When a Door Opens...
A door opened, and I stepped through it. (An opportunity presented itself and I went for it.)
I am a legal alien and have permission to stay for six months. Tourists are permitted to stay 30 days. If one wants to stay longer, they must apply for a Visa giving good reason for the extension. When I first arrived in Offenbach, I had to register as a citizen of the city and provide specific information such as, proof of residence. In order to properly leave the country, I will need to “sign out” at City Hall, showing my flight ticket back to the States.
While I am here, I have visited many different towns and cities of the area around Offenbach and Frankfurt, which included many bike rides to these places. Public transportation is an excellent service, but it also comes with a price. So to save money, biking is an affordable and enjoyable option. Parking is never an issue. Some of these buildings and homes are hundreds of years old. There is a lot of history in theses churches, manors, palaces, and old castle ruins. We live along the Main River where there is a bike path that makes for a very scenic ride. There are biking and hiking paths all over Germany with signs along the way leading one ever onward.
One of the highlights of this trip is being able to spend time with my cousins and even traveling with them. Thus far, we have hiked through some of the Black Forest, visited Dresden during the October 3rd Reunification holiday celebrations, and spent time on the Italian Riviera. The last two weeks of October, we will be in Thailand visiting the temples of Ayutthaya, heading south to relax on the island beaches, and then heading back to Bangkok to shop. I also spent a weekend in Ludwigsburg with other St. Charles Sister City members and celebrated our 20th Anniversary with Ludwigsburg. It was impressive, and very moving, to see the camaraderie among the mayors and people of the Sister Cities from five different countries.
Through my cousins, I have made some fun friends. For example, every Wednesday, we get together for a “Koch Abend.” Each of the eight to ten friends take turns cooking dinner at one’s house.
The absolute best aspect about this whole trip is being able to share all of this with my son, Michael. What a wonder-full opportunity to live life and go to school in a different country for a prolonged period of time. I am so proud of his endeavors and his openness to participating in such an adventure and learning experience.
If there would be any recommendations about such a trip, it would be that everyone should be afforded such an opportunity to travel abroad, and companies and learning institutions should support travel abroad. The time away and experiences benefit the individuals, but their organization and work environment, as well. Extensive experience with a variety of situations and cultures result in employees who generate more creative ideas, look at big picture solutions, and have longer term vision, including a healthier attitude. These individuals create new professional relationships and build new international friendships along the way.
