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Category: expat life

In the Beginning: Bureaucracy and Visas

In the Beginning: Bureaucracy and Visas

Getting accepted into a music conservatory in Germany was a huge accomplishment. I had found an apartment, unpacked my suitcase, opened a bank account, bought a bike and a mattress (huge purchases considering my budget), and got my Meldebestätigung, a type of resident registration providing proof of your address, necessary for a lot of bureaucratic procedures here. I got my public transport ticket which was a free monthly pass included in the tuition, or should I say, it basically was…

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You Do WHAT With Your Garbage?! 40 Ways That European and American Homes Differ

You Do WHAT With Your Garbage?! 40 Ways That European and American Homes Differ

Ever wondered about what it’s like to actually live, not just vacation, in Europe? Ever checked out details on an AirBnB rental or watched House Hunters International and been curious about more details? Besides a higher price tag, a reputation for charm, and an electrical current to fry your hairdryer from home, there are lots of interesting differences between European and American homes. You may not notice some of these right away, but they do impact your day-to-day life and…

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8 Brutal Daily Reminders That You’re Living in a Country Once Ravaged by World Wars

8 Brutal Daily Reminders That You’re Living in a Country Once Ravaged by World Wars

In a lot of ways, daily life in Germany is comparable to life in the States. Living standards are similar, the basics are readily accessible, status quo exists, and people love to complain about the weather. Then, when you least expect it, baaaam – you are confronted head-on with some brutal reminders that you are living in a country that was ravaged by two world wars on its own soil, both of which it sorely lost. These are very strange…

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Not Germany’s Ugliest City – A Traveler’s Eye View of Neumünster

Not Germany’s Ugliest City – A Traveler’s Eye View of Neumünster

Expat life and the traveling mind go hand in hand. We’ve already traveled and experienced something new, and then have probably caught the travel bug (assuming the move was voluntary). Expat life is however, not always about travel – it’s more about spending lots of time somewhere new and learning the in-depth, cultural stuff that you would never know while skimming through a city in a few days or even a few weeks. As a foreigner living in another country,…

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What July 4th Means to Me as an American Not Even Living in America

What July 4th Means to Me as an American Not Even Living in America

For the first several years of living abroad, I didn’t really think about the 4th of July much. It comes at a time of year when most are preoccupied with planning for summer and wrapping up tasks before said fun begins. Not to mention that in every other country, obviously, this holiday is not a thing at all. Germany has their Reunification Day on October 3rd, which could be considered the equivalent, yet has no traditions surrounding the day other…

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In the Beginning: A Taste of Asia, Europe, and Things to Come

In the Beginning: A Taste of Asia, Europe, and Things to Come

My first time abroad was actually also the first time out of the Midwest, and boy was it a shocker! My family didn’t really go on vacations besides out East to my Aunt’s house in Pennsylvania, so I hadn’t seen a lot besides corn fields and museums during school breaks. While that was a great way to grow up, I had no idea what to even think (or even to think) about anywhere far away. I was and still am…

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8 Tips for Acclimating & Adjusting to a New Culture and Life Abroad

8 Tips for Acclimating & Adjusting to a New Culture and Life Abroad

Adjusting to living abroad is a process, not unlike dating, if you think about it! First, you look at your options, then make a decision to try an option out. It is exciting at first, everything is new and you try new things. Then the honeymoon phase wears off and you realize the strange or annoying habits, and then comes the critical point: are the pros worth the cons? Is your heart in it? If the answer is yes, then…

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Top 10 Normal & Surprising Questions Asked Most to an American Living Abroad & Cultural Assumptions

Top 10 Normal & Surprising Questions Asked Most to an American Living Abroad & Cultural Assumptions

Since I did not move to Germany as a small child, the second I open my mouth everyone can tell I am not from here. Some people are nice enough to say they find my accent charming (really? An American accent?) or amusing, and usually I get asked a series of questions, varying based on how audacious the Asker is feeling. I am always flattered that someone is interested in getting to know me and where I’m from (a privilege…

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Growing Stuff as an Expat Gardener

Growing Stuff as an Expat Gardener

You’d think a hobby or interest is a hobby or interest no matter where you are, but lest, even these can throw you for a loop of you live abroad! Anyone that really knows me knows I like to garden, in particular growing my own vegetables. This has been a part of my life since literally before I can remember, and here is the proof of it: I had to put gardening on hiatus while I was studying since I…

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Let’s Decorate the Easter Tree and Blending Cultural Traditions

Let’s Decorate the Easter Tree and Blending Cultural Traditions

There’s one German tradition that I actually thought was a joke or just done ironically, and that is this: Hanging eggs on trees, bushes, plants, etc. at Easter time. It still kinda seems a bit silly to me from an outsider’s perspective, like What, you have to decorate at Easter too? Is this like equal rights for all? Like closure for the Xmas tree? What does it mean/symbolize, anyway? Is the Easter bunny expected to hang eggs in trees, with…

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