I write from my private-room-shared-bath home for the next week at Madeline Island School of the Arts. I haven’t been here long. Since getting on the 6:30 ferry from Bayfield, I’ve unpacked and attended the wine and cheese party before coming back to my room to opt for comfy clothes and blogging. My first impressions of the week to come? This is not a place people my own age go. [One of the youngest people here. Mostly retired folks.] I share a bathroom with a woman named Bambi. There are three classes going on this week; the instructor of the painting course is Spanish and attractive. [Woman in my class says to me as he walks in, “I think we took the wrong class. Our instructor didn’t walk in with a shirt half unbuttoned!” … our instructor is also a woman. Two older retired women I walked back to my room with said they were taking his class because he was cute. Ha.] Paul, a physics professor at Augsburg in Minneapolis is here while his wife takes a class; he offered to be my bike riding buddy. And I’ve just been here for a couple hours! I think there will be stories, folks. Lots of stories.
Until more stories unfold, I must tell you about my day yesterday. The Bavarian Blast in New Ulm.
New Ulm is about 1.5 hours from me. I traveled there to meet my friend, James. James is a friend from seminary, currently serving his first call in Pennsylvania. He was in MN visiting his dad and en route to Iowa to visit his mom. The Bavarian Blast in New Ulm seemed like the perfect place to reconnect. Why not, eh?
What’s a Bavarian Blast? Three stages of polka music. Brats and strudel. Beer. Lots of guys with super white legs in lederhosen. A viking. A wiener dog race. And – wait for it – people dressed as gnomes and morel mushrooms! I kid you not. It was an experience. We ate lunch and enjoyed the polka music for awhile before leaving to explore more of New Ulm, including the downtown and the Herman the German statue. [It’s a thing.]
Here’s what I walked away with: Friends are fun. It was so great just to explore something new with a friend. It was so great to laugh and catch up and hug. I miss that – exploring random places and random events and having fun no matter the surrounding. Le sigh.
Would I go to the Bavarian Blast again? Eh. It was $9 to get in. $9 for three stages of polka music. I could probably pass. But make it an outing with a good friend and I probably wouldn’t put up too much of a fight. And the next time I would be sure to dance with a gnome.
there's no place like gnome. 
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