It has been a wonderful past few years here on An American in Wiesbaden. I started this blog, like so many other expats, to chronicle the massive life change that is moving 5,000 miles away to make a home in a new country where you don't even speak the language. After being settled  (mostly) for almost four years and learning the language (sort of), I have realized I define myself by so much more than just being an expat. I'm a cook, a writer, an explorer, a fashion-follower, a design lover, a shoe aficionado.

So after deciding to leave this wonderful town we have called home for the past several years and move on to a new adventure in Berlin later this year, I figured the time had come to start a new blog to share all my passions: my re-designed and reinvigorated blog, Sole Satisfaction. It is now the place where I will write about not only what satisfies my soles, but my soul as well: cooking, and more importantly - eating, travel, fashion, design and living life in Europe. I hope you will continue to follow my journey to Berlin - and wherever else life takes me.

I will be leaving this blog active so that anyone seeking information about expat life or Germany or travel in general can still use it as a resource, but it will no longer be updated. I have received so many heartwarming notes from people who have thanked me for my blog and helping their transition overseas, I only hope more people will find something of value here. Thank you for reading!

Tschüss! 

While I am here in Paris, enjoying my favorite chocolat and keeping away from the bi-annual les soldes so that I don't inadvertently spend all our Berlin savings, my little blog is getting a bit of publicity back in Wiesbaden. In yesterday's issue* (today's online edition) I was featured in a series the Wiesbadener Kurier is doing on local bloggers, written by another local blogger and Wiesbaden native, Vivienne Matz.

So while I'm still traipsing around France - next stop: Bordeaux and a vineyard wedding! - do take a look at my first little bit of press. For those of you who are English-only, Google translate is an imperfect lifesaver. It is especially entertaining when it translates 'her husband Russ and female dog Bailey' as 'dog lady Russ Bailey'. Bear with it though, it seems even Google can't help some things from getting lost in translation.


*Update: Originally slated to run in the Wednesday issue, my feature was actually in the Thursday print edition as well. Sorry to friends who went out and bought the Wednesday paper, expecting me to be in it!

If you can believe it, this blind-as-a-bat daily glasses-wearer has gone three years without getting her eyes checked! Mostly because I love all my frames so much (yes, I have, ahem, five pairs) and resisted having to change them, I gave in to take advantage of a coupon to a local shop for a free box of contacts for summer. So with my new Rx in my hot little hands, I am finally ready for something fresh and new!

Seeing that Warby Parker frames are so affordable and its selection is so extensive - not to mention that the quality and customer service is stellar -  it's hard to pick just one (or two, or three..) new frames. The only downside: they are only in the US, so clearly I cannot take part in the awesome home try-on program. So I just have to go with what I know works for my face and hope for the best. I think I've narrowed it down to the ones below... What do you think?

big & bold:  crosby // duckworth // preston

sleek & classic:  sims // ainsworth  // arthur 

Now if only Warby Parker would start selling in Europe... (hint, hint, guys!)



photos of me by Christie Dietz 

While it is finally starting to warm up here like proper June weather, the threat of rain and thunderstorms is always looming overhead, usually just as I am about to put on some cute suede sandals and am forced to throw on water-worthy sneaks instead. It's no wonder my day-to-day footwear is not representative of my extensive shoe collection!

Here are a few things on my radar this week:

Jimmy Kimmel is just killing it with these (and another).

This also made me laugh this week.

Wise words on enjoying the good things you have...

... and this is the ultimate good thing I know I would enjoy for a lifetime (countdown to my birthday has undoubtedly begun).

Daydreaming about going here next month.

Been on a crafty streak ever since I took this on. Think these jeans might be my next DIY.

While its customer service has been a bit shoddy, I still can't get enough of semi-new European brand & Other Stories - especially its gorgeous collab with Alyson Fox and the fact that it's currently having its first sale ever.


Happy Friday and a wonderful weekend to all!

Last weekend was filled with some intense double-duty in Berlin: me attending The Hive European bloggers conference and both of us doing some serious neighborhood scouting and apartment hunting for our move. It was a bit much to cram into five days, but somehow we managed - and managed to have a great time in the process.

Since I had not been to a 'professional' event in some time, I was just eager to get out there and feel, well, professional. With a sense of purpose - not to mention some awesome free business cards from MOO - I left The Hive with a bit of a fire lit beneath my ass, which is just what one needs when feeling a little alone and afloat amidst about a million other digital personas vying for blog readers' attention. Speaking of so many bloggers, what I wouldn't have given for a list of attendees before the conference to study who would be there and who best for me to connect with. There were so many people, it was impossible to chat with everyone.

