Hi There!

The author, in early 2021.
The author, in early 2021.

I’m Steven.  I live in Arlington, Virginia.  Before that, I was in Orlando, Florida, and before that in South Florida.

The entries in this blog between late 2011 and late 2014 were all written during the three years that I lived in Regensburg, Germany.  I moved there in November of 2011 on a three-year contract for my job.  I lived in a hotel for the first three weeks until I found an apartment in the city.  I moved back to the States in October of 2014.

I started this blog so that my family and friends could keep up with my adventures here, but the blog has grown into quite a bit more than that.  It served as my travelogue while I was living abroad, but it’s no longer a travel blog. I just don’t travel as much while I’m in the States. I don’t have a rigid posting schedule, but I try to post whenever I can.

I’m a travel-holic, and so far, I’ve visited cities in the following countries:

  1. Austria
  2. Bahamas
  3. Belgium
  4. Canada
  5. Czech Republic
  6. Denmark
  7. Egypt
  8. England
  9. Finland
  10. France
  11. Germany
  12. Hong Kong
  13. Hungary
  14. Iceland
  1. Ireland
  2. Italy
  3. Japan
  4. Liechtenstein
  5. Luxembourg
  6. Netherlands
  7. Norway
  8. Poland
  9. Scotland
  10. Slovakia
  11. Spain
  12. Sweden
  13. Switzerland
  14. Wales

If you really want to know more about me, here’s some extra stuff:

