Friday, July 8, 2011

Aufwiedersehen Deutschland, Hallo Meer!

In order to become myself I must cease to be what I always thought I wanted to be, and in order to find myself I must go out of myself, and in order to live I have to die. Thomas Merton

I just spoke with today's teacher: Glen, a wonderfully spirited 86 year old who lives in my grandparents retirement housing complex. He gave me this quote, we gave each other uninterrupted attention, and we both give this world a limitless energy and desire to live. My recent days have been pleasanted with the company of those passing kindred spirits. These moments solidified my feeling of the meant-to-be; whether part of: adieu-ing in my final sentimental days in Gießen, rejuvenating with song-filled friends in Berlin, conversing with fellow characters in the disillusioned state of travel, returning to deep-seeded love in New York, or breathing in new life with old friends in the place I will know as 'home.' As you can tell, crossing the ocean is not enough for me, not now. My pants were on fire as I bounced between four homes in the past two weeks. It has been a marvelous return, without holding expectations I would say it was exactly what I would have liked to imagine.

Naturally life is a continuous process, without assessing it along a linear timeline, I would like to bring my time in Germany to full circle. As Glen told me this morning- showing me his memoirs- writing makes you exact. You tell the truth, and then it is out, expressed, and done. This blog has served a function to document my incredibly impactful year as an English Teaching Assistant. That is no longer my title, and thankfully I have acquired and carefully packed away the momentous lessons into my pack. I will carry with me the love that I've felt and given to my surroundings and relationships. Nearing the end of this journey it truly felt like I was completing the circle. Sure, it is hard to leave something so precious behind but there are other horizons to see. Just one explanation of this Kreis: during my first weeks in Gießen there literally hundreds of crows circling around the rooftops near my bedroom window. They squawked, crowed, and flew low like ominous signals of present death watchers. On my last night in Gießen, I placidly sat on my friend's balcony, an adored spot where I had created much of my art, and moments of growth. Above me the crows flocked, briskly fleeting away in a westward current. They were flying out of Gießen, one by one. I watched until they all past, knowing that it was also my time to go.

Enough of being Buddha. I hope you've gotten at least a smirk of enjoyment out of my words, pictures, and antidotes. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing, however occasional or momentous my posts were, and I plan on continuing this venture on the next step in life. I know I've been blurting out these plans to whoever will listen, and I thank those friends and family who excitedly show support. Basically a childhood dream of my best girlfriends and I is coming to fruition. We are sailing around the world! But we wanted this challenge to take on a purpose, meaning, and reflection that we care to give good energy back to this world. We will be documenting our teams social art project, the plan is through a website, blog, and perhaps even radioshow! Over the next few months we are planning our route and destinations for port cities in which we will foster community art initiatives. Keep a look out for our postings, and please please please, feel free to contact me with questions or comments.

Aufwiedersehen Deutschland, Hallo Meer!

p.s. parting images for the lasting final memories in Germany

Mountain biking with Holger in pristine Hessen landscape

Canoe Trip! Huge group of friends, sun, and the Lahn river weekend tour

Going cazy in Gießen/Frankfurt with Celine--priceless.
Her lovely visit was a definite highlight

Anti-Atomkraft Dance Demo in the rain... AWESOME

Last heart-warming, ice-cream chilling visit from family

Laughing and loving with meine gewählte Familie in Berlin

Abschlussklassenfahrt nach Berlin-
accompanying four graduating classes for a spectacular week

Moments of tranquility and wonder

Seeing a new window of opportunity