"Germany or Bust"

Helllllooooooo Germany! I'm outta here on Wednesday making my way to Berlin's Marathon on Sunday. My friend, Becky, and I arrive in Berlin Thursday evening with race packet pickup Friday's main goal and then on Saturday, we'll make our way to the Village of Rosenwinkel, YES, the Village of Rosenwinkel where I, of course, am king!

Monday will be all about post-marathon relaxation and hangover nursing and then on Tuesday we head to Munich to load up on some Oktoberfest carbs finishing up near Frankfurt on the weekend attending the wedding of a friend including a pig roast and beer, beer and more beer!

This will be my third trip to Germany with the first having taken place nine days after September 11th. At that time, not only was it my first trip to Germany, it was my first trip ever to Europe having traveled to Munich with a friend and then heading off on my own to Berlin where I spent three very lonely days not having run across one other American including renting a car and finding my way to the Village of Rosenwinkel approximately 70 miles outside of Berlin in the former East Germany with the inability to speak or read German.

In many ways, unbeknownst to me at that time, because I had never done one, that trip was a lot like running a marathon; in the end, we're all alone out there with nothing to rely on but our own inner strength, fortitude, determination and training/life experience and it's not that those of us who choose to travel or run marathons are fearless, it's that we choose to face the fear digging deep bringing our entire self into the journey absorbing the process.

For me, the Berlin Marathon will have nothing to do with my time; it will have everything to do with the evolution of the past 6 years and how in many ways, I've grown as an individual and human being who is considerably more empowered with a stronger, more solid belief in his ability to not only achieve but to thrive.

Ultimately, for me anyway, the true meaning of life is all about finding peace during the struggle whatever the struggle may be.

In the meantime, enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!