When I was a kid, I always loved telling people my mom was 100% German, because I thought that meant something special. I thought it was a rare bragging right and very few people in the world were 100% anything. Ah, sweet childhood ignorance.
My Omi, age 16
It does mean something though…It means I have a lot of heritage I get to swim through and, for a girl who loves studying her family trees (probably because her mom’s 100% German) that’s a dream come true.
But the real dream coming true — and the reason for this Adventuring Author blog post — is the fact that that I will be en route to Germany with my 100% German mom (did I mentioned she’s 100%?) and my two sisters in three days.
The Trip
This trip has been a year in the making with lots of saving, squealing, and botched German phrases that we’re trying to speed-learn. I’ve been reading up on family history, we’ve been picking my grandmother’s (Omi) brain, and we plan to do a lot of…”bummeling.”
BUMMELING: To stroll or wander aimlessly with intent. (Tweet this)
Our 10-day adventure will take us from Paris, France up through Belgium and then the Netherlands, spending a full week in Germany and then back to France. (*dies*) I’m sounding very cool and collected as I type about my European road trip, but in reality I scramble for a brown paper bag every time I think about it. *deep breaths*
The Purpose
We’ll be visiting the small town where my grandparents grew up, a little restaurant where my Omi worked (where we will taste the local delicacy — eel!), and any other German village (or castle) that suits our fancy. I will be crouched in every local European coffee shop I can find, sketching scenery and jotting down descriptions.
This whole trip is book research, you know. 😉 (No, really…there is a lot of research for my current work-in-progress that goes hand-in-hand with this adventure)
My Omi and Opa met while on a ship sailing from Germany to Canada. They fell in love, got married, and cranked out five kids in just over three years. (For those of you scratching your heads about the math, she had one set of twins.)
My German grandparents on their wedding day (Also known as the two most attractive people on the planet.)
I grew up hearing phrases like “Ach du leiber!” (“Oh my heavens!”) and cooking by schnauze and saying “Danke schoen hat gut geschmeckt.” after every meal (not an easy phrase for a 7-year-old to learn.) We had potato pancakes with applesauce every Christmas eve and braunschweiger on toast.
Why am I sharing?
Because life –and especially adventuring — is meant to be shared. (Tweet this)
I don’t share this to brag, but because I want to take you on the adventure with me. I eat up other people’s blog posts about their journeys across the country by train, or their hikes along some abandoned mountain trail, or their travels to new countries. I love it. I love that God imbedded a sense of adventure in us.
I’m also sharing to ask for prayer. This is a pleasure trip, but every step of every day is an opportunity to share Christ’s love. Please pray that we are witnesses during our travels. Also, my handsome hubby will be traveling to Russia at the same time for a week of ministry with the Calvary Chapel in Tver. Prayers for him are greatly appreciated.
Our heritage shapes who we are. German heritage affected many aspects of my growing up years. I’m beyond blessed to have this once in a lifetime trip with my mom and two sisters. The very preparations for this adventure have taught me a lot about where I come from. I spot patterns of story telling and adventuring when I climb my family tree.
If you’d like to follow my journey in real time, I’ll be posting updates on my Instagram using the hashtag #bummeling.
So until next week, Auf Wiedersehen!
What is your family heritage? In what ways has it affected your life? (Tweet this!)
Look at all those blondies! You guys would have to be either German or Swiss! Gorgeous bunch of girls (thanks to those attractive grandparents!). My, this sounds soooo very fun, indeed. I’ll look forward to following on IG.
I’m 1/4 Czech, 1/4 English on my mom’s side. Dad is mostly Irish with some Cherokee. Kind of a crazy mix. Getting some genetics testing done for my son on 23 and Me recently…found I’m distantly related to Meryl Streep, so that’s kinda awesome!
Haha yeah, we’re definitely German! Thanks for the compliments. 😀
That’s so cool you’re related to Meryl Streep! Ha! Send her your book! 😛
Eep! Oh, Nadine, this is so exciting! Have an awesome trip! And, yes, I most definitely will be praying for you!
Well, as for my own heritage, I’m kind of a Heinz 57… A little bit of everything. 😛 But we’ve got some Canadian French on my Mom’s side, and some Irish (I think. It’s either that or Scottish, but I’m pretty sure it’s Irish.) on my dad’s side. But I’ve found out a bit more about my family tree of late, from spending a bit more time with Pappap, my grandfather from my dad’s side of the family. I already knew that we had a lot of pastors in our family tree, but I got to hear more about some of them, Pappap included. It was amazing. 🙂
Thank you, Natasha! I’m SOO excited. My travel-bug is jumping up and down.
That’s great that you’re learning more about your family tree! Heritage is something that you have limited time to learn about while your relatives are alive. I’m glad you’re exploring it. I think it’s fascinating! 🙂
I’m sure! Have a great trip!
Oh, and I just remembered that, on my mom’s side, I’m also related to Elisabeth Barrett Browning, a famous English poet in the Victorian Era. 🙂
Oh my! So excited for you!!! And maybe a little jealous. haha! Some day!!! I love researching my heritage. I have traced my heritage back to my great-great grandparents and would love to actually visit where they were born, which would include: Germany, Switzerland, Prussia, Luxembourg, and Austria. And my grandmother is from England, but I’ve not been able to find much family back ground for her side of the family. I grew up knowing words that I probably shouldn’t repeat and celebrating Oktoberfest and eating sauerkraut, potato pancakes, and liverswurst, dancing to polkas, and listening to the accordion. My grandfather played it. 🙂
Will be praying for you and can’t wait to hear all about it!
