Kristen and James Get Married

Entering the summer, I knew that the only way this whole Germany thing could work was if I could manage to get home for my eldest sister's wedding to her high school sweetheart James "the Machine" Duncan.  During last semester when this whole MISTI opportunity was in the planning phase, I went back and forth about whether or not to buy a flight while they seemed "cheap" but ultimately decided to wait for something better.  I had written an essay for my Deutsch Zwei (German Two) class called "Wartime," and when I found out about the MIT Lufthansa Prize, I knew what to do.  Basically, I rewrote a few sentences and changed some grammar, and I had my entry.  Now comes the best part--I was one of two students studying German(all levels) at MIT to win roundtrip airfare from the US to Germany (or Germany to the US) and three nights of hotel stay in Frankfurt.

Having facilitated my return home for Kristen's wedding via the Lufthansa Prize and survived my first month in Germany, I left for Frankfurt on Wednesday, June 25 to use one night of free hotel and catch my flight home to Boston.  I arrived in Boston on Thursday afternoon to the smiling face of my girlfriend, Taylor.  It was really comforting to see her face after being so far away and disconnected (I didn't have phone or internet for the first 3-4 weeks).  

We drove Taylor's car to Saratoga Springs, NY where my sister had done her undergraduate studies at Skidmore and also where she had visited time and again for horse racing and her own competitions.  I was a little jet-lagged, but nonetheless excited to be with the people I love most, and I had an awesome but short stay in the US before boarding my flight Sunday afternoon from Boston back to Germany.  The highlights of the weekend included a seriously over-the-top lobster bake (my Dad's style--I think I ate about 40-50 steamed clams, two lobsters, shrimp, and a lot of other food), torrential rain and thunder IMMEDIATELY following the wedding vows at the race track, and a great reception with delicious food and plenty of Near family dancing.

When I arrived back in Regensburg, I was glad that everything had worked out well.  I didn't plan for a delayed/cancelled flight or any other traveling inconveniences, so it was great that none came my way.

Some pictures: