It was quite a decade that we just closed out. It started with a sad, sad year when in September 2010 my dear Judy died of cancer. It was a very low point, but somehow I managed to not succumb to the pain and despair that I felt but rather tried to follow through on what I had promised Judy: to try to have as much fun by myself as the two of us had always intended and expected to experience together. I believe I've done an acceptable job in that quest.
Here we are, 334 blogposts later. I have been traveling, making new friends, losing friends and family to the grim reaper, developing new relationships (some longer-lasting than others), enjoying my bicycle-affiliated avocations, and staying fairly healthy to boot. Of course, I'm also ten years older but none the wiser, or so it sometimes seems. Overall, I'd be a fool if I complained about anything more important than a badly prepared steak on an American Airlines plane. Many of my friends say that I lead a dream life, and mostly I agree with them, yet I am never far from worrying that I'll wake up and the dream is gone.
The new decade is here, and let's be honest, in a couple of weeks I'll turn 64 and thus I have to assume that this will be the last decade that will allow me to pursue my lifestyle with the same vigor that I've always tried to apply to anything I do. There's going to come the day when I'll have to slow down (well, that has already happened on the bike to an extent) and maybe find more happiness in tending to an herb garden than flying a gazillion miles all over the world. Time will tell. Until that day comes, though, I think I'll try to explore a few new places, just like over these past ten years.
2019 ended similar to how it had started, with time spent in Europe. There were just a few days between my return from Taiwan and my arrival in Freising, just in time for Sabine's birthday. Traveling to Germany in December usually means more time spent indoors than out, and this trip was similar. The first three days were taken up with dinners, a wedding, and a big ol' birthday party (and one cold-yet-sunny bike ride). After that I left for a quick four-day trip to see friends in my old hometown, Schleiden, as well as my cousin and his family for a night in Cologne. Thanks to super-cheap first-class train tickets this was a comfy trip.
Tom and Regine, Urban and Salvatore, Ede and Thomas had all been part of that great Transalp adventure that they had shared with Judy and me back in 2002. That summer we rode from Geneva across the Alps to Nice. As you can imagine, there was quite a bit of reminiscing going on, but we also looked at where we are now, what their kids are doing, what my situation is like. And similarly, being with Paddy and Clio (and their two kids) in Cologne brought out beer, wine, food, and great conversation.
Back in Freising it was almost time for Christmas. Unfortunately I had somehow caught a bug and came down with such massive tonsillitis that I had to take my first batch of antibiotics in more than ten years. Sabine's brother, Christian, had come down from Dortmund for the holiday, and together with her son Jona the four of us had a fairly quiet, comfy Christmas. My throat recovered, helped along by more wine and beer and good food, and on my last day in Germany I felt well enough to ride the bike on one last (and cold) 2019 ride around the Freising area.
I bid farewell on December 29 since I had to time my return to the States in such a way that my miles and airline spending would count for 2019 so that I'd maintain my top-tier status with AA for yet another twelve months. I was picked up by my good friend Barry who with wife Suzie and son Max had arrived two days earlier from New York to take care of some family business. The three were staying at my house, so more wine and food and conversation. And not to break with tradition, we followed this up on New Year's Eve with raclette and Feuerzangenbowle at Wes and Susan's. None of the about sixteen guests caught on fire, which is always a good thing.
And so 2019 and the decade came to an end, and we said Prost Neujahr and Happy New Year and wished each other the very best, with heartfelt hugs and proclamations that we'll try to see each other more often in 2020. We always say that, and then the year is half over and we've visited just once or twice. Oh well. At least we have resolutions.
The mile counter in my AA account reset itself back to zero, which always fills me with despair and dread. But yesterday afternoon I bought the ticket for an upcoming race down in Argentina, so the year is going to start out strong once again. Let me close by expressing my hope that everyone who happens to read my mumblings will be able to fulfill all of her or his wishes, maintain health, happiness, and humor, and have the necessary resources to feel safe and stable. Nurture your family ties, and do the same with your friendships. If you can achieve all of this each and every day of this year, and the next, and then the remainder of the decade, you'll be looking back on the Roaring Twenties 2.0 as the best ten years you ever lived through!
Cheers!
Jürgen
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