What’s It Like Being An Expat?
One thing I haven’t mentioned much of here in the last 4 months is about the whole “expat” business. Before we got to Germany, I had only a few guesses to what the word expat really meant. A military term? A german slang word? A word used to describe someone that is-definitely-not-a-native-because-they-stick-out-like-a-sore-thumb…? I’d have to say that the latter is not too far off, which then leads me to believe that I am not a terrible guesser (but I already knew that…thanks college). Really though I had no idea. Enter in my super handsome, stud of a husband who explained to me that expat is short for “ex-patriate”, meaning someone living outside of their native country. Simple and makes sense enough! But even after this profound knowledge I was still questioning this new “category” of people that we were quickly entering into…
In the few months leading up to us making the big move here, the question that I received the most was wether or not I was excited. To be honest I never knew how to answer it correctly. Usually I would respond with an eager YES!! and give a quick explanation of all the things I was most excited for like traveling, the unknown, experiencing a different culture, the start of a new adventure, etc, etc. I would also sometimes explain (in an awkward attempt at formulating a sentence) that I was nervous. That I was fearful of this new journey. I would then give a quick explanation of all the things I was most nervous and fearful of like the unknown, experiencing a different culture, the start of an new adventure, etc, etc. …oh wait. Now I’ve really confused everyone because the same things that I was most excited for I was also the most nervous for. This was of course with the exception of traveling…I’ve always been secure in my excitement about getting to travel. They would then usually look at me a little strangely, maybe give me some crazy eyes and go silent for a few long moments before we both laughed it off, or some were even brave enough to ask me what I meant. But how do you explain something you don’t fully understand yourself? Where do you begin when you heart is being pulled in a million different directions all at once? Not only are you incredibly excited about it all but you are also entering into very unknown territory and that’s scary.
I wish I could tell you that throughout the whole process starting from the very first time Jeremy and I talked about potentially moving on our little apartment balcony over dinner one night, almost a year before it all became officially official, that I was always trusting and that I gave any anxieties and worries over to God. But unfortunately I can’t. Not fully anyway. Thankfully though there were times especially in the beginning stages when it wasn’t yet official where I certainly had a strong sense of peace about the possibility and decision to move. In fact, my heart was longing for it. The opportunity to live in another country? Experience a different culture? TRAVEL. All with my best friend? I was totally sold. SIGN ME UP! However, being that we would be going because of Jeremy’s job it wasn’t all completely black and white. While it was easy to agree that both professionally (and personally) this type of opportunity might never present itself again, entering into a position that is really new and therefore not easily defined is hard to picture. And again, maybe a little hard to trust that it would be the right move. But, fast forward six months later to when we are “officially” expats and our lives here are, for all intensive purposes, settled. Prayers and encouragement ultimately led us here, and we are beyond thankful for that!
Our short time in Hamburg has been life changing you guys. It’s been so good to us. I am still working to find how to put it all in the right words to explain it to you. I am sure in time this explanation will come easy to me but right now it’s still in the processing stage. While I am an official “expat” member (and I understand the term much more fully), I think it’s safe to say that I am far from knowing every facet of it. Nor do I think I ever will. Lately, being an expat means I feel dumb at LEAST once a day, I’m horrible at orienting which direction is the correct one, I usually guess what exactly I am buying and ordering at restaurants, smiling to myself when I’m on the bus and train because I have absolutely NO idea what everyone is saying, and I’m pretty certain that I am eating too much pizza. I also think it is safe to say that everyone’s story and experience is different. Different jobs, different places and cultures, different reasons for moving, different reasons for going home (or not going home). This expat life sure is a strange one that I am certain of.
Moving to Germany and becoming an expat has been, yet another, lesson in humbly trusting God. As I look back, my life is overflowing with these lessons. Thankfully, I am really starting to understand this verse more and more:
“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him”
-Jeremiah 17:7 (NIV)
It’s not always the easy choice but one that I am daily striving to do. I’m feeling blessed by it too : )
*****
In other exciting news: This little blog, The Simple Haven, is getting a massive renovation!! Including new design, new direction, and…a new name. I’m so thrilled to finally share it with you. It’s also why I have been a little absent from posting lately. A week from today it will be going live so be sure to check back for that!
