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 particular Thuringian light that can make even familiar corners look almost new again. Arnstadt is not a big city, but it carries itself with the confidence of …

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What Comes Next? Europe First, Nepal Next (Hopefully!)

Erfurt Cathedral, Thuringia, Germany

If you’d asked me a few weeks ago what’s next on our travel calendar, I would have replied without hesitation: Nepal! After years—no, decades—of daydreaming, scrolling through photos of prayer flags and snow-capped mountains, and watching every documentary on Everest and Annapurna, we finally bit the bullet. Tickets booked, miles spent, itinerary mapped out for …

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