Finally starting!

Exactly one month after actually arriving in Cologne, Germany, I've decided to finally start posting in the blog page that I created while sitting in the Dallas Airport.  Here I'll try to recap the past month I've spent here, as well as post new occurrences as they happen.

But where to begin?  I suppose I'll start with this most recent weekend, which has been almost entirely dedicated to the celebration of Carnival.  I had no idea what Carnival was before I came here, and the best way I can think of to describe it is "half Halloween, half Mardi Gras."  Starting the Thursday before Ash Wednesday and ending on Ash Wednesday itself, Carnival is basically a time when people wear costumes, take to the streets, drink lots of beer, and essentially party for six straight days. Cologne is especially known for its Carnival celebrations, and it did not disappoint.

Most of my photos are posted on Facebook at this point, and I'll keep adding them there since it's easier to do. I will add some here from time to time as I continue to update.  Here's a sampler:

We met a woman from Indiana. USA! USA! USA!

And that's when things got weird...

 Until next time!