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So, it’s Easter Weekend already, huh? Seriously, I feel like I blinked and March was over. Not that I’m complaining, April will hopefully bring us warmer days and be the end of our gloomy weather. I love this time of year! The days are finally feeling longer, people start coming out of hibernation, and you can even feel the seasons change in the air. At the same time, we get to celebrate Easter- the resurrection of Christ.
I don’t think it’s any coincidence that I too feel resurrected at this time! The seasonal depression from winter can finally come to an end, and I can ultimately feel alive again. Also, with the coming of Spring and the celebration of Easter, I feel I have the opportunity to “start over”, sort of like my own personal New Year’s Eve. To me, it is the perfect occasion to reflect upon my life over the past year, to be thankful for everything I have, and to set goals for myself.
Easter Throwback
To take a break from the “heavy” and lighten the mood for a minute, our Easter story from last year will hopefully give you a good laugh…
*May contain graphic content. Reader discretion advised.
To set the scene, it’s Easter Sunday 2017 at approximately 10:00 am. Ryan and I are sitting at our dining table while sipping on mimosas and munching on chocolate sprinkled donuts (a tradition we started when we moved to Germany). The apartment we were living in was on the ground floor and it had these massive glass windows that spanned from one end of the apartment to the other. We basically had an entire glass wall, almost floor to ceiling in height. We absolutely loved this because of all the natural light that was constantly beaming in and the fact that it made the room seem so much larger than it actually was. There was only one problem with this design: it faced the front of our building which overlooked a communal lawn AND the walkway to enter our building. Basically, we were living in a giant fishbowl where everyone could see in at all times. This was never a problem for us…that is, until last Easter morning.
While we were sitting at our dining table (in our pajamas, of course), Ryan and I were discussing plans for the afternoon. We didn’t quite feel like sitting home all day just the two of us- we thought it would be a bit depressing given the fact that we were so far away from home on a major holiday. As we were chatting, we see our upstairs neighbor come around the corner and look into our apartment to see if we were home. With absolutely NOWHERE to hide in our fishbowl apartment, he spots us instantly and starts knocking on our windows.
These neighbors of ours live directly above us and are a family of 4 from Greece. So, you can imagine how big of a deal this holiday is for them! After knocking on our windows, Ryan opens the door to see what’s up. Our neighbor proceeds to tell us that they are having a big Easter party today, he is cooking the food outside as we speak, and they are all outside waiting for us. Of course, Ryan and I have absolutely no choice but to accept the invitation so we get dressed and head outside.
I will NEVER forget the panic I felt when we stepped outside and saw what our Greek neighbors were cooking that day. We walked outside to find a lamb on a rotating stick cooking over a grill. Next to the lamb was a second grill with a smaller piece of rotating meat (or so I thought). We made the mistake of asking what it was…turns out they removed the organs from the lamb, stacked them together on the stick, and wrapped the entire thing with the lamb’s intestines. **I’ll pause here in case you need a minute to collect yourself. I know I do!** If you know me, you know I am not much of a meat eater to begin with. Heck, I even struggle with the idea of eating chicken wings sometimes! So, you can imagine the complete and utter fear I had when I realized I was going to have to eat this.
As the food was cooking, our neighbors’ Greek friends began showing up…and they never stopped coming! How there were so many Greeks residing in Germany, I will never understand. During this time, Ryan kept being handed shots of incredibly strong vodka. Need I remind you, it was still late morning/early afternoon at this point! But of course, he didn’t want to appear rude by declining. So, the food kept cooking, and the shots kept pouring.
When the lamb was finished and ready to be eaten, everyone headed inside to sit down and share the meal. We made our way upstairs and found the biggest spread of food I’ve ever seen. The Greeks can eat, let me tell ya! I’m sure you can guess that our neighbors practically filled our plates with all sorts of stuff (most of which we had no idea what it was), including the cooked organs. Of course, they seated us right next to them, and they couldn’t wait to see how we liked their traditional holiday food. I instantly began whispering in Ryan’s ear, begging him to take the “insides” off my plate. Like the good man he is, he discreetly spooned off all the yucky stuff from my plate and ate it like a champ. Believe it or not, I actually think Ryan didn’t mind eating everything they served us. Like most men, he will eat anything!
The rest of the afternoon was filled with more food, more alcohol, and then some more food. Our neighbors actually passed out in their bedrooms before everyone was gone! Ryan and I saw this as our perfect opportunity to escape and head back down to our place. We quickly thanked everyone, said our goodbyes, and retreated downstairs to end the day in a food coma on our couch.
Easter This Year
Unfortunately (or fortunately), our Easter this year will not be as “exciting” as last year was. Sadly, Ryan has an away game on Easter Sunday so he will be traveling and playing that day, while I will be back home in Leipzig. When I first learned of this scheduled game, I was obviously pretty upset at the fact that I would be home alone on such a major holiday. To me, there is nothing more depressing than being alone and away from family during the holidays.
However, after I finished giving myself a pity party, I decided to embrace the situation and make the best of these circumstances. When we’re alone, there’s more time to get lost in over-thinking. Whether we’re homesick, reminiscing about old traditions, or whatever it may be, nostalgia can be a real downer. However, I have found that trying to remain in the present can be really beneficial. I keep reminding myself how much of a blessing it is that Ryan is living out his dream and has the opportunity to wake up and do what he loves every single day, even if that day happens to be a holiday. Therefore, I have decided to spend this Easter Sunday focusing my attention on the things that make me happy in life; thanking God for all that He has blessed us with, talking with my friends and family, meditating and reflecting on my goals in life, and of course, cheering on my man through the TV! Not to mention, I will probably be doing all these things while diving into the box of Easter candy my mother sent to us- she never misses a holiday!
Whatever you have planned for the holiday weekend, I hope you all enjoy yourselves and spend time with the ones you love. Let me know in the comments what you have planned!
I wish everyone a very Happy Easter!
Keep on writing kid, you are doing well.
Katy.
I am SO proud of you. I am honored to be your mother-in-law and thank you for loving my son as much as you do
Love you