Biergarten Lesson

Oktoberfest is my kind of celebration…brats and beers, what’s not to love?  I’m not alone in that feeling, as 6.2 million people descended on Munich in 2017 for last year’s festivities.  Though we now think of beer when we think of Oktoberfest, it was originally a celebration of the wedding of Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese in 1810.  The name is a bit confusing though, as the 16-day event starts in September and concludes the first weekend in October each year. 

When you hear that 1.9 million gallons of beer were consumed during last Oktoberfest, it isn’t entirely surprising to learn that 4,055 items made their way to the Lost and Found Tent during the celebration.  The most commonly lost item?  Passports—1300 were lost. 

A lost passport, particularly when traveling in a foreign country, is stressful, putting a damper on the festive atmosphere. 

In our firm, we have heard plenty of stories of paperwork lost or destroyed.  Remember “the dog ate my homework?”  Whether it’s a natural disaster like fire or flood or a man-made one like a pot of chili spilling onto papers on the kitchen counter, there’s a sinking feeling of watching something disappear that we’re not quite sure how to replace. 

Recent evacuations for Hurricane Florence are a reminder of the importance in planning for document retention beyond a file cabinet in your home.  There are various commercial secure storage options in the cloud that might make sense for your personal situation (if you often travel abroad or have multiple homes, for example).  No matter how you decide to store your information, it’s important to consider your options and determine what works best for you.