“Things don’t make me nearly as happy as talking and having a beer with my friends. And that’s something everyone can do” | Drew Carey

The Sunday Scribbles is a weekly post sharing an excerpt from my travel journal.

•• Munich, Germany ••

“So much fun at Oktoberfest on Saturday! Ally and I woke up super early to get ready. We made it to the tent by 9:30 a.m. We decided on the Shottenhammel tent because it’s the tent that officially kicks off Oktoberfest. Just before noon, the countdown begins, and Munich’s mayor taps the first keg, signaling to all the other tents that they can begin serving beer! The crowd of nearly 10,000 people goes nuts. The beer starts flowing. And the fun begins! The wait until noon was so worth it. Later, we took a selfie with the mayor. When I told him we were from Kentucky he said he LOVED Kentucky Fried Chicken. 

Getting there super early meant that we had a table for the first part of the day. We shared it with five girls from California who are studying abroad in Bordeaux, France, this semester. They were super sweet and it was so fun celebrating with them. Around 2 p.m., we were kicked out of our table so we befriended a group of Germans. They were so kind to let us hang out with them for the remainder of the day. They’ve been coming to Oktoberfest as a group, and reserving the same table, for seven years now. They live all over Germany — some in Munich and some in Hamburg. They were cool and we loved hearing their stories. 

Everyone is just happy and jolly at Oktoberfest! It is a time when strangers become friends. Travelers and locals come together to dance, sing and cheer! The band is loud, the beers keep on coming, the pretzels are huge and the outfits are the best. Steins of beer clink together and you “prost” with your neighbor! It was the most perfect day. Can’t wait to do it again!