My last full week in Europe was spent with my friends Claudia, Stefan and Blanca in Germany. I met Claudia when I worked at DHL many many moons ago in Belgium. Claudia, her husband Stefan and their new addition to the family, Blanca the cat invited me to stay at their place in the forest! We typically manage to see each other only maybe once a year, but this was our second get together for 2026, so I am feeling very grateful to have so much time together.
It was a busy week of sightseeing, eating yummy food and deep discussions. Claudia holds dual citizenship (US and German) and they stay up to date on all the crazy going on in the US. And if you haven’t heard, there is some ultra-right crazy going on in Germany, so there was much to discuss. Claudia and I visited Dusseldorf while Stefan had a work trip to Milan. Then the three of us had afternoon adventures at Bubble Land (an exhibit on everything to do with bubbles) and in Cologne. I got to meet Stefan’s parents, and we went for a traditional German meal where I got my favorite dish – Käsespätzle (the equivalent of American mac & cheese).
All in all it was a lovely week spent with friends, SO MUCH laughing, good food, nice drink (I was introduced to Avionic and Sarti Spritz) and lively debate. The only downside was that Blanca the cat was not at all interested in being friends and only on the last day did she hang out with us and let me pet her a little. Sassy cat! I threatened to hide in their garden, ignoring the very unfair 90-day limit on my tourist visa, but alas, I do have to go back to the US for the clock to restart. In another 90 days I can return to play some more!
I have one day of down time in Lyon before flying through Amsterdam to Seattle. Once I get back to the US I will have a busy month on a stateside tour. I spend one week in Seattle before driving to Denver. My sister and I are taking a trip to San Diego to see Air Supply in concert and hang out at the beach. I have a little time in Denver to downsize and rearrange my storage unit before heading East. I will spend two weeks seeing friends and family in Iowa, Chicago and Ohio with a Sound Bowl Healing course toward the end of October and a collaboration workshop with a new friend from the retreat center on the Full Moon. Back to Denver at the start of November and I am actively manifesting what will show up next! I am looking for another retreat opportunity in a warm climate during the winter months.
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