Sleepin' in in Stuttgart

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Well...stuttgart wasn't my favorite of places although i did enjoy a nice time catching up on sleep, having my own room (amazing!) and going for some nice walks and runs around the city. Though mostly industrial stuttgart does have a nice little downtown area that was even outfitted with a little skating rink for the winter months! Also spent a good deal of time sitting in a beautiful park...and later that evening sitting on a bench right in the middle of the shopping area (which pretty much makes up the downton) just watching people.  So basically my time in stuttgart consisted of sleeping in, walking all over the place with no particular destination or activities in mind, and then just sitting around observing all the people around me. It may not be a place i'd return to...but it sure was a great place to rest up and not feel pressured to get out of bed early and make something of every minute! When i told a friend from munich i was heading to stuttgart she plainly inquired "whyyy??" haha. she said "alright...bye! and i'll see you later tonight"...thinking i'll surely get there and turn right around. well...funny enough i almost didn't make it to stuttgart in the first place! ahhh...the adventures of travel. the bus left munich at 8am from a different hostel about a 15 minute walk away.  i knew it would be painful waking up early and had scheduled it out perfectly...just the right amount of time to make it to the bus leaving a bit of time to spare...just to be safe...although i thought...what's the need of the safety time?? i've done the walk a million times and know exactly where i'm going. none the less...i did play it safe...leaving a half hour to get there. but ya know how sometimes one's mind isn't exactly functioning correctly at 7am...yeeeeeah mine is not in the "sometimes" category...it's in the "always". there are two streets that come off of the main intersection near my hostel...and for some reason i was convinced that the wrong one was the right one! ooops. so i've got about 30 pounds on my back, 10 on my front, and about 5 in my food hand bag as well....can't leave the food behind...no way. haha...i'm trekking along at a very good pace and think...damn...this walk seems a lot further with all this extra weight. keep walking. wow...ya...a lot further. jeez. how long have i been walking for? hey...where's that one store i always pass by?? ohhh shit. it hit me right when i hit the END of that street! like i said...mind does not work at early hours. and these streets are NOT parralell! of course...being in this state of mind...i thought...well they are kinda parallel...if i just head this direciton surely i'll run into the street i need! i have plenty of time! good thing i prepared for such a muck up! so i quickly start plodding down this street...now i feel like i'm hiking a mountain...sweat is pouring...my legs are starting to feel the extra poundage. 10 minutes later...oh man...where am i...i don't even know where that street is from here..i'm totally turned around! it's about 5 minutes till 8 at this point...and i know these busses leave on time....oh my gosh...i'm not going to make it! %#$@!!! ok ok...relax...just look at the map. feel for my pocket...next pocket...next pocket...oh no! i forgot that i'd thrown it away the night before (what do i need this for?? i know my way!) ohhhh...haha...the irony of it. so now i'm just desperately looking around for a familiar landmark...a friendly person...anything! helllp!! haha. so i start down another street on a whim...thinking...there is no way i'm going to make it. i ask a person if the train station is near by...remembering that the hostel is across the street. yes? it is! this way??! great! 3 minutes till 8am. i take off running. please try to imagine this...i must have looked so frantic..and toting things hanging from all parts of my body.  i was like the entire home alone family melded into one person. about a minute later i realize that it is actually impossible to run with this stuff...haha. my legs were starting to crumble beneath me. oh there is no way i'm going to make it...i still don't really know where i am. 1 minute to 8. i can't believe it...how embarassing! i start trying to run again...suddenly! there it is! the right street!! i turn my head...and there it is...the big blue bus! i'd never seen such a happier sight. i had just barely made it...and luckily the bus left about 5 minutes late that day...whew. what a sight i was climbing on that bus, panting and dripping sweat...stripping off all the layers i could (you always where the biggest sweatshirt of course...so it doesn't take up bag space...perfect for creating a personal sauna). the cereal i had eatten that morning was still running around in my stomach as a tried desperately to cool off. i slept quite well on that bus trip.