Have a wonderful Wednesday, friends!
XO, Lauren
Catching Up
Hi Friends!
Before anything else- I want to send out a truly heartfelt THANK YOU(!!!) to all that emailed, text, called, skyped (and everything in between) me regarding my last post. I hope that you know I am truly grateful for your love and encouragement. It has meant SO much to me. Sending you all virtual hugs!
*****
So, you may have noticed…t’s been a while. To be fair – I knew it had been a while but when I realized it has been almost a FULL MONTH since I last posted, I just had to let everyone know that we are still here.
…still Americans turned German expats, which means we are still trying to figure out most aspects of our new life…
Today I’m catching up on what has been going on in our lives lately. And hopefully it will excuse my lack of posts around here. Though, I can’t apologize too much…we were living life and doin’ things!
Spring Has Sprung
I’ve always thought Hamburg to be a beautiful city. In fact, I’ve said this even when we arrived in the dead of winter when all the trees and flowers were bare and non-existent. We actually experienced our first real winter while here (which everyone says was incredibly mild compared to normal Hamburg winters. This scares me a bit.) But about three weeks ago when all the trees and flowers started to show signs of life and began to bloom, you would have thought we were seeing spring for the first time. A good majority of our conversation on walks consisted of “LOOK! That tree! It has one little green bud! And oh, LOOOOOOK! Those trees were completely dead a week ago, now they have little leaves all over them! THIS. IS. SO. EXCITING!!”
Ok, so maybe this has been a good majority of MY conversations while out on our walks.
It has been so how neat to live in a place that truly reflects the different seasons.
Our Home
We are still (slowly but surely) furnishing our new place here. We have gotten every piece (yes, every!) of furniture off of Ebay classifieds which is pretty comparable to Craigslist in the states. This has been a fun, sometimes hilarious and sometimes a bit frustrating process but all worth it!
Below are a few sneak peeks for you:
Running
Jeremy and I are running in our first half marathon at the end of June! Neither of us have ever really classified ourselves as “runners”. Jeremy grew up playing baseball and I mainly stuck to swimming which both always required minimal to zero running. Yet, it is safe to say that we are BIG fans of running.
Recent Travels
After months of getting settled here in terms of housing, visas, etc. and getting most things finalized we then got the travel bug. We have and continue to tour around Hamburg. But our most recent trips together outside of the city have been spent in Berlin and London. We had just a short weekend in Berlin but were able to see quite a bit of Germany’s capital. We also got lucky that it was a beautiful, sunny weekend.
Jeremy also had a two-week long work trip planned, so I joined him towards the end of his trip in London. I am currently still at a loss for the right reflection and words about this beautiful city.
the sights, british accents, tea and crumpets, royal traditions, pub food: fish n’ chips and shepherd’s pie, the history, big ben, the tube experience…just some of the words I have been able to say. Beyond this I am still a little speechless…
I think it is safe to say that I have a deep love for the UK.
First Sporting Event
We went to our first sporting event here in Hamburg…Freezers Hockey! If you follow me on Instagram you would have seen the little video I put together from the game. The fans are so intense which made it so fun and exciting!
Easter
On the Saturday before Easter we were invited by friends to experience a traditional “Easter Fire”. This traditional of burning wood is meant to signify getting rid of the “bad” from the last year. Most Northern Germany natives partake in this tradition every year. For roughly two weeks neighborhoods collect wood to burn at the (huge) community bonfire. At dusk on Saturday, all the locals come out with a picnic of food and drinks in hand and mingle during the bonfire. We were introduced for the first time to “stick bread”. It’s exactly what it sounds like: bread dough on a stick that you cook in the fire! Genius and yet so simple.
Beautiful, no? We were amazed to find the peaceful country just a short 20 minute drive from the city.
