Part 1: Who I met & Where I stayed
Part 2: Concentration Camps, Christmas Markets, Cookie Baking, Santa’s Workshop, and More!
Who I Met
I spent the past 10 days in a small town in Germany, just across the Czech Border. My host is a Dutch woman, Sylvia. She is a true feminist, world traveler, has experienced both wealth and poverty, and she loves ordering on Amazon as much as I do! In her older age, HelpX is a way she can continue to experience the world without leaving her home. She also uses helpers for tasks like bringing in wood, cleaning, walking the dog, etc, which would otherwise be really time-consuming and exhausting for her. She is so generous towards her helpers.
One day, we sent to the second-hand shop to look around. Sylvia had a coat that didn’t fit her well anymore, so I figured when she went to the coat section, she was looking for herself. Nope! Instead, she got a man’s coat to have at home in case a future helper comes without one.
Sadly, there are butt-holes who have really taken advantage of that generosity. The guy before me (Paul) barely worked, stole, broke her bikes, and even worse, he played the bagpipes. (OkOk bagpipes are cool but also kind of annoying. Plus, Sylvia said he wasn’t any good) Even so, she continues to welcome people with an open heart and mind. She has little money, but what she has, she gives to others. Kind of sounds like the true meaning of Christmas to me?
A few acts of her thoughtfulness and generosity
- A winter coat from the Diakonie, sewing a new zipper into my running belt, finding a screw to fix my guitar, giving me clothes to wear, teaching me to make pickled red-onions because I said they were my favorite, keeping me spoiling us with chocolate and baked bread and more. If you are reading this… Thank you ❤
With us was another girl, Siyu. She is originally from China, but now currently an exchange student in Brussels. She is so polite and easy-going, good with tasks like slicing pears, playing with Guapa, and making beautiful Christmas cookies. She takes joy in the little things – taking photos of the dog, food, nature, etc. I’m really glad she was with me during my stay.
My host’s neighbor, Christian, I think is a real-life Santa Claus. He is a hearty Bavarian man who loves beer & food, can fix just about anything, is very superstitious, and also wouldn’t even hurt a fly. The guy even owns TWO Porsches (more info about that later). He wants to travel to the US someday, and I really hope he does. I want to get this guy an IPA and have him meet everyone I know.
Where I Stayed
The small town is largely farmland, amidst rolling Bavarian hills and forests . My first five days were beautiful. I took Guapa on walks through misty green landscapes that made me think Edward Cullen was about to jump out. Sadly, the weather took a turn for the worse with gale force winds and hurricane warnings. If a tree falls in the woods and Ashley gets crumpled, would anyone hear her? Not with those loud winds…so no more forest.
In my host’s home, some things felt normal. I know how to use a microwave and make instant coffee. The wheelbarrow was like Gerard’s. The vacuum was the same as at Vikinghaug. Shower: good. Wifi: easy. However, I felt out of my element when it came to new things like the wood fire-stove, managing waste, doing laundry, when to open windows and close doors for airing or heating the house, etc. This happens a lot while traveling. There is constantly so much to learn, new ways of life, new ways to slice cheese, etc.
If I am honest, there are times when it all gets really overwhelming. The last thing I want to do is mess-up and upset anyone. Even so, it happens. My biggest struggle is figuring out how to mess up, have some guilt, and then move on. The struggle for me lies in drawing a line between “I did something stupid” and “I am stupid”. Doing something stupid is fixable. Being stupid is a shame trigger that can send me into a spiral.
I’m not ashamed to post a photo of a teary-faced, Ashley because I really believe in being sad sometimes. I tend to write a lot of sad songs. I also listen to a lot of sad music. It is not because I am always sad, but I do find a lot of beauty and healing in sadness (Think about the movie Inside Out!?). One of my friends and favorite song-writers, Anterra, played a show where she said something like… this is a place to find healing in being a little sad. During that show, I cried, and I left feeling stronger. Sadness is useful 😔
- Side Note: Instinctually, I was about to end that paragraph with a smiley face. Then, I realized thats literally the opposite of all I just said.
‘Till Part 2,
Also Merry Christmas,
Ashley
Creating Space 
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