A global pandemic has been hitting the world for more than a year. Traveling - if possible at all - is a small nightmare with COVID tests, quarantines, and calls from local health authorities. Restaurants, shops, pubs, museums are still closed in many countries. The highlights of my day are the walk to the supermarket and a walk along the canal in my neighborhood. Over the past couple of months, I have lived through various degrees of lockdowns with a radius of 2 km, 5 km, curfews, and police controls. Don't get me wrong - I understand why all of this is necessary. But locked away in my shared apartment in Dublin is certainly not how I envisioned my life as an expat in Ireland.
Expat Life: What I Love About Living Abroad
I have the Big Day app installed on my phone, where you can count days up or down for a specific event. I realized last week, that I had moved to Ireland 1000 days ago. Wow, 1000 days, that’s quite some time - two and a half years. For those of you who don’t know my story, I left Germany in 2016 and moved to the States for a year. After returning to Germany, I lived in Berlin for a year before packing my bags again to move to Ireland. Of course, there are some things that are difficult when living abroad, but here’s what I love!
New York City Bucket List
Granted, you could probably write a separate bucket list for each of New York’s boroughs and by just visiting the city alone, you will never be able to discover all the neighborhoods, bars, and restaurants (unless you take a New York gap year I suppose). I assure you, there are better, longer, and more detailed New York bucket lists out there. But maybe some of you don’t have the time or energy to read through all the 1000 New York bucket lists out there - or you’re looking for the 10001 bucket list from your average Bavarian girl. So here is my take on the New York bucket list!
How To Deal With The 5 Phases Of Moving Abroad
When moving abroad, things will most likely not be all sunshine. In this post, I wrote about the 5 phases of moving abroad. Today, I would like to give you some tips on each of them and how to overcome feelings like homesickness or culture shocks. I have moved from Germany to the US, back to Germany, and then to Ireland. While I know, that some of these tips might not help everyone, they definitely did the trick for me and I hope that one or the other might find them useful.
Realizations From An Expat
There's a difference between people who travel to a country for a limited amount of time and people who actually chose to live in a foreign country. And while I absolutely encourage everyone to pack their bags and travel the world whenever they can fit it into their busy schedules, I salute all of you who board a plane and take the leap without having a return ticket in their pocket.
The 5 Phases Of Moving Abroad
There's an emotional roller coaster coming with moving abroad and actually living in another country. Making that decision is always nerve-wrecking. You probably feel excited and nervous as the same time - particularly if you've never done such a huge step before. And it can drive you crazy. So a thing to definitely keep in mind when you are considering moving abroad is, that it won't all be sunshine. But another thing to keep in mind is that it is definitely worth it, because you will for sure learn something.
10 Things Germans Do Other Nations Find Weird
If you've never lived in another country you might never realize that you and your folks have some weird behaviors, other cultures think are weird. Of course, the specifics depend heavily on the cultures you are comparing. When I moved to the US though I didn't really realize that there are quite a few things Germans do that Americans would find weird. Mostly because I thought that the differences wouldn't be that big. After all - it wasn't Japan, Saudi Arabia, or the Congo - right? I grew up with American movies, TV shows, and music. I know stuff about American geography, climate, and history.
How I Would Like To Spend New Year's Eve
Even though I am huge Christmas fan and Christmas is definitely my favorite holiday, I actually also quite like New Year’s Eve. I know this holiday tends to spark a lot of controversies with people expecting the best party of their lives and sometimes a lot of pressure from family and friends to be all social and happy. What I do like about it though, is that this holiday is not about getting presents, it is all about new beginnings and chances. I also quite like that many cultures and religions do celebrate the new year in one way or another, so it feels like something a lot of people have in common.
Movie Locations I Want To Visit
You guys know that I am all about books. But sometimes I am all about movies too. It's probably no surprise that the Harry Potter movies are some of my favorites, but there are others I am a huge fan of, too. That is why I have some movie locations on my list, that my inner fan girl thinks are worth visiting.
Reasons Why Road Trips Do Not Suck
Now that travelling is quite difficult, I can’t stop thinking about my previous trips and how badly I want to go to places. As a kid, I was no fan of road trips. At all. Maybe because growing up in the middle of Europe meant to my parents that you might as well drive everywhere since everything so close. Literally everywhere. We drove to Spain several times - through the ENTIRE country of France. It took us two days until we reached our campground. Being stuck in a car in southern France in the summer (and with your annoying little brother) isn't fun at all. But hey, I know the best parking spots along the way now.
