Mission accomplished in Germany’s former capital. I may have not seen much of Bonn last night outside of the Christmas markets, which were unfailingly, satisfyingly atmospheric, as well as a typical, perfectly-located German brauhaus that served the largest single-serve pig leg I’d ever seen on a plate, but our short visit was a success on many fronts.

After almost 10 years I was reunited with a dear, dear friend, Dionne, one of the very first people I’d met after landing in Washington DC over two decades ago. She was part of my adopted family – leaning on each other during the many highs and lows of immigrant life, who was a lifeline for me and part of the reason I’m still here many years later. I got to see her life now, very far from our simpler existence back then, and over the course of dinner in our one night in town got to see the vivacious, humorous Dionne I met a long time ago.

After a fantastic German meal at Wirtshaus Salvator and long goodbyes later, our reunion was over. There was however still the business of Christmas market shopping – a round around the Bonner Weihnachtsmarkt – where thankfully I restrained from taking another Nutcracker soldier home, after which we made our way slowly back to the hotel.

It started snowing as we had breakfast this morning, and as we left our hotel I felt light snowflakes whisk by my cheeks. Another three and a half hour trip was ahead of us and I felt good.