This past week for whatever reason was vibrating more on the negative side of the sin wave. The lows of emotions are physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting.
Feeling the fluctuations of the energy of the day influences turmoil. In this particular instance I believe the cold snap directly affected some of these emotions.
The warm weather and the sunshine embraces like a warm hug. A hug that pulls you out of the winter time slump. So when mother nature says “psych” it’s hard not to dip a little low. Some motivation that keeps light during these colder moments is my husband’s stories of his world travels and places he wants to share with me someday. “Your light is so pure, kind and loving. Blessed to have your support. I love spending my days with you, no matter where in the world, as long as we are together. Your JEMI”
Without further ado, I give you William Inkley’s “Hidden JEMs”;
JEMI
A brief synopsis of where my travels began;
Throughout my childhood we spent summers in a tent all across North America. These are some of my greatest memories. However, the meat of my travels began after graduating from Lakehead University as a kinesiologist and teacher.
The Christmas before graduation I attended a wedding with a friend. We were seated with young professionals who happen to work in Central and South America. Talking teaching adventures around the world and with the vast surplus of teachers in Ontario, even for a male primary/junior teacher, positions were sparse.
This then brought me to a job fair with the mindset of finding work in Central America…
Hola, Sun, Fun, Beaches, et Senoritas!
However, this did not come to fruition. The closest I came was a Mexican school in Monterey.
I ended up interviewing for a new formed English immersion private school in Germany known as Phorms! Steve Mear was the head of the Frankfurt school. Which at the time had three classes and the talented young teacher Andrea Prymok from Toronto. So the headmaster was eager to collect more Canadian talent for the ever-expanding schools.
Steve and I hit it off instantly. He was a large jovial Brit who had taught at several military bases in the Middle East. We spent most of the interview discussing rugby. Leaving there I had a letter of intent and just needed to finish my teachers college degree, which was a foregone conclusion. I knew this because on the first day of orientation, you applied to graduate.
From here the hot sunny Central America teaching dream turned into quite the opposite. Beautiful, wet, overcast Frankfurt, or the central hub of Europe.
A little bit of shock. But after being around the world to 60 plus countries, it could not have been a better place for me to spend five glorious years. Exploring, eating and indulging on countless local delights. Speaking of which, one of my favourite places in Frankfurt is Adolf Wagners. Frankfurt isn’t known for its beer like most of Germany. Apfelwein is the historic drink of choice, a very tart cider served out of clay jug known as a Bembel.
Wagners in Sachsenhausen, the famous bar scene in Frankfurt is a little touristy. But with its interior courtyard dining and large bench style seating, don’t be surprised being seated with strangers. You will be clinking glasses with new friends in no time. Schnitzel is of course a safe bet, yet you can get it on any street corner! The hidden jem, is the pork shoulder blade. The number of times this scapula served on a plate with kraut, delighted myself and others was countless. Also if you visit in spring, white asparagus is in season and is served dripping in hollandaise sauce. A perfect pairing to any dish.
Frankfurt is the banking capital of Europe, making it a metropolitan mix of cultures and people from everywhere. It doesn’t have the international draw of Berlin or Munich for tourists. But the international airport 10 minutes away served as the jump off point. For Lufthansa 99€ flights, for weekends across the continent! Plus the high speed train network had you in Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Berlin, Zurich in 4 hours. Truly the Center of Europe.
Frankfurt is still home to my best friend… Postcards and video chats really connect this world. Some days I miss it but wouldn’t change my homecoming decision in 2013. As not long after arriving, my future wife and family materialized before my eyes which occurred during a major career change, but that story is for another day.
Check back sometime to hear about some of the most obvious must see places. From Egypt, Portugal and Italy, with a sprinkle of overrated destinations and sites… But also for some of my favourite hidden JEMs, from Africa, Croatia and many more.
WDI
Edited by JEMI