Unfortunately, Jeremy and I are horrible at the whole “take pictures together of fun events and holidays because you will want to remember them down the road” thing. We don’t have a single picture together in our Sunday best for our first Easter holiday spent in another country. Epic fail. In any case, we spent the day at church, had a potluck lunch after the service, walked around Hafencity enjoying the sunshine, and just relaxed at home!
This pretty much sums up the past month for us! As you can tell it has been a full and fun one. I hope you have an amazing weekend. I will be back next week sharing more. : )
XO
Spiritual Valleys
I’m sitting in the valley. The mountain in front of me seems too high, too treacherous to tackle in the way and in the amount of time that I want to. The path to it is too rocky and too foreign for an amateur like myself to conquer. But I desperately long to be back on top. Because you see, I remember what those mountaintops feel like it. That exuberant high that comes with spiritual clarity and answered prayers. I know what it feels like to walk hand in hand with God along the right and clear path that he’s set out for me. I still remember when he walked with me through my senior year of high school like it was yesterday. His hand gently guiding me to a closer faith with Him. He opened doors. He showed His plans to me in response to my heartfelt prayers. In that year He changed my life forever. He planted a spiritual passion in me as a new believer, led me to baptism, provided me with an acceptance to a Christian college-one that wasn’t ever on my perceived radar, gave me more knowledge of Him through classes and professors and granted me many blessings in the form of lifetime friendships. He was certainly near. In that year, I felt His presence so incredibly deeply. I heard His whispers of promises. And I praised Him for it all.
But at some point in the years following that one, I began to make my way down the other side of the mountain. But I didn’t always realize it. There were certainly times when I felt distant from Him. Whether that meant at times my prayer life was lacking, that I was incredibly selfish, or that I denied His plans for me. I certainly was missing the feeling of being back on top of the mountain. But this certain mountain was a rolling one. The plateaus on it weren’t significant enough to fully feel the weight of this increasing distance I felt before I made my way up again on another one of its hills. Renewing and refining areas of my spiritual life with fervor. These rolling hills continued for years. It wasn’t until recently, about five years later, that I’ve fully realized I have reached the valley. I’ve come down from that mountain. And not only have I reached its valley, but I have been walking blind in it for quite sometime.
If you know me well you know that letting myself be vulnerable and honest, even with the closest of family and friends, is a struggle (hello blogging world!). I bottle my feelings. And I pack the bottles too tightly. Afraid that if I didn’t push my feelings away but let others in that I would simply be “too much” (my words). Too much to deal with. Too much baggage. Just too much. This is paired with my biggest fear of being misunderstood. And so, rather than deal with these struggles with myself or let others help me, I just kept bottling them up. Hoping that they would eventually be forgotten. But as we all know, they do NOT just go away forgotten. Instead they just sit there. Some get packed even more. But they sit there letting you know that with each passing day they are on the brink of breaking. (Talk about anxiety!)
Last night, one of these bottles finally broke. And boy, was it a packed one. It was filled to the brim with so much dense, moldy, new and forgotten feelings. Ones that longed to escape but never made their way out before they were quickly stuffed back in again. It was filled with not only feelings of inadequacy but just feeling so alone as a sit in this valley. And I wonder what I’ve done wrong? How did I end up here and why? Then shame and doubt sets in. Do I even know God, and do I truly have a relationship with Him as I previously thought? Or have I been walking aimlessly in the wrong, opposite direction. Why do I feel like my prayers only reach the roof lately? Why hasn’t He come to make me “feel” his loving presence. Why isn’t He taking my hand and showing me the way out of this? Why, why, why.
And then. And then. I don’t so much hear or “feel” God’s encouragements, rather He gives me glimpses of understanding as I really take the time with each of these endless layers. I realize that while this “valley” looks vastly different than the mountaintop behind me, it is still a gift from God. I am no longer a new christian in need of His encouragement, rather this is a time where His tough and gritty work within me is happening. I recently listened to a podcast that dealt with this very stage of our christian walk. Through it I learned that during this time (in the valley) God is essentially asking “do you desire the “excitement” or “feelings” of my presence or do you desire ME?”. The feelings God gives us on that mountain are essential and are given to encourage us in our faith. I think they are meant for us to recognize that He DOES have big desires and plans for us. You know this and have heard this promise.
