The Beginning

By far, the best period of my life began in the summer of 2024. I had just begun a new chapter in my life, and I was eager to explore my father’s homeland and meet my family here in Germany!

I arrived in Germany at the end of May, and for the first week, I stayed in Hamburg with my uncle. It was so good to meet someone whom I had only ever said hello to over video calls. For that first week, my uncle showed me around Hamburg, we shared lots of beer, and talked about our family. It was really nice.

At the end of the week, he drove me over to where I’d be staying and working for the next couple of months—a quiet guesthouse in a somewhat secluded nature spot, right by the Baltic Sea. I was going to work here until the end of October with a team of other young travelers from around the globe.

I had no idea what to expect coming in, and I was honestly still a mess from what I had just come from. I met with my host, was shown my room, and it was perfect.

Fast forward a few weeks, I’ve settled in, gotten the rhythm of the work down, started practicing my German, visited all the major towns in the area, and shared some great moments with the other travelers! The 2024 Euro Cup had just started that first week, and this was the perfect catalyst for us all to connect. We grabbed a few beers and snacks, and hung out up in H5 (the flat at the top of the building we all shared) at the end of every day.

As time went on, more and more travelers arrived. We started doing regular campfires, beach trips, evening walks, board games, and shared just about every meal together. There was drama, there were relationships that formed and fell apart. We were all a family here for a time.

By far, one of the biggest highlights during the summer was the summertime festival here at the beach. Every night, we all went out together to enjoy the festivities late into the night. By total chance, there was also this band staying at the guesthouse. They were really cool and invited all of us to come and listen to the concert that they were going to perform for the festival. So, for a few nights, we all got dressed up and went to the fancy hotel in the middle of town to listen to their performance. It was amazing!

The Boys

As the summertime went on, we said farewell to many of our friends as they either continued their adventure or returned home. It was still very busy here, so taking their places were new faces. Among them, I would meet my best friends: two young German guys traveling together.

We hit it off immediately one night when we decided that we wanted to go to the beach for the evening all together. We hiked through the woods and found a cozy rock on the shoreline to set up on. We goofed around on the beach, smoked a little, and later found a campfire to take over once the sun had set. We talked all evening long, and by the end of that night, we were “the boys,” and wow, did we get into some serious adventures together. Nights out in the city, super early morning beach trips, bike tours, and plenty of shenanigans. It was the best.

Family in Frankfurt

There had been this small family reunion planned for some time at this point. My grandmother was reaching the end of her life, and we needed to help take care of what she was going to leave behind.

My father and sister flew in from the United States, while my uncle and I drove down from Hamburg to meet up in my father’s & uncle’s hometown just a little bit north of Frankfurt.

I saw where my father grew up, and it was great seeing my family again. We all worked hard to help clear out my grandmother’s apartment and say our own farewells to her. She passed away a few weeks ago at the time of writing this. I’m very glad I got to see her and learn more about my family history during this time.

Farewell?

October was very melancholy for me. Almost all of my friends that I had made had gone, and this chapter of my life was almost at a close. I had made my plans already weeks ago, and I had my eyes set on the far north, in the Arctic Circle. I was excited but also very sad to say farewell to Germany. I had come to love this place for so many reasons.

I packed my bags, said a very hard farewell to all my friends, and made my way to Berlin for a few days before my flight to the Arctic.

Getting on the plane, the ending of my favorite film was playing in my mind—the moment Bill Murray says goodbye to Scarlett Johansson in Lost In Translation. I had the song in my head, and a tear in my eye as I took off to begin a new chapter.

This summer was the best of my life, and I will never forget my time in the guesthouse.