Today is a national holiday in Germany, Tag der Deutschen Einheit or German Unity Day. Like every year, I feel it is almost forgotten until it is upon us. It honors the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rejoining of East to West Germany. So it is strange that a day...
The GW Expat Blog
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Berlin
Lost Luggage in Germany
This summer people were ready to forget they ever heard of the Coronavirus and get back to travel. Everyone I knew had travel plans whether it was by train (many via the brilliant 9 euro ticket plan), by car, or by air. But no sooner were tickets booked than reports...
Going to the Movies in Germany
As Berlin steamed with temperatures in the mid to high 30s C (90 degrees F) over much of the last month, I looked for ways to cool down. My family hit a lot of the classics, including copious park hangs, elaborate ice cream sundaes, visiting the pool, and even...
Driving a Boat in Germany
Last Thursday I left the freeways, conference center, and Funkturm of Messe Nord by bus and was swiftly whisked back into nature. Buildings gave away to tree lined roads and before long you could glimpse the water. Stepping off the bus I wandered by several...
Quirks of Vacation Days in Germany
It is the day after Ostern (Easter) when this post goes up, so still a holiday in most European countries. As I am on vacation in Spain, I was pleased I wouldn't have to take Friday or Monday as vacation days as they are public holidays throughout Germany. That isn't...
Life in Germany since the Invasion of Ukraine
I was in the throes of Covid when the invasion of Ukraine began. In my own personal pits of exhaustion and despair, I watched in disbelief as a war in Europe began. The first 48 hours we were glued to the news. I watched line after line of Russian military vehicle...
Comparing the Covid Response of the USA and Germany
After 2 years of not seeing my family, I was back in the USA twice at the end of last year. In October we booked emergency tickets and were back visiting a sick family member within 72 hours. A Christmas trip was planned. Both trips were a low-key shock to the system....
Marijuana in Germany
Christmas has passed and we are entering the truly dark days of winter between Weihnachten and Silvester, waiting for the weather to finally warm again in …. May? I was on a call with a new colleague from Turkey and she visibly blanched at the news that we have months...
Donations in Berlin
Germany is officially in the fourth wave of the pandemic. After a summer of poking our head out of our shell, feeling like maybe - maybe! - things were a little closer to normal, another lockdown looms. The new coalition government is doing their best to avoid this,...
Different Appliances in Europe and the USA
Last month I met my parents in Iceland for a week of travel and an epic reunion. We hadn’t seen each other in over two years; since my 2-year-old was a baby, since we used to travel, since Corona was just a beer you drank on Cinco de Mayo. At the end of June 2021,...
Traveling to Germany in Covid Times: What You Need to Know
Before You Go If you, like me, have been champing at the bit, eager to once again fly to Germany from the USA, it is now possible. While we don't currently have truly ideal conditions, US-Americans are now taking long-haul flights across the Atlantic and landing in...
Starting School in Germany
Starting school is a big deal no matter where you are. I’ve been seeing my friends in the States post pics of their kids in front of the front door, backpack on and smile on their face. I posted my own proud picture of my first grader at the beginning of August when...
Germany in the USA and Canada: Part 2
A Preview of German Place Names and Connections: From Leipsic to Winesburg When I first wrote about German Place Names in the USA and Canada more than five months ago, I realized that the topic was far more vast than I had originally thought. Since then, as I have...
Why Does Berlin (BER) Have So Few International Long-Haul Flights?
Why is Berlin such an international flight provincial backwater? For a major European capital city, Berlin has very few international nonstop flights. Long-haul flights to and from other continents are a rarity in Berlin, Germany's largest city by far. (The Berlin...
School Supplies in Germany
After the uncertainty of applying for a Grundschule (elementary school) outside of our district, we have successfully waited it out. Our daughter got into our first choice! Considering how competitive finding a KiTa (preschool) can be, we had no idea if there was any...
Getting Tested for COVID-19 in Germany
Perhaps this post will be a bit of a time capsule, a reminder of a time when you needed to get a swab shoved up your nose to enter a store, but I still thought it would be interesting to share. In these strange times of a world-wide pandemic, my kids have looked to me...
Startups in Berlin
Recently I was conducting one of my first interviews, showcasing my new company and covering what it means to work in a startup. It struck me as a little surreal. This was a real "fake it til you make it" moment as I had just started in my first startup the month...
Sledding in Germany
Several years ago, we experienced our first white Christmas with our daughter. She was a toddler - a near perfect cherubic age - and we were staying in my husband's hometown. As the flakes began to fall and softly cover and quiet the landscape, we felt the wonder of...
Germany in the United States and Canada
North American Communities with German Namesakes This was originally intended as a normal brief blog post about German (and Austria/Swiss) place names in the USA. However, as I was researching and writing this post, I began to realize that the topic was far more...
Looking for Work and Starting a New Job in Germany
After a 2020 that threatened to end civilization as we know it, I allowed myself to be hopeful for 2021. Sure, Silvester (New Years Eve) was downsized to a quiet night at home (fireworks still blasting outside by people gloriously ignoring regulations) and we were...
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