“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11
Where God is with us on the mountaintop- where we are encouraged and hear Him clearly, He is also with us in the valley- where we sit tired. And you know what? I think God rejoices during these times of hurt and despair, as we sit in the valley. In all those messy moments as you pick your way through layers of confusion, doubt and shame, he is with us. In fact, I think God delights in this time because ultimately it points to Him and our all encompassing need for Him. I also know that God is sitting right there with me listening intently to my heart and even grieving with me as a shed tears. But He is stepping aside, letting me work through these hard issues, revealing sin and shame in my life. And really its a loving call from Him. He wants me to not just be walking blindly with all these bottles stored up anymore. He’s waiting patiently with me as I work through them, one by one. I’m learning that He’s taking me on a journey to show me who I really am. He’s showing me what’s in my heart and what needs to change. And when I am ready, he will gently guide me along the straight path. This path is most certainly filled with many more mountains, rolling hills, and valleys. But all the same I am encouraged. Even now while I am still sitting here, because I know that He is ultimately leading me to the cross.
And he tells me that when I do get up: “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.” -Isaiah 55:12
You all must know also that even during this time, I am truly joyful still. I am not completely overcome with all the emotions that these last few days have brought to the surface. Rather, most days I am truly enjoying life: dancing in the kitchen, wandering through this amazing city and in love with my sweet husband. I am however, striving to be better in more areas than one. And also striving to know God more. But even still, when these bottles break I feel ashamed that others, usually Jeremy, gets to experience me pick through each and every layer that has been stuffed in for far too long. But…it’s Jeremy. And he not only listens to it all, but he gets down on his knees and picks up the pieces with me. Moving across the world and dealing with so many different emotions that come with that (again think bottles), I am continually amazed at the way God is using Jeremy to help me work through these muck and messy layers that are coming to the surface lately. Our relationship is more translucent and honest now than it ever has been in the past 8 years. And though being vulnerable is hard, it’s so needed. SO, so needed. I needed that bottle to break last night and I want so many others that I have stored up to break too.
*****
Phew, if your still reading this you are a trooper!! If you have been experiencing the same, I hope in some small way that reading this has been an encouragement to you. God does hear us. Even when we can’t hear or feel Him. Rejoice in this time He is giving you to fully understand your heart…it was crafted and given to you by our loving Father. : )
Have you been through these “mountains” and “valleys”, I would love to hear the ways in which you moved through them and what God has revealed to you in them. Leave me a comment or send me a message, thesimplehavenblog@gmail.com
XO, Lauren
A Nesting Series: {Part 1}
A “Circle of Trust”
I don’t know about you but I am a big time “nester”. I truly love all the aspects of a home including the memories, who you share it with, the laughter, the little details…I really could go on and on! Today I am starting a “Nesting Series” that I am beyond excited for. We have learned a lot this time around about moving into a new place, because “expat moving” has truly been on a whole other level. It’s been equal parts challenging and confusing. However, we are so glad to be settled in Germany and moving into our new home really helped in this process. Our new home has easily made our top five favorites about life in Hamburg so far, and I am excited to finally share it with you!(And don’t worry mom and dad, it’s not THAT kind of nesting…yet.)
First, I wanted to give you a quick rewind to four weeks ago when we were not so sure about the moving process…
Picture this: two young, newly minted expats who are unsure of how life works in their new home country. They know maybe two words in German. Unfortunately none of these words will help them find (or get) an apartment in the very populated city of Hamburg, BUT they feel this must be the first step. In fact, they are pretty positive that they desperately NEED to find an apartment and obtain a lease contract or else they will forever be stuck on the outside of what they have deemed the German “Circle of Trust” (expat version)! What is this never-ending “Circle of Trust” you ask? Well, it looks a little like this:
Let me explain: Our top priority in moving to Hamburg is getting a Residence Permit. This allows us to legally stay for a specified period of time, and must be obtained within the first three months upon arrival. However, in order to apply for a Residence Permit you first have to have a German bank account. In order to get a German bank account, you have to obtain a permanent address so that the said bank can send all the sensitive bank information, cards, etc. to you. But in order to get a permanent address you have to (obviously) have a rental agreement. And that, my friends, is what encompasses this “Circle of Trust”. Simple yet a little confusing, right? As you might imagine, being let into this circle was not easy. Our main mission was getting one of the these elements to budge. Through trial and error we realized that our best bet was to first get a rental agreement. We were to somehow prove to the Landlords that among ALL the other potential tenants, that we, the Americans, were their best option. Thankfully, after 15+ open houses toured and applications sent in to ea, we eventually proved ourselves worthy…but only to one! Our saving grace came in the form of a new and upcoming area of Hamburg called HafenCity.
