Guten morgen to ya

I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful winter day in Garmisch.  The sun is out, the mountains are blanketed in snow, and the marienplatz is bustling with activity from the locals starting their Tuesday morning.
I woke up way too early for a day off and made my way into the city center for some shopping.  Aside from a few H&M purchases I was a responsible adult and bought an electric tooth brush.  How I have survived 3 months using the old school manual kind, I do not know.  I opted for the German brand instead of the Oral B that looks exactly like my electric tooth brush at home.  Price was a huge factor and what the heck, when in Rome!  My next practical purchase should be a mud flap for my bicycle.  Riding my bike in the freezing cold just isn't quite bad enough for me, so I get a nice back splash from my rear tire on my butt and backpack.  The guards at the hotel and Abrams gate have had a good laugh at my expense on more than one occasion. 
Before I got here I did some research of German attitudes and social norms, but I've discovered that one of the main things I had read does not ring true.  The main theme I found was that Germans like to keep to themselves and will be taken aback by outward friendliness.  Well, just an FYI I can't walk past an old couple and not smile and say hello, so I do, and the reaction has not been disappointing.  They actually seem to really like it and I always get a morgen or a smile.  I think I might have heard this somewhere before, but don't believe everything you read on the internet.
Tomorrow is the big day.  I leave bright and early to see Lindsey.  I bought my train ticket this morning so I think it is safe to say that the rail system won in the epic battle of rental car vs. train.  I'll save my first road trip for when I have a co-captain and maybe a little German driving experience. Lindsey and I don't have any solid plans as of yet, but I do know that she is making me a Mexican dinner upon my arrival and I'm so excited for it!  Her host, Robyn, will be picking me up from the train station.  Although I don't know her, I will be staying under the same roof as her children, so it will be good for us to get to know each other on the ride home.  Home cooked food and a private bathroom sound so amazing right now.  Tomorrow afternoon can't come quick enough!