After 14 years living in Berlin, I joked that our summer vacation plans are the true sign we have fully integrated into German culture. We were finally going to Mallorca. We had never heard of Mallorca before moving to Germany. It is simply not on most North...
The GW Expat Blog
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cultural differences
Going to the Hospital in Germany
Something that is not on many visitors' bingo card is a trip to the hospital. But life just happens and sometimes the unexpected becomes a reality. That has been the case for my family this last month. As I neared my due date for Berlin baby number three, my parents...
10 Things Expats Miss After They Leave Germany
Reverse culture shock can be disconcerting, even scary. While driving in my US hometown recently, I had a flashback to my time in Germany when I noticed a few things that Americans do that contrast with normal practice in Germany and Europe. Some of them are funny,...
Differences Between School in Germany in the USA
We’ve been on a short visit back to the USA which has luckily coincided with Halloween. Our kids, 2 and 6-years-old, have only experienced the Germans’ half-hearted embrace of the holiday before. Our American friends and family have been fascinated by the differences...
Superstitions in Germany
Since this post is sandwiched between Halloween and a truly terrifying presidential election in the USA, I thought this was the perfect time to go over some German superstitions, or Aberglauben. Every culture has them, but when you aren't raised around them they can...
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...
A Tramp Abroad: Observations of a Former Expat and Frequent Traveler in German-speaking Europe
As I find myself rediscovering many aspects of daily life in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, I can't help but think of Mark Twain, who wrote so masterfully about his travels in Germany and Europe in A Tramp Abroad (1880, translated into German as "Bummel durch...
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