On December 23rd, 2011 I was with my family, enjoying the last evening of the Christmas Markets of Munich. Â This year we had decided not to buy each family member a present, but instead this year we’d do a “Secret Santa” where we would pull a person’s name out of a hat, and only buy them a gift. However, that person couldn’t know who was their “Santa”. Â This secretiveness, combined with just the amazing sights of a real German Christmas Market, meant I was especially distracted and awestruck. Throughout the night I did fall behind, or dart around to another stall, causing my father some distress for loosing me in the crowd. And of course my recipient of the Secret Santa was my father, so I didn’t want him to see what I was buying for him so at times I was purposely doubling back to try to buy an item without him seeing it.
Its easy to see how I would get distracted!
At one point in the night, my father and I were separated from my sister and mother. We decided to meetup at the corner of the Marienplatz near a dragon crawling up the building. This had become an unofficial meeting place whenever we got separated during the last few days we had been at the market so we waited there until the rest of the family materialized. Â After getting the “do not get lost” lecture one more time, we decided to explore further down, to see if one of the other smaller Christmas Markets were open.
Our meeting place when we got lost.
We did find the market, but at that point the family was tired so went inside a cafe for a drink. I was hungry so I decided to run over across the street to the Medieval Christmas Market for food. I waited in line for a while, but as it was the last night most of that market ran out of food while I was waiting. Defeated and still hungry I met up with my parents at the cafe. They were ready to walk back. I told them of not finding food at the market and said “The first sausage stall I find, I’m going to buy something.” They agreed, so we started walking.
However, they were walking at a snails pace. And I was now ravenous. I would dart up further in the crowd trying to see if there were any stalls still open with food. The Christmas Markets would only be open for another hour or so, and many were sold out. I would dart back, urging my family on. But they continued to walk slowly. I again darted further up and success! Â I found a sausage stall. I got in line and got the last sausage. I then went around to the back, expecting to see my parents stroll up. I hadn’t been gone that long…but they weren’t there. I walked up and down looking for them, but couldn’t find them.
I started to worry, my father had warned me that if I got lost one more time, they would just go on without me. I again go to the prearranged meeting place…and waited…and waited. When no one showed up I frantically ran around trying to find them, but to no avail. I waited over an hour, and while waiting a man walked up to me. “American?” “Yes” I said. “Happy Christmas” he said. I, with tears then said “I’ve lost my family, and don’t know what I should do….” He looked at me, gave me thumbs up, and said “No English. Bye!”
Its mocking me!
It was at this point I realized my plight. With tears in my eyes I knew my father had given up on me, and had continued on without me. Â And that he would be pissed. I also was worried that the subway and U-Bahn might close as it was now past 10PM, I headed down to the subway. I have a great sense of direction so I wasn’t worried about navigating the multiple stops and lines back to the apartment. But I was without a ticket, and I couldn’t figure out the ticket machine. I gave up and just ordered a ticket in the middle of the price range, hoping that would work. I then got on the cold subway and made my way back.
When I reached the final stop I got out and then realized…I didn’t have the key. I had had it all other days, but today my father had it. Fear gripped me. I didn’t know if they were back yet, or they had been back hours ago and were too angry to let me in. So I decided to turn around and see if the subway had somewhere to sit for a little bit so I could think of what to do before I tried to get into the apartment. And as I turned around, coming out of the other door for the same U-bahn car I had been in…was my family. We had been sitting in opposite directions and hadn’t seen each other!
It was a Christmas miracle! My father was so angry with me he wouldn’t speak to me the rest of the night, but my mother just laughed that we had been on the same car. They told me they thought I was ahead of them, and then when they realized I was gone…they just decided I would have my fun, and they would have theirs. However, I think my father was a little less angry with me knowing I had waited for them while having an awful time and that I wasn’t just gallivanting without them. Â And I think the German Beer Stein I gave him on Christmas definitely helped, it was what he always wanted!
Travel Missteps is an every-other week series on how sometimes part of the journey is making mistakes and getting lost.
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