And the winner is...Freiburg (im Breisgau)

I tried to play hard-to-get with the 'Boulder, CO' of DE. I was worried about its ego. When you live in one of the coolest places, it's hard not to let it go to your head. The truth is, I was pretty much immediately won over by the cyclist bridge directly in-front of the train station.

If you're traveling with children under the age of eight, the first stop is to buy some wooden boats to 'sail' along the canals. 

Side note: yes, Carmen has semi-permanent pink hair. I was in a rare position to make Carmen's pink hair dreams come true a couple of weeks ago. 

Step 1: Lost in Translation moment of booking one, two hour appointment instead of two appointments in one hour.

Step 2: Post field trip stroller nap

Step 2b: Continue sleeping once transferred to bike.

Step 3: Show me a happier kid.

But I digress...

Paul's former colleague, Cassandra, was the best tour guide of all time. She brought her own map, and showed us all the things.

And of course, Cassandra worked in stops for Carmen do what she does best:

Kuchen: 0, Carmen: 1

And she offered an optional hike extension for Hugo to be in his happy place:

The next day she lent Paul and me bikes so we could tootle around. 

Greenlake of Freiburg: check

Urban hike: check

Not pictured, acceptable Mexican food: check

The next day we head to Munich. 

The family snuggle seating on Munich S-Bahns was a plus:

I mean, look how much fun my kids are having.

And breakfast overlooking the city was baller:

Thank you Grandpa and Abuela for sponsoring such luxury!

But at the end of the day, no amount of frolicking in and around the city could hide that Munich is big and not the slowed pace we're seeking. 

I'm thankful that we still have another almost year-and-a-half in Berlin. I need time to convince more people that summer 2026 is the time to move to the Black Forest. I dare you not to fall in love with this city.

Book Report: A Burning in my Bones

I don’t know how this book found me but it was such an encouragement.

Eugene Peterson is best known for his modern translation of the Bible called The Message. Which, fun fact, he wrote while he was in his 60s and 70s. 

His story begins with how the rugged Montana landscape shaped his faith. As I have a couple little people who currently don’t want much to do with God, I’m feeling validated that a move to more nature could be good for their souls. Peterson mostly lived a “quiet” life of service until becoming famous at the end of his pastoral career due to the success of The Message. Around this time, Peterson returned to his birthplace to write and also invite friends to stay. 

There were a few mentions of seasons when the Petersons felt overstretched. One such time was after housing something like over 100 guests in a year. This is my segue into how I prepare myself for guests. 

Step 1: Set expectations 

In our case, I half jokingly send this blog. As you can see from the flow chart, our home is not only not a restful place, it can be hazardous to your health. We also let people know that we’ll try to be available as much as we can, but they’ll need to do some touring on their own as we have a lot going on with the kids.

Step 2: Gather Information

Do you have any dietary restrictions?

Do you have any mobility issues?

Is there anything you want to see?

Step 3: Give homework

Even if you’re pretty fit, there is so much more walking here. You need dedicated broken-in walking shoes and a sturdy travel stroller if you’re traveling with a kid under five. The goal should be to be able to walk 20,000 steps a few days in a row without feeling it the next day. Bonus points if you watch any of these movies while on the treadmill. 

Step 4: Prep Day

In a perfect world, this step is jotting down a meal plan and planning adventures. However, sometimes we host guests that are more emotionally challenging. For these guests, this preparation day is more prayerful/introspective. These are the questions I ask myself:

• Do I need to explain anything in advance to any individual kid, or to all of them?
• Do I have a hill to die on? What behavior am I going to just let go, verses when do I need to stand up for myself or my kids?
• Is there anything my partner wants me to address? 
• Where can I build-in breaks for myself, kids, or my partner?
• Which day might I need a Xanax?

Step 5: Pre-visit Rest Day

Weekly sabbath can be easily get eaten up by visitors. You’ve got to guard it with your life (or make it a priority if you’re not on the sabbath train).

Step 6: Post-visit Recovery Day

This is not the same as sabbath. This is likely putting your house back together or maybe showing some love to the kid who had a harder week because of said visitor.

Step 7: Post-visit Rest Day

This is a day where you take care of yourself. You put your life back together on step 6, this step is rest. 

Step 8: Prayer

Jokes, that should be step one - prayerfully considering visitors. But really, if you do find yourself in a pickle, having your girls praying for you makes a difference. Thank you my prayer people.