Flashback Friday

Exactly ten years ago today, my dear friend Rachael and I were wandering around Europe with two huge backpacks on our backs. It was the trip of a lifetime and I am forever grateful that I got to spend it with her.

On this exact date ten years ago (June 11, 2000) we weren't having the greatest day, however. We tried to go to Fussen to see King Ludwig's castle, but when we got there, we found there were no hostel beds available that night. We knew we couldn't stay as we'd already tried the sleep-in-a-train-station thing and let's just say that it wasn't our best night. So unfortunately we only saw the castle from the train as we returned to Munich. Awesome.

But that night turned out to be one of the most memorable of the entire trip. When we arrived back in Munich at 9 p.m. we lucked into a hostel (and I mean LUCKED). We checked in, threw our packs on our beds, and returned to the train station to call our parents (and cry, probably). The day had been a bit, let's say, stressful.

When we got back to the hostel, the only thing we wanted to do was relax in quietude. But if you've ever stayed in a hostel, you know that's not always the easiest thing. In our room of eight beds, there was us two girls, three Canadians, three Irish people, and who knows on the others. Now I will quote from my journal:

"Rach had her Jerusalem stuff out and they asked about it and then it came out that we were Mormons. So they started asking us about stuff we couldn't do then they pretty much left to go clubbing! We thought that would be the last we saw of them because our train [the next day] left at 8:14a but at 4:00a they came in--loud and turning on lights. And as mad as I was, it was pretty funny because one Irishman kept bugging this other guy from England named Abraham [heretofore known as A]. It started out with the Irishman telling A that if [the Irishman] came to London [the Irishman] should get A's address to visit him and A was like 'Why? You don't know me' and the Irishman said, 'Sure I know you.' His logic of knowing him was that he knew A liked army pants and sex. So A says that doesn't mean he knows him. So the Irishman says that A is getting grumpy and he must not be religious because God wants us to be happy. Then A keeps telling him to be quiet then the Irishman finally says that if A ever shows up in Dublin, he'd murder him!"

Because Rachael and I were sleeping in a bunk bed, I couldn't see her face as this was happening. But as we got further into the conversation and our bed was quaking from our stifled laughter, I knew we felt the same way. It was a memory I'll have forever; and if not, it's recorded in my journal. Thanks Rachael! Here's to hoping that after all these years, I know her better than simply knowing her opinion on army pants (no) and sex (yes).

I'll leave you with one of two photos that contain both of us. This picture is a totally different story, but I'll leave that for May 27, 2020.