended up having an amazing experience.

Bonus Tip:  A walk in the footsteps of history

I was very young when my parents watched the news about the fall of the Berlin Wall.  The images on TV showed young Germans on top of the wall and everyone in the city was cheering.  At the time, I was too young to fully understand the impact this event would have on the Cold War, or what the Cold War was for that matter.

A few years later, when I reached high school, I decided to take German as my choice in language studies.  Since the fall was fairly recent, I was taught about the BRD and the DDR.  My German teacher, having grown up in Germany, also told us stories about East and West Berlin.  Germany had always been a destination that I wanted to see long before international travel was even a real passion for me.  As I stated earlier, my wife and I almost considered skipping Berlin altogether other than as a train stop to connect to another town.  It’s a decision I’m glad we didn’t make.

Our day didn’t start out well.  I was my typical grumpy, stubborn self and just refused to enjoy myself since we didn’t plan for the events of the day. (and therefore impossible to enjoy)  Again, we were treated to a beautiful Spring day but were not sure what we were going to do.  At first, we walked around briefly outside of the train station to see if something would spark our interest.  Soon, we realized that Berlin was not a compact city and exploring it on foot was not a viable option.  As we headed back to the train station to regroup we noticed busses parked outside and decided to see what they were all about.  We spoke with a man who gave us info about the bus tours and I reluctantly agreed to take the tour.

A hop on/hop off bus tour is basically just as it sounds.  They drive you around the city visiting the sites and making stops along the way.  You have the freedom to go at your own pace- hop off, take your time, and when you’re ready to continue the tour you wait for the next bus and hop back on. The buses run at regular intervals and come fairly often.  We stopped at a few sites for some more in depth pictures, but we always quickly caught the next bus.  That was the case until we got to the Berlin Wall.

After arriving at the wall we listened to the information the guide gave us and then hopped off to explore. Getting to see the Berlin Wall in person was surreal.  That symbol of the Cold War, and of so much suffering by the German people, stood before me.  I remembered being a kid and seeing the news about its fall and of the celebrations that took place.  You could see the difference in the buildings from east and west.  East Berlin buildings were painted with bright colors to insinuate they were happy with how things were going with their government. (or to provide them with feelings of happiness in spite of how things were going)

As we walked along the area were the wall once stood (most parts of the wall were torn down with only a few small sections still standing), we read about all the events that took place.  We read about the people who were killed trying to cross it, about how the wall split up families that happened to live on opposite sides, the timeline of its construction, and all the horrific events that happened in the area due to the wall. We felt very somber as we continued to read more and more about it.

As we continued, we came across a map that showed how the wall was laid throughout the city.  It was unsettling to see how far the wall stretched through the city.  We imagined that at one point in history one of the most evil men in the world, Hitler, walked on the very street that we were walking on.  We imagined all those events, we read about happening right where we were standing.  It was a beautiful, sunny day and the city was bustling…how could so much tragedy have once occurred there?

We decided to keep exploring by foot, all the while reading more and more about the history of the wall and of Berlin itself.  We eventually happened upon Checkpoint Charlie, one of the main checkpoints between East and West Berlin.  Although the original checkpoint booth was removed, it was replaced with another and is one of Berlin’s most visited tourist attractions.  You can even have your picture taken with the MP’s (actors)…for a small fee of course!