Returning to Frankfurt the day after New Year’s Day, it felt like I had entered a war zone.

In addition to the cold, rainy, grey weather that whispered “welcome back” to me, every street was littered with trash.

Broken bottles.

Firework debris.

Soggy streamers.

Apparently, they like to party BIG for New Year’s here (I was away last year, so I missed it then too), and then not clean up after it.

I woke up in Philadelphia on New Year’s day, and promptly proceeded to fall down a flight of stairs, leaving my bum like the evening sky – midnight blue and deep violet.

When I got to Frankfurt, I went to yoga (a must in winning the jet lag battle) and biked around in the rain to run errands.

By the time I got home, it was 3pm and it felt like 9.

I noticed my bike was going slower than normal, and it was a very real possibility that my legs were going slower than normal, since I was in a fog.

Instead, I had a flat tire. Inside I was screaming and shaking a fist “Those damn partiers!”

So I had to walk to the bike store before it closed at 4 to get a patch kit.

The rest of the year has to be looking up from here!

Editor’s note: My head has been spinning with new year’s goals. After time back at home and not blogging, I have such a backlog of things I want to write about! Can’t wait to share my plans for the new year soon.