It’s officially been one month and one week since I’ve given any update on our German life. Sprinkled in there were Christmas and New Year’s, and upcoming are two birthdays and our anniversary. Life is full, and thankfully, starting to feel more normal.
I drove to church today, and *almost* didn’t need Google Maps. I absolutely know where all of my groceries come from, and what stores I prefer. I have purchased my first items of clothing and got a haircut. So? We’re settling. (Our health hasn’t improved much, but I won’t whine about that here. Cough. Sniffle. Wipe up the messes.)
I went down to Hamburg proper this weekend for yes–a massage–but also coffee, because we buy from our favorite roaster in Hafencity. I giggled to myself as I drove to our familiar parking deck, felt comfortable driving in traffic, and knew where I was going. The 22 year old me would have no clue I would end up being this comfortable in cities–alone (and driving stick). Sure, I’ve always loved “The City” (New York City, Obviously. hah.), but that’s different than tackling the logistics yourself. I found myself smiling at a group of people downtown that was clearly a group of Americans. I thought to myself, “For all they know, I’m German. And that’s kind of funny. But I do feel comfortable here.” What a difference 6 months make.
Because, to be honest, I don’t see it anymore. I don’t see the funny traffic signs, I don’t notice the oversized scarves, I’m starting to love shelf-life milk (not the taste, just the practicality!), I don’t hear the funny English sentence structure, or the “Dank sei Gott” at church as foreign language anymore. Our children are speaking–even singing!–German. And I guess this is all good. Right? Right! But it does make life a bit less “Blog Worthy”. Travel blogs make a bit more sense in that they keep going to new places. We’re home. It’s our home. And yes, it’s still Deutschland, which means it’s foreign, but it’s home.
Couch von Rot 