About My Adolescence . . .

Heidelberg Castle via Google Images

My friend Aiketa from Spain recently asked me about my time in Europe.

Growing up I lived in Germany for nine years because my father was in the Army and was stationed “overseas”. We actually lived in Germany for two separate tours.  The first tour, during my elementary school years {second through fifth grade} was spent in Frankfurt and Mannheim. The second tour, which encompassed all four of my high school years, was spent in Heidelberg.

I think of my growing up years in Europe as a somewhat straddled experience. What I mean by that is we had our feet in two separate, but compatible worlds.  On the one hand, my brothers and I went to American schools, attended church with other Americans in a Serviceman’s ward, bought food at a military grocery store and lived in military housing.  On the other hand, we sampled and enjoyed many German customs, such as Christmas markets and Volksmarches, ate and loved German cuisine, traveled all over Europe {driven at break-neck speed by The Queen} and learned the language enough to speak with locals.

I can remember as a young child being forced to visit ruins, cathedrals and countries that meant very little to me.  I give my parents credit for dragging us around, trying to give us a gift we couldn’t appreciate.  I also give them credit for leaving us with babysitters occasionally so they could really travel and enjoy Europe without us. Because we were little and whiney.

When I was a teenager in Europe, I became more aware of the  splendor and history surrounding me.  I also became aware of boys which means Europe took a back seat in my teenage brain.  Still, we spent time skiing in the French and Swiss Alps. We spent two summers in Italy. We walked the sacred grounds of concentration camps with reverence and tromped the streets of Paris sampling every delicious éclair and strawberry tart as we went. To see and do these things in my formative years was remarkable. It was a very fortunate and amazing upbringing.  And I totally took it for granted. I was, after all, just a teenager.

The Queen and I devouring strawberry tarts in France.

It wasn’t until I went back to Europe four years ago to show my Hubby where I’d grown up that I truly marveled at the experience and existence that was my adolescence.  I freakin’ had my Senior Prom in a castle {yep, it’s the one in the first picture}!  Who does that? Me, that’s who.

Many of the people who read and comment on this blog are friends I made during my time in Germany.  Our shared experience has bonded us for life!

To sum it all up, I loved living in Europe.  I wish I would have appreciated it more while I was there.

Thanks for asking, Aiketa.  And thanks Dad and Mom for giving me such a great life experience.

Ps. In all my travels, I never made it to two countries I’d love to see: England and Spain.