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