Raise your hand if you like to go hiking and wandering around in the wilderness! 

One of the biggest differences between the US and Germany is the amount of open space. Germany just doesn't have that much of it. For instance, according to Wikipedia and mathematics, Germany is roughly 7 times more densely populated than the US. Now I know 7 is a magic number and all, but for someone who finds peace and quiet and nature and isolation as magical, that number 7 definitely loses its sheen when put in this context. 

A good thing to come out of all of this is that nature in Europe is very accessible, which is awesome for people without cars (AKA me). I can easily jump on a train or bus and reach a trail or mountain or lake within an hour.

But the greatest part about walking up mountains in Europe, is the restaurant at the top. There is always a restaurant at the top. It's amazing. And these restaurants have the best food and it's not just because you've just spent hours scaling the Matterhorn. They're family-owned, family-run, and European mountain food is also just downright delicious (in my opinion). The photo here is one of my own - at the restaurant at the top of Säntis, the highest peak in the Appenzell Alps in Switzerland. 

I'm going to let you make the "oh the mountain is the hard thing I need to accomplish this week and the restaurant at the top is the satisfaction of finishing the job" connection on your own because my English skills are deteriorating at an astonishing rate.

Oh, and you can put your hand down now.