Nerdy Girl: Around the World

Since my dad has been here for my thanksgiving break and I have been showing him around, I have had the opportunity to make a few observations about father/daughter relationships which I will bring to light.

It’s amazing, that no matter how much older we all get, we still resort to the same old routine and mannerisms that we had with our parents when we were say, 10 years old.

1.  Somehow you still hold on to the belief that your pouty, trembling lower lip will have the same devastating effect on him that it had all of those 11 years ago.  Now it still works, although only sometimes so I have to use it sparingly.  (Oh the joys of being the only female offspring!)

2.  He still gets an inordinate amount of pleasure from embarrassing you in public.  Why else would he throw up his arms as you cross through Checkpoint Charlie from East to West Berlin and shout, with his arms up, “FREE AT LAST!”  The feeling I had at that moment was only slightly less mortified than when he showed up to my sixth grade dance, unmissable with his over 6 foot frame, and proceeded to wade through the little 11 year olds and call my name in order to get me to leave said dance.  It was awhile before I was able to sum up the courage to claim him as my relation.

3.  It’s obviously his fault that you desperately have to go the bathroom for the 123rd time that day while you are trekking through the wilderness of Potsdam (home of the Potsdam Conference of 1945) looking for some castle.  (Hey!  Drinking water is healthy!)  No doubt the freezing cold and occasional downpour was as well.  Subsequently you proceed to list the umpteenth bodypart that is in pain, mind you after at least 2 hrs of hiking, he asks whether or not you still have any that are still in tact you reply with, “Well, my mouth.”  (Thank god so as to notify him of any ailments that should still arise.)

BUT, not to worry, all ill-will is forgotten once we’re both toasty warm and digging into a good italian dinner back on Oranienburgerstrasse.