Final Post - Day 14 , July 12

We cant believe that our journey has ended, but it ended on an unexpected note. We will start where the last blog left off, yesterday at the Oktoberfest at the Humpeneder's. By the time everything was packed up we didn't leave Bergoberbach until about 1130 PM last night. It was slightly longer than an hours drive to Wurzburg and so we didn't get back to Manu's place until about 1245 AM this morning. We still had to re-pack our luggage and distribute the weight so that we would come under 23 kilos. Our first 2 attempts failed...over 23 kilos, but the 3rd time worked. By the time we got the luggage packed it was 130 AM Tuesday (730 PM Monday Atlanta time). Here is where it gets fun...we had to get up at 430 AM Tuesday (1030 PM Monday) in order to shower and drive to Frankfurt to be at the airport by 645 AM Tuesday (1245 AM Tuesday Atlanta time). And it all worked out, we got to Frankfurt airport around 715 AM (115 AM Atlanta time). Here is where the surprise happened...I already checked in online the night before, and we had seats in row 36. When we got to Frankfurt Airport, we dropped our bags off, and the dude behind the counter said "here are your new boarding passes." I was thinking, hmmm, that's interesting, I guess the paper ones we printed out were not good enough. I took a few steps and took a closer look at the boarding passes and told Tammy..."hey, I think we just go put in first class." I took another close look and saw "Sky Priority" and "Prem" where it would normally say zone 3 or zone 4...but the biggest tell sign was that we were now in row 8, and I was right, Delta bumped us up to Business Elite, and we didn't do anything to get it. God really blessed us with that! The flight was really good, especially being in 1st class. Check it out, the seats recline out to a full 180 degrees, plus the food was great!

We landed on time (145 PM), got through customs relatively easy (had a delay in getting our luggage due to a thunderstorm over the airport, they had to pull the crews off the tarmac and into the buildings). Thanks to Steve Hall for picking us up at the airport!

After Tammy and me got home, we decided that after 2 weeks of bread, cheese, and various kinds of pork (which, by the way, we totally enjoyed!) we needed a change and went out for sushi.

For this blog, I have been doing the writing and Tammy has been proof reading my typing (which was required...LOL). However I wanted to add both of our final thoughts from the trip, so here it goes...

Kent's Perspective...
While this was our honeymoon, it was a honeymoon surrounded by friends and family, our German family. Having said that, our wedding was out of the box and so this shouldn't surprise anyone. I really enjoyed this trip in addition to the obvious (with my new wife). The relationships between myself and the Humpeneders grew deeper, and that was awesome. While it would have been nice for Tammy and me to tour Germany on our own, we would have seen only the "tourist" areas and not experience the German culture. Spending our time with the Humpeneders allowed us to experience the culture of the German people and that was great!

My favorite part of the trip
Well actually I had 2 parts I really enjoyed. First, I loved hiking through the Alps which happened early on in the vacation. Second, I really enjoyed speaking to Marcus' class and I hope I get to do that again.

Most memorable moment
I have a couple "most memorable moments." While the whole trip will remain engrained in my memory, two events really stand out. First, the Oktoberfest we had at the Humpeneders the night before we left. We know that they did this just for us and really for that reason that is my most memorable and it really shows how they have accepted me and Tammy into their extended family, their American family. Second, was the first day we got to Germany. Manuel and Christiana took us on a walk to the Marienburg Castle that evening, and we sat on the wall overlooking the city of Wurzburg. We had wine and cheese as the sun was setting on the city, it was really romantic and beautiful.


Tammy's Perspective...
This trip was my first out of the US, a big step for me. I have always wanted to travel abroad, my first experience could not have been more wonderful. Two and a half years ago Kent and I had just started talking through Facebook and over the phone when he made his first trip to Germany, I was able to follow his trip through emails that he sent me while he was gone. How wonderful God is to let me experience first hand the beauty Kent had written me about so early in our relationship. The marvelous beauty of the Alps is undescribale by words, and to be able to hike on those mountains is an experience like none other. We were able to share our honeymoon with a wonderful family, each one of them were so welcoming to me, I can't wait to see them again. I loved the cities that we visited and the people, I love other cultures, so it was amazing to experience it with my new German family and my husband.

Most memoriable moment
I will forever have etched in my mind the view from the Marienburg Castle, sitting so high above the city with Kent. The lights of the city were beautiful, it was like my own Thomas Kincaid painting come to life! There were so many more moments for me that will be memoriable, everything was new and exciting, from the old town streets with their beautiful architecture to the most wonderful friends and food. God has truely blessed me and I am so very thankful.