In addition to getting a serious butt workout (sessions were either on the first or fourth floor - no elevator) and some really great inspiration, I also left with some great technical tips and tricks, particularly on growing your community from Deborah Beau of Kickcan & Conkers and SEO from Georg Seebode of Android/ Linquisite / Digital Cosmonaut. Coming from the world of marketing and communications, I found much of the content to be a bit of a review, but it never hurts to brush up - especially after being out of the game for so many years!

Perhaps the best part of the conference was connecting with other bloggers, both new and those I already knew. After years of chatting online with fellow American expats Mandi of No Apathy Allowed and Tiffany from No Ordinary Homestead, we finally got to meet face-to-face. I also had the pleasure of meeting the very sweet Melanie of Dejlige Days and the not-too-far-away Sharon of Travel Meets Food, not to mention the 'what a small world' moment of meeting Nina (of the soon-to-be Pinspiration blog), a Berliner who is originally from Wiesbaden, and many other great bloggers. It was so great to meet everyone I did - and I hope I get the chance to cook for Natali of Kochen, Kunst & Ketchup as soon as we move to Berlin!

Tina Fussell of Flying House  //  Katja Hentschel of Travelettes

Deborah Beau of Kickcan & Conkers

More from Tina's presentation

A somewhat narcissistic highlight was when I discovered that Luisa Weiss of fabulous food blog The Wednesday Chef had anonymously Instagrammed a photo of what I was wearing on day two of the conference. It was kind of like when major blogger Nat the Fat Rat commented on my food Instagrams that she wanted me to come to New York and teach her to cook. I got all humbled and giddy, like the nerdy girl who gets asked to prom by the captain of the football team. But seriously - what an ego boost! (though I am still kicking myself for missing Luisa's presentation to wait for Pantone's contest winners that were never announced)

Going home with a seriously generous goodie bag and a prize in the Pantone contest for my blog entry wasn't too shabby either. I admit, it was a bit of a let-down to be given my prize as more of an afterthought, after the conference had ended, rather than getting any of the recognition outlined in the giveaway. But hey, free chair.

All in all, The Hive was a good experience and I left ready to dive into about a million things for my blog - both for my current blog and as I set to work on my new one. After some more rest first, please. Phew!

Presentation from Desiree of Vosgesparis

All images are mine, except the Instagram from The Wednesday Chef

After hemming and hawing over my hair for quite some time now, I finally took the plunge on Sunday and did a whole at-home cut and color. First and foremost, not only am I not a professional (yikes!), but I had no idea what I was doing. So here's how I tackled this challenge and how it turned out...

Since I had cut my bangs at home many times, I was actually less nervous about the cut until the morning of when I realized I had absolutely no idea how to go about an entire haircut. True to form, the great wealth of knowledge that is the internet offered some suggestions. I found this nice little tutorial that seemed simple enough... that is, until I started cutting. Seeing as I also decided to cut my hair dry for fear of cutting off more than I intended, it meant chopping through a ponytail full of half my hair - and I have a lot of hair. I quickly started to see how this would be much easier when wet, but I had started down this road and was now committed (in case you were wondering, I was using proper hair-cuttings scissors, so the issue was clearly my hair).

I managed to get through the ponytails as even as I could, but had to enlist my husband's help evening out the back (to avoid that v-shape). I was so nervous, I cut little by little until I was just too scared to cut anymore and made the whole process an hour longer than it needed to be. It's probably a touch longer than what I was shooting for, but better that than too short. My first finger still bears the blister and bruising from all this effort with the scissors, but hey, I didn't have to shell out €100 for a haircut, so I'm sucking it up. I evened it out a bit more when it was wet from my post-color shampoo and I think that helped. Luckily, I also had a hair-cutting-experienced friend who offered to help out if the cut went to awry.

I decided to go ombre with the color because of it's low commitment (no roots to touch up!) and because I'm still not sold on getting rid of my natural color all together, even as just a base for highlights. So, I watched several tutorials on the L'Oréal Wild Ombrés colors (I believe these are under the Féria line in the States, but over here, it's part of the Préférence line) and it looked even easier than regular hair color. I also liked that the 'after' photos on the all the reviews I saw weren't crazy drastic, but more of a subtle lighter color. I also chose the less drastic Ombré N°2 (070 in the Féria line), for dark blond to medium brown hair, rather than the lightest blond, so that my results would err more on the natural side. I figured I could always go back over it with a lighter color if I wanted it more dramatic.

The one thing I did notice on all but one review of the product was that everyone seemed to follow the instructions literally, which resulted in more of a dip-dye look as opposed to a fading ombre. Since I wanted more of a fade, applied the color higher and higher up my hair in ten minute increments, so that the color on the bottom was on for the longest and therefore would be more processed (read: lighter) than the next section higher. I had my husband help a bit with the back (so as not to end up with a color-v as well), but mostly just brushed it in haphazardly so that it would result in what I hoped would be a naturally-highlighted fade. I brushed some higher in the pieces that frame my face for even more color variation. In all, I would say I had the color on some part of my hair for nearly the maximum amount of time (45 minutes) before I washed it out.

