T-Minus One Month

our first 1. FC Köln game

We have only a little under a month left before we fly back to the US--time has flown! Here's what we're looking forward to when we get back to the good ol' USA, in no particular order:

• Inexpensive, high-quality steak.
• Tacos, sharp cheddar, and good salsa.
• Maple syrup and brown sugar available at the grocery store.
• French toast, pancakes, scrambled eggs...eating at Parker's Maple Barn and Soundbites.
• Our stinky hound!
• Getting reacquainted with my kitchen gear and all my other clothes.
• Having a cell phone with a camera and being able to text family on the go.
• Seeing family and friends who we have only seen online for too long!
• Being able to effortlessly speak with shop owners, administrators, and pretty much everyone without having to compose each sentence in my head beforehand. (Though I will miss this, too!)
• Having a car! Oh, how I have missed the freedom of having a car! (And, yet, oh how I will miss the fabulous trains and public transport in Germany!).

And here are some plans for the rest of our time here, also in no particular order and not including work and research:

• Go shopping for gifts at all of Cologne's Christmas markets.
• Visit a Christmas market in a small, charming village (Bad Munstereifel? Monschau? Münster? We shall see...).
• Eat schnitzel at Oma Kleinmann's.
• Eat saurbraten (J's favorite) at a Kölsch pub.
• See Radical Face at the Kulturkirche in mid-November.
• Cheer on FC Koeln at another soccer match.
• Attend mass at the Dom.
• A quick, 3-day trip to London, staying at a super posh hotel using our free Hyatt nights.
• Experiment with more interesting ingredients from the market.

I still can't believe we've been here for 11 months, but we have had lots of interesting adventures. Now to pack in as many more as possible before Decmber 14!