Click here for more facts about HafenCity.
Now, I have something to admit…I wasn’t completely in love with our place the first time I saw it. It has a hallway that would be better suited for a bowling alley or shuffleboard tournaments…(which I do admit would be really fun- but essentially it is hard to furnish?). Not to mention this apartment had the oddest outlet placements. For example, there is only one in the bathroom. It happens to be on the farthest wall from the sink right next to the…toilet. Like I mentioned, this was around our 15th open house we attended, but it was the first in the HafenCity area. Needless to say my heart was pretty set on a different, more established neighborhood. One that included those quaint coffee houses, unique shops, and charming older apartments that I fell in love with. But well, this is a redemption story friends! And to be honest, we are now living in our HafenCity apartment and could not imagine being anywhere else. In fact, I am completely in love with our new place, and could not be happier with its location. It is just a five minute walk to the city center! There is also plenty of shops, cafes, and charm to go around. The layout is still weird and the electrical outlet placements haven’t changed, but now these are only fun challenges for us to work with. Plus, an added bonus is that I get to sit on my bum in the bathroom and do my hair! ; )
…shuffleboard, bowling, slip-n-slide, relay races…
Can you spot the outlets??
Our balcony is an extension of the living room. The accordion windows open up to make it a true balcony.
Would you like to hear the coolest part of this story?? Our meeting at the Rathaus where we turned in our Visa and Resident Permit applications was scheduled (in early January) for Thursday, January 23, 2014 at 11.00am. Up until Monday, January 20th, we hadn’t yet been accepted by any apartments and didn’t have a rental agreement in hand, which we needed for both applications. We decided to give ourselves until mid-day on that Wednesday, to come up with an agreement before we called to reschedule our meeting. It wasn’t ideal for us to reschedule this meeting as they typically were scheduled two weeks out and we needed to have this step completed in order to be further settled in Germany. And as luck would have it, on Wednesday morning we heard from the leasing company from the place in HafenCity informing us that they had in fact accepted us!! We broke into the circle!!
In a crazy turn of events, on Thursday January 23rd at 9.00am we signed our rental agreement for our new apartment in HafenCity. At 10.00am we set up a bank account. By our 11.00am meeting at the Rathaus we had a rental agreement, a permanent address, and a bank account…EVERYTHING we needed for our Visa and Residence Permit applications.
BOOM.
God is good. The end.
*****
What oddities do you love about your new home? Do you have any foreign housing stories of your own? Let’s hear it!
Now that we are in our place we have had even more adventures in furnishing it! Making memories over here has been our thang lately, and we have had some very fun and hilarious ones while making this place our home. Looking forward to sharing more stories and pictures soon!
XO, Lauren
I Got Lost.
Today, I got lost. Really lost. It’s true. I walked into the city to make a return at a store and after I decided to walk around the other shops downtown. Well, one turn turned into twenty others with no rhyme or reason. I thought I knew where I was going. However, after an hour walking the city streets in this fashion, in addition to walking in and out of all the fancy stores, I stopped and realized I truly had no idea where I was. Nor did I know how long I had been walking with zero sense of direction. And you know what? I loved it. Even though I was completely and utterly lost, I reveled in the fact that today could not be more perfect and was just what I needed.
