It was great to listen to you speak in German :) My uncle is from Germany originally and his relatives would come to visit once every couple of years when I was growing up. He's married to my mom's twin sister, and when I was young we used to live within a few miles of one another. My two cousins were also my two best friends (still are two of the people closest to me), so I spent a lot of time at their house. And hearing you speak brings back warm memories of being sprawled out on the rug playing board games while my uncle and his relatives spoke to one another in German at the dining room table.
I love the water! I never did learn to surf, but I can water ski on the lake at my parents like a champ ;)