Day 10 / Time to go

Sunday
- to the beach at Tybee for breakfast
- nice long walk at the beach and time, to think about what happened the past 10 days and what will come up, once I make it home.
- packing suitcases
- last time: homemade Hamburger!
- off to the airport at 5 pm

Such an amazing time, so much to see and to do and everything… But I guess, the fact of that it is over and that you don’t want to leave, makes a vacation a good trip. And feeling worn out after 15 hours of flying and airport hopping is part of that too.

Day 9 / More sea food!

Saturday
- after breakfast another Target tour!
- then Bonaventure Cemetery, pictures later
- Late Lunch at the Crab Shack
- Hanging out at home later that day

Time goes by, my gosh it’s crazy. Though I’m having a great time here, somehow I also look forward to see all my friends at home. Well, you have to look for the positiv things to live with the bad. It have been (just) 9 days…

Day 8 / Hanging out

Friday
- sum it up: sleep, eat, hang out at home, since fogy outside.

The more time you have, the more you think about useless things sometimes.We were just playing some dice game again, when all the sudden it hit me: ORAL EXAMS COMING UP IN JANUARY. While we are sitting there, speaking English and passing the dices, my mind tries to work on German marketing strategies definition. Well, let’s not go there… So from there, my mind makes its way to my house, to my bedroom and I remember the mess I left behind: After studying for the written part of this bitch-thing, I kind of didn’t really put the papers together, I left them were they were: On the floor, on the table, in a folder, in several different bags, next to my bed or underneath… In the end, I picked them up and put them on my table. Not exactly in an order… Yes, to everybody who’s now thinking „See, that’s what ya got from all that lazy hanging out doin nothin there…“: I know it is my fault, I know I should have known and done better (with the cleaning up part) and that is why I shouldn’t even talk about this. – But I do.

So what do we learn from this, little Miss Feli: Don’t leave things only half way done!

Well, I have two more wonderful days to spend here… So let me just get things done here and now: Grab a beer and my cigarettes and continue doing something good.

Can’t believe my mind is back home before I am…

Day 7 / Christmas Day

Thursday – CHRISTMAS!!!
- waking up excited, because it’s Christmas Christmas Christmas!
- sunny outside, forecast talks about temperatures being in the 80’s!
- Santa even got me something for Christmas: New Bill Bryson book, a painting of Tybee Island and sweets, plus: Pink Post-its in a heart shape (it must be so easy to read my mind!!!)
- Friend came over for lunch, great food!
- chatted, had a few beers during the day and played Trivial Pursuit till it got late and then some dice game

I always thought for Christmas you need it to be cold, so you can turn on the fire place and rather wanna stay inside with your family. – Wrong. It’s nice here and these people here gave me the best Christmas in a very long time. And it is not about the few gifts which I got surprisingly, because we did actually agree on not having any. It is, that we did really have a Christmas, a not just a freak „Here, this is for you…“, „Finish your plate…“, „Alright, I’m out.“. Elva told me, they only got the Christmas tree, because there was „a kid“ coming for Christmas.
It’s really not about where and when you are, not even about hugs and warm words. Christmas (for me) is really more a feeling, a feeling of being at the right place at the right time with the right people.

Now, with only 3 more days to go, I start thinking of home. I start thinking of my working place and all the mess that is waiting for me. Maybe the whole vacation thing only feels so good, because you are everywhere but home.

Day 6 / Sunny side up again!

Wednesday – Heiligabend
- to Clary’s for breakfast, what a place!
- driving through Savannah to see some more beautiful places
- preparing ribs, corn and potatoes for dinner <– can’t believe I have that on Christmas
- sun comes out, time to change the outfit from long sleeve to short summer dress and flip flops
- to Target real quick to grab a few more gift
- getting home, right in time to start dinner!
- watching Ice Age, going to bed at some point, because Santa is on his way!

The houses here in Savannah (and the area) are great. It is the real Southern style. I’ll put more pictures up, as soon as I get them developed. Whatever, I’ll write a story about the city anyways.. Wooo, where were we? Oh yeah: You can tell, that the City of Savannah and the house owner really put money in their property. But it breaks my heart, when I see houses like the one below, falling apart. How can I help with only 4 days left?

Day 5 / Savannah Part II

Tuesday

- mmmh breakfast
- off to Savannah to do more shopping
- „The Pirate’s House“ for some „Seh crab soup“ <— so tasty!!!
- home to see how things are going
- Out to the „The Ouster Bar“, get some shrimps <— mmmmmmmmmmhhhhh!
- Watching „Love Actually“, the Christmas movie of all Christmas movies!!!

