Ruth's Blog Entries from DAY 1 of EuroTrip!

Alright, so it's been exactly a week since we've been back in this American madness that we love. Therefore it's about time for me to update the blog with all the journal entries I kept during our month-long trip!! Unfortunately our first memory card committed suicide within the first few days we were in Munich, which included pictures Caroline's birthday and our night out at the clubs! :( Thus the photos posted here will begin on the first day of Oktoberfest. I have two little black journals chock-full of entries so whether you like it or not here it is starting from day one!

9-15-09 5:45pm EST
So here we are!!! Sitting on our plane, waiting for take-off! Jack and I just roughly sketched out our travel plans while sitting in a Chili's before boarding. He had a couple beers in order to feel more relaxed during the flight. I couldn't be more excited!!!
At the moment we know we're seeing Munich, Muelhaussen, & Nice. We want to circle around by Eurail in a 15-day period and see as many countries and cultures as possible within that time! This definitely will include Rome, Italy, Greece, Slovenia, Romania (Dracula's castle!), Czech Republic, Sicily, and possibly Poland. We want to rent bikes at least once and sleep outside too - hopefully on a beach; Jack packed a big tarp to sleep on and wrap over us. My hiking bag is PACKED to the brim...I have everything we could possibly need including 1st aid and TONS of food, mostly energy bars, granola, and dried fruit.
Well here we are taking off! I'm gonna watch the earth fall below us now!.....

9-15-09 5AM GERMANY time...
Wow, this flight is going by FAST! We've been on board for four hours now but it seems like less than two! I started off reading H.G. Wells "War of the Worlds" whichi s super captivating, extremely well-written, and has me pondering many things (i.e. what is the prevailing theory on the age of the planets in our solar system?How do we theorize their creation?) It also reminded me of this episode of a somewhat existential program I watched when I was very young, like five years old or something. In it, the main character had spent his entire life trying to grasp life's meaning when he finally discovers that he is only a figment of someone's dream. He proceeds to frantically try to find some way to make sure the person who is dreaming him and his friends - his life - never awakens. I forget how the episode ends and am incredibly interested in trying to find it and watch this again! It's a cartoon and I believe it was narrated by James Earl Jones...or hosted by. Sound familiar to anyone?
Anyway, even as a child I was able to understand the underlying philosophical concepts and I remember being truly mystified. In fact, I still am! What are we, really? Where and how did we really come to be??? The character's existence - everything that was meantinful to him - was about to vanish in the blink (or rather, opening) of an eye... I understood even then as I understand now that our lives and deaths are no different than that cartoon's. Everything we hold meaningful will some day disappear in a mere instant, never to be thought of, felt, or experienced again.
Whew.
Welp, on a lighter note we ate a very nice meal on this flight. I had lentils & rice with water chestnuts and raisons in a tasty gravy! :) With that I had a roll w/ butter, crackers & cheese, salad w/ ranch, a coke, and two cookie brownies (Jack gave me his brownie).
While I ate I began watching this independent film called "Sunshine Cleaning" about two sisters who go into the business of cleaning up biohazardous waste and remains after a crime scene or suicide. I had seen a preview for it in the theater months ago and remember wanting to see it simply because I thought it would remind me of Caroline and myself. As it turns out the sisters weren't anything like us (well, who is really?) although their tight-knit relationship was similar. I really enjoyed the movie a lot though. It was very good.
Now I am writing, we are flying over the Atlantic, and I think I may catch some shut-eye before picking up my book again. This trip seems so unreal! I can't believe we're actually doing this! This is going to be such a wonderful, unforgettable experience!
P.S. Earlier today I admired Phyllis & Burt as they danced to 40s music off the XM Radio. They started in the dining room & danced their way into the living room. It brought some real solid tears to my eyes. It was such a beautiful thing. Burt may not fully understand what's going on around him a lot of the time, but he will always understand (& remember) the familiar tones of the 40s and the loving touch of his wife. Communication through music and through touch will never break down. It will always be healing and familiar -- and that is a beautiful thing!

This picture was actually taken on our way through Munich heading back to Detroit, but it captures the essence of the fun we had!!