Nüremberg. A sacred place of history. A place that has seen so many things. I think that's one of the (three) things that stood out to me in Nüremberg. I'll write about the other two as well later on (getting lost & being responsible for yourself).
I'm not going to give a huge history lesson on the town-- you can hit wikipedia up on that. I did go to a bunch of museums & listened to those guided audio tours that usually only 70 year old women with fanny packs full of granola bars use.
What I want to talk about is how one thing can be so many things. Poetic, I know. Stick with me. Okay here's a little history on Nüremberg (I lied before). It's seen so, so much. Everything from the Renaissance, Industrial Revolution, WWII & modernization. As I walked the cobble stone streets alongside the castle wall (pictured to the right/below if you're on a phone), I couldn't help but wonder the hearts, stories, lovers, musicians, tears that stepped where I stepped. Those streets have so many stories to tell-- in between those cobble stones are many secrets.
As I laid in my bed at the hostel, listening to the mopeds drive past out the open window, I thought about the town... how it relates to our stories. We go through our own time periods within ourselves. Some of them are the time-defying paintings of the Renaissance. Others are the times of seeking shelter from life's rampant raids. Our hearts have seen much through all of our days. Our lungs have inhaled the sweet air of love & hurriedly sought the harsh air of relief. We are many things at once-- a culmination of all that we have been & will be. It's pretty amazing & daunting all at once.
Although Nüremberg has had a painful & complicated past, people travel from all over to visit her. I met people from Australia, Japan, England, America.. each putting Nüremberg on their long list of stops. It's worth visiting. It's worth wandering through. It's worth getting lost in (which I did over 7 times- literally).
It's the same way with our soul's history. We've each got a past-- maybe yours is dark & complicated, non-linear. Hearts will still seek you out & work to greet you. They will take trains, planes, buses to see you. Those who understand the beauty of a story with twists will embrace the subject. It just takes the right traveller-- those willing to embrace the miles to reach you... whoever you may be. You're worth making a trip to meet; you're worth learning about. Each part of your history has made you exactly who you are: many things all at once.
I learned a lot on the cobble stone streets of Nüremberg. She kept pieces of my heart & mind. She lent me many thoughts to explore. I'm excited to share more of it with you all.
Off to Spain tomorrow!
Further up & further in,
Brie
POST TWO OF STOP THREE
N Ü R E M B E R G, G E R M A N Y
THE BEAUTY OF BEING LOST
Update! I keep a playlist for each place I visit. The songs I listen to while traveling, walking around, etc. It's on my Spotify (Brie Monetti). Feel free to check them out!
I get lost so much. Like SO much. At least 5 times a day. In my defense, I'm traveling (by foot, bus & train mostly) in a place I don't speak the language. It's a valid excuse but honestly not good enough for the amount of times I get lost.
The first like two times, I absolutely freaked out. I have no wifi or date or service most of the time out here-- no way to find directions if I don't very specifically lay them out via screenshots beforehand. Even then, it can be pretty difficult to navigate street names like "FrauenrichterStraße or Schweigerstraße". Those are actual street names I turn down to get to the train station.
Don't even get me started on the buses in Nüremberg. I ended up about 6 miles out of the town. The bus driver stopped & said in broken English: "bus done here". I got out & sat outside of a bus station with no directions or internet or inkling of familiarity. I have literally gotten lost on every possible mode of transportation in Germany. No joke. Every. Single. One.
Here's my mental process when I get lost. First, I typically freak out. I give myself 20 seconds of pure freaking out. I'm allowed to imagine up the worst case scenario- but only for 20 seconds. Then I breathe. Deeply & many times. I then imagine myself later that day in the place I want/need to be as a reality-- something that will happen after this passes (it always passes). Then, I try to ask around for help (which usually doesn't work well). Finally, I trust my gut.
While at the bus station, my gut said to take this certain bus for some reason. So I trusted it. Low & behold, after a 30 minute bus ride on random streets, I landed near the Nüremberg castle.
That's just one example. I could give you literally over 20 instances where I've been lost so far (sorry mom & dad- don't freak out).
I think this relates to life.. specifically to folks my age, but no person is immune to being lost in life. Whether it be spiritually, emotionally, physically or future-ly. Anytime you walk, you are taking the risk of getting lost & in life, you have to keep walking.
After experiencing being lost in every shape & form it comes in, I can honestly say I love it. It's put me in some of the scariest & most wonderful places of my life.
I've discovered side streets of towns & doors of myself that I never knew existed. There's so many things out there begging to be found, but often their discovery requires us being lost.
Back in Florida, there's this thing I do when I get overwhelmed by life. I take a coin & flip it. Tails is left, heads is right. I just keep goin until I find something or I get tired. I've found some super cool things this way & gotten pretty lost doing it too. My point is, you don't have to be on a European Backpacking trip to get lost. You can in your own backyard, in your thoughts, in a book. When you're lost, you're completely reliant on yourself & your surroundings to get found again.
To my friends who feel lost with the next move in life:
embrace being lost. Know that you will be found-- in time. The next thing I do when I'm lost in gain perspective. How many times am I going to be lost in Germany walking alongside a castle wall? How many times will you be exactly where you are? Maybe you just graduated & have nothing planned or plans fell through. Maybe you're a senior (like me now woah) & you keep hearing that beautiful question, "So, what are your plans after school?". Or maybe you're 47 & trying to decide what's next in life. Know that when you are lost is when you have the most room to be creative. You get complete permission to choose what's next. You are in control of getting un-lost. My next post is going to be about being responsible & obligated to yourself alone-- a product of me being lost so often.
Look around you. What are you finding that you wouldn't find on the straight path? Life has twists, 90 degree turns, jagged edges, hidden passage ways & sometimes dungeons masked as castles (sorry I'm still coming down from the Nüremberg high). Enjoy the ride. Embrace the twisting cobblestone streets. LAUGH. Most of the time when I'm terribly lost, I just laugh-- at the situation & at myself. Sometimes you literally have to laugh to keep yourself from crying. Being lost can be scary after all, but not all scary things are bad (I wrote about that/bravery here).
Don't take life too seriously. It's short & it passes. The good & the bad. Let the fact that being lost passes be both reassuring & a warning to embrace where you are. You will never again be where you are: hold the moment's hand. Ask it questions. Use it to wonder & to wander.
You will be lost in life-- it's a part of the deal of having a heartbeat. Remember to breathe. This time is exciting! You get to learn new pieces about yourself. You get to be brave. You will have a new respect for yourself after you get un-lost.
So, allow yourself to be lost, trust yourself, embrace the many roads you will discover & laugh. Always, always laugh.
Happy travels!
Further up & further in,
Brie