To most of us, the term "journeyman" means a trainee between an apprentice and a master craftsman. But in Germany, journeymen still go on traditional journeys, in which they travel the world for three years, practicing their trades in exchange for room and board. The programs for journeymen are supervised by their guilds, and there are strict rules. There are also traditions, such as getting your ear pierced with a nail before starting off. Learn more about these modern day "jacks of all trades" at Buzzfeed. Link
It all makes sense now.
I like to say that you're not really a librarian until you get your first death threat from a patron. It's a right of passage, like a nail through the ear.