  • I do not want children now, or ever. I have nieces and a nephew who I love, though. I do like children, excepting the high-pitched screaming-baby variety, but I do not want any of my own.
  • I am fond of butterflies. They have a deep personal significance for me that I won’t really get deeply into here. However, I will say this- I consider the sighting of butterflies to be a good omen, and I always notice when they flap on by. I also tend to notice their use as a thematic device in movies and television. The last scene in “Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride” is a good example of this. Come to think of it, “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” too. I sometimes wonder if Tim Burton has the same fixation.
  • I am a Mac user, but I try not to be too preachy about it. I am also fluent in Windows and Linux.  This is especially good when my Windows-user friends and family ask me questions about their Windows laptops.
  • I am a Jew by way of heritage and culture, but not faith. Growing up Jewish locks certain things into your identity, because Judaism has a rich culture and a lot of interesting traditions. Want some examples of what I mean? The food? Excellent. Except for borscht. Borscht is gross.  The music? Beautiful, almost hauntingly so.
  • I am an Eastern European Mutt. I’m a quarter Russian (my father’s mother was born in Belarus), a quarter Polish (my father’s father was born in Warsaw), and the remainder is a hodgepodge of Turkish, Austrian, and Romanian blood. And that’s just the stuff I’m aware of. I kinda like being a little bit Russian. I feel like Ivanova sometimes, but without the pony-tail and the Whitestar.
  • I am a humanist, albeit an often cynical and pessimistic humanist. While I do not believe in a higher power in the form of a little bearded dude who sits on a cloud and watches me having sex, I do believe in the overall goodness of people. I believe in my friends. And while I frequently hate mob mentality, I try not to let the behavior of most people bring this belief down.
  • I am a people watcher, too. I love watching how people interact with each other, especially in airports, whether they’re coming, going, or just waiting around. I also like eating in airports, even though it’s often ridiculously expensive. In retrospect, I like the entire airport traveling experience, except for the bits where you have to wait.
  • I’m actually very shy in new situations and unfamiliar groupings. Stop laughing, I’m serious.
  • I am physically phhhhttt.  I am terrible about working out on a regular basis.   When I do work out, the treadmill is my favorite self-abuse.
  • I am a cat lover who is allergic to cats.
  • I am a lover of music. I love all kinds of music. Everything. My shuffle play is downright frightening sometimes. I’m also an unapologetic musical theater geek, and I am chorally trained.
  • I am degreed in Radio/Television, so naturally, I work in computers. This is because radio is a cutthroat and dying business which is nearly impossible to make a full-time living in.
  • I am a child of the 80s. All the stuff that they poke fun at in Robot Chicken? Totally kills me. There’s one episode where they did a rip on Turbo Teen. I used to watch Turbo Teen when I was a kid. I didn’t think anyone else even remembered that show until I saw it there.
  • I am a geek. This shouldn’t really come as a surprise to anyone, but I love a lot of sci-fi and fantasy. I love most Star Trek, but it took me ages to warm up to Enterprise.  Babylon 5 was better anyway.  I agree with Kevin Smith- Star Wars is the only Trilogy.  Lord of the Rings was impressive, but it just isn’t the shiznit.  I’m also a geek about music, pop culture, television, and movies overall.
  • I am a comic book geek. This one does have a special distinction for me from overall geekitude.  I love comic book characters. I love superheroes. I love television and movies made from comic books- even the really bad ones. The Green Lantern has always been one of my favorites. I prefer Superman to Batman, and I watched Smallville religiously because I’m a masochist- the things it does to Clark’s timeline and continuity would make a purist weep.  I am really enjoying The Flash.  I love the current wealth of superhero television, but all the new Mutant shows are sort of burning me out.
  • I am a Neil Gaiman fan. The man could write directions for spreading peanut butter on a cracker and it would be amazing, as far as I am concerned. ‘Nuff said on this one.
  • I am a reader. I usually have a stack of books that I’m working on. I would be happy to recommend some of my favorites. And only a few of them are Neil Gaiman. Just ask!
  • I am a migraine sufferer. Mild ones, without any of the stereotypical symptoms. No halos, no light sensitivity, no nausea. Just nasty headaches on a very frequent basis. Most of them can be held at bay with over-the-counter pills, though.
  • I am vegetarian-friendly. I still enjoy a good steak or cheeseburger way too much to be a vegetarian myself, but I love vegetarian cooking. I have a wicked sweet tooth.  I have a love of cookies that is probably illegal.
  • I am a lover of diners. The original type- greasy spoons, lots of chrome. The 11th Street Diner at 11th and Washington in South Beach, Florida is one of my all time favorite diners, but I also love the Starlight in Richmond, VA and the Cosmic Diner at 53rd and 8th in New York City.
  • I am a recovering pack-rat. I used to keep everything. Lots and lots of everything. Over the years, I’ve gotten into a simplification kick. Nowadays, I regularly go through cycles of getting rid of stuff. It’s almost a sickness- I could easily fit everything I own into an 800 square foot apartment with room to spare and I still constantly feel like I own too much stuff. I suspect that a therapist would have a field day with this part of my behavior. I also have a weird fondness for storage devices, like duffel bags and file cabinets, and shelving.
  • I am a little bit OCD.  It also takes me a while to get out of the house because I tend to lock my front door twice. I’m not sure why I do it, but I have for as far back as I can remember.
  • I am an inveterate punster. I love to laugh, and I joke around a lot. A sense of humor is very important to me. And yes, many of my jokes are pretty awful. Some of them are sneaky-funny though.
  • I’m a brother, son, and uncle. Family is pretty important to me, and I have a lot of it. I have two brothers, and a sister. I have a sister-in-law, a brother-in-law, two nieces and a nephew, and a step-mom, decidedly not of the wicked variety. My dad is gone, but I have a standard-issue mom, and a full complement of aunts, uncles, and cousins. I am, however, fresh out of grandparents. One died long before I was born, and the other three all passed beyond the rim in the 1980s. My grandfather on my mother’s side was a huge part of why I enjoy reading so much, and my sense of humor (and hair type) all came from him.
  • I am… never sure whether this list is finished, or whether it’s too long.  Either way, I’ll stop here.
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37 thoughts on “Hi There!”

  1. Patricia

    Hey Steven,
    I’ve been following your blog since I knew I was moving to Regensburg. I just moved here, and I would love to meet people. Email me so we can meet.
    Cheers!
    Patrici

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    1. Hi Patricia!

      What brings you to Regensburg? I often see a large group of people that get together for drinks and good conversation; I’d be happy to introduce you.

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  5. I love the glimpse into who you are because I’m snoopy that way. 🙂 Yay for horoscopic Chinese rats, puns, ginger ale & coke, the use of the word “childfree” over “childless”, and geekdom!

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  11. So glad that I found this blog! My husband and I (and there will soon be three other American couples joining us) just moved to Regensburg for work! I am starting to explore and figure out my way around Regensburg. I will be checking in often to get some ideas from your blog!
    Lana

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    1. Hi Lana!

      I don’t post a lot about town here, but what I do post is all under Regensburg in the ‘category’ dropdown. I recommend checking out this one soonest, because it’s about food: https://stevenglassman.com/2012/11/05/the-five-restaurants-you-meet-in-regensburg/

      There’s also a pretty large expat community here, and I’d be happy to make introductions.

