Stories from my life and travels as an American expat in Germany. Awkwardness guaranteed!
My husband and I recently completed a 5-day cycling trip along the Rhine River in Germany. This post covers the last three days of our vacation. If you’d like to read about the first half, which is full of castles and deadly toboggan rides, click here! Day 3 On our third day, we stopped to explore Stolzenfels Castle. Many important…Continue Reading
Cycling along the Rhine River is a popular Summer vacation here in Germany. So much so, there are tourism companies dedicated to planning your entire cycling trip. They book all your hotels and transport your items, so you don’t have lug them around on your bike like some kind of peasant. Not sure where you’re going? No idea how to…Continue Reading
I’ve recently returned from an amazing two-week stay in Vienna, Austria. I was there for the Goethe Institute’s 2-week language and culture course. We spent about 4 hours learning German every morning, and the rest of the day was centered around leisure activities. Of course, you’re under no obligation to do any of these activities. If you want, you can explore…Continue Reading
By Sunday morning, Düsseldorf was a ghost town. We didn’t see a single person on our way to get breakfast. Perhaps, they were all still asleep after a night of partying extra hard to Schlager music. There were a few other guests getting a bun or coffee, but the place was by no means full. About halfway through our breakfast, another guest sat…Continue Reading
Two weeks ago, my husband and I met up with an American friend of ours in Düsseldorf, Germany. I’d never been there before, and neither had my husband. Now that Germany is my home, I’ve made it a goal to see as much of it as possible. We would have been excited to meet up with our friend even if he…Continue Reading
A few weeks ago, we took our bikes to a nearby strawberry field where you can pick your own strawberries. All you have to do is bring your own container, which you have weighed before you begin picking. You also have the option to simply buy a container of strawberries from the shirtless man at the stand, but where’s the…Continue Reading
A few weeks ago, we spent a long weekend in Leipzig, Germany. My husband wanted to go to Hamburg, but since we were already there in 2015, I picked Leipzig instead. Don’t get me wrong, Hamburg is great; I think it might be my favorite German city. I want to see as much of Germany as possible, though; so, if…Continue Reading
Father’s Day isn’t a big deal in America. Your average American dad gets a card his wife forced the kids to sign and maybe a tie. In Germany, things are a bit…different. I can’t say for sure if men get gifts here, but I do know one thing they get here: shit-faced. In Germany, Father’s Day (Vatertag) and Ascension Day (Himmelfahrt) are combined.…Continue Reading
A few weeks ago, we visited the Tierpark Essehof in (you guessed it) Essehof, Germany. It’s basically like a petting zoo, if petting zoos were fun. Well, I mean; petting zoos are fun for me, because I will take any opportunity to hang out with animals. They’re better than most people, after all. So, I guess I should say “if…Continue Reading
After a month-long hiatus, I’m ready to continue sharing stories and anecdotes about my life here in Germany. I’ve had plenty to write about over the past month but, if I’m being honest, it was hard to find the motivation. As the saying goes, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” I didn’t have…Continue Reading