Six Month Update

Hello Everyone!

This week marks six months of living as expats in Germany.  I would like to say that the time has flown by, but it hasn't.  At this point we are trudging through February along with everyone else, and grateful for the mild winter, especially in light of the harsh winter the USA has been experiencing.   

We can easily say that we are glad to have made the move.  Our city is great, in that it is bigger than the city we came from in the USA, but not too big and overwhelming.  We have found many good restaurants, and we can always find something fun to do on the weekend. 

Daily life for us is basically the same as it was in North Carolina.  Since both of the kids are in full day school now, I have a bit more free time.  I volunteer at the school twice a week, and try to keep myself occupied by running errands, studying German, etc.  I always assumed that when my kids were both in school I would start working again, but now I live in a country where I don't have a work visa!

I started going to the gym last month, and even had a session with a trainer.  I find that if I don't get out around people I get very lonely.  My German isn't good enough to strike up casual conversations, but physically being around people helps me to feel part of the community here.

The kids are very happy at their school, and that makes life much easier.  Since they speak English all day at school and at home, life for them isn't actually all that different.  Ryan has German lessons everyday, and is slowly leaning vocabulary and grammar basics.  It amazes me how many children at this school speak multiple languages.  In Ryan's classroom he is exposed to French, Danish, Japanese, Russian, Slovenian, and German language and culture due to the different backgrounds of the children in the class.  It is really nice to see that kids are happy to play together regardless of ethnicity and culture, and that they are interested in learning about the culture, foods, etc. of the kids in their classes.

On Friday we are headed to Rome for a week of eating and exploring.  When I was a teenager, my Mom took my sister and I to Rome as part of a whirlwind European bus tour.  That was 15 years ago, and I have been dreaming of returning ever since.  We are also planning another trip to Italy in April to visit Venice and Tuscany. 

So, all-in-all...we are very happy living in Germany, but definitely have many moments of home-sick.  We miss friends and family, and the ease of being able to easily converse with everyone around us.  Hopefully our German will continue to improve, and that aspect will get easier.  I often think about the future when we will have to move back to the USA, and that will not be easy either, since there are so many things we enjoy here.  Luckily, I don't have to worry about that now, and today I only have to worry about learning how to say 'More pasta, please' in Italian!  Ciao!