Everyone is told Oktoberfest is a must while studying in Europe. The amount of hype that surrounds the festival is ridiculous and something I never understood. However I now fathom why the world travels to Deutschland to drink beer with millions of other people.
I landed in Munich Friday afternoon with no idea of what to expect for the weekend. I had no idea how to navigate the German train system and boarded a train going in the wrong direction. About two hours and some incorrect trails in the woods later, I arrived at my hotel and was reunited with three of my closest friends. We went to a “biergarten” that night and dined on authentic German food while drinking authentic German beer in an effort to mentally prepare for Saturday’s activities.
Saturday morning my alarm went off at 4 a.m. I rolled out of bed, bleary eyed and desperate for coffee, while Mia jumped up and down repeating “Today is Oktoberfest!!!” over and over again. My friends and I wandered to the train station an hour later, ready to take on the day’s festivities.
At 6 a.m. we arrived at the festival. I was immediately taken aback by what was in front of me. In the pitch blackness, there were rows upon rows of massive “tents” with names of different german beer gardens. In the distance I could spot roller coasters and a ferris wheel and more carnival rides. We wandered down an empty street trying to spot the “Hofbrau” tent, the tent that every other American student would likely be at. We were shocked and happy to arrive and be some of the first people on line. As more and more Americans made their way to the tent, you could feel the energy levels rising with the sun. Three hours later, the place was so filled that I couldn’t move anything but my head. Definitely not an ideal situation for someone who suffers from mild claustrophobia. The minutes could not have gone by more slowly; we were desperately waiting the chance to storm the building and get our beers. At 9 am, the doors were opened and we flooded the building, not sure what to expect.
Chaotic would be an appropriate word to describe that moment. Thousands and thousands of people ran frantically toward tables, shouting to their friends and flailing their arms. My eight friends and I claimed a table and watched on as the place filled. The energy at that point was just contagious. Everywhere you looked people had huge smiles on their faces and were high-fiving friends, recording the scene and sending out snap chats. As I took endless selfies and started chanting with the crowd, I knew that Saturday would be a once in a lifetime kind of day.
The waitresses appeared carrying steins of beer and the real fun began. Everyone stood on their benches, happily cheering to the day and chugging their drinks. All the Amherst kids convened at one table and we had our own little reunion. By 10 am the majority of us were more than buzzed. People ran around in their dirndl dresses and lederhosen, the traditional Bavarian costumes, ordering drink after drink. The brave stood on their tables and guzzled an entire stein while the crowd cheered on. The place was so crowded it was nearly impossible to move, but I was reunited with Amherst friends and high school friends and it was all fun and games.
Not surprisingly, the women’s bathroom was an absolute mess. The line of intoxicated college girls was nearly too much for my claustrophobic and small-bladdered self to handle. As I stood in line jumping up and down to keep from peeing in my pants, I felt a strong hand grab me from behind. For no reason, I was tossed from the tent and told to use an outdoor bathroom. After temporarily trying to wrestle the large German man that threw me out, I found myself completely shocked and alone outside and unsure of what to do. In a panic I begged a security guard to allow me back into the crowd, now separated from my friends. This happened to me three times over the course of the day and it was scary as hell. People don’t treat you the same way they treat you in America, which is a bit of a wake up call.
The festivities continued and we travelled to some different tents to do some exploring. Stein glasses were shattered, cell phones were stolen and friends were separated. By about 7 pm, I was exhausted and hungry. My friends and I left to return to the hotel and get dinner, and by 10 pm I was back in my hotel room. Suffering from extreme delirium, we laughed for the next two hours about the day and discussed our plans to see each other in a different European city. I’m reliving yesterday’s events in my head, and I have plans to bring Oktoberfest to Amherst next year.