Frolicking Through Frankfurt!

Another week has passed by... another couple of turnaround flights, followed by another lovely layover. It came just in time. After a week in Dubai, I was starting to go stir-crazy. Despite the fact that it was my 5th time in Germany over the course of a month, I was still excited for my trip to Frankfurt. In the briefing room I met the crew, who all seemed awesome. Among them was Rebecca, who was on her very first layover and first operational flight. That was me just 4 short months ago, and I remember how nervous I was. I made it my mission to be super nice to her and give her a good first impression of her career. Some crew display ridiculous amounts of negativity towards their jobs, making me wonder why they are here to begin with. There are people (myself included) who try for years to land this job. If you don't enjoy it I'm sure that there is a 9-5 office job that you can pick up somewhere.

We landed in Frankfurt just in time for the skies to clear and the sun to peek through the clouds. Exhausted from an extremely early morning, I was feeling a bit lazy but convinced myself to get out of the hotel regardless. I took a quick shower and as I was getting dressed I heard the sound of rain pelting down outside my window. Upon further inspection, I discovered that it was in fact hail falling, blanketing the ground in white pellets. I sighed, wishing that the sun would magically reappear in the sky. I wasn't going to let it stop me from enjoying my layover. I grabbed my umbrella and headed for the train station. Through the wind and the cold I debated turning back, but I told myself "You are Canadian, you can handle this!" and continued walking until I finally found the station. I've navigated Munich, London, Singapore, and Sydney... but as I stood there staring at the map, I was completely lost. The concierge at the hotel had advised me to get off at a station that was non-existent on the map in front of me. I stood there for a good 5 minutes, determined to figure it out, when I noticed a girl a few feet away who looked just as confused as I was. At second glance, I noticed that she was one of the first class crew members, and together we agreed to ask for directions. We crossed our fingers that somebody would speak English, but as luck would have it, they stared at us as blankly as we'd been staring at the map. Finally, a friendly young man approached us and in perfect English asked "Do you need help?". He helped us purchase our tickets and sent us off in the right direction. We reached the city and agreed to go for lunch together. We found a very old, very German pub and headed inside. She ordered a beer in the spirit of being in Germany, and as usual I opted for apple juice. I'm such a party animal. I've been making it my mission to adopt healthier eating habits, and planned to behave on this layover. Despite this, I couldn't resist ordering Frankfurter sausages, mashed potatoes, and real German sauerkraut. I didn't regret my decision one bit as I chowed down on the delicious plateful of food. Once we'd finished eating we headed our separate directions. Camera in hand, I set off to explore the city. It had started raining once again, so there wasn't much exploring for me to do. I took a few photos before deciding to browse the shops in search of a new outfit. My wardrobe is pathetically outdated and I don't own enough clothes to fill up more than a shelf of my massive closet. Despite this, every time I go into stores and try on clothes I never buy them... even if I like them. I have a fear of spending money on material items, yet will drop it in an instant on food and travel. I sought refuge from the rain inside a beautiful shopping center, where I was delighted to find my favorite store from home... Hollister! I eagerly went inside to soak up the atmosphere... it reminded me of home and shopping sprees. The employees greeted customers by saying "Hey, what's up?", which I'm assuming is to add to the California atmosphere of the store. It's probably the only English that some of them spoke! I left empty handed, as the prices were ridiculously expensive in comparison to home.

Feeling lazy, I was ready to retreat to my hotel room. On the way I discovered a massive supermarket and happily browsed the aisles, sadly persuading myself to walk away from the chocolate. An employee approached me and I'd thought that she'd asked if I needed help... "No.. just looking" I replied, before realizing that she was trying to tell me that the store was closing and that I needed to leave. I struggled to figure out the train system yet again. Once I felt confident enough in my sense of direction, I hopped onboard a train. Fortunately, I was headed in the right direction and easily found my stop. On the walk back to the hotel I stopped into a small Thai restaurant and got some food to bring back with me since the room service menu was tiny and unappealing. Back in my room I listened as the rain fell outside, and I indulged in Thai goodness followed by a bubble bath and relaxing. I was in a blissfully good mood, brought on by some exciting news just a few days earlier. After much discussion and little needed convincing, Ryan and I decided that he should make another visit to Dubai at the beginning of June! Not only will we be making up for 4 months apart, but we'll be able to celebrate our dating anniversary, together! It was just the news I needed to lift my spirits that had been plagued by homesickness for the past few weeks. Later that day, I received even more good news... my vacation time had been approved, and in July I'll be headed home for 2 whole weeks! In all of my excitement I was able to put aside my homesick thoughts and focus on enjoying my layover. I headed to bed and woke up bright and early the next day, only to find that once again it was raining. Seeing as how I want to look exceptionally in shape for my boyfriend's visit, I decided to head to the gym in the hotel... a very rare feat for me. After a good workout I sought out a nearby supermarket to get some yummy breakfast before getting ready to head back to Dubai. It had been an uneventful layover, but I'd enjoyed it nonetheless. Back to the desert I went, a huge contrast from the rain and endless trees of Germany. The countdown is on... 12 days until I see the boy that I love, and 47 days until I'm home sweet home. I couldn't be much happier right now!