Der Frühlingsanfang (beginning of spring) holds lots of special memories for me. My first time in Germany was in the spring of 2016. There was a lot riding on this visit. It wasn't just any long weekend away in Europe but a chance for me to check out Bremen before...
The GW Expat Blog
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Tips, advice, suggestions
When it snows in Germany…
…the country does not grind to a halt. Granted, life is a lot colder and a good deal more slippery than usual, but snow is apparently no excuse to shut schools and businesses. Coming from a land where the mere mention of a snowflake's possible arrival is enough to...
The Top 4 German Signs you have gone from Visitor to Resident.
When you move to a new place it takes a while before you start getting the feel of belonging, the sensation that you are on some sort of vacations or just visiting takes some time to start wearing off and in my experience with Germany, this is a job that's done both...
Going to the Dentist in Germany
For years as a freelancer, I survived on the bare minimum of private insurance. I am now on public insurance in Germany and taking full advantage. Yearly check-up? Yes please! Eye exam? Why not? And the dentist? Sign me up. So, clearly, it had been some time since I...
Expat friendship and where to find it
In this quiet time after the madness of Fastnacht and before the indulgences of Easter, with the spring flowers popping through the dirt it is an opportune time to think about beginnings. The air will (hopefully) be warming soon and the festival calendar will begin...
Is It True That German Men Can’t Flirt? (Asking for a Friend…)
Not so long ago I had the chance to spend a year surrounded by a large group of twenty-somethings coming from all corners of the world, we were scattered all over Germany and every three months we had to meet up in different cities each time for week-long seminars....
Ride Berlin Transportation like a Boss
Coming from a place with pitiful public transport (looking at you Seattle), it took me all of 10 seconds to develop eternal love for Berlin's comprehensive public transportation. It only took a few seconds longer for me to have strong opinions on what is and what is...
Follow that broom
One of my favourite German words is Gemütlichkeit, which has been adopted by the English-speaking world since it can’t be simply translated. Roughly it pertains to the feeling of comfy cosiness when getting together with friends and family, usually with good food and...
Help! The Holy Season is Over but the Cold is Not.
After you dutifully participated at -and maybe even organized, the Christmas celebrations at the office, attended several advent parties, strolled through many Christmas Markets, ate shameful amounts of Plätzchen (X-mas cookies), drank enough hot chocolate to fill...
American Versus German Parenting – The Distance
I am fresh off the holidays back in America and along with other oddities of reverse culture shock (how much water is in American toilets!?), I have a new one. Even though all of my experience as a parent is in Germany, I would assume that - as an American native -...
Thrill-Seeking in Germany’s South
Now the new year is here I will start planning adventures for the next twelve months. This time last year my partner and I began organising a springtime two week road trip around southern Germany. It wasn't what we originally had in mind for 2017, but we put a visit...
Finding a place to call home
Moving from a culture slightly obsessed with getting on the property ladder as soon as is humanly possible, to one where renting is king has been an interesting adjustment. A lot of foreigners feel this way when they first move to Germany, but it really is A different...
Christmas Means Cookies
For almost a month already, we have been floating in the yearly jolly atmosphere that smells like cinnamon, shines with the twinkle lights and tempts us with delicious food. Germany is famous for its wonderful bread and it’s a very well-deserved reputation, however,...
Guide to German Nutcrackers
I had a nutcracker or two growing up, gaily dressed as soldiers and watching over me as I slept. Once I moved out, my mom pulled them out for the holidays and added a few new friends. Then a few more..til there was a horde of nutcrackers to accompany our tree for the...
My top ten German experiences in 2017
Cliché I know, but this year has flown by and I struggle to remember everything I have fitted in these past twelve months. So I thought what better way to reminisce than by writing down and sharing my top ten highlights of living in Germany in 2017. So here goes......
Expanding the family
Adding to your family is something that is taken very seriously in Germany. Do you have enough time, space, money and energy? Have you researched classes, schools and medical facilities? Are you ready to share your food, bed and sofa space? Even with the best laid...
Is it Germany or is it France?
If you like your French with a side of German, the Alsace-Lorraine is the region for you. Traded back and forth between the two countries as borders changed throughout time, France came out the winner with this lovely little territory. Alsace-Lorraine might sound like...
November in German Culture and History
November: The Mourning Month and Its Fateful Dates The first two days of November are significant in the Christian religious calendar. November 1 is All Saints Day (Allerheiligen). November 2 is All Souls Day (Allerseelen). In Germany, most of Europe, and all over the...
Let the Christmas countdown commence
Usually once the 5th November is out the way I can start thinking about the C word but since Guy Fawkes night (when Guy Fawkes tried to blow up parliament in London) isn't recognised in Germany, plans for Christmas have commenced well in advance this year. For any...
The bridge to a longer holiday
At 8am on a Sunday, walking my dog here can feel like a scene from a zombie apocalypse film. Not that the maybe two people I will pass look ghastly and likely to want to eat my brains, just that there is an eerie quiet that descends on the village on Sunday. As...
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