My first care package never made it.

My parents asked what I was missing from America. Naturally, I said:
• Dental floss. The floss is different here. It’s thin and unsatisfying.
• Almond butter. Mandelnuss is a far cry from the rich almond butter I’m used to. Here, it’s thin and runny, making it a bad option for dipping apples in on the train.
• Muffin liners. I hadn’t been able to find paper muffin liners to fit my American muffin tin. Update: on my most recent quest, I found some!
• Larabars. I have found an ok substitute, called Raw Bites. I suspect they’re made by the same company, as they look very similar, but still, not the same.
• Epic Bars. These Grassfed protein meat bars are like the gold standard of protein supplements. There are no artificial ingredients, which I’m trying to avoid from protein powders.

To some, this might seem like the worst birthday box ever. To me, this box was a dream come true. I got a phone call a few days before my birthday from UPS asking if it was a personal or business shipment. It wasn’t until the week after my birthday that I received an email asking if I wanted them to send the package back or destroy it. Meat products aren’t allowed in the country.

There were a few emails back and forth–futile attempts on my part to explain that the bars were dried meat…protein…solid gold! But to no avail. I asked if they could take the bars out and send them on their way. But they said it would be a 60 Euro fee to do that. So, I told them to send the package back.

If they had sent the package back, my parents would have had to pay the return shipping in addition to the original shipping they had already paid.

I hope the UPS guys are enjoying their protein bars. Seriously, I hope it gives them the strength to deliver all their packages to excited boys and girls waiting on their first shipment from home. And when they’re done with the bars, I hope they floss.