Thanksgiving this year turned out to be a success, even though I didn't have high hopes for it since I knew I would be here in Germany instead of at home with my family. My roommate Kat and I, along with the other American exchange student, Casey, planned the dinner and invited the two English exchange students and a friend of ours from Germany. We had all the Thanksgiving dinner necessities - rolls, corn, caramelized carrots, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, salad, cranberry sauce, pumpkin bread, and apple pie. The only difference was that we had chicken instead of turkey, which didn't really leave a void for me since I ate so much of everything else that I didn't even have room in my stomach to miss it.

Amidst all the Thanksgiving preparations going on in the Grüne Baum (the name of the building where the exchange students live), below my window on Gelbinger Gasse Street there were people bustling on the cobblestone streets setting up stands and booths for the Christmas Market. Christmas in Germany is a big deal and it is one of the things I was most excited about before coming here because I have great memories of going to the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas Market) with my grandparents when I was younger. The smell of sweet roasted sugary nuts and also of chestnuts, crepes, and waffles covered in powdered sugar never fails to put a smile on my face. The day after Thanksgiving, I went down to the market and stopped at a few stands and ended up buying a handmade book with handmade paper from Nepal.

On Saturday I went to Stuttgart again with one of my school friends to meet a friend with whom my mom went to school. He was awesome and took us to some interesting places. Riding the train and walking through the city with him was really nice because he knows so much history about Stuttgart and a ton about architecture so it was like my friend and I had our own personal tour guide. Our first stop was the Mercedes-Benz Museum. After walking into the futuristic, sleek, silver building with huge bands of windows encircling it, we bought our tickets, got our audio guides, and then took a space-like elevator that looked like a silver pill with a rectangular window and cream leather interior to the top of the building. From there, we made our way down from one floor to the next in a spiral-like motion, walking past walls of images and text that gave viewers a glimpse into the world events that were happening as the Mercedes-Benz company was born, developed, and grew. I admired old and new Mercedes cars, models from the late 1880's to the futuristic models that were on display. I never saw so many Mercedes in my life. After we were done there, we walked and then took the train (no, we did not take a Mercedes) to our next destination.

The next stop was the Weissenhof Siedlung, a revolutionary and very modern (for the time it was built, in 1927) development that is one of the most noteworthy landmarks left behind by the "Neues Bauen" (New Building) movement. One of the architects was Walter Gropius, who was a founder of the Bauhaus school. The aim of the designers was simplicity and reduction to the basic forms. The homes, with their long and short rectangular shapes and curved edges were a stark contrast to the Fachwerk houses that I was used to seeing in Schwäbisch Hall. But they still had their own little charm, maybe because they were so unique.

The last stop of the day was the Weihnachtsmarkt in Stuttgart, one of biggest Christmas markets in all of Europe, with an over 300-year-old tradition. It was humongous! The tops of the booths were beautiful-topped in greenery, Christmas decorations, and nativity scenes. To compare the sizes of the Christmas markets in Schwäbisch Hall and the one in Stuttgart, let me just say this: shrimp and whale, respectively. It was amazing. I loved hearing the Christmas music and smelling the cinnamon and vanilla in the air. We ate roasted chestnuts and drank warm Glühwein, a mulled red wine that is flavored with spices and slices of oranges. For dinner we ate Steckerl fish, a grilled fish specialty marinated in oil, spices, and garlic. It was delicious and so was the bread that came with it. For dessert we had one of my favorite Christmas treats, Gebrannte Mandeln, sugar-coated roasted nuts. After making that purchase, we had to quickly weave through the crowds, walking so fast but not quite running, to make it to our train in time. Fortunately we made it with three minutes to spare, enough time to say our goodbyes and thank yous for the wonderful time we had. With Christmas now around the corner, I am looking forward to more good times with the great people whom I've met here, and I'm also excited to be coming home to see my amazing friends and family.