The English Boy and How it all Went Wrong

I came to Karlsruhe to visit my best friend from Canada and the English Boy who I thought was crazy for me tagged along. He had literally swept me off my feet right from my arrival to the airport. Little did I know the enthusiasm of our first few days together would wear off and so quickly. I guess the Tracy expiry date is a lot shorter than I thought? I was baffled how someone could be so happy and excited to see and be with me in London then as soon as we stepped off the plane into Germany it was a whole other story. I was ignored; everything I said was criticized and argued with. I felt like a complete idiot trying to get his attention. I watched my Euros I spent on the B and B go down the toilet along with my dignity. I am a strong independent traveller, a free spirit, a gypsy. I leave hearts broken in my wake as I venture across the lands but there I was trying to please him. I couldn’t help it though he fuelled my desire and I jumped into the fire head first arms flailing.

I wasn’t staying in England forever so what was the problem? No pressure, no string attached just fun and lovin and well if something happened then something happened. In Colombia we had endless chats lying in a hammock but now I had to drag conversation out of him. We kept in contact and talked on Skype with no problem but now in the flesh in Germany I felt like he was slipping away like sand through my fingers. What happened to the fun, free spirited person I had met in South America?

I am beginning to realize people are different when they travel but the thing is I really don’t think I am. For me this is my life, this is my lifestyle, I am not on a round the world bender. I am not more outgoing; I don’t party more or drink more. I don’t do drugs just because it’s “Colombia”. I admit I may date more men on my travels but do you know where I am from? Could you picture me in a pick-up truck? I didn’t think so. To me traveling isn’t vacation, it isn’t an all inclusive, it’s my life and my most transcendental work. I don’t act crazy and wild and do whatever I want because I think this is a once in a lifetime experience. To me everything is a once in a life time experience.

I have met up with a few people in Canada who I met traveling but this time around I have really noticed people are different but this isn’t a bad thing. People sometimes go away to try new things, find themselves, be someone else, let loose and lose control. Travel to some people is an escape and then I they all eventually come back to reality where they work, live in tiny flats, are in relationships and don’t even know where the closet pub is. They give in to the mundane.

Maybe they are the smart ones, maybe I am avoiding reality but maybe I just have a different reality where I take chances, I talk to strangers, I dine alone in a restaurant, I do everything to not live in a bubble because no matter where I am, in my hick hometown in Canada, in South America, Europe, Montreal, the world is amazing and everyone has a story.

I really didn’t understand this English boy’s problem but he probably didn’t understand either. Again I think it’s a traveller thing, I found it quite easy to read my tarot cards to travellers usually they were quite confused and in a crossroads in life. Well call me stupid but I thought I would take a chance. I was disheartened but I was in Germany after all and he shipped back to the UK......

Karls.....what?

I landed in Karlsruhe to visit my friend from home who is now working in this random Germany city after falling in Love in a Germany, Belgium, and France mixture of a guy when she lived in Australia. They kept their romance alive over an entire year a part with her in Canada and him in Germany. He was now in Strasbourg France just across the border from her in Germany. Finally their love could flourish and grow.

This girl has to be my oldest best friend. Who has been a part more in the last five years than together with me in Greece, Egypt, Jordan, England, Mexico....well with me all over the place and her in Australia? Through it all we have always stayed close true friends. Even if we don’t hear from each other in ages we know that no time or distance can disrupt our friendship and that is a true friend. She came to visit me when I lived in Greece and now it was my turn to visit her in her far off land.

I came just in time as well; she was finding herself missing home and being frustrated by not knowing the language and not having people to talk to. She said she never felt this way in Australia because it was such a similar culture to Canada that she didn’t feel home sick. It was familiar and comfortable for her. For me however I had to admit to her I am quite the opposite, when I am in a country where I don’t know the language where the culture is different and everything is new and unknown I will never miss home. I absorb the culture and try to immerse myself. A new country to me is a new challenge. How could I even think of home when I am dancing in a square in Mexico or playing paddle ball and trying to speak Portuguese on the beaches of Rio. I want to know everything about the place I am in, I want to learn the language and learn about the people from what they wear, what the drink, and their unique mannerisms to traditional dance and legends.

I was happy and excited to be in Germany, just for the fact that it was a new place to conquer and a new challenge for me. I tried to order bread in the bakery below our B and B every morning in my most horrible German. I couldn’t default to Spanish and I forced myself not to speak English which made it quite hard with my ten German word vocab but I put the effort and always came away giggling with the ladies in the bakery or the guy at the train station.

Karlsruhe wasn’t really the most fascinating city to visit but I didn’t go to see the city I went to see my friend. I did enjoy it though. It had a fantastic zoo right smack in the middle of the city. There is a beautiful palace with huge gardens. The square in the centre has a market in the middle and is lined with old buildings housing cafes perfect for people watching. All the restaurants have outdoor seating which was still being used even in the cold weather, they had throw blankets on all the chairs for people to keep the afternoon wine and beer drinkers warm. The surrounding country side is amazing for hiking which we really didn’t have time to do. There are also baths close by which the countryside is named after “Baden Baden.” This busy business centre isn’t so much a tourist haven but with a local guide I saw a different side of Germany.