You see the sun? It was shining so brilliantly today that I even dusted off the old sunglasses and shielded these baby blues. It was 13°C (That’s 57°F for the folks back in the states) and so deliciously warm! I was wearing a light jacket and wanted to take it off…but I decided against it and realized it rather felt good to be “too warm” verses the normal- “too cold”. There was distant music seemingly serenading my wandering adventure too. Perfection!
It felt like a summer day, and I think everyone else agreed.
As you might have already guessed, I did find my way back home. I just whipped out google maps on my iphone and was able to figure out exactly where I was and how I need to retrace my steps within seconds…isn’t technology awesome?!
SO, when was the last time you ventured off and “got lost”? I am not going to sit here and encourage you to get completely lost, like “can’t find a way to get back home” lost. That wouldn’t be beneficial or right of me, and I would never hope that! I DO, however, encourage you to at least get outside today. Explore. Wander somewhere new. Do something differently. Even if you know your home and city like the back of your hand, I’m sure there are still places, busy side streets, back roads, dirt trails, or neighborhoods that you have yet to wander down. Take a walk. Go alone, invite a friend or bring along your cute pup. Bring your Bible or favorite book with you, pray, or journal! It doesn’t matter much how or where you choose to go, but friends, just GO. And really, what do you have to lose?
Now, if you are thinking you would lose precious time (as I would have thought a few months ago). I hope that your mindset is changed, even if it is just once, as you realize that it could be the best use of your time! Why not take a walk and think about. See what I did there?
If you do venture somewhere write me a comment below or send me a message about it! But maybe bring a long a smartphone or map just in case. ; )
*****
More exciting news…we now have internet at our place! SO glorious. It really is the simple things. I hope you enjoy your Tuesday friends. Make it count!
XO
Top Five Things We LOVE About Hamburg
Happy Valentine’s Day Friends! In keeping with the theme of today, I am sharing the top five things we just LOVE about Hamburg, so far. There is much to love about Hamburg, and I’ve realized I have shared little about this amazing place, so I hope this paints a better picture for you:
1. Modes of Transportation: Mass Transit and Walking
Public transportation is great. The fact that everywhere you go, you are a short distance from an S or U bahn station, as well as a bus stop has been incredibly convenient. We also walk a whole lot more than we ever did back home which is surprisingly an added bonus. I mean it may be a little over two months since I have been to a gym (or have done an Insanity workout at home) but just walking a few miles everyday has provided a means of staying healthy and fit. And totally counteracts my frequent stops to the local pastry shops…right? But even more importantly, walking allows for fresh air and daily sightseeing.
2. Architecture and Old Buildings
I have always loved beautiful architecture. Not only is it incredibly pleasing to the eye, but also most times it tells an even more incredible story. Jeremy and I cannot get enough of the amazing sights every time we turn a corner and it certainly has not sunk in fully that we live in such a beautiful place.
3. Pace of Life
Our new home in Hafencity is about a five to ten minute walk from the city center of Hamburg. While it is a fairly big city, you can walk down any side street from its centre and immediately feel like you are miles away from downtown Hamburg. Along with that, most everything closes on Sunday, with the exclusion of some restaurants and cafes. This took a little while to get used to since back in the states Sunday was just another day to get your shopping done, but at the same time it becomes a true sabbath day set aside for church, sightseeing and relaxing in sweats!
4. Our Home in Hafencity
Speaking of our new home, it is definetly one of our favorites, and we really could not be more thrilled with it. This is a teaser, I know, but don’t worry I will post new pictures of the inside very soon!
5. Living a Simpler Life
This may sound like a strange one since its not so much about Hamburg as it is about how it took us moving to Germany to realize that simpler IS better. You make think by reading my blog title I would have this one figured out completely, but that is so far from the truth. One example being that during the first month living in Hamburg, we had only the clothes and items that we packed in our suitcases. While I certainly missed my pillow (I LOVE my pillow), living with less was incredibly refreshing. We had less to keep track of, less to stress over, and certainly less to occupy or minds with. When it came to clothes specifically, I didn’t have to spend long thinking what I was going to wear that day or try on 7 different outfits till I landed on the right one. It is refreshing to know that we have everything we need, and that it IS enough.
