Prost! Nik

It is with much sadness that I say good bye to Nik, my German brother. He just left Tom's house headed for Austin airport to catch a flight back to Munich due to some prior commitments that he thought could be avoided until his scheduled return. I find myself sitting here at damn near 5 a.m. writing this wishing he didn't have to go. He is a giant with the heart taboot. His kindness and love extend beyond super human and he will be missed. He has a way of humor that can make anyone laugh and what I find so interesting is that as an exchange student who lived with me 13 years ago and opened my eyes to the cultural thoughts beyond my country I had known my whole life, we have continued to develop a deep relationship even though the Atlantic pond kept us apart.
We spent the final hours before he headed for the airport sitting at Tom's house burning a fine Montecristo #4, hecho en Habana, with a glass of IPA, discussing the aspects of life and friendship and what it truly means. Somewhere near the middle of the cigar, honesty, was the trait and common thread best described for a lasting friendship. He pulled out of Kenwood Avenue in a Yellow cab destined for his country with hopes that he may return to meet up with us in Cincinnati, OH ... we can only remain optimistic and move forward. We wish him a safe voyage home to Germany and look forward to the next time we can see him in person.
Prost ~


We should be updating the holes in our travelogue soon, we just wanted to wish Nikolai a found farewell.