Munich – I Loved It and I Hated It
I lived in Munich for 22 years. That is a long time. Long enough to know a city beyond the postcard version. Long enough to have memories, routines, …
Germany
Arnstadt — My Beautiful, Complicated Hometown
This is my hometown: Arnstadt in Thuringia, Germany. At first glance, it is an easy place to love. Cobblestone streets, old houses, church towers, quiet squares, and that …
Between War News and Boarding Gates: Our Most Uncertain Trip to Germany via Qatar
This is a diary of our concerns while preparing for this journey. It records how things felt at the time, rather than current flight conditions. For a trip …
Germany in January: Snow, Family Time, and a “Wahlheimat” Pause Button
A note from our January 2026 visit to Germany: these were our plans at the time, with the weather firmly in charge of the timetable. Germany has a …
Escape From East Germany: A 1989 Journey For Freedom
When Travel Means More Than Adventure In late summer 1989, I boarded a train to Poland with more on my mind than a visit to my girlfriend. I …
What Comes Next? Europe First, Nepal Next (Hopefully!)
A note from May 2025, when our travel plans had to change. The plan had been Nepal: a month, flights booked with miles and years of mountain daydreams …