I have grand visions of all us spec-fic authors having a cool writing retreat in a cliffside castle in Europe someday. 😛
Wow, you have a rich heritage, it must be so fun to learn about all that history! And yes! Sauerkraut!! (Hubby still shies away from the stuff)
My grandfather also played the accordion! But he’s Italian.
Thank you for your prayers! 🙂
Yes indeed!!! I have my eye on a castle for rent over in France about 40 miles from Paris for a writer’s retreat one day!!!
Oh, I forgot, my grandparents when they would go out dancing during the Oktoberfests, they had the traditional clothes as well! One of these days, I will my own a dirndl, but I doubt my hubby would go for the lederhosen. 🙂
How do you pronounce Mbewe? And where is that from? (I’ve always wanted to know. I see you on Bethany Jennings’ posts. 😛
Nadine,
Best wishes to all of you (hubby included) in your travels.
I’m half German-half Irish on my mother’s side and half German-half-Dutch on my dad’s side. So I’m half German. Does that get any points?
My mother’s maiden name was Bauer, which is German for farmer. She grew up in a rural setting, but not on a farm.
My dad, on the other hand, was raised on a farm, which he took over when Granpa retired. My brother now lives on the same farm, though he doesn’t dairy, as did Dad and Granpa. The farm is still pretty much intact.
I’ve never been to Europe. Point of fact, I’ve only been out of the country twice. Both times over a bridge to Canada. Once to Windsor and once to Sault Ste. Marie (I’m a Michigander).
But, I have the distinction of living the furthest of five children from the home stomping grounds. I live in Kansas. Everyone else lives within four miles of the home place.
So I guess, in a sense, I am the adventurous one!
Best wishes,
Carrie
Thank you, Carrie! 🙂
Half German definitely gets points. 😛 And Canada is gorgeous. How fun that you got to explore a bit of it! Never let that adventurous spirit go out! 🙂
I’m nearly 100% Dutch. My dad had a German great-grandmother and it is believed there is some French and Scottish way back in my mom’s side of the family tree. On my mom’s side of the family, I’m actually a first generation American, which is pretty cool because I saw both my mom and my grandparents become US citizens.
A person’s heritage does shape who they are. Even as I little kid, I learned to always check for mold and expiration dates on the food I ate at my grandparents’ house (my mom’s parents). I didn’t realize until I was older that my grandpa and grandma were born in the Netherlands. They were children through WWII, and both had tough immigrations to Canada when they were in their teens. After the near starvation they faced during the war, they don’t throw food away. EVER. You cut the mold off and eat it.
I hope your trip goes well! It sounds like the dream European vacation! I’ve always wanted to go to the Netherlands to visit the places my grandparents’ lived, but I’ve never had the money or the time off of work. Maybe someday…
What are you going to see in the Netherlands? If you see the Afsluitdijk (the huge bridge/dyke connecting North Holland with Friesland), give it a smile for me, would you? My great-grandpa helped build it back in the 1930’s.
Wow, thank you for sharing about your heritage and how it affected your thinking and growing up! It’s so fascinating and makes me wonder how OUR heritage and upbringing will shape the next generation. 🙂
I’ll definitely give the Afsluitdijk a smile for you if I see it! How neat that your great-grandpa helped build it! We’ll be driving through Amsterdam and just staying in the Netherlands for one night. So much to see, but so little time!
The Aflsluitdijk is a ways north of Amsterdam, so you probably won’t see it. There’s too much to see just in Amersterdam!
So, do you have Reisefieber? LOL! Half Austrian here, so I grew up thinking Ruladen and cabbage rolls were standard fare for family feasts. And that I had to learn German, along with the French I had to learn because I was born on an Air Force base in France. I don’t know why I thought I had to, but I did. Makes travelling in Europe a whole lot easier!
I most definitely do! 😀
Wow, I would love to be able to speak another language. I know enough Russian to survive, and enough German to talk about food. Ha!
I love ruladen and cabbage rolls (with sauerkraut and not tomatoes). The first I order at the amazing German restaurant in my hometown. The cabbage rolls are a recipe from my English-Irish grandma who got it from a neighbor. We call them “pigs”, “pigs in the blanket” or “Polish pigs”.
Love it! How fun!
I’m also 3/8 German, and my husband’s about 1/4. It’s the only thing that both of us bring to the table, so our kids are more German than anything else. 🙂
Yay for more Germans! 😛
This is very precious daughter and you have honored myself as well as my parents. Yes, your heritage is unique and it is an awesome gift in life to be able to share this trip together with you and your sisters! I look forward to showing off the place of your grandmother’s birth and other “adventurous” places along the way. Let’s go bummeling to the nth degree! And shine the light of Jesus while we’re at it! XOXOX
I love you, Mom. 🙂 *HUG*
We had our DNA profiled. I’m 100% European on my Dad’s side and something like 99.6% European on Mom’s side. I’m mostly English-Irish-Scottish then German-French-Scandinavian. My family has deep roots in the United States my first ancestors were Dutch immigrants who landed in New Amsterdam (New York) in the 1600s.
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