      Please feel free to ask me if you have any questions about getting sorted out here; I don’t know everything but what I do know I’m happy to share. 🙂 Also, let me know once you and your husband get settled; it would be nice to meet for coffee and a chat.

      Welcome to Regensburg!

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    1. At some point in the future, I will go back and watch Enterprise again. Perhaps it got better after I gave up on it. I believe that almost everything deserves a second chance.

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      1. No, no, please don’t do that to yourself… I went back to it a while ago and wish I hadn’t! It’s utterly ridiculous and trite by today’s standards. (Except for Mr Spock). That’ll teach me not to sully a cherished childhood memory 😉

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  15. Embracing Adventure

    Hi, Steven. I have nominated you for a Liebster Award. The beginning of this post introduces
    the award. The middle is my acceptance including facts about myself and answers to the
    questions posed by the person who nominated me. At the end are 11 questions for you to
    answer if you choose to accept the award. http://embracingadventure.com/2014/12/19/round-two-receiving-giving-liebster-blog-award/

    Also, how have I not seen this page before? Here are some comments on some things from
    your list.

    *I’m childfree also and also like kids but don’t want any of my own. I also have the same
    exception as you, although I would add screaming at any age. I live above a playground
    (housing’s cruel joke I guess) and cannot understand for the life of me why a few of the kids
    seem incapable of playing without shrieking like they’re in a horror film.

    *I’m fond of butterflies also, in part because my grandma, who has passed away, was also a fan
    of them, so now when I see them I am reminded of her. Like you I also take notice of them and
    consider them a good omen. Good question about Tim Burton. I bet he does. I can’t remember
    if it’s in the movie but there’s a butterfly with Edward Scissorhands on some versions of the
    cover. I think there might be one in Big Fish also. I’ll have to rewatch them and see.

    *I also use a Mac also but rarely mention it.

    *Haha at “physically phhhttt”. I am too easily bored to do yoga very often. I much prefer
    cardio. If I had to go to the gym, I’d never exercise. I have found home workout stuff to be
    enjoyable, although I need to get back to doing it.

    *I love music also. I once wrote this post (http://embracingadventure.com/2014/01/22/just
    music/) because I was telling someone about my enjoyment of an artist’s live show on DVD
    and he said “It’s just music…”.

    *For some reason I’ve never been able to get into actual comic books. I do love comic book
    movies though. My preference between Superman and Batman is flip-flopped.
    Batman>Superman, always.

    *I haven’t read a lot of Gaiman, but I’ve liked what I have read so far. I have American Gods
    and Stardust in my to-read collection.

    *I usually have a bunch of books in progress at the same time as well. Now I’m curious, what
    are some of your favorites?

    *Aww sorry to hear you get migraines, but I’m glad yours are held at bay with pills. Although I
    haven’t had any in awhile (knock on wood) I get them also. Fortunately I’m also a no halo/aura
    person, but unfortunately I do have the light sensitivity and sometimes nausea and medication
    doesn’t usually cut through it. I usually just end up hanging out in a dark room for awhile with a
    cold cloth.

    *I like that term “vegetarian-friendly”. I, too, like to eat steak and cheeseburgers to much to be a vegetarian but like vegetarian cooking. I also try to be considerate if I’m going to lunch or dinner with a vegetarian or vegan friend (and I know they are ahead of time) I don’t order meat dishes, especially if they’re vegetarian or vegan for love of animals.

    *I feel like I own too much stuff sometimes also and have been periodically going through and paring things down. I, too, used to keep everything. Moving several times has made me rethink that being a good idea.

    *I didn’t think your list was too long. I had fun reading it. 🙂

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  16. Pingback: I Won A Mystery Blogger Award! – Wee Bit Wordy

    1. Sure, that would be fine. I’ve been adapting and revising that disclaimer on my personal sites for many years. I definitely borrowed a few pieces of it from George Carlin back at the beginning. 😀

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  18. Hi Steven,
    I just wanted to thank you for your article on the trains in Germany. I wish I had read it BEFORE my June 2022 trip, but all your information is spot on and still current. I learned about the reservation system the hard way – both sitting in a reserved spot – but also sitting on the floor next to the door for half the ride from Nuremberg to Vienna.
    Thanks!
    Heahter

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