Now that both of our kids can walk and put up with some degree of shenanigans, we decided to do the full Halloween thing this year. Halloween is a holiday that was non-existent in Germany 20 years ago and has been slowly gaining popularity over the past few years. I’m not sure how it got started here officially, but I’m sure it had something to do with all of the American media (TV and movie) influence here, where Germans watch…
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…
I don’t consider myself an unlucky person; I know some who do. Everything seems to go wrong that can for them, like Murphy’s Law. Maybe it’s not just luck, but I feel that in general I do plan for the worst but do actually expect the best. Somehow the tide has not turned for the better yet regarding our babysitter search – who would have thought it could be so difficult to get friendly, reliable, reasonable in-home child care? Or…
I have never had a managerial position, been a boss, or had to hire anyone before – until now. As a mom at home. We are luckier than some other expats I know who do not have any kind of family nearby; my husband’s parents live within an hour away by car. Since he is their only child and they don’t work (much, anyway), they do have quite a bit of time to help us out when needed and spend…