In 2009 this Midwestern girl decided that she’d had enough of Wisconsin winters and packed her bags for Europe. I landed in Prague and spent a month there learning how to teach English as a foreign language. I spent the next two and a half years in the Czech capital teaching, hanging out, and enjoying the expat life. After a while though, I thought I’d give a country that paid in Euros and used more vowels in their language a try, and relocated to Nuremberg, Germany. Here I found my happy place.
Hiking in the Allgäu, 2013
Since coming to Germany, a lot of things have changed. I’ve worked a little, and I’ve worked a lot. I’ve traveled more, and become an expert at navigating German trains even in the midst of strikes. I met a wonderful German gentleman (referred to as BV* on the blog), we shacked up, and even adopted a cat. Life here in ‘Schland isn’t always perfect, and there are just as many bureaucratic mountains as actual mountains to climb, but hey… there’s always a decent beer at the top.
In this blog you’ll find my experiences on teaching (occasionally), life in Germany, as well as posts on traveling, hiking, and my attempts at muddling through things in Denglish. Other things I enjoy include: reading, photography, cooking, yoga and Pilates (when I’m extremely motivated), and losing my mind at the sight of any furry creatures.
You can also find me here…
BlogExpat.com Interview: November 2012
Expat-Blog.com Blog of the Month: September 2011
or just look for my episode of House Hunters International, because that happened.
If there’s anything else you’d like to know, or something you’d like me to write about, feel free to shoot me an email at:
Comments, questions, and lovely things are welcome. Spam and inappropriate crap are not. Danke!
*He’s not evil, but she claims it’s his accent. I was under the impression that most Bond Villains had a Russian accent, not a German one, but what do I know?
Hello Heather!
A fellow Wisconsin girl here! 🙂
I am looking to move to Germany after graduation in December of 2014.
I can speak about ten German words! DO you have any advice? Resources? I NEED a job.
Hi Tayler, and thanks so much for your comment(s)! I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have, and help you out if possible. Just drop me an email at the address above anytime. 🙂
Hi there, I’m a friendly lurker who really enjoys your blog. I just wanted to let you know that I’ve nominated your blog for a Versatile Blogger Award. To find out more see here http://theerlangenexpat.wordpress.com/2014/05/05/versatile-blogger-award/. This award is a way for bloggers to show appreciation to other bloggers, and it’s a personal kick up the bum to me to make sure I show my personal appreciation for you and your blog. Congratulations!
Thanks so much E.E.! I’ve lurked on your blog a time or two myself, so thanks for the nomination. 🙂
Pingback: The Liebster | An Adventure A Day
Because I’ve enjoyed reading your blog so much, I wanted to share it with my readers by nominating you for a Liebster Award! You can find your nomination here:http://justanotherdayintheworld.wordpress.com/2014/05/31/the-liebster/
Thanks so much, I’ll have to check it out!
You are welcome!
Ha, I always thought Bond villains were Russian as well 😉 Was there an evil German in Die Hard?? I can’t wait to move there – not because they’re evil obviously, because they’re lovely 😉
Oh good, I’m not the only one. My sister swears it, but maybe she is thinking of Die Hard? I’ll have to investigate…
http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Hans_Gruber
🙂
Yes! Good thinking… how could anyone forget an Alan Rickman performance?
Yeah, he could cut your heart out with a spoon for that 😉
Oh my God. You don’t even know… I LOVE Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Love it. And yes, I take crap for it on a fairly regular basis. Don’t care. That movie is epic.
I agree 🙂 Love it haha! I roll my eyes a little when I see that it’s on – again – and 5 minutes later am totally engrossed like I’m seeing it again for the first time! 🙂
Amen.
Nice to meet you in Nürnberg, Heather. Look forward to the next time!
Likewise, Marty! Hope you enjoyed your time in Nbg, minus the rain. I’ll be following you again now, in the hopes that you start writing more. 🙂
I’ve been meaning to search out your House Hunters International and just saw it is on Netflix! Such a fun experience and I love the places you looked at.
Thanks, Ebe! Glad you finally got to see it. I’ve already gotten word from a few people that missed it on the first round… should be interesting. Is your episode on there as well?
Hey there Heather! Fellow Wisconsinite here. Just stopped by randomly and thought I’d give you a follow. If you would like to do the same, please come visit me at http://www.thatssojacob.wordpress.com. Happy new year!
what a lovely blog! 🙂
Thanks, Vanessa!
HI Heather,
Many years ago I lived in Erlangen (Uttenreuth actually) and recently revisited Nuernberg and environs which was very enjoyable. Want to come back again and do some more hiking in country areas. If you have not already been there, try Kulmbach.
Regards from Australia,
Lachlan
Well hello there also from Nürnberg 🙂 Nice blog!
Hello back! Thanks for stopping by, looks like your blog could be some useful reading material for me! 🙂
Thanks, I’m glad you find it useful. If you happen to be interested in participating in my Deutschlandfragebogen-Project, let me know! I’d ask you a few questions on your experiences here, just like this one:
https://deutschlandverstehen.wordpress.com/2017/01/13/und-wie-geht-es-dir-xenia-der-deutschlandfragebogen/
It’s in German and of course I’d correct your text and give you Feedback of you like. Just let me know 😃
Sounds like fun, why not? 😉
Great, I just sent it to you 🙂
Beautiful picture of you hiking. I love the Allgäu! It’s my happy place and every time we’re in Germany, we’ll try to spend some time there. This year we’ll be there for New Years. I’m so excited!
Thanks so much! Totally understand your love of the Allgäu… we didn’t get down there at all this year but I’ve been looking at some possible places for snowshoeing this winter. Maybe that’ll be a good enough reason to visit. 😉 Have a great time there at NY!
Glad I discovered your blog! Visited Nuremberg for the Christmas market a few years ago – I’ll have to return sometime. I’ve a similar-ish story – I was a TEFL teacher in Ireland but moved to Berlin for a job in journalism back in 2012. I’ve stayed “kleben” since 🙂
Likewise! I am such a sucker for a terrible reality show and watched the Irish version of First Dates when I was sick in Dublin last year for a day… may as well test out my Deutsch a bit on the local version in that case. 😉 Looking forward to reading more of your adventures!
Hi there! Fellow Midwesterner here. My family and I are moving to Germany in a few months and I was hoping I could get a little advice from you on how you got your belongings over there. We’re not bringing a lot but everywhere we have looked it costs several hundred dollars to ship a box or I’m reading reports of scammers. Any advice on how you moved would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.
Kayla – Michigan
Hi Kayla, thanks for stopping by!
I wish I could help, but I brought over 2 suitcases (okay and a backpack and laptop bag) in 2009 and that was it. My family has sent plenty of small boxes and I’ve picked up some things on trips back, but I’ve still got some large items in the States that I’m not sure how to get over here. I’d be in the same boat as you if I were looking for a whole household.
Many of the expat groups on FB for various cities (not sure where you’re moving) are pretty active if you haven’t already asked there. Hope you find a solution!
Hi!
Thank you so much for your reply and for the info – I’ll look into that. Best wishes!
Kayla