Well, there you have it! Can you tell we are loving life as “Hamburgers”!? I know that as we get more acquainted with this city we will find new things to fall in love with and I am excited to explore them. What are things you love about your home? Please share!
*****
I also wanted to share that I am currently taking Photo 101 through Nicole’s Classes Online, and absolutely loving it! I have had a Canon DSLR camera for almost five years now and I have never properly taken the time to learn how to use it. (Shame on me, I know!) I am about to finish up week 2 this Sunday and I am already learning SO much. Be sure to check out their site for more details on the many classes they offer. : )
Happy Weekend!
XO
Home Is Where You Make It, Boy
No this post isn’t a nod to the movie, Joe Dirt, but rather it is inspired by feelings that no matter where we find ourselves in this adventure, our home is always where we make it and create it to be. I’ve realized this much more fully after moving miles and miles away from our last home. Ever since we landed in Hamburg, we have been reveling in the fact that this, this place with the beautiful sights, awesome city vibe, and amazing people is our new home and our new reality. Even while we ceaselessly searched the first few weeks for an actual home here, the sense that Hamburg was home came easily to the both of us. From the start we felt settled. Even with living out of our suitcases and not speaking a lick of German, we quickly transitioned into new realities and a new way of doing life.
So what does life look like for us now? Well, for starters, we spend a lot more time together! Exploring together, playing a lot more games together (and a lot less TV together) and even reading the bible together- my favorite. We are trying out lots of different types of food, as there is a little bit of everything here. We quickly learned that most everyone eats a hamburger and fries with a knife and fork, it still feels very sophisticated but it does make sense, no messy hands! We spend a good amount of time at the grocery store as we try to figure out exactly what we are buying. We are also learning the power of Trust on a whole new level. Trusting in God’s plan and purposes in the big and littles of our life together has been truly rewarding. And through it all, we are learning to be real adventurers during this time in our life. : ) Speaking of which I have been eyeing this print to hang up in our new home. You may have seen it floating around Pinterest. It’s just too perfect!
Tomorrow I am posting our 5 favorites things we love about Hamburg (so far), so be sure to check back and find out what made the list!
XO
Oh, Scotland {Part 2}
In case you missed Part 1 about our trip to Edinburgh, Scotland for New Years be sure to check out the post here. You will know after reading Part 1 that I became quickly infatuated with Edinburgh; it was a rather immediate love affair to say the least. For anyone who has visited Edinburgh it is clear where this infatuation stems from, because really what is there not to love? After we left Edinburgh and landed in Hamburg, I thought maybe this infatuation was all due to the fact that it was the start of our big adventure, and that no matter what we did or where we went it would all be overly spectacular. In a way this is true. I was ready for an incredible journey with Jeremy to start and no matter where we went and what we did, I knew my heart would be full of adventure, and pumping with excitement. At the same time, I think this was partly due to the fact that we had very little expectations for the trip. We were so busy up until we actually sat down on our first flight from San Francisco to London, that we hadn’t actually thought about the move and the New Years trip outside of logistics. Meaning, we figured out where we were going and staying, what items we were shipping and packing, what personal information we needed to take with, etc. This also meant that we didn’t set too many expectations for our trip, and in fact we did little to zero tourist planning! Ultimately, because we didn’t have any real expectations for our trip (besides to relax!) we weren’t letdown in anyway. I wouldn’t always recommend going about a vacation this way, especially when you are on a time constraint, but for this particular situation it allowed us to really relax without any added pressure.
As I mentioned in Part 1 we spent a good amount of time exploring old town Edinburgh. There was just so much to see and, thankfully, it was all a short walk from our flat in the Grassmarket area.
During the day on New Years Eve, we spent a good portion of time touring through the Edinburgh castle. The castle is a famed focal point for tourists and residents alike. There is rich history imbedded in its stone walls, that provides a full backdrop to Edinburgh’s royal history.
