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The first time I traveled outside of the U.S. was the summer before my sophomore year in high school. I was 15 years old when I traveled with a small group from my German class, including my teacher, to spend 3 weeks in central Germany as part of an exchange program. I loved every minute of it. I loved it so much that I forgot to call home to let my parents know that I arrived safely. (Whoops!) It has always been a dream of mine to return to Germany. Literally. I dream about returning to Germany all the time. Now, 23 years later, I am a 38-year-old mother to 2 teenagers, and am still in contact with my German exchange student, Dominique. Early last year when my husband and I were discussing our summer trip ideas I found affordable airfare that would take our family of 4 from the U.S. to Germany. I messaged Dominique to see if he and his family would be available for a visit. They were! The day we spent with them was the absolute highlight of our vacation. We found Dominique and his delightful partner, Teresa, at the Niederwalddenkmal, at the base of the Germania statue. After hugs and introductions they led us on a trek through the Rhine River valley, downhill through the Riesling vineyards to the picturesque little town of Rudesheim am Rhein. Halfway into our excursion through the grapevines we came across a picnic table where we sat for a brief rest. Dominique opened his backpack and pulled out a bottle of chilled Riesling, plastic cups, and juice for the kiddos. Riesling is my favorite wine so this was a treat, and oh so refreshing! During our break we chatted and told funny stories while sipping our wine. We then we finished our hike into Rudesheim where we strolled the cobbled streets, including the famous Drosselgasse, before taking the cable car back to the top of the valley where our car was parked. Once in our rental car we quickly followed Domi and Teresa back to his parent’s home. (Germans drive fast!) This is the same house where I stayed as a teen. Domi’s mother, Frau Neiss, prepared a feast for my family, meats from the grill, various salads, and a fresh berry tart for dessert. I enjoyed being able to show my children the beautiful home and garden I had told them about, not to mention how fun it was to introduce them to the German family who I remember so fondly. If you’ve never been to the Rhine area of Germany, I highly recommend it. This is a truly stunning area to explore, especially if you enjoy being outdoors as much as my family does.