Heidelberg & Stuttgart

Friday, taking advantage of Daniel's first four-day weekend {thanks Christopher Columbus!}, we drove to Heidelberg. By car, Heidelberg is only about an hour and fifteen minutes from our village; making it an ideal day-trip for us. We parked at the top of the hill, closer to the castle, and walked down a very steep hill to get to the ruins.

 

 



"Once a Gothic masterpiece, the Castle of Heidelberg has encountered turbulent times: It was plundered and burned by the French army in 1689, then struck by lightning 100 years later, and its red stones were even used to build new houses.

The Castle of Heidelberg never regained its original glory, but the ruins have a ragged charm of their own. They are considered the symbol of German Romanticism."  About Travel

We enjoyed walking around the ruins, exploring all the charming details and breathtaking views. Walking around the castle grounds is free and open to the public daily. However, to enter the castle and explore the inner walls there is a small entrance fee of 6 euro per visitor. For an addition fee you are able to purchase headphones for a guided audio tour. We opted to wonder around on our own this time.

 

{The photo below is the view I was attempting to get into the background of the picture above.}

 

The weather was perfect for exploring. Perhaps not ideal for picture taking with the heavy cloud coverage, BUT certainly cool enough to walk around without breaking into a sweaty mess  . . .that is, until it was time to climb back UP the steep hill to return to our vehicle. We're also pros at reading German parking metros & pay stations now. . .  riigght. ;)

S A T U R D A Y  we woke up extra early to catch our train for our next adventure. . .  Stuttgart. We of course needed to stop at the train station bakery for fuel. "Zwei zaffee, ein brezel bitta."  . . .two coffees, one pretzel please. Breakfast of champions. Okay, so it may not be fluent German {or really, anywhere close to fluent} BUT it's something.

Bahnhof selfies.

Final weekend of the festival AND it was Saturday = P A C K E D. But so worth it. We went with our neighbors (the ones I mentioned here in my last post), riding the train the entire way {we're learning!}. Once we arrived, the six of us walked pushed our way through the crowds to the tent where we would spend the afternoon.

 

 



At 4:00 PM they clear the tents to make way for the second set of visitors. We took our exit and decided to wonder around the rest of the fairgrounds. We were on a mission to find the go-carts. Check. ...even though I completely and utterly LOST. We're talking last place people, l-a-s-t  place. I will say this though - the Germans know how to do "carnival food". You're not limited to cotton candy, peanuts and hot dogs. Unfortunately, I inhaled my food far too quickly to even think of taking a picture, but trust me - deliciousness on a bun.



By this point we were all pretty beat from the loong day soo we voted to head towards the train station and stop for some STARBUCKS. That's right, the Bahnhof in Stuttgart has a Starbucks. I'm pretty positive I dreamed about that pumpkin spiced latte. YUM. From there, we boarded our train and headed back to Kaiserslautern and HOME.

Sunday and Monday we decided to lay low and finish up some of the organizing and unpacking around the house. Sunday morning we were both craving a hearty breakfast from one of our favorite local spots back in Massachusetts. Since hoping on a plane wasn't an option, we decided to improvise. SO we made waffles {thankful for transformers that make my American 110 appliances work}, crispy bacon & eggs AND of course dripped some coffee from our beloved Keurig. Monday I was in a very fall-ish mood. Daniel didn't mind too much as he benefited from many warm pumpkin, chocolate chip cookies.

QUALITY weekend with my favorite boy and some of our new friends. Thankful for a refreshing, restful AND fun long weekend. Thankful for our house here in Germany and the ability to make it feel a little more like home. Thankful for pumpkin flavored things and changing leaves.

finding a "new normal"

If you translate the word "normal" into German, you find that it's not too different from English; just slap an "e" on the end and attempt your best German accent - normale. The idea of finding a new normal is something that has consumed much of my thought life for several weeks now. Feeling such an array of emotions. Filtering through them, trying to make since of them as I go.

I have been so encouraged and challenged by an on-going email correspondence with one of my dear sister-in-laws. In a conversation about this very topic she encouraged me, "...the seasons you are facing...the dynamics, facets, relational and physical adjustments to diet, culture, time zone, driving, shopping, not knowing how to get anywhere, only knowing your husband...etc.etc.etc.etc. these are NOT small things." On this particular day I was feeling pretty low. Beating myself up because I was feeling less than content in my "here and now" and at the same time, feeling so ungrateful to be less than THRILLED for this new adventure. She gently and powerfully explained that finding contentment in the Lord was not the same as finding contentment in my season. There is such freedom in that sentence y'all. Freedom to acknowledge that I don't have to like every minute of this transition. This time of finding my our new normal. It's okay for me to miss home, friends, the familiar. It's okay for me to cry when I feel overwhelmed. It's okay. God's grace is enough. It is sufficient for ME.

In similar conversations I expressed feeling a sort of clumsiness. She graciously shared the link to a post she had written during her time overseas. In this post she compared learning a new culture to a dance... a cