The Day Before we Leave America

You’d think with a two-year notice that you’re moving to another country, you’d know everything about said country. But that’s the opposite case here; I have no idea what we’re walking into when we leave for Germany tomorrow.

Germany was always so far away—literally and figuratively, that I figured I’d research what I needed to know later. But then all of a sudden, later is now, and I don’t know anything.

I’ve tried my hand at some German, but whoa….the language is HARD. When we lived in Italy I picked it up pretty quickly because it was so similar to Spanish. Not that I’ve ever spoken fluent Spanish, but Italian just felt very natural. I think that’s why I felt comfortable in Italy.

German, on the other hand, feels extremely foreign. And I know you’re about to tell me that everyone over there speaks English. The problem is that I at least like to try and attempt to speak the language when I’m in another country.

And I’m not just talking about the language. Getting situated and comfortable in a new place (foreign or not) usually takes a good six months. So, 2021, I’m ready for you!

I know once we’re there, once we’re traveling more, and once we have a home in a German (or Dutch) town we’ll feel more acclimated; it’s just hard to wrap my mind around that now when Germany is literally just a place on a map for us.

Into the Unknown

Maybe this sounds dramatic, but I totally resonate with Elsa (from Frozen, obviously), because it feels like we’re just walking into the unknown for all the things.

Since it’ll take a good, solid, six months before we really feel like Germany is home…and of course, even then the different cultural differences will still sneak up on us, it’ll take a lot of patience to figure things out.

It’s just crazy to think that we’re leaving America tomorrow*.

I compartmentalize my feelings a lot—I think that’s how I can cope with all the things—and I feel myself doing that here, today. We’re leaving tomorrow, and I don’t know how I feel.

Excited? A little bit.
Scared? Only because I don’t know what to expect.
Nervous? Yes. I’m hoping my kids will fit in and like it as much as everyone says they will.
Sad? Yes. Sad to leave home, our family, and friends, and all the familiarity that comes with life here.
Ready? I think so…I guess so?

*My husband is still out processing, and even though we have tickets, there’s a slight hang up with paperwork (surprise, surprise). So we may or may not leave tomorrow morning. Good thing we still have a van rental and a hotel room reserved here through Friday…

Once we Arrive in Germany

We’ll immediately have to quarantine for 14 days when we arrive. I’m talking a strict quarantine, like we’re not even allowed to leave our guest house.

No walks around the block. No driving around the area. No going out for schnitzel, pretzels, and beers.

Nein, nein, nein! (Literally one of the only words I know in German. Fitting, right?)

Our amazing sponsor(s) out there will also deliver our groceries. I’ve sent them a list of what to shop for, and then they’ll deliver it when we’re on our plane ride. They’ll be our point-of-contact to the outside world.

So, if you’re keeping track of what this all means, it means we’ll be staying in a guest house for 14 days. I’ll be cooking three meals a day for five people with a grocery list that I didn’t shop for (and hopefully I remembered/get what I need), in a kitchen without an oven and with an itsy-bitsy teeny, European-size fridge.

Sounds fun, right?! (You can’t see me, but I’m laughing instead of crying).

It’ll be fine! It’s fine. It’ll be totally fine!

Where We’ll Stay

If you’re wondering what our guest house will look like, I’m wondering that, too, so I’ll report back and let you all know.

What I do know is that it’s supposed to be fairly nice.

We’ll have a backyard, but the jury’s still out on whether it’ll be a postage stamp or an actual space for the kids to run around and get their wiggles out.

I also packed and snail mailed some activities for us and the kids to do during our two-week Covid-19 prison stay quarantine. Sooooo…hopefully that will work out. Hopefully.

Leaving on Three Jet Plane

So that’s where I’m at. We’re (potentially) leaving tomorrow, and I have all the feelings about it.