Fussball Patriotism

My time here has absolutely flown by. I have been here for four months. I haven't seen home for four months. I haven't spoken english in four months (Yeah, right).
It feels weird to think about going home even though I will be returning to what I have known all my life.
Well, not all of it - I just used my calculator to find out that after this trip, I will have spent 2.3 percent of my life in Germany. That seems like a substantial amount of time and I can tell myself that I have done very well to live for that long in a foreign country, but the main thing that I get from that figure is that I am still very young. And that feels good.
And I still have a month left - complete with the World Cup finals, the fourth of July, and the ever-increasing presence of German football patriotism.
I think that most Germans would say that the flag waving going on these days has absolutely nothing to do with 'patriotism'. It has to do with the fact that the German squad just reached the semifinals with an amazing penalty-shootout win over favorites Argentina. Before the World Cup started, I think the only prominently displayed German flag I saw was in front of the Reichstag (parliament) building in Berlin. Being patriotic in this country is complicated. It is tied to a history that very few want to be connected to. For many, its just something that is not done. But it is hard to argue that the German national team has not inspired some semblance of patriotism. The people in the streets, football fans or not, are thoroughly decked out in rot, schwarz and gold. Whether they are wearing those colors to support the team or the country is the real question. Either way, I'm loving being here for it.
This Tuesday Germany plays Italy. This Tuesday is also the Fourth of July. There are several americans here, and we are planning to watch the game and have a cookout. I'll be supporting the Germans, after I eat some smores and a cheeseburger.