Traveling the World: Finding Community

"Traveling - it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller" - Ibn Battuta

When I was in Arizona last winter, a good friend pointed out that often stories of my travels start off with the phrase, "When I was in ..." and I can fill int the blank with a variety of countries, but my most visited country by far is Germany. I like to joke that I blame my parents for my love of traveling because they sent me to visit family living in Japan as a teenager. My first trip to Europe was decided by a phone call from my mom asking if I wanted to attend a UCC Forum in Germany and I immediately responded, "yes!" 

I have a friend who also likes to travel the world, and she frequently calls me up when she finds "a good deal" and we book a trip somewhere. She is the reason I agreed to go to Spain and Portugal during a COVID nap, and she found a good deal to Vietnam, somewhere she had wanted to visit, and I suggested adding on Cambodia because it would include seeing Angkor Wat, the largest religious temple in the world. The thing I have actually found as I travel is that I have more of a desire to see more of the world.

Sometimes I get asked why I go to Germany so much. My name (first and last) is more common in Germany than in the US. Some traditions in our family, like St. Nick's Day, come from our German roots. German was my foreign language of choice in high school. As an adult, I have learned what Kirchengemeinschaft is and engaged in it many times.  

The tradition of Kirchengenmeinschaft is church communion or community. That's what Germany is for me, a community of people I have gotten to know and care about through the church. Over the years, beginning way back before I ever visited Germany, when I was still in university, I met friends working at the UCC Heartland Conference's summer camp. It was also during university that I first went to Germany and have since had many visits to Germany and made many friends along the way. The other day, I was telling my mom that I just realized that I have never been to Germany and not attended a church-related event, but I honestly don't think I would do it any other way.

You may wonder why I am writing so much about Germany when this is a mission trip to Kenya. Well, when I decided to join the group going to Kenya, I had literally just booked a trip to Germany, so I said I couldn't go to Kenya. We all knew that I would figure it out and my commitment to go to Kenya became a "yes" very quickly, so I changed my previously booked flight so I would be able to join the group in Kenya. I'm starting my travels with a week through Germany, ending it with a visit with our church partners before I fly on to Kenya. 

Accompanying me through these travels is my trusty travel companion, my travel gnome. My gnome was given to me by my dear friend, Nina, from Germany, whose mother knits them. Their purpose is to be a companion, so you are not lonely during your travels. I promise to take many photos with my gnome and share their experiences along the way. All the gnomes also have their own Instagram account (lolas_gnomes). 

The gnome and I are so excited to visit a new continent and go south of the equator. We do not have expectations of what we will see and do in Kenya, and that is the way I like to travel, because it allows us to experience new things with an open mind. I hope you will follow us on both this blog and on IG as we continue to see the world! 

- Annette