After a slumber party in the Barcelona airport with my gal pals and two and a half McDonalds breakfast sandwiches, we were roaring and ready to go to Munich for Springfest! Soon after landing it was quite evident that we were in for an action packed weekend. Let’s be honest, you don’t want to hear about the city of Munich itself. The real stories lie in the two day ragefest that ensued.
Although every person abroad will act like they’re not bitter about missing Mifflin, deep down we’re all heart broken. I’m pleased to report that this chick made up for it ten fold in Germany. Here’s how our adventures went. Within seconds of arriving in the city, we were running into Badgers around every corner. It was amazing to see familiar faces yet so bizarre so be reuniting halfway across the world. We were pleased to run into quite a few people staying at our hotel and decided we should venture off together. We had no idea what to expect.
After a quick walk through the lackluster city, we arrived at the Hofbraühaus, a traditional German eatery complete with men in lederhosen, women selling giant soft pretzels and enormous mugs of beer. After feasting on wieners, bratwurst, and roasted chicken, we were ready to conquer the day.
We arrived at the Springfest grounds early in the afternoon and thought we were prepared for the events ahead. Boy, were we wrong. Women dressed in the traditional dimdl outfit offering giant mugs of beer instantly bombarded us. “Giant” does not even begin to describe how large they were. Each one contained at least three and a half cans of German beer and was at least the size of my head. I must say, it put our Wisco usual Natty Light to shame.
Springfest was every Badger girl’s dream. The rest of the night was filled with loud music, brats, and laughs. Every time I turned around, I saw more friends having tearful (and slightly drunken) reunions. I couldn’t believe that so many of my Wisconsin friends were all together under the same roof or in this case tent. After a few hours and beers, everyone was dancing on top of the tables and singing at the top of their lungs. It could have easily been confused for Mifflin or a typical Game Day, so we were right at home.
The rest of the night was slightly blurry, but one moment that stood out was my terrifying encounter with the carnival rides. After about 30 seconds of coaxing, my friend Corine convinced us to conquer a ride called ‘Flip Flip’. The name makes it sound harmless and conceals the fact that it includes a terrifying pendulum type contraption with 360 degree swinging action. Did I mention that I have a crippling fear of heights? Several of our friends stood at the bottom screaming in fear for our lives. If I could breathe, I’m sure I would have been screaming along with them. I kept my eyes closed for the entire two-minute ride and when it ended, I had a new appreciation for life. After sitting on the ground for a solid five minutes in order to regain my composure, we moved on to the Fun House. Taking on a Fun House after a beer filled day was quite the task considering my agility was not exactly on point. I tripped on face several times and endured the laughs of the man operating the house, but it definitely calmed me down from the previous ride.
Despite the fact that I couldn’t be in Madison for Cinco de Mifflin, I definitely made up for it by partying the weekend away with my fellow Badgers. I mean, Lori Berquam didn’t say ‘don’t go’ to Springfest right? Besides, what Wisco chick doesn’t love beers as big as her head?