As the years fly by, my birthdays have certainly lost some of their significance. Not in a depressing “ain’t it awful” kind of way, but in an “it’s just not as exciting” kind of a way. I am grateful to be forty. I think it is a wonderful “milestone” age. Spending my birthday in Germany makes it that much cooler. Spending it in Germany with Wendy and Shelby sends it over the top.
We have had a tremendous amount of fun. We began our journey in Heidelberg. It was a fabulous city, albeit a bit touristy. We took a 15 mile bike ride to the town of Ladenburg in which there were no tourists. It was fun to venture off on our own. This tour is called “Once Upon a Fairy Tale”, so as you can imagine we have experienced various activities that support that theme. We have toured three castles so far and been to many of the locations that the brothers Grimm used as an inspiration as they gathered tales from all over Europe.
Experiencing the culture of this beautiful country has certainly widened my perspective. I have committed myself to stretching my levels of emotional comfort and a trip like this certainly accomplishes that goal. As our journey continues, I am looking forward to the further broadening of my perspectives. 