In the shower, I could already see how blonde the ends looked and this was only magnified as my hair began to dry. But after my hair was totally dry and styled, the blond no longer seemed as light. Perhaps it was because of the curl in my hair or the rapidly fading daylight, but it was harder to see the significantly lighter ends.

Some close-up shots, as well as seeing the color in various lighting, helped demonstrate the color results a bit better. It is definitely on the warmer, brassier side of blond, but because my hair still has a fair amount of red tones from my time as a redhead, it works nicely with the color I already have on my hair.

Overall, I'm very happy with the results of my little hair experiment. I got fun new hair for the cost of a box of color (€6,95) and a bit of a bruised finger. While I may decide to brush some even lighter color through the bottom section and may have to enlist the help of my hair-cutting friend once I see the cut on a more straight hair day, for now, I am a convert to this whole DIY hair concept. I'm sure my wallet is too!

My favorite episode of Top Model, always, is the makeover show. Sure, like most members of the female sex, I get off on a great transformation, but really I'm in it for the haircut meltdowns. The whiny little bitches who cry as if they are cutting off an arm, unaware they could actually be one haircut away from $5,000 runway gig. I take a little joy in the ridiculousness, but mostly I'm just baffled. I mean, what fun is it being a girl if not for the multitude of ways we can alter and play with our appearance? Ever since I learned that I could - as in, chopping my waist-length locks to a short bob for the start of the first grade - I have reveled in the transformative power of changing my hair.

But now, nearly thirty years later, I've found myself stuck again in that long hair rut. I suppose that is just sort of the way with long hair though. You grow it and grow it (and grow it...) until one day you think, okay, now what? Well I've hit that point a few times, so I've cut it and took it from auburn to dark blond - and dyed the tips blue at one point - and I'm still saying 'now what?'. It's clearly time for something new.  

I have really been loving the blunt, long bobs - or 'lobs', if you will - that have been popping up all over the place, especially on Emily Blunt (no pun intended). Then when J.Crew posted its little St. Barths shoot with the model with the collarbone-grazing cut, I became obsessed. So I'm not sure what's been stopping me. Well, money for the usually nice haircuts I insist on, for one, but I'm thinking of just going all Man Repeller in my bathroom and chopping it myself. Then there's still the color to contend with...

My shift back to a golden dark blond/light brown with honey highlights has brought me closer to my natural color, but as you can see from the many months of grow out, it's nothing to write home about. That dull, mousy hue hasn't been dubbed 'dishwater blond' for nothing. I now remember why I started dying my hair all those years ago... So I can either pick up where that pricey colorist left off and do my own roots in the closest thing I can find to this warm dark blond, or I can run with the grow out and lighten just the ends for an ombre effect. I'm afraid anything more involved - i.e. all-over highlights or a new color altogether - would require a professional. With our strict savings plan for our Berlin move, I'm strictly in DIY territory here.

So readers, what do you think? A cut? A color? Am I crazy for trying to take this on myself..? I'm open to suggestions and opinions!

top images from (clockwise): Zara, Getty Images, J.Crew, Splashnews

ur latest Berlin trip was mostly about getting Bailey there to get her take, but we also went with the intention of expanding our Berlin neighborhood knowledge. For those of you unfamiliar with the city, it is massive. Like many other big cities, it has many different neighborhoods, each with its own greatly differing vibe - from busy, touristy Mitte to the quiet, spread-out surburbia that makes up the city's outskirts, so far out it's hard to believe that one is still in fact, in Berlin. After our initial trip, we fell in love with Prenzlauer Berg, but our apartment search has shown us that this neighborhood is definitely desirable - and has the rent prices prove it. A firm believer in the adages 'you get what you pay for' and 'location, location, location', I was admittedly hesitant to widen our search to other, as-of-yet unexplored parts of town in search of getting more for our money, but off we went with open minds...

PANKOW

Our second full day in Berlin, we decided Bailey was ready give a longer train ride - U-Bahn and S-Bahn - out to Pankow a shot, mostly in search of a new coffee shop with amazing-looking baked goods that I had learned about via someone I follow on Instagram (have I mentioned how much I love Instagram?). While Bailey certainly appreciated the less-crowded and view-filled ride on the S-Bahn, the time it took to get all the way out there got us thinking... That's how long it would take to get into the middle of town if we wanted to go out. Hmm.  