The Royal Mile, which connects the Royal Palace of Holyrood House and the Edinburgh castle, is where many main attractions were found. The Holyrood House is where Queen Elizabeth (and royalty before her) stay during their visit to Scotland, thus making the “Royal Mile” truly a royal affair! It was neat to walk and feel as though much of it hadn’t changed.
On New Years Eve we participated in the Hogmanay festivities which included concerts in the Princes Street Gardens and a street party in Edinburgh’s city centre that culminated in the midnight fireworks show. We started out the night at a local pub meeting people from Spain, Germany, and even Colorado! We then proceeded to the city centre in preparation of the fireworks show. To say that there were a LOT of people filling the streets would be a severe understatement. Moving through the the crowd, we were able to move maybe 3 feet each minute as we literally pushed our way through. There were even various groups of strangers banding together, linking arms to essentially move through the crowds quicker! I have never truly felt claustrophobic before, but this was definitely the closest I have come…and I could not stop giggling. Does anyone else giggle when the get scared, nervous or..claustrophobic? I sure do. It’s always been my bodies go-to coping mechanism. I can’t be the only one right? In any case, after twenty straight minutes of being human sardines Jeremy and I were ready for some air space. Not to mention I was also holding a full bladder and could NOT get to a bathroom fast enough. Big crowds + needing to relieve oneself REALLY do not mix…and giggling, can’t forget the giggling. We miraculously made our way to the back of the crowds and found rows of glorious port-a-potties (choice word, I know, but since I was 2.5 seconds away from peeing my pants, on New Years Eve, they were absolutely glorious).
After we could finally breath again and the giggling subsided, we awaited midnight and the fireworks show.
Our plan for New Years day was to travel out of the city to the Highlands, St. Andrews, and maybe even a stop at Lochness. Unfortunately, not too long after midnight struck on New Years Eve, Jeremy didn’t feel well at all. He had an obvious fever and was fading fast. He woke up New Years Day not feeling much better so we decided to just relax and get better. This is where we were both even more thankful that we were staying in a fully furnished Airbnb flat…complete with a DVD player and good movies. : )
The next day Thursday, January 2nd, Jeremy had broken his fever and felt much better. He was still under the weather but he felt well enough that we ventured out. It was our last full day in Edinburgh and we spent it mostly walking around Old Town and going into the shops and little cafes that we spotted on previous outings. It was a great ending to our time in Edinburgh! Early on Friday morning we boarded a plane out of Scotland, and headed to our new home, Hamburg Germany! There is still plenty more that we didn’t see in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland in our trip. It is certainly a destination we hope to visit again soon.
Have you ever been to Edinburgh or experienced Hogmanay? Do tell! Or maybe you have started your own big adventure living abroad? I would love to hear what that was like for you, please share below. : )
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Things are getting more and more settled here. We have moved into our awesome flat and are currently in the process of finding furniture to fill it. However, we still don’t have internet set up which is why its been longer than I hoped to post! Thankfully there are many Starbucks here to mooch off. But be sure to check back for more Hamburg posts and a new blog series that chronicles our “nesting” process.
P.S. All the snow I talked about here has melted! Still fairly cold here, but the sun is shining.
XO
Cold Front
I’m taking a break from our jam-packed week to let you know that snow is officially here, and if the pictures aren’t evident enough…its cold.
While looking out of our living room window, our days have generally looked like this:
However this past Saturday morning we woke up to this:
(Insert wide eyes and open mouths)
Growing up in central California and residing most recently in sunny southern California, snow is not something I am used to seeing, even in winter. Instead of shorts and sun dresses that my friends and family are most likely wearing right now back home I’m wearing most of my wardrobe. I look like a puffy, marshmallow stuffed eskimo. Regardless, we are still enjoying this drastic weather change. It’s very new and exciting for us to actually experience a winter season, and before you know it snow and 15°F weather will be nothing!!
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This week is a big week for us because we sign a contract and get the keys to our very own apartment in Hamburg! This step was a tough one, but throughout the process we are learning a lot, and will add it to our repertoire of things learned as expats. ; ) I will definitely be sharing more on this soon.
Also, check back soon for part two of our Scotland adventures! If you missed part one, check it out here.
XO
The Simple Haven 