Deutschland Willkommen

My day started off in San Francisco. I woke early to finalize my packing and then off to the dog park for one last Porter-Jasmyn bonding session before my departure.

Sean was lucky enough to finish with his work early so we spent the afternoon having lunch at Koh Samui and the Monkey (perhaps my last Asian meal for 6 weeks - the horror!) and then off to the Paragon where we had a cocktail to help me relax before the red-eye flight.

After a sad good-bye to Sean at SFO, I was off to start my Germany adventure. The flight was a direct shot to Frankfurt and was a good 10-11 hours. The flight was mostly uneventful, unless you count my new onset of restless leg syndrome (which I attribute to my paranoia of getting DVTs) and waking to the sticky, cold feeling of soda being washed over my feet. Yup, the lady in front of me decided she would go ahead and knock her can of pop onto the floor where it proceeded to saturate my feet in a syrupy mess. No matter. I continued to watch my cheesy romance flicks, wolfed down greasy plane food, and managed to survive the flight.

Customs was practically a joke as I merely handed my passport over to be immediately stamped and to baggage claim I went. No questions asked. I've had harder times crossing over the Mexican border (where you push button which triggers a stoplight that determines whether or not you will be searched - a lottery, if you will) or the Canadian border (where you undergo an FBI-like interrogation revealing your deepest, darkest secrets in order for them to allow you through).

The German team was there to welcome us and escorted the US team to Hotel Oranien, in Wiesbaden. Here we were pampered with our very own rooms filled with Bvlgari bath products and stunning views! After having a relaxing, tasty dinner in the hotel, the German team took us to a local festival just a few blocks away where beer was aplenty and strawberries were soaking in wine and champagne.