Part 2) An Idea
I'm on the night train, from Rome to Munich. It's late, the trains is full though, and everyone is chatting. I only hear Italian and German, no English. I miss my family. I had a bad conversation with the ticket lady at the train station. She was annoyed with me because I had no idea what I was doing. I am sitting there in the train, wondering if I have made a mistake, coming out here by myself. I was really down actually, which was weird, considering where I had been and where I was going.
As I sat there, A beautiful woman began walking down the isle. I made eye contact as she got closer. She smiled, a big genuine smile and held eye contact with me as she walked by. For just a moment, I felt much better. I immediately went back to feeling morose, but then I started thinking, "what if I just smiled?"
All she had done was smile at me, but it brightened my spirits for a minute. How powerful was that! I thought, if she can do that, so can I. I decided that I would smile at everybody, genuinely and I knew that if I did, it could make them feel happy, if only for a second, and my goal was going to be to make everyone around me happy! I have to say, that was one of the best decisions of my life. The next two weeks, I had the time of my life.
The next person I spoke to was at a train station that I had to make a stop at, to transition to a different train, on the way to Munich. I still didn't quite have the drill down yet, so I had to ask some questions to the person at the ticket counter. I smiled, what felt like a huge awkward smile with my teeth showing as I walked up. I was faking and I felt like she new it, as I started to ask about my seating ticket and where exactly I needed to go to get on the right train?
She was extremely helpful and genuinely nice. She actually made me feel better with her smile than I did her with mine, even though, I was trying. I was excited about my new experiment, to smile at everyone and create as much happiness as I could, wherever I went. I felt like It was already working and I actually really felt it, too!
I felt great as I checked in to the Jagermeister hostel in Munich. Italy had been incredible, but in Germany, I already had a feeling of being home. My experiment was part of it, plus the beautiful summer weather and the kind of food that I love. I put my bags away and took the certificate for a free beer that I received at chek-in up to the bar. I got the only beer they had (St Augustine, on draft of course) and sat at the bar, smiling and talking to the bartender.
An older gentleman came into the bar, ordered a beer, and sat down at a table. I walked over, with a big smile, and said, "Hi, How are you doin'? and stuck my hand out to shake his. He smiled, shook my hand, asked me the same question and we introduced ourselves. I found out that he was from was the states and we sat there and had a nice discussion. I can't remember what we talked about besides a leg injury of his and my new theory about smiling.
We talked for a while, until I noticed 3 guys come in, order, and sit at a table. After talking to my new friend a bit longer, I go over to the table of 3 and introduce myself, with a big goofy grin on my face. I am still kinda faking, and I feel a bit more nervous faking it with peers my age, but they are very friendly in return and I end up drinking, chatting, and laughing with them for a bit.
While we were chatting, a group of girls have entered the bar and are drinking St Augustine and chatting at a table in the corner. Again, I walk over and introduce myself with a big smile, they are friendly and polite and I learn that they are from England and on a summer holiday, and then I ask them if they would like to join me and my friends. They say no, but thank me, so I smile and tell them to come on over if they change their minds. I go back to my new friends and we continue chatting for a few minutes. After about 10 minutes, the 3 girls from England come over, ask to join us and I begin to introduce everyone.
I am second from the left
My new friend in the white shirt had a particularly good time. Over the next few hours, we continue to drink and chat, and I continue to introduce myself to everyone in the bar. At this point, the bar is packed. I am making rounds around the entire bar having 5 minute conversations with everyone in my path, before coming back to what is pretty much the party table at this point - which is all of the first people I met and a few more that have joined us.
At one point, the whole table is playfully talking trash about who is better, the US, or the UK. Some how it ends up the my new friend in white must kiss the foot of my other new friend from the UK because, he was a bit to aggressive. He happily obliged, but when my new from the UK got a bit too aggressive herself, I suggested that now she must pay a penalty. What did she have to do, she asked. I thought for a minute and decided that she must lick my friends ear. She obliged and everyone had a laugh.
Later in the evening, two girls walked into the bar that caught everyones attention. A brunette that was definitely over 6ft tall and her shorter brown haired, green eyed friend. They had the eyes of the most of the guys in the bar and at my table so I told a couple of my new friends that challenged me to watch me prove my theory as I walked up smiling and introduced myself to them.
I chatted with the taller girl for 5 minutes or so about German history, that she was studying, among other things and then walked away to go chat up someone else. As I was beginning a conversation with someone else, the girl grabbed me by the arm, turned me to face her, and said, "I was talking to you!" I laughed and chatted her up a bit more, before I went back to my table.
The next morning, I was sitting and talking with some people in the lobby, that I had met in our hostel room. We were recapping the night before and planning the day ahead. A guy walked up to me and said something in German and shook my hand. I smiled and shook his hand, even though I had no idea what he said. My friends laughed and told me as he walked away, that he said that I had inspired him the night before and he had thanked me. It was a pretty awesome feeling.
That day I went to the Hofbrau House with some people that I had met at the hostel. They've apparently been brewing beer there for 2000 years. The place is full of long benches and tables that are shared by everyone. It was a loud exciting place, with a traditional German horn band and the whole 9 yards!
Munich is a beautiful city. A free bike tour was one of the highlights. I did not go to the infamous concentration camp, dachau, but after a lengthy conversation with someone who did, my last afternoon noon there was somber as I contemplated what happened not so long ago. That night at the hostel bar, I was telling a friend about how much I loved Germany and how it's good that dachau is remembered so it doesnt ever happen again.
Germans are embarrased about this part of their history but they remember it, and are proud of who they are, as they should be, as I am. Germany is one of the greatest places in the world. The bartender heard me say this and sat down two shots of Yaeger in front of me and my friend. I love Germany!
Note: After 3 days in Munich, my idea has put me into a completely different state of mind. Unfortunately, I'm about to walk into a completely unexpected situation in Frankfurt. Stay tuned for Part 3) A close call. It will be out tomorrow!
here it is: Part 3) A Close Call