My Travel Bucket List - Europe Edition
Can you tell, that I cannot wait to travel after COVID? There is one undeniable advantage of living in Europe - traveling to many different countries is incredibly easy! Hop on a two hour flight and you are in an entirely different country. Or get in your car and start driving. Things aren’t just comparably close, they are also comparably open. Thanks to the European Union you can drive from Portugal to Germany without showing your passport once. Growing up in Germany, we spent our summer vacations exclusively in Europe. However, there are still many places that I would love to visit - or visit again! Below is my travel bucket list - Europe Edition.
Why I Love Canada
It is probably no secret that the US has a soft spot in my heart. After wanting to move abroad for quite some time, I finally took the leap and packed my bags and moved from Germany to San Francisco and it was one of the best decisions I have made so far. Even though I have only been to Canada for a short visit, the country won over my heart instantly. And while I always support a good old trip to the US, here are a couple of reasons why you should definitely pay Canada a visit as well.
The Great Germany Bucket List
Unfortunately, not much traveling is happening these days and I don’t have any exciting vacation plans lined up. As the lockdown restrictions have lifted slightly, I will try to visit my family in Germany and maybe plan a little road trip through the motherland. That’s where I got the idea to write down my Great Germany Bucket List because after all, that’s where I grew up. So if you are ever around Europe, be sure to stop by!
USA: Spotlight on California
What comes to your mind when you think about California? My guess is the sun, beaches, the Golden Gate Bridge, and something related to Hollywood. The Golden State is quite famous all over the world and the list of things you can do and places you should visit is nearly endless. Unfortunately, my trip to the Golden State earlier this year fell through, and due to COVID there isn’t much to do, so I came up with the idea to write a post about some interesting facts about California - and I might even make a series out of it!
My Ultimate San Francisco Bay Area Bucket List
Yes - again - a San Francisco post. How many can she write, might you ask. I can tell you - I could write so many! I am currently planning a trip to San Francisco for work (fingers crossed we can go with COVID), so today however you are in for a special treat! After already telling you about the top sights in San Francisco, some insider tips, and of course my favorite spots in the City by the Bay, I now want the share with you my Ultimate San Francisco Bucket List!
California Love: 10 Amazing Stops For Your Road Trip Along The Coast
Dreaming about an epic road trip along the sunny coast of California like me? I was actually supposed to visit the Golden State with work this month, which was cancelled due to COVID. But look no further! I've got a list of amazing stops for your road trip down (or up) the Californian coast that you can't miss (once you’re allowed to travel). A road trip on the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) is an unforgettable vacation and the best way to see many things the state has to offer. Waterfalls, beaches, theme parks - name it and find it along the way.
My Ultimate Berlin Bucket List
Berlin, Berlin, you are every city’s queen - so goes a saying by German singer Nina Hagen. And a queen it surely is. Berlin is big, Berlin is wild and it would probably take a different bucket list for each of the neighborhoods. Even after having lived here, I can honestly say that I haven’t seen it all. After a while, you tend to stay in the area you live in, and checking out new places becomes more of an effort. So hands down, this is not a complete list - but it’s the list I personally have used when living in Berlin to keep exploring the city. So here it comes, my Ultimate Berlin bucket List!
Important Facts For First Time Travelers To California
California - the ultimate dream vacation of many with a variety of everything - landscapes, cities, cultures. You probably have heard a great deal about The Golden State, even if you have never actually been there. Of course - it's hella amazing! You can find sunny beaches, impressive deserts, rugged coastlines, big cities, charming villages, exciting mountains and so much more in this area. However, there are some facts that you might not know when you are traveling to California for the first time. That is why you can find a list of important facts for first-time travelers to California in this post.
Things To Consider Before Visiting Italy
Italy is one of the most beautiful countries to visit in Europe and quite popular on European Bucket Lists. Who wouldn’t get itchy feet when thinking about Cinque Terre, the canals of Venice, and don’t even get me started on Italian food. I love Italian food. Pizza, pasta, give me all the carbs, I feel no remorse and no reason to apologize. Here are some of my very own tips worth knowing before heading to Italy!
Germany : The Good, The Bad And The Awesome
Once you have lived abroad and come back home to your country, you might start noticing some things you did not notice before you left. I find this a particularly odd experience, since when you live abroad, you tend to only miss the good things about your home country. Returning to Germany, I found there were some annoying things I did not notice before, but I also started to cherish some stuff that I used to take for granted.