Word Association: Stein

OK so I had to 'scan' the dictionary a few times to find a word the 'resonated' with me. Well surprise, surprise, the word "stein" resonates (maybe too much). I do like beer, I've definitely held a stein and I'm sure I could come up a story or two about both. Where to begin? Well, I have a gold charm bracelet with a beer stein on it. When my husband and I lived in London, we took several side trips to Europe and beyond. One of our first trips was to meet our great friends (and partners in crime) in Germany. We did all of the touristy stuff including going to a Hoffbraus Haus where we drank BIG glasses of beer. So, that is why I have my stein charm to represent our trip to Germany (the lid actually opens...I've never filled it with beer though...hmmmm).

That was not my first visit to a Hoffbraus Haus. I was actually a senior in High School and was elected to go to the Science Symposium in Heidelberg. I was in AP Biology and my project testing the E Coli (yum!) in the water in our local housing development in Naples, Italy got me a 'ticket' to the Symposium. Luckily my project wasn't good enough to display or speak because that would have been nerve racking and I wouldn't have had as much fun. Going to Heidelberg with several of my classmates was my first 'college style' experience. We stayed together in dorm rooms, we had more freedom than we probably should have AND it was legal to have drinks in Germany at age 18...so, we did. I think we somehow ditched our 'guardian' because I'm certain that that was not really allowed. I do have to say that even though I DID 'go with the crowd' on this one, I didn't feel that comfortable doing it but obviously not enough to 'just say no'. Anyway, it was somewhat harmless what we did. At the Hoffbraus Haus, 1 huge stein lasted me a long time I'm sure. Anyway, I remember feeling a bit tipsy and went to the bathroom. That is where I got 'lost in the mirror'. I kept looking at my face for some reason and it was then that I realized that my eyes were asymmetrical (and I believe that everybody's are). I kept noticing that one eye was slightly larger than the other, that one eyelid was different and on and on. I'm sure my friends thought I had fallen in. To this day I remember that mirror experience when I'm really looking at my face....what a funny memory (and fun too).

Another thing about stein. My best friend in college had a very long complicated last name, Goulstone. Well, over time, her name became Goulstein, then just Stein...so there is another memory.

On my charm bracelet picture above you can see a crown (for Princess) and a monkey sandwiching my beer stein. Could it be the 3 things I love most? NOOOOOO...just kidding, it is just the order in which the jeweler put them on. By the way, if times get tough, this charm bracelet will come in handy; $$$$$.