Wishing I were still here...
ere I am, nearly a month after my last post, wondering again where the time has gone. I mean, I know where the time has gone - my mother's visit, countless dying and crafty projects, our road trip to Italy, cooking some of my favorite dishes for my mom, throwing a baby shower for a friend, visiting our first local fest of the season - but it seems as if it has all flown by so fast. Wasn't it just the other day I was still counting the days - heck, even the weeks! - till my mom's arrival..? I suppose the good side of all this is that the time until our next visit, which is sadly as-of-yet unscheduled, should pass in an equally rapid blur.After allowing myself one day for an all-out mope after my mom's departure, I'm anxious to jump back into things. In addition to managing various appointments for some apartment work and damage claims (oh yes, also during this month, a leak from our tub has progressed to the point of collapsing our lower-level neighbor's ceiling in), I will also be starting my new post as a once-a-week English-language playmate/babysitter for two lovely Italian children (a job previously held by Frau Dietz, until her recent acquisition of a proper, full-time academic-type position - big congrats to her!). I am very much looking forward to having at least a small job that gets me out of the house and doing something new. I'm also looking forward to time with these adorable children, hearing their family language of Italian in the house and reading from their bookshelves filled with children's stories in no fewer than three different languages. The extraordinary language abilities and behavior of European children never ceases to amaze me.
I also promise to post all about our incredible trip, with lots of photos and recommendations from where we ate, stayed and played. It was an amazing time that I feel so lucky to have been able to share with my mom - the woman who swore she'd never have a passport, let alone see parts of the world she's only seen in the movies. I have countless photos to sift through before I report back, but I promise it will be worth a stop back by the blog.
Until then, I'll be fondly remembering some of these highlights from May (and a wee bit of June)...
Finally got to spend another Mother's Day with my mom
Did some colorful at-home dying (via this tutorial)
... including my hair
A roadtrip that included stops at Lake Geneva,...
... Cinque Terre,
... an olive oil resort in Tuscany,
... and Innsbruck, Austria. (phew!)
Leftover tissue paper party poufs now taking up permanent residence on our previously-hideous light fixture
Fest season began!
Said farewell to my mom (..again) :(
Until the next time, Mom... *sniffle, sniffle*
I received a sweet consolation from the lovely Ebe from the blog Back to Berlin... and BEYOND after complaining that saying goodbye seemed to get harder every time. She noted that "the longer you are away, the more permanent the separation feels." It is gut-wrenching how much this is a double-edged sword for us expats - the more we acclimate and make our chosen new country home, the further away we seem to make ourselves from our friends and family back in the States. It is the one thing I wish I could change about what is otherwise a really great life overseas.
*Daily Drop Cap from Jessica Hische
Thank you for my congratulations! I love that lake Geneva photo; I'm looking forward to hearing ALL about your trip :)
ReplyDeleteI'm an American living in Heideberg--beautiful location on the river with a gorgeous castle view. I just found out I am moving to Wiesbaden and was wondering how you located the place where you live. I stumbled upon your blog when I was googling "best areas to live in Wiesbaden". I am totally unfamiliar with Wiesbaden and I would like to find a place I love as much as my current apt. How does one find out about vacancies? I hate the thought of having to use an Immobielien. Can you offer any suggestions? I'd appreciate it greatly!
ReplyDeleteMeg - Unfortunately, Immobilien is how we found our place, as did most of our friends. A German friend did find something through the paper, but I would definitely recommend that only if you are a real solid German-speaker or have a German friend who can help. Even with Immobilien, often Americans here aren't treated very well and are taken advantage of (e.g., the listed price goes up once they learn you are American), since they assume we are all military and are here only for a short time. If you haven't been here, I would recommend a day trip to come and check it out to get an idea of which areas you like. Wiesbaden is pretty big and there are all kinds of options - you can live right in the center of town in the pedestrian area, in various neighborhoods that are mostly apartments, alongside one of the many parks or more on the outskirts of town if you'd rather have a more suburban feel. Just depends on what you're looking for. It's a great town and I think that you will enjoy it here. Best of luck with your move!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your response! My husband is a fluent German speaker, so no problem there. We are just amazed at the commissions charged by the Immobiliens. Vacancies in H'berg are much easier to find; however, I think Immobiliens are becoming the ticket to the best locales. Fortunately, I was lucky in that I knew the person who lived in our apt previously. We've gotten used to being close to the old town and walking everywhere, but we also have the advantage of a parking garage under our building. We are definitely more inclined towards living in an area that has a lot going on. Ditto the American experience in Heidelberg...the housing allowances are common knowledge and rents are priced accordingly. We've been in Germany a long time and have lots of similar experiences. Again, thanks so much for responding so quickly. Love your blog--we travel every chance we get and shoes...what can I say?? Have you seen the shoe calendar that has a new shoe featured everyday? A friend gave it to me for Christmas & it's a hoot.
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