Future Teammates in Nuremberg

I'm catching up on posting about my October travels; here's the story of my trip to Nuremberg on the last weekend of the month. 

I haven't spent much time with my future Middlebury teammate Kirk Horton, but it feels like we've been friends for a long time. By coincidence we both ended up in Germany when we decided to take gap years, and both of us are playing soccer here. Next September we'll join the freshmen ranks at Middlebury and fight for roles on the soccer team. I was so excited to make the connection with Kirk, and our back and forth discussions throughout our time in Germany have been fun. More fun, however, was the chance to meet up at Oktoberfest. And best yet, I was able to travel my last free weekend in October to meet him in Nuremberg.

Half-timbered houses in Nuremberg's Altstadt

Kirk met me at the Nuremberg Hauptbahnhof late on Friday afternoon, and we made our way back to Furth where he lived. Furth is about double the size of Bad Homburg, and although there are plenty of things to do in the small city, Kirk said he makes the short trip to Nuremberg very often. He lives in an apartment on the sixth floor of a building--not an ideal location, but at least a huge grocery store sits across the street. While waiting for his roommate Wagner to return, we set out for a walk along the trails of a nearby park. It was the perfect chance to catch up, as the craziness of our Oktoberfest meeting wasn't ideal for conversation. I finally got the full explanation of Kirk's situation in Germany. He lives with Wagner, who is Brazilian but resides in Connecticut. They have connected with other Americans through Kirk's program, but they all play for different clubs. Kirk used this program to get situated in an apartment and with a soccer team, whereas I used my host family to communicate with my club.

By the time we got back it was dark, and we realized that with daylight savings coming soon, we would both have to get used the early nightfall. I soon met Wagner, and the three of us had an excellent evening in Nuremberg which included high quality burgers at Chong's restaurant. Despite the name, the place was as American as it gets. Later we met two Adidas employees--one who lives in Germany and the other who traveled from the States. Nuremberg is home to both Adidas and Puma--as the story goes, two brothers got in a fight and started rival companies in the city. Both of the guys we met have had the opportunity to travel the world recruiting players to wear Adidas gear, searching for the next Messi. It seemed like an awesome job.

First snow flurries of the year, though many trees still have their golden leaves

Nuremberg has an extensive Old Town. As we walked through the cobblestone streets the next day amid snow flurries, I felt the slight whispering of Christmas. The markets in Nuremberg were a highlight, and I can only imagine what it's like when the Christmas Market time arrives. We all ate the traditional "three bratwursts on a roll" and some Bavarian style cookies. Bavaria truly feels different than the rest of Germany, and I'll explain more when I write about my recent trip to Bamberg.

A large market square in the center of Nuremberg

We spent a good chunk of time up at the Nuremberg Castle, which looks out over the city. It wasn't as spectacular as the views from the Heidelberg or Edinburgh castles, but it was beautiful on the snowy afternoon.

There was one part of the day, though, that I will remember for a long time. We tuned into the Middlebury versus Amherst NESCAC quarterfinal soccer game, and together watched our future team get crushed. As Midd's chances to mount a comeback dwindled, we started talking about the future--our future. Next year, we'll be out there; the next game that Middlebury soccer plays, our names will be on the roster. And we will be able to say to each other, "We were together in Germany when Middlebury last played--now it's our turn." 

It's the greatest of coincidences that we both get to experience Germany and European soccer. Not many teammates can say that they hung out in Europe before they ever played on the same field or attended the same school. Writing this makes me excited about my time at Middlebury. If my other teammates on the soccer team are as nice as Kirk, it will be an unbelievable career.

Click here to see all of my photos from Nuremberg. I apologize for not getting any pictures with Kirk. I guess those will have to wait until we see each other next--at Middlebury, most likely!