Wasserfall

At the break of dawn I was awakened by a voice of the bus driver informing the sleepy passengers that we had arrived to our destination. My dreamscape quickly dissolved as the excitement of the unknown kicked in. I was alone in a new city with only one day to make the most out of my first solo travel adventure, before moving on to my university town. As I dragged a heavy red suitcase in search of my hostel, Munich was slowly waking up. It was just after 6 AM and I was craving a very strong coffee or a very efficient power nap. An hour later, after having left my luggage at the reception and a brief examination of both my mental and paper map, I walked out bravely into the city. The lovely architecture around Marienplatz was hiding some very interesting shops of traditional Bavarian costumes, full of colorful Dirndl dresses and Lederhosen. I tried to imagine how the city looks during Oktoberfest and if it would be socially acceptable or even required to drink beer this early in the morning during the festival. Since this contemplation of life, beer and the universe didn’t bring me to a definitive answer, I realized it was time to move on.
I wandered in the direction of Englischer Garten where I had intended to spend the rest of the morning. This urban park is larger than NYC’s Central Park and I decided to take my time to fully enjoy it. I walked past families enjoying a morning stroll, joggers and students soaking up the spring sunshine. I looked around, searching for a scenic corner where I could observe the people and the nature around me. After a short stop by the Japanese Tea House I stumbled across a detailed map of the Garden. Even though my knowledge of the German language is very limited, I was sure that the word “wasserfall” must indicate that there is a waterfall nearby. My attention shifted towards finding this waterfall in the middle of the city. After a few minutes, my curiosity was rewarded - I had found my travel treasure. I sat on the bench overlooking the waterfall, feeling the warm sun on my face. As the water murmured calmly, I reached into my backpack and spent the next hour reading, thinking how it is places and moments like these that inspire people to write, draw, and live. The beauty and the spirit of this place filled me with a calm kind of happiness. I realized I was an explorer at heart, eager to find more travel treasures and share their dreamlike beauty. Because everyone deserves to sit by a waterfall on a Wednesday morning.