Now, whoever feels like fighting with me about American food, come this way! Because all the places and restaurants mentioned in this vacation blog from Savannah did have great, fantastic food. Whatever Seafood place I’ve been to in Germany is no competition whatsoever against what is going on here. So fuck off with rumors about Americans not having any good food or cuisine! More on this, when I’m done here… How is that gonna work in 5 days?

Day 4 / The German Day

Monday
- Alister has to get some surgery on his foot done, so Birgit and I are staying in
- Birgit brings up the idea of cooking a Gularsch (Goulash) for Alister and Elva, because they do so much for us.
- Katy, the neighbour, helps us picking up the food and cooking
- very delicious, everybody’s loving it, this quite German food
- Alister is doing fine
- hanging out the rest of the day at home
- another neighbour stopping by to drop some German cookies
- BEST German cookies, I’ve every tried (-> Heinemann, you wanna get a piece of that!!!)
- renting „The holiday“ and „Love actually“ and ordering a Large pizza at Domino’s

Elva can understand why Birigit and I go crazy here for that American food! Pizza, pop tarts, chocolate, fries, burger,… name it, we want it! Simply because this is our only chance to eat it. Elva instead is happy about the tons of Champagner Trueffel, that we brought with us as well as all the Maggi and Loewensenf, you don’t get in here. I wonder, if the feeling of „wanting“ something only comes up, because you can’t have it. As soon, as things are available, they are no longer interesting.
I, for example, ate all the Champagner Trueffel at my house in Germany, but haven’t touch a piece since arriving. Instead, I grab them Reese Cups!
Gaining weight so fast, it’s ridiculous. Look forward to start my swimming again in Germany. But does that have to be in 6 days?!

Day 3 / Tybee Day

Sunday
- another wonderful homemade breakfast
- off to Tybee, seeing the seaside, the beach, cute houses, amazing there
- didn’t go the beach for 4 or 5 years, so have to put my toes into the cool water
- 10 minutes after walking at the beach, it starts to rain really bad, running back to the car
- having a drink at Cafe Loco, out for lunch at „Uncle Bubba’s“
- out for the Gospel tour on the Savannah River on a boat tour, with to be honest not much Gospel music!
- home later

We stopped by at the grocery store and one of the stuff members started picking at me for no reason, just in a fun way, another one started joking with me, when we entered the boat that night. The people are so outgoing here and everybody is always nice. Every waiter, of course (s)he needs a good tip, is not just bringing you food and drinks, but also tries to make you feel comfortable at the place. Sure everybody has his private problems and in Germany I’m more understanding, when people are unfriendly because they have a bad day or so, but over here, people know, that it is not my fault and don’t yell at me for that. Since I’ve visited the United States a good few times, I can actually say, that it has always been this way and I think, that is something the Europeans should learn from Americans, because there’s always a light at the tunnel – and it is not the train!

Will stop thinking about leaving this wonderful place in 7 days.

Day 2 / Savannah Day

Saturday
- very good pancakes for breakfast (didn’t know I’d like them sooo much!)
- not as hot again, but warm enough for tshirt
- driving down to Savannah
- finding great clothes at Urban Outfitters and a pink Christmas tree, I didn’t wanna leave without!
- Amazing chocolate and milkshakes at Savannah River Street Sweets
- horse drawn carriage tour through the city, so interesting and so much fun
- home for very later lunch/dinner: homemade Hamburgers (Alister is an awesome cook!)
- Savannah Ghost Tour at night, which was interesting, because there has been quite a lot going on here
- some drinks in town, great live music

This city is a little like my hometown: It has the right size, not too big and not too small. You don’t get lost and you don’t get bored. So much history in this town, so many beautiful old houses and the squares! Falling in love is so easy here!
Not imagining that I’m going home in 8 days, already feels so familiar.

Day 1 / Mall Day!

Friday
- up early, 7 or 8ish
- sunny outside, temperature in the 80’s, I’d say, sunglasses!
- American breakfast with biscuits etc
- Mall -> great place!
- home, subway sandwich and cinnamon role (mmmmh!)
- met Kathy, a nightbour, fun person, artist
- short time out -> jet lag
- ordering delivering pizza to Paul’s „The Britannia“ English Pub, having a few beers with others from the Island, playing Darts, great fun
- returning home, sitting outside til after midnight

I love this place, the people are really nice, open minded, Americans! Nice weather, sitting outside a lot, chatting, laughing, relaxing, loving life!
Don’t wanna leave in 9 days!