Backpacks and Gift Wrap

I think Austin is angling for a European backpacking trip already. Every so often he will grab his Thomas the Train back pack, sling it over his shoulders and ask to go on an adventure. Speaking of adventures, we only have a few more European ones left since we will be leaving our beloved Dresden this summer. I can't believe how fast our time has gone by. But I am thankful for every bit of it. Especially for the totally random things that happen to me and seem awful in the immediate moment, but have me laughing when I'm later relating the story to Chris. It's made me more adaptable. Or maybe adaptable period. Like how today, after going to the grocery store and buying more than I could comfortably carry home, I decided that it would be a GREAT time to swing by The Body Shop to get some shower gel. Then I decided to use my stellar mastery of the German language while paying for my loot. Apparently at one point in our conversation I agreed to have my items gift wrapped. Now normally this wouldn't be an issue. In fact, it would be a special treat to have beautiful wrappings on my purchase. But today, I was holding 627 pounds of food items. And I was starting to sweat from the exertion. God love her, she was carefully choosing colored ribbon to match the item I purchased, fluffing the cellophane, and tweaking the bows for what felt like an eternity. At some point I flashed to the part in Love Actually when one of the characters is trying to buy a present at a jewelry counter, and endures an eternity while his purchase is being gift wrapped to no end (including a cinnamon stick). By the time she was finished, I had carpal tunnel syndrome in my eyeballs. I thanked her with what strength I had left, and slowly shuffled my way out to my tram holding the prettiest wrapped shower gel you've ever seen. I've realized that sometimes, you just need to get lost in translation. And then have a sense of humor about it.

Schöne, ja?