Since moving to Munich I’ve been learning to take time, a luxury I’ve realised I haven’t been making the most of.
When I think back to the days of secondary school, I’m really quite amazed at my younger self, and the fact that I never just collapsed in a heap in from the sheer amount of things I used to get done. Naturally there was school and homework, which I never missed, there were after school sports, then other sports outside of school because indoor snowboarding was a thing. There was a part time job which was often the precursor to a social activity that I’d head to one the shift was over, and I took an extra A-level for the fun of it. Through all of this I some how held down a far more active social life than I have now and I was much better at texting back.
I write to you from my sofa, under a crocheted blanket, having just eaten some freshly baked banana bread. Since getting back from our trip to the UK last week I’m making more of an effort to be appreciative; of the quiet times, of our home, and just generally doing the things I want to do whilst being a little bit more positive and aware. Whilst bank holidays here are a little different from the UK, Munich has managed to align itself with my home country on this particular one – it’s pouring with rain outside. In spite of the weather there’s still a lot to be thankful for, and this chilled out bank holiday situation is one of them.
There have been very few times in my life where I have known, with absolute certainty, what I want to be doing, but today was one of those times, and I wanted to bake banana bread. Having flicked through some foodie blogs this week on the hunt for an overnight oats recipe that I am capable of (the hunt continues) I stumbled across a recipe for banana bread and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since.
So when Felix asked me this morning if I’d help with fixing the fence I said I would, once I’d baked some banana bread.
My parents were here to visit us in our new house this weekend, the sun was shining so we could enjoy our little garden and wander around the new part of Munich that is now home. Having the space to share your home is a truly wonderful thing and I hadn’t realised how important that was to me.
In a week of ups and downs, this was a big up, but what goes up, must come down. You’d think I’d be getting better at goodbyes by now, but alas, there were tears at the airport. There are always tears at the airport. I sometimes wonder if that will ever get easier.
In amongst the people that start to become part of the furniture at an Irish pub in Munich, you get the customers who come back every so often, and you end up being really glad that they did.
I once met a man who was probably in his late 80’s, wore a rain mac and hat and just wanted someone to chat to. Over the course of his 4 or 5 visits to the pub I became trusted enough to be let in on a top secret – his brand new invention, that he would soon be presenting to the head of one of the biggest telecommunications firms in Munich.
On each visit, he filled me in a little more on the travels he had made in researching his idea, the people he had met and of course his background in animation which had all but nothing to do with this idea but was interesting to hear all the same.
On our last meeting, which was now some time ago, he revealed this idea to me in a whispered breath after a dramatic pause …
‘It will be called … Telecommunications WorldWIDE’.
He explained the connections he was planning to make, and the information he was planning to make available and the more he spoke the more convinced I became that he was actually inventing the internet, but I decided not to be the person to tell him that. We have two ears and one mouth for a reason, and he was a really lovely man.
Laura Jane 