Nordrhein Westfalen

 I spent this weekend exploring Nordrhein Westfalen, my home state here in Germany. I did it because it seemed like it would be more relaxing, and it was cheaper, and In's tentative Romantische Strasse plans fell through. I'm so glad I did. We saw Essen and Dusseldorf and Wuppertal and Munster, abandoned coal mines and fields of new green wheat. I think I associate with this part of Germany in a strange way. I'm from Missouri. We've got the Arch and they've got the Cologne Cathedral. Otherwise it's a lot of agriculture and industry that might have passed it's heydey. A surprising amount of nice nature and a few really good universities. The Rhine and the Mississippi.

I find myself defending it with surprising vigor. And then, I'm not sure if there's any connection, I read a month's worth of back issues of my friend Tina's blog. Missouri is part of me. But it's a long long way away now. I don't know how it's going to feel to go home...