Oktoberfest in Zurich

Oktoberfest

This weekend, we traveled to Zurich to partake in Oktoberfest festivities. Zurich is a huge global center for banking & finance. It's a beautiful city with old architecture, but similar to Geneva, that you can spot a man in a suit in any direction.

Google images provides a much better depiction of the whole beautiful city than my iPhone 5s (the picture below)

We walked along the river & found a market full of crafts, trinkets, and antiques.  Emmy & I made out with a pair of $8 mom jeans, two rings, and a multitude of uncomfortable "do you speak english" encounters.

We found a man playing polka music from a box along the lake.  As we placed a few coins in his hat, he thanked us with a smile & began a new song.  We were all laughing and happily enjoying the sunshine.  CJ and I grabbed hands and attempted the poorest polka I've ever seen, but we laughed and danced shamelessly and relished in friendship.  What it is to be unashamed.  My french sucks, I can't dance,  but I love my friends, I love laughing without fear, and I love dancing on random streets in a strange city with a man playing polka from a box. 

We then searched for a "cheap" place to eat brunch.  As we all day dreamt about big American breakfasts, we were losing hope until finally we found a small cafe that served omelets & croissants.

My favorite thing about CJ (on the right) is that even in Europe at a nice cafe along a river, he will still order a milkshake.

After we finished our meal, we ventured out to find ourselves a pub, which indeed we did.

There was a band, pretzels, and oversized beers.  We cheered loudly, like Americans.  Especially when they played "I will survive".  We sang, danced and drummed on the table and cheers'd way too many times. 

Emmy quotes F. Scott Fitzgerald when I'm sad.  She makes me banana pancakes, she does a "wallet, phone, key" check every time we leave somewhere, she holds my hand on trains, she laughs freely, and she will destroy anyone in a political argument.   She begins every other sentence with "Well, I read an academic journal that said.." or "Well, there is this podcast series that explains.." or "I know if this experiment..".  I've never met anyone who I have honestly learned more about the world through.  Not only that but it's in a way that is open and from a perspective that is accepting. She's a frighteningly sharp, intelligent woman with a soft, gentle demeanor about the way she takes care of the people around her. Thanks for loving me the right way.