Let’s Slow Down Time

The concept of time is known to be fluid and flexible. Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity states that “time is an illusion.” During my stay in Germany, I learned that this very well may be true. My days here are seemingly twice as long as they are in the US. This can be due to the fact that we are visiting so many different places and learning so many different things, or, perhaps, this simply is a result of us slowing down and taking the time to be present in the moment.

Often we get caught up in our daily routines and we forget to stop for a second to appreciate this life that we are living. We are known to be a nation of workaholics and our obsession with professional success and economic growth has been widely portrayed in all formats of media. Typically, we brush this off and keep on going with our oh so busy lives. However, this trip has given me a chance to analyze the importance of slowing down and taking a moment to look around.

Yesterday we had some free time so Keaton, Kara, and I decided to go back to the small town of Ludwigsburg to culturally enrich ourselves (and do some shopping in the process). J We walked the streets of Ludwigsburg and admired the architecture of traditional German buildings, the charm of narrow stone paved roads, and the peaceful atmosphere of this popular tourist spot.

As we settled down to have dinner at one of the local Italian restaurants, I had a chance to do a little people watching. I made one very important observation – no one was on their phone! People were chatting, laughing, drinking wine, and enjoying each other’s company. Kids were actually talking to their parents and not trying to go through another level of Fortnite. This made me turn off my phone and, as a result, me and my two companions were able to have great conversations and to get to know each other on a more personal level. During our 3-hour dinner (nobody in Europe rushes through their meal, people really savor the experience), we bonded and connected like we would never be able to otherwise.

So let’s all take a moment to slow down time and absorb all of our fantastic experiences here in Germany and maybe, just maybe we can take this feeling with us and use it to remind us what’s really important – to live in the present.