Stories from my life and travels as an American immigrant in Germany!

Reverse Culture Shock?

Reverse culture shock is the experience of returning to your home country after living abroad for years, and feeling as though you no longer belong. In March, I finally went back to the USA to visit my family and friends. It had been over three years since the last time I’d been in America; so, needless to say, this trip…Continue Reading

German Comedy: Nichts zu Lachen?

German comedy

German comedy has a bad reputation. Even Germans, self-deprecating people that they are, will often say that German comedy just isn’t very good. Is that true, though? First, I have to be honest and add a little disclaimer that I haven’t seen many German comedies. That may be because the first few I watched were awful, which made me reluctant…Continue Reading

Coronavirus Lockdown: Germany VS America

coronavirus lockdown

Germany is widely believed to be one of the few countries with the Coronavirus/COVID-19 crisis under control. In contrast, the world has watched how America has handled the Coronavirus crisis and collectively cringed. Of course, not all American states have responded to the pandemic in the same way. Governor Gretchen Whitmer of my home state of Michigan has shown strong…Continue Reading

Healthcare: Germany VS America

As the world tackles the Coronavirus crisis, the healthcare systems of many countries are under higher scrutiny than ever before. Fortunately, I can’t tell you what it’s like being treated for COVID-19 in Germany. I can, however, tell you what the healthcare system in Germany is like in general; in particular, in comparison to the USA. Disclaimer: this goes without…Continue Reading

The Customer Isn’t Always Right

customer service germany

If you’re preparing yourself for a move to Germany, or even just a visit, you may have come across complaints about customer service. Or, more accurately, the lack of customer service. I certainly did, which led me to dig a little deeper into the subject before our 2015 visit. Sure enough, googling “customer service in Germany” gets you a lot of results saying…Continue Reading