One year in Germany

It's hard to believe, but I've been in Germany for a year now! In July last year I packed up my bags with less than a year of German language courses under my belt and boarded a plane. Three cities and two internships later, I have a permanent job in Stuttgart. My aunt Susan always says 'Leap and the net will appear.' The net has definitely appeared for me many times in the last year as I've left everything familiar for a new country, new apartment and new job!

I've been lucky enough to travel quite a lot in Germany during the past year. Not only did I get to live in Frankfurt, Berlin and Stuttgart, I also went skiing in the Bavarian Alps, rode in the back of an antique VW convertible Bug through the Black Forest, saw a Zeppelin fly over Lake Constance, and participated in an Old-Timer car rally in the hills around Heilbronn.

As a southern Californian, this was my first year experiencing all four seasons! In the fall I got to enjoy lots of warm, golden sunsets along the Main River in Frankfurt and weekend trips to nearby Weisbaden and Mainz. As the weather slowly got colder, the red color of the trees was a completely new and stunning experience for me.

Winter was not my favorite time of year, and it was made more difficult by a sub-par living situation in Berlin. The icy winds that whipped across Potsdamer Platz as I made my way to work didn't help to lift my spirits. A Christmas visit from my family and trips to go skiing in the Alps helped to leave happy memories of my first real winter. I'm actually (cautiously) looking forward to winter this year. I'm hoping a cozier apartment and being closer to the mountains will be an antidote against the winter blues.

Springtime flew by, and the summer is also racing away. Since starting my new job in April and moving into a new apartment shortly before, I've had a lot of furniture to buy, new faces to match with names, and new routines to establish. Of course there are things I miss about home (especially family!), but my apartment in Germany is also starting to feel a little more like home.

I can't wait to see what the next year in Germany has in store!

A weekend in London

Sometimes life hands you the lemon and the lemonade all in one. The lemon: I had to leave Germany and the Schengen area (aka almost all of continental Europe) in order to change from a student to a tourist visa in Germany. The lemonade: a trip to London! And the lemonade was oh so sweet: we enjoyed 48 hours of amazing weather, strolls through Hyde Park, window shopping on Regent Street, and green smoothies at Whole Foods , not to mention the fact that everyone spoke English! Our plan was to have no plan--a refreshing break from jam packed city tours I've done in the past. And we still managed to see all the London highlights while soaking up the sunny days!















What should I do on my next trip to London? I'm already ready to go back!