Sure, it took a while to get out there, but our arrival at the ridiculously beautiful Pankow station and initial wanderings through the neighborhood had us changing our tune. The buildings were all gorgeous and well-taken care of. Graffiti was minimal. It actually reminded us a bit of Wiesbaden, with a slower pace about it and the sidewalks filled with small children and older couples. After making our way through a little park and past the most gorgeous Rathaus I have seen in Germany, we found our destination: Stück vom Glück. 

Initially worried we would have to get everything zum Mitnehmen and eat out in the cold, on account of our overly-excitable dog, a peek inside showed a wide open space with minimal patrons that would be perfect for our not-always-so-well-behaved pooch. While not quite the sprawling food choices one might find in an American shop, the carefully curated selection proved to be delicious. We got something savory - a warm vegetarian quiche with a beautiful salad - and something sweet - a perfectly crunchy blueberry tart with fresh cream - and were quite impressed with both. The coffee was some of the best I've had in Berlin, the space was well-designed and inviting (the white and hot pink walls fondly reminded me of my mother's frozen yogurt shop, painted in the very same color scheme) and best of all, the proprietors were warm and full of smiles. No matter where we end up settling in this city, this is definitely a place I look forward to frequenting. 

Sufficiently warmed and fed, we headed towards nearby parks to feed our four-legged family member's need for running and exploring. Per usual, we were impressed. The amount of space in Berlin dedicated parks never ceases to astound me. It's as if there is NYC's Central Park every few blocks. Not only are they abundant, but they seem to go on and on, to the point of getting lost in them. I think this was what won Bailey over in this city.

We decided to spend some more time exploring the neighborhood by walking to an even bigger park several blocks further out - which ended up resembling more of a forest than an urban green space - taking us through a picture-perfect suburban-looking part of town. While the yards were enviable and the wide, quiet streets held a kind of serenity, it just felt a bit like what we were trying to get away from. Ultimately, we want to live in Berlin to be in the middle of all the things going on, not to rediscover the suburbia we left behind in California. 

KREUZBERG

We decided to stay in Kreuzberg this trip because of it's proximity to both Tempelhof and Viktoriapark, for Bailey's sake. We knew such a big city would be a bit of a shock to her, so we figured easing her in, rather than plopping her right down in Mitte, would be the best plan to win her over. We stopped at Tempelhof first thing after getting into the city so that Bailey could get out the pent-up energy from five hours in the car. She was an immediate fan. It was the first time she had been able to roam free in a fenced in dog area since leaving California. The first morning, we began by walking to Viktoriapark, which was of course a winter wonderland on this first full day of spring, with the fresh dumping of snow the city was getting. Like most places after a heavy snowfall, it was hushed and magical, so we felt the neighborhood was off to a good start.  

The more we walked around Kreuzberg though, the more we started to see the reason behind its 'up-and-coming' status. Some blocks were beautiful - clean, well-kept architecture, nice-looking people - whereas some blocks were much more dingy, with layers of overlapping graffiti, broken sidewalks and storefronts that were merely cardboard boxes piled on the sidewalk with chintzy wares (the antique doorknobs below were a rare exception) like some sort of third-world market. It's one thing to have these as parts of the city to visit, but it's another to have it right on your doorstep. Being so new to the city, it was hard to know where the respectable addresses end, and the decline begins...

Our final morning in Berlin, I got a hankering for doughnuts - real, American doughnuts, not Berliners - after realizing Dunkin' Donuts populated this city in abundance, so we make the trek down Gneisenaustrasse and Hasenheide in the bone-chilling, -6C windy morning air - albeit, beautifully sunny - to grab coffee, doughnuts (which like most American treats I crave, wound up being mildly disappointing) and a place at the nearby Hasenheide park to enjoy our breakfast in the sun. 

While the park was a beautiful expanse of white beneath the shining blue sky, and even had a surprising little menagerie whose inhabitants ranged from sheep to ponies to camels, there was something about that part of town that morning that turned us off. Perhaps it was the shady-looking guys outposted at each path crossroads, trying to look inconspicuous, or maybe the dirty, slurring trio of guys who tried to reach out to Bailey as we walked past, one of them cleaning his bloodied hands in the snow, but these negative elements made us feel that this neighborhood was still a bit on the other side of transitioning for our liking. There's a fine line between a little city grit and being stabbed in broad daylight, and this seemed to hold more of an opportunity for the latter. 

Of course, like Pankow, just because we might not want to settle here does not mean we didn't find things to love. There was a street of charming shops with promising-looking contents and a bakery containing the best bread I've ever had in Germany. The unassuming storefront, the giant domed bread oven in the corner, the selection of not only dense, dark German bread, but white fluffy loaves and brioches... I knew this would be worth traveling to for weekend morning breakfast makings. I will continue to dream about the brioche french toast I made from that bread until I can get back for another loaf...

Until next time Berlin.... We'll see you in May!

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische