We were sitting on a
Munich bound train before the sun was even up on October 6 so that
Alex could take his LSAT exam. The train ride was six hours long, and
we would arrive in the city about an hour before his exam. That would
give us just enough time to drop our things off at the hostel,
refuel, and get Alex to the test that would determine where he would
attend school next year. Moreover, we were going to Munich in
October… how could we not swing by the last weekend of
Oktoberfest? It was ironic that the LSAT’s were taking place in
Munich during this internationally famous drinking festivity, but we
weren’t going to question it.
The frightening
thought of being alone in a German city for the first time never
crossed my mind. Being the anal individual that I am, it may have
caused me nightmares. Therefore, I developed a plan! My friend
Anthony from high school will also be in Germany this year. He joined
the Air Force, and they stationed him in Germany. He lives about
seven hours away from Melle, so an unscheduled play date was out of
the question. However, I Facebook messaged him and found out that he
would be at Oktoberfest that weekend, too. Perfect! Not only
was I excited to see a friend from home since it’s been what feels
like forever, but “Operation Keep Busy While Alex Takes the
LSAT” was full proof. Or so I thought…
I called Anthony
when we got to Munich, and we played a game of phone tag for a while.
When he finally answered my call, he told me that he couldn’t find
our pre-established meeting place or a map to get him there. There
was no map in sight for me either. Besides, I like to rely on my
Tom-Tom. Time was escaping us, and Alex’s exam was getting closer
and closer. He was flustered and didn’t want to leave me alone, but
that’s what had to be done. We both split up for the first time
since September 1, and all I know from this experience is that
separation anxiety is a real thing!
I held my composure,
though, because there was nothing I could do about the situation for
the next four hours, and tried to make the best of my time. American
Megan would probably be cranky about this whole debacle, but European
Megan was determined to see the silver lining. It was my first time
really giving optimism a real shot, and it showed me a great time.
Nobody is more flabbergasted about this new found attitude
than me.
At first, I didn’t
want to stray too far from the university where Alex was, but the
surroundings eventually bored me. I took a giant leap of faith and
walked across the street where I took pictures in the park. Then, the
most miraculous thing happened… I stumbled upon an English map of
Munich in front of an art museum and explored my first European city
by myself. Scary, but liberating! I even ordered myself a coke in
German! I must have practiced the phrase a dozen times before I said
it to the employee, and it still came out terrible, but I was so
proud of myself and excited about my accomplishment! At this point in
the trip, I didn’t realize I could get away with speaking English
since Munich is such a touristy city. That being said, I think
Germans appreciate the effort. It gave me confidence that I could
really do whatever I wanted this year. I can conquer my fears and
achiever great things. I already have. Admittedly, it was a good
feeling to reunite with Alex. Like I said, separation anxiety.
The LSAT’s were
over, and I was a new European woman! We began the celebrations that
night. We made every attempt to make it to the fairgrounds, but a bar
playing American music stopped us dead in our tracks. We stopped and
had quite a few German beers there with a crowd you wouldn’t find
in Melle. Everyone was dancing and singing all of the words to
“Country Roads,” “Sweet Caroline,” and the “Macarena.” It
was a good way to commemorate our triumphs, and we somehow made it
back to our hostel without using a map.
The next day, we
begrudgingly woke up with pounding headaches, so we each popped some
Motrin and headed to breakfast. The hostel that we stayed at was
nicer than I anticipated. I was expecting a filthy building with
scummy people, but it was just the opposite. Yes, our room did have
36 people bunking in it, but they were all very respectful of
everyone else. I feel like that would not be the case in a room
filled with Americans celebrating any drinking holiday. We
each had our own bed and locker, and breakfast was offered until
10am. Alex forbade me from seeing Hostel until after my first
stay in one so my judgment wouldn’t be skewed, but I think I’m
ready for it now.
After I mended the
worst hangover of my life, we finally made it to the event that
Munich is known for… Oktoberfest! It was basically Disney World for
adults. Rides, beer, and Bavarians! We had our first and only liter
of beer in a Paulaner tent. It was 9.40 euros per liter and we still
had not gotten paid yet, so it was hard to justify spending any more
of our money on alcohol that gave me hangovers from hell. The younger
kids we sat by were extremely Bavarian, like our new friend, Marvin.
He was born and raised in Munich, and wearing real lederhosen that
has been in his family for generations. He told us that he wears it
during the monthly celebration of Oktoberfest and for holidays, like
Easter. The leather was very nice, but something tells me it’s not
a trend that will catch on in America anytime soon.
Apart from the
attractive lederhosen and dirndl everywhere, I’ve also noticed how
intimidatingly pretty German girls are. Most of them don’t wear
much makeup at all, and so many of them have gorgeous blonde hair and
blue eyes… especially the girls from Munich. It’s hard to be
around because I know I have too many spots on my face that need to
be covered up before leaving the house. I tried wearing less makeup
to fit in more, but I don’t think I’m converting to that aspect
of German femininity any time soon.
All of the rides
were lit up at night on the fairgrounds, and everyone was wearing
their heart-shaped cookies that said different things in German. We
bought one written in Bavarian that said “i mog di,” which means,
“I like you.” We were also festive enough to buy a giant German
pretzel, and it was every bit as delicious as it sounds.
Screw Disney World…
I’m going back to Oktoberfest when I have money.
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