An American in Wiesbaden: Instagram holiday season

very time I walk through our town's Christmas market, which has been open just a week now, I experience this feeling of giddiness that rises up in me and I must contain with a smile in the hopes the Germans don't think I'm crazy for literally laughing out loud with delight. I've become of those people revels outwardly at the changing of the seasons and most importantly, the start of my very favorite time of year: Christmas.

For those of you who think I'm just another crazy going off the Lorelai-Gilmore deep end of holiday-ness with an unhealthy obsession with something as simple as the first snow (which I am anxiously awaiting), in my defense, I come from the season-less, scaled-back, oh-so-PC land of California where any of the feelings of the Christmas season came mostly from inside our house (and no, Black Fridays where people pepper-spray each other don't count). Here, not only is there snow (again, I'm waiting...), but it's like all of Germany just goes Christmas crazy as soon as those leaves start hitting the ground - the street lights, the Markts, the window displays (the only half-decent ones in Europe all year!). Just think - another whole month to go...

(Forgive some of the image repetitiveness for those that follow my TwitPic feed - I couldn't help sharing them again! They really help me capture the old-timey, traditional holiday spirit I feel here.)