170 km/hr to my heart

I've fallen in love. No, not with a German boy, but with the Alps. They're more dependable and steadfast than any teenage boy anyways. I took my second trip south to the mountains this weekend after shopping on Saturday. My Sunday was supposed to be lazy with absolutely no plans at all. Zilch, Nada. But, needless to say, that didn't happen. Instead, Henner and I drove for a couple of hours on the Autobahn until we reached the village of Oberammergau, best known for it's Passion Play. We topped off the speed limit at, you guessed it, 170 km/hr. I can't explain the craziness that is the Autobahn. Usually, it's not all that scary, but on our particular stretch of road every person with a motorcycle in the region of Bavaria thought it would be a wonderful idea to weave in and out of the cars at 200 km/hr. The view was worth the heard attacks in the car. If it were up to me, a 16 year old from Michigan, everyone in the world should be allowed the opportunity to experience the feeling I had on top of one of those mountains. I would make it mandatory, but that seems a BIT extreme. I couldn't capture the beauty in an artistic way, like my friend Tory could, nor can I capture the feeling of exhileration in more than my words. All I wanted to do was share that experience with the people I love, especially my Dad who loves a good scenic view. This was the best of my years.

After enjoying the view from the top of this mountain, we began our treacherous hike down and around it. Let me just point out the fact that this trail was no more than a little path carved by gnomes over rocks and trees. I would also like to clarify that there was no "hiking" in how I made my way down: I half slid, half tumbled down this mountain. It was a beautiful fall. After our descent, the day was not over. Oh, no. Henner took me and my aching self to a castle! I was tired and in pain, but I am so grateful that my host-dad pushed me through that. King Ludwig II was known for diminishing Germany's economy by building his fantasy castles. We Americans have him to thank for inspiring the Disney Castle with his Schloss Neuschwanstein. I did not go to Neuschwanstein, but a much smaller castle nestled in the Alps called Schloss Linderhof. Smaller, not uglier. There is once again no use in trying to describe the beauty. Sunday was an adventure, to say the least. I can now feel that adventure in every part of my body. Moving is no easy feat as muscles I didn't know existed protest my every action. Oh, well. I still say it's a small price to pay for an experience so amazing. Until next time, ciao!--sjinternational