Family Shenanigans, Part 1: A Birthday

Boy, it has been a busy few weeks for me! This month has involved so much family and so many family gatherings that I will forever think of it as the Shaw-Schu-Schae Reunion Month.

The day after our counselor training academy, I took a red-eye flight to Berlin. My Oma, you see, turned 90 years old this month, and that's a big deal and a cause for celebration!

90 roses for 90 years

Schuberts, Schaefers, and Shaws turned up from all over the world for Oma's big day. From Berlin, we took a road trip to Bad Godesberg, the town near Bonn where both of my maternal grandparents are from (and where many of my distant relatives still live). I had been there once before, but only for sightseeing in Bonn and nearby Cologne, so it was nice to reconnect with some family history.

The "ancestral hometown" of the Schaefers and the Schuberts.

We stayed at a really nice hotel, right on the Rhine, called the Dreesen. The hotel itself is gorgeous, and holds sentimental value for my family. It was right on the Rhine, too, so every morning I awoke to the beautiful views of ships churning to and fro on the Rhine in autumn.

Hotel Dreesen

View from our window.

The day before the big party, we all took a walk around town as a family. Bad Godesberg is a beautiful place (I will definitely be going back!) and a lovely town to walk around. It's like something out of a storybook.

Walking around the town.

We made sure to stop by the Rüngsdorfer Friedhof, the cemetery where my Opa is buried. This was important to me, because when my Opa died when I was still pretty small -- my brother and I weren't able to go to the funeral, and I had never visited his resting place before. Twenty years later, I finally got to pay my respects to my Opa.

Oh, hey there, Opa! (and other relatives)

The next day, it was time for the Big Party. Excitement buzzed through the whole family. The table was immaculately set, the menu carefully chosen -- and boy was it delicious! Many of the foods were Rhineland specialties: some kind of fish tartare, mushroom soup, sauerbraten, knödel, and fancy ice cream... yum. Prosecco, beer, and wine flowed freely, conversation flourished, people laughed and talked, and several people gave really sweet and heartfelt toasts.

The best part was that the whole family was together. On the German side of my family, we have people living in Brazil, Chile, and Texas...and Germany, of course, so it's not often that we all get together. But for Oma's 90th, we all made the effort, and it was wonderful. I know it meant a lot to everyone!

Table is set for dinner!

My cousin and I dressed up and ready to go!

Oma flanked by her two siblings.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag, Oma!

The next day, it was time for me to return home -- but not for long. I was at home for only about 48 hours, at which point I jumped right back on a plane and flew to London. That's the story for the next blog post: Family Shenanigans, Part 2: A Wedding.