Today marks two years since I first called Germany my new home.

The newness has worn off in some ways, but in other ways, I still find myself enchanted.

I find that going into the Altstadt still feels glamorous and wonderful.  And I can't get over how green everything is here in Germany.  Not just green as in “they are obsessed with recycling and make you divide your garbage into four different cans”, but green as in the earth, the plants, the trees—they are like popping off the page, mix of kiwi-cucumber-and- honeydew-melon greens everywhere you look. 

As for the language—while still frustrating at times, is getting easier.  Everyone says you learn a language faster living in the country, and I think in general that is true, but you certainly don’t learn a language just by being in the country.  But each time I listen and I look and I read, I get it more and more.

Here's to the start of round three!

Until next time,

diana

572 days later...

"Heimat. The word means home in German, the place where one was born. But the term also conveys a subtler nuance, a certain tenderness. One's Heimat is not merely a matter of geography; it is where one's heart lies. " — Jenna Blum (Those Who Save Us) 

I've passed the 1 and 1/2 year mark since I left NJ for Germany.

Is that a long time?  I'm not really sure.  It feels like the time just flew but yet, my end-of-university days don't feel so near either.

Fact of the matter is, I'm no longer a newbie here in Germany nor a long-term visitor which means having to accept certain things as part of my life--and not just "what the Germans do".

Getting paid monthly (at the end of the month) is now "just how it goes" and sorting my garbage between four different cans is no biggie.

Going to the grocery store means preparing properly, as in bringing enough cloth bags to carry my food home in--and yes, that also means buying only what I can carry home.  And paying more for water than you do for beer or soda in a restaurant is standard line of business in Germany. It's just part of life here.


Despite what some might call an inconvenience, I'm happy to call Germany my other home, at least for another year.  I want to make the most of my time here while I still can.

Until next time.