On Being Prepared or Knowing Your Vices

When travelling - or journeying for that matter – always come prepared and above all, know your vices. 
 
I love coffee and I love salt. I even go as far as drinking my coffee with salt instead of sugar when possible.

It threw the waiters at Hotel Hecher for a loop, when they observed me pouring salt into my coffee. I usually have salt packages with me at all times. They are stored in my trusty metal tin. 

​If I – for some reason – do not have any salt packages, I will go to Nordsee or McDonalds or another restaurant chain and ask, if I am allowed to take some of the packages with me. 

"Grammeln" - It is fat. Add salt to it and a spoonful will sustain you for a long time.

And since this is about knowing and owning your vices:

​You will find these salt packages everywhere around me. In my wallet. In my tool bags. Cello-taped to books. In my pockets. Crammed into my art supplies. And all over rooms at hotels or any place where I am staying. Room service will look at you with different eyes.

Simply smile. 

I share that habit with another shaman, I am walking with. We had a good laugh, when she told me not to frown upon her as she was putting salt into her coffee, when we were sitting in a café. I just laughed and poured salt into mine.

And as fate would have it: When we meet, we exchange gifts. Since I always carry salt with me for ceremonies and I knew she is working with salt as well, I gifted her a leather pouch filled with salt that very day. 

And yes, I very much prefer taking things with a grain of salt to sugarcoating anything. ​

Putting together the perfect MRE for travelling.

Simply smile.

 
When heading out for an adventure I always take “Grammeln” with me. In English they are called cracklings. In essence, it is fat. I get them from farmer’s markets, but I also know how to make them myself.

​You can eat Grammeln warmed up or cold, simply add salt to them and you are set. A spoonful is enough. My grandmother loved eating them hot, which is - when dealing with fat - quite a feat.

Yes, I am a child at heart. Yes, this is "Harrius Potter". Latin. Read that on a subway and bring that pencil case to meetings. Mischief managed. ;-)

Add Pocket Coffee to it – a combination of chocolate and coffee – and you get the perfect non-vomelette MRE. Eating like this also helps, if you are to transition into fasting for ceremonial reasons. Adding enough salt makes sure that you could also transition into a dry fast without running into issues. 

And always bring the right book for the occasion at hand. When I was still serving on the work's council, I had a copy of "Betriebsrat für Dummies" ("The Work's Council Explained for Simple Minds") on my desk. Works wonders in meetings.

Kristin Raphaela Otti
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