Chapter 14 Closing Thoughts
After slowly strolling down Main Street, and exiting MK through the turnstiles, we all knew the inevitable had come.....the time that we all had to say goodbye! Our trip had come full circle from that initial meeting and greeting as DISfriends, to departing after four days together as what felt like real friends based on so much time together. And that brings me back to what I posted early in this portion of the TR about the day we met in front of Soarin'. As a reminder, I am posting that portion of the update again here.
When Katharina walked up I greeted her with a hug like I did Magdalene, but this time I felt like Katharina wasn't quite as receptive. Now I don't share this to embarrass Katharina in any way, but to discuss things you can run into at times with different cultures. I wasn't sure if I had overstepped my bounds, or violated some protocol of German culture, or just caught Katharina by surprise.
It wasn't anything really that Katharina did. I didn't know if hugs were something we often do so easily as a greeting in the United States that isn't quite as common in Germany. But Magdalene didn't seem to have a problem with it, so maybe it was because Katharina is married and that caused the difference? I know Magdalene is a little more outgoing here on the DIS and maybe I just caught Katharina by surprise, or maybe she was just a little less comfortable showing outward expression like that and a little more shy? I just hoped I hadn't offended her and strained International Relations in some way and told myself I might need to be a little more careful since not every culture, or even everyone in any particular culture, is necessarily the same.
(Now before anyone gets upset with me about this little revelation of my initial interaction with Katharina I have talked this over a little with Magdalene and I think I have some additional light to shed on this topic, but that will come later in the trip report, so you will just have to wait for the final analysis.)
Magdalene is the more visible sister here on the DIS, and we have all probably gotten to know her a little better with time than we have gotten to know Katharina. So during this trip, it might have been easy to spend more time with Magdalene, but I had made a conscious decision not to do that. First of all it would have been rude to focus predominantly on Magdalene and essentially ignore Katharina, but also this was a great opportunity to get to know Katharina better and I really wanted to take advantage of it. There were times Magdalene would engage Jonathan in conversation as they led us through the parks, and I would take that opportunity to walk along with Katharina and have some really interesting and sometimes funny conversations with her. I was really happy I got to spend this time with Katharina and I felt like I got to know her better and find out that she is quite enjoyable to spend time with. In the future if any of you get a chance to spend time with Katharina and get to know her better I would highly recommend it. You will certainly be enriched by the experience.
Now, back to the reason for repeating what happened during that initial meeting. As we reached the point where Magdalene and Katharina would head towards the busses for their return trip to The Boardwalk, and Jonathan and I were headed for the monorail and the parking lot to retrieve our car, it was time to say goodbye. As I hugged Magdalene goodbye, I couldn't help but flash back to the earlier meeting with Katharina and wonder exactly how I should handle it this time around. But I was worried for no reason. As I turned to Katharina, she moved towards me and gave me a goodbye hug. As much as it hurt to finally say so long to what I felt had become good friends, I left with the wonderful feeling that Katharina and I had gotten closer and I had two sisters in Germany that were now good friends.
Jonathan and I had an uneventful end to our trip. We got up early the next morning, had our cinnamon roll and maybe a little more from the breakfast bar in the hotel, and then we were on our way home. And with that our trip, and this TR, finally come to an end.
Saying goodbye is always a sad thing to do. I guess I have kept this TR going for so long, in a way it is hard to see it end. But life is filled with changes, and the time has come to move on to the future and the journeys to come. With no future trips planned for marvali, and life with the twists and turns it throws us, it is time to say goodbye for now.
But always remember, you never know where Ol' Marv will show up again. Just like Roz
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I'm watching, alllllllllways watching!!!
just really busy with things right now...looking forward to more...and maybe a new marv trip in the future to read about every few months.
You have been missed around here, but I sure understand the busy thing! 
You would have thought she would have mentioned it before
