Zack and I have almost always had a long-distance relationship. So we know each other’s personality inside and out, and our minds are so in-sync. Since being here, I love learning all of the stuff about him I never got to experience. I don’t mean in a physical sense, I just mean seeing his actual belongings and watching him do ordinary, every-day tasks. I’m not sure I am making sense. Yesterday I cleaned the apartment, (or rather straightened because I haven’t gotten to the heavy-duty cleaning yet) and I found myself falling even deeper in love with him, and I was almost positive that couldn't be possible. Yet, just seeing his old t-shirts and finding all his little journals filled with scribbles, I couldn’t stop smiling. Even watching him get ready for work is so endearing to me I can hardly stand it. I definitely wasn’t expecting cleaning the apartment to be a pleasant task, but it ended up being wonderful just getting to see all of Zack’s stuff. That sounds weird and borderline stalkerish.
By the time Zack got home from work yesterday, I had compiled a very large list of things we need for the apartment, and groceries. We tried to go to a home decor store, or what I assume to be a home decor store…it said BOSS in hot pink letters and had a punching fist. Okay Germany, really? But the store was closed. Everything closes annoyingly early here. It’s like everywhere, except restaurants, has bank hours.
So we went to the grocery store. The produce was the first section you walk in to, so it was easy enough to figure out what things were. BUT THEN, as soon as I turned the corner I start panicking because even bottles and boxes with pictures on the front were confusing me. I didn’t know what anything was, and I’m still not entirely sure what all we bought. Luckily, Zack knows a lot of German words. So with his knowledge and using context clues, I think we managed to buy most everything on our list. Except for baking soda. We couldn’t figure out if it was flour or baking soda, and don’t think I’m stupid, you try it. Zack is so brave about speaking with anyone, anywhere, and Germany has proved to be no exception to this. Where as people probably think I am a mute because all I do is smile and nod my head and wave goodbye with the occasional (and extremely difficult) “tschus!” Zack walked right up to the butcher and asked for some chicken and beef in German. He even learned a new word during that little exchange. “Alles”, it means “that’s all.” I hope I get braver.
I wanted some nachos and a margarita something fierce last night, and sweet Zack tried calling all his friends to find a place but they didn’t know of any. Our GPS found one, but it was about 30 minutes away and I am irrationally skeptical of GPS systems, especially ones that speak in German. So Zack cooked [!] some delicious spaghetti with sunflower seeds [yeah, I don’t know, but it was good] and we had a great time chasing each other with the toy that came out of my latest Kinder egg because we are 12 years old. Not your average Cinco de Mayo, but how could I ever want to trade it for anything?
