Leaving Texas and Getting to Germany

It was so good to be back home in Texas. I missed my family and friends so much. There was a lot of eating, visiting, and a little bit of shopping (considering Singapore prices, I had to shop while I was back in Texas at reasonable prices).  I also had a quick weekend trip to Beaver Creek in Colorado to see one of my good friends say “I do” in a picturesque town. The time went by so fast and I didn’t really want to leave. I told my Mom as much as I had wanted Ryan to come back to Texas it was good he would be meeting me in Germany, giving me a reason for wanting to leave for another extended period again…not that Germany isn’t a place someone wouldn’t want to go because it is gorgeous both in scenery and weather but I couldn’t wait any longer to see my husband.  And before I knew it was time to leave for Germany….

Nala wanted to come with me.

I arrived four days before Ryan. I slept for about two of those days. What can I say, jetlag is hard on person. Our apartment is really nice. I prefer it much more than our Singapore apartment. For starters we’re on the third floor and we have a good size balcony with a view of the lake and Swiss Alps. We have real wood floors, plush rugs, a big comfy couch, actual SEPARATE rooms, actual color on the walls, and a TV. Who knew such simple things could make a person so happy. But these things make it much more “homey” and comfortable than our cold white box we lived in in Singapore.

Our separate living area.... no bed in here! or kitchen! :)

Our view.

So in Singapore we went without some “luxuries” that we were use to back home, like a TV, microwave, and dishwasher. And here we are going without some luxuries as well. No AC. And before you panic, it’s ok here. For starters, it’s the “hottest” time of the year and I’ve worn pants and a jacket every time we leave the apartment. All it takes is to crack open a window and it’s the perfect temperature inside. Oh and no humidity, did I mention that?!? I love the weather here (and so does my hair)!  Second luxury we’re missing is a clothes dryer. And yes you can panic for me on this one. Nobody uses clothes dryers here. Apparently they're really bad for the environment and Germans are really conscientious about that... I never knew. But we don't even have a hook up for one in the apartment. I looked because at first I was like, "no way, I'm finding a dryer!" haha.  I've done a couple of loads of laundry and they do dry like in fifteen minutes of just hanging outside... not bad and they smell nice too. Luckily we also have a dry cleaner within walking distance. Two more luxury items we’re missing that we also went without in Singapore, a microwave and dishwasher. Luckily I’m used to being without these now. Ryan and I produce hardly any dishes to be washed, although this is probably the effect of me never cooking. As for the microwave, after getting creative and heating up leftovers, etc. on the stovetop or in the oven I’ve come to the conclusion that once we’re back in the Sates permanently I just might try going without a microwave period. Food tastes so much better heated up the other ways.

Yep those are our unmentionables hanging out to dry on our balcony. 

We love it here already. Small town, no fighting crowds, the weather is great, we get to drive without traffic, and the list goes on. But we’re finding it a bit more difficult to adapt here than in Singapore. Which seems odd since you might think, “Southeast Asia easier to adapt to than Germany… in awesome Europe???”  Well since we’re in a small town hardly anyone speaks English and there are no signs in English. This has proven difficult. Yesterday I had to translate my grocery list online before I went to the grocery store. I did it and got everything I needed but it’s just taking a little more time and effort to get around and get things we need. Something that I’m sure will soon pass. I would also like to mention that no more buying prepackaged food that I can just throw in a pot and cook. I took one look at the directions (that are in German) and decided it would me much easier to make things from fresh food and where I can find directions online…. in English. I attempted dinner last night and it was actually good. The fish was ok, but the veggies I made were delicious… I was happily surprised, as was Ryan.

Dinner on the balcony. We're taking advantage of the weather here!

Ryan and I have explored our little town a bit and ventured off to Austria a couple of weekends ago. We have also already visited Neuschwanstein Castle, yes the castle that the Cinderella castle was based on. We have also already taken a road trip to Prague to visit our friends, Karina and Justin. I’ll be posting pictures of all of these trips soon.