Stories from my life and travels as an American immigrant in Germany!
Do you want to learn German? Or, worse…do you have to learn German? I learned German in about three years. Last November, I took the TELC Deutsch C1 Hochschule exam and passed. Officially speaking (which is, incidentally, the best way to speak in Germany) I am a “proficient” or “advanced” user of the German language. If the idea of learning Mark…Continue Reading
Biden won. Trump has been defeated. We love to see it, folks. I’m so relieved. At the same time, though, I don’t think America is completely out of the woods just yet. Trump has stacked the courts in his favor. He has sycophants at his side who may yet help him cheat the American people out of their president-elect. Republicans…Continue Reading
Berlin; a city that is (at least, in certain areas) post-apocalyptic in appearance even when we aren’t in the midst of a plague. Despite the pandemic, Jan and I spent a long weekend there in mid-August. The numbers weren’t great then, but they were certainly better than they are now. So, you’d be forgiven if you looked at the title and thought,…Continue Reading
The Harz mountains are one of our favorite places to hike. We go a few times per year, partially (OK, mostly) because it’s less than an hour away from where we live. In total, I think I’ve been on about ten hikes in the Harz, including three times up the highest peak, The Brocken. Funny thing about Der Brocken; I…Continue Reading
Lüneburg, Germany is best known for its fields of heath, which bloom from early August to mid-September. Heath, which is called Heide in German, is a big tourism draw for the city. Not only can visitors enjoy numerous hiking trails, they can also buy heath-infused products like liquor and soap. Earlier this month, my husband and I hiked two trails…Continue Reading
Next week marks the 3 year anniversary of my arrival in Germany. They say life goes by quicker as you get older, but for me, it seems like time has slowed down. I feel like I’ve been here for six years, not three. During that time, I’ve written a few posts about the cultural differences I’ve noticed between Germany and…Continue Reading
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
Sunday in Germany is quiet. Too quiet, if you ask me. Of course, no one has; and, any time I’ve expressed this opinion on the Internet, every German online will suddenly appear to tell me I’m wrong. And a stupid consumerist American. Sometimes, they even throw in a “go back to America!” for good measure. I’ve learned to tolerate Sundays in…Continue Reading
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
Dresden, like many cities in Germany, was rebuilt after the Second World War. Instead of being rebuilt in a more modern style, it was reconstructed with an eye on its storied past. Although the Altstadt looks, well, old, nearly all of the buildings are new. Newer, in fact, than many other reconstructed German cities, such as Nuremberg. Most of the restoration work…Continue Reading