It's an interesting feeling, when you've absorbed so much of a culture, that when you leave it, or end up somehow confronted with your old culture, you feel more connected to it than the culture you grew up in. I had a lot of this feeling over the last two weeks. First, my mother came to visit, and then I traveled to Belgium for a few days. Although these experiences were very different, they both brought out that feeling of wondering who I really am at this point, and, more importantly, who I want to become.
My mother arrived on Friday, March 6. She had never been to Germany before, and we figured it would be cool for her to visit me and for me to give her a tour. I came to meet her that afternoon, after my work day ended. After she got settled in her Airbnb, I took her on a long walk down to the Altstadt (Old City) and the Rhine. We talked about the problems she'd had with trying to take the train from the airport (the German train system is really confusing, frequently delayed, and especially difficult if you don't speak German). I showed her some of the important historical sites, like the citadel, the Roman amphitheater, and the Mainz Cathedral. I remember we frequently stopped, and my mom asked me what street signs and store names meant.
