When I visited Stuttgart almost exactly eight years ago, the gutters were overflowing with garbage and streamers. Since everything was weird and European, I just assumed this was probably normal too.
After eight years of living here, the weird European things now feel a lot like home. So when I find the streets full of garbage and streamers, it can only mean one thing: Fasching is here! Fasching is the German celebration of Karneval. Everyone dresses up in costumes, drinks a lot, binges on jelly donuts, and goes to parades.
Costumes, drunkenness, jelly donuts, and parades are all some of my least favorite things. However, Fasching has a special place in my memory because it reminds me that another year has passed since the beginning of this weird adventure in Germany.