Trapped in Germany

May 23, 2006

For the past several days, I’ve been attending a seminar in rural Germany. It’s a pretty enough place – surrounded by green hills soaked by rain, chapels, and forests. When I go for walks, I pass streams, walk through thick patches of trees, and see wide brown insects that look like pods.

However, it’s a 50-minute walk just to get to the nearest gas station. There are no stores, restaurants, supermarkets, cafes, or entertainment facilities. No cars and no bikes. Several days of low-quality, cafeteria-style food and too much time spent looking at the interior of a single building have made me itch for some life and freedom.

My one trip out, latching onto the single person with a car, brought ice cream from metal tins and a stroll around a quaint town, complete with castle, old town hall, and flowered park. A little taste of the life outside that makes me long for more.

I look forward to going to the airport tomorrow.