Since having lost all of my belongings two decades ago, including my much loved cd collection, any interest or passion for collecting nice things is gone. That is likely due to an underlying fear of potentially losing everything again.
Author: Claudia
From Athens To Dubrovnik
My vacation just ended yesterday morning and I miss her already, the lovely Vasco da Gama. She brought us safely from Athens to Dubrovnik, with various beautiful destinations in between.
Finally, late this afternoon, I unpacked my suitcase. For some reason I could not bring myself to begin. And no, not because of the dirty laundry that needs to be dealt with in the coming days. But maybe because then I have to admit to myself, that this fantastic experience is over yet again? I probably should not share this – but you know by now, that I’m too honest for my own good most often. Yesterday morning in Dubrovnik, while watching the last “vacation sunrise” on deck 6 before deboarding the ship, I could not stop the tears from spilling over, because I did not want this vacation to end. You think that I act like a five-year-old, do you? Well go right ahead, but it doesn’t change the fact. This could have kept going until the day I fall over dead. Seriously. Waking up in the morning to discover a new destination all day, and to gather fantastic, lasting impressions is amazing. And it actually confirmed my suspicion once again, being, that I’m not the “stationary type”, at least not, if I am to be truly happy.
Overall, it was a wonderful vacation. But even this time, there were a few “hiccups”. It is a disappointing and incredibly sad fact, that most of the eastern european countries have a lot of stray dogs and cats. Unfortunately, in Albania and Montenegro I had to witness that with my own eyes. Being a huge dog lover, this was a horrific and absolutely heart breaking experience. Without being naive, I was hoping that I would not be confronted with this, because it is one thing to read an article or to see a documentary about it. Having to see it with your own eyes is quite another. The thought of so many of those beautiful, sweet animals not having a safe and loving home opens the flood gates instantly, but I will never be a witness to this first hand again, if I can help it. During our Saturday excursion, the fact that I saw a few stray animals, set the stage for a major panic attack that evening. It was emotionally exhausting and even more embarrassing. Although, I just wanted to forget about it, the staff was so unbelievably sweet and caring. Days later, they still asked me how I was feeling and if I needed anything, so empathic and kind. Regardless, what a flipping fuss over me and my dang issues, good heavens.
Quite a few of the other guests on this cruise were a catastrophy, to be sure. And I have to say it very harshly: I can’t remember a time or situation when I was more embarrassed to be German, than during this vacation. The behavior displayed was that of a five-year-old child. Unbelievable. They were complaining about every tired, boring thing not being 100% to their liking. Everyone was giving their best to make our vacation as fantastic as possible for us, but the ever nagging Germans can’t be pleased with anything. Not to mention that they, of course, would have done it all differently and certainly much better. And yes, they have to let everyone know, how it would have been done correctly, whether or not you want to hear about it is all the same to them. There were a few truly mortifying situations. During one of our excursions I even ended up apologizing to our tour guide for the rude and confrontational behavior of the people in my group. Imagine that. Yep, that’s how bad it was. Okay, enough of that.
Let’s enjoy some pictures instead…
All pictures by Claudia Braun 05/2025
Wanderlust – Eric Olivier Mario & Lumidelic
Thanks so much for stopping by, have a good week.
I’ll be back from vacation on May 21st. Take care and be well until then.
Food For Thought
If I recall correctly, I tried answering this question a time or fifteen. My response will remain the same: to live like a gypsy. I romanticize the idea of not being tied down to one specific place. I’d rather be free to leave anytime I want, to wherever my heart is happy at that point in time. With a sweet dog by my side, a few essential possessions as well as a truck, I’d be quite happily on my way, to follow the tip of my nose. That is my idea of freedom…
Since my return to Germany, I find myself comparing the life I live now with the twenty years in America. And as frustrated, or disappointed, as I am to admit this, the conclusion I reach is always the same. Here in Germany I feel like a caged animal. How good it is, that you can’t ask me to explain myself because I’m quite sure, that any attempt would end up being an epic fail. I can only share, how I feel. It’s a restlesness within, a desire to get away. Why? I don’t know. Strangely enough, in the US I didn’t feel that way at all. That is my self-imposed guilt trip…
I should count my blessings and be damn thankful for all of the positives in my life. Everything my mom does, to make sure that I’m okay, as well as the financial assistance I get from the German government. My life is so good, compared to the lives of millions of other people around the globe. I should really stop my whining, don’t you think? I mean, I have so many liberties every single day, that other people dream about, or pray for every night. But it’s never enough, is it?
