Oktoberfest and Momtoberfest

Without a doubt, going to Oktoberfest was one of the biggest reasons Matt and I were excited about moving to Germany. As a girl who lived the dream at Husker tailgates, I expected it to elicit similar feelings, but it absolutely blew our minds once we actually experienced it.

But before Oktoberfest took place, my mom came and visited us, which was honestly equally exciting for me. Our goodbye to each other in Lincoln was not overwhelmingly emotional, which if you know me is shocking, but it’s because we both knew that she would come and visit soon and make sure that we had our lives in order. When she finally came in the middle of September though, I did not realize how much I needed to see her. In Lincoln, I would see my mom at least once a week on top of talking at least 3 times every day. While we still talk super often here, it has not been the same, and I miss her all the time. If you get to see your mom whenever you want, give her a BIG hug, because I really miss being able to do that.

Still, having a week with her was the best. Unfortunately, the second she got here, she got really sick and then passed that sickness on to me (THANKS MOM), which ruined our chances at doing any major sightseeing together. However, it also enabled us to spend some amazing quality time with each other. We snuggled in bed most of the days, watched shows on Hulu with reading mixed in, and did some much needed wedding planning. This is another reason I love and need my mom: she is so so good at checking items off her to-do list. I am really good at making them (and making them look super pretty), and then watching the list grow and grow without actually accomplishing the tasks. My mother, however, is an actual superhero who can accomplish an entire list in a few hours. Thank you 1000x for that week together, mom. Also come back :(

Luckily, she felt slightly better towards the end of the week when I was at work and did some sightseeing on her own. In her words, she knows Munich better than Matt and I now, which to be fair is probably 50% true haha! She left the day before Oktoberfest began, but luckily we were able to explore the Oktoberfest grounds together a bit and she got an idea of how truly massive it is. Mom, I miss you all the time, but boy did you miss out by not staying a few extra days!

(click image above for more pics)

Oktoberfest is absolutely incredible. Called Wiesn here, the festival starts with a parade of all the breweries bringing in their barrels of beer and esteemed patrons. Matt and I luckily got to watch the parade and see all of the beautiful dirndls (dresses) and lederhosen. It was a spectacle to say the very least. While mom and I bought a dirndl for me when she was in town (which was an experience in and of itself given the lack of modesty suggested by our sales girls hahaha), Matt had yet to find any lederhosen for under 200 Euros. Luckily, while walking back from the parade, we walked into a random shop and found lederhosen for a very reasonable price, and Matt looked dang good if I do say so myself. With those legs, he was born to wear lederhosen.

Matt and I were a little apprehensive about joining in the festivities just the two of us because it was super difficult to get inside a tent, where the beer drinking actually happens. With extraordinary luck, my cousin Ben told me to reach out to a friend from high school who lives in Munich and plays for the professional American football team here. I reached out to him on instagram, and he and his wife graciously invited us to join them and their friends on the first Monday of Oktoberfest when they had tent reservations. Matt was not able to get off until 4 PM that day, but I got there at 2 PM and found myself so pleasantly surprised when Ryan (the friend from high school) told me that there were two other Nebraskans there too, who of course were so much fun to party with and reminded me so much of home. He also made sure that I started drinking on a full stomach full of food and ordered Rattlers, which are half beer, half soda. Keep in mind that beer is served only in liters (LITERS) and this actually saved my life haha!

The Nebraskans (click image above for more pics!)

Brief clips of our Oktoberfest experience :)

Needless to say (if you watched the video), we had the best time. We have loved having the opportunity to travel around Europe, but this was definitely our favorite experience thus far. Thank you Ryan and Stephanie for including us and giving us the true Oktoberfest experience! The next day at work was….rough, but we somehow managed and decided to go two more times. The next time we went was much calmer, and we just walked around the fairgrounds and casually drank mixed drinks and ate bratwurst. We went on a Friday and Saturday though, and even though Monday seemed nuts, the crowds were absolutely massive on the weekends. Why Oktoberfest happens where there are carnival rides galore though boggles my mind. I don’t know how anyone could drink liters of beer and proceed to go on the death-defying rides after, but to each their own haha!

Oktoberfest fairgrounds (not pictured are the terrifying rides)

If Oktoberfest is not on your bucket list, reconsider. The atmosphere alone is buzzing with so much excitement and I assure you, you WILL have a blast. It is definitely nice having the city be way less busy now that it is done, but I miss seeing women wearing dirndls and men wearing lederhosen at work and on the train.

Auf Wiedersehen, friends!

Alexandra