You may be certain, that I am not happy with my response to this question. But, without some in-depth-thinking, I can’t give a better answer today. Sorry.
Drum Roll, Please
The public figure I disagree with the most is Donald John Trump, the 45th and 47th President of the United States of America.
La Cenerentola
This past Saturday, I saw “La Cenerentola”, a modernized version of Cinderella. It was being sung in Italian language with German captions. Although I will clearly slot myself into the ‘traditional opera’ category, I truly enjoyed this performance. It was another lovely evening at the theater.
On My Own
The fact that I am not a group oriented person to begin with, takes me out of the running for being a leader. Due to trust issues, resulting from past experiences, I hesitate to follow anyone’s lead. I guess that leaves me to my own devices, which is probably best anyway.
We Are One – Adam Frame
The ‘Off-Brand’ Kind
To start out with, I have a Samsung cell phone, because my mom got it for me. My other “luxury” is a refurbished Apple iPod. Other than that I’m the off-brand kind. On a rather small monthly budget, well known brands aren’t an option regularly. When I was still working, I didn’t need to turn every penny twice and could afford to purchase expensive things, just because I wanted to have them, not because they were a necessity. Among other things, I always had the newest model cell phone, Skechers shoes, Bruce Makowsky purses, pricier perfumes, Starbucks coffee 2-3 times per day and Victoria’s Secret clothing. Truth be told, I don’t miss those days, believe it or not. Subsequently I learned, that all these expensive goodies pacified the unhappiness and drama in my personal life. Since moving back to Germany and the circumstances I find myself in these days, due to mental health concerns and early retirement as a result, I am much more in touch with reality again. Off-brand items do just fine, I have everything I need and that’s good enough.
Spirit Sister
Just recently, the realization hit me, that I’ve always felt drawn to people, who are going their own way, or don’t really “fit into the system”. You know the kind of person, who isn’t all that involved, impressed or interested in what everyone around them is up to. They live their lives exactly how they see fit, won’t be forced into social norms if unacceptable to them and don’t concern themselves a whole lot, if at all, with how other people feel about it [without deliberately harming or upsetting anyone, of course]. That’s the kind of person I admire the most. Only one person fits that bill: my former friend and spirit sister Jamie. She has that quiet confidence. She’s not pushy, not loud, she doesn’t offend anyone or knock them down to get her way. And still, she is always unapologetically true to herself. Jamie won’t compromise a whole lot, or bend herself into a pretzel for anyone, when it comes to things truly dear and important to her. Even if she’s met with criticism and conflict, it makes no difference, she won’t budge. She has a truck load of quirks, that only “the right people, meant for her”, could embrace or find endearing. I don’t know how many times someone would roll their eyes up to high heaven because of how Jamie behaved, or something she said. All too often rude comments were directed at her. Whenever someone rejected Jamie, for whichever reason, she wasn’t fazed by that. A common response of hers was “Okay good, it’s your loss. Anything else? ‘Cause we’re losing daylight and I’d like to move on with my life”. Perhaps it takes a like-minded person to admire such qualities, I don’t know. Others may find behavior like this rude, self-centered, childish or whatever else. Jamie embraces who she is meant to be and is at peace with herself. She doesn’t need cheerleaders for her unique ways and quirks, nor anyone’s attention and approval. I have always admired Jamie for the way she is, and no matter what anyone else thinks, that will never change.
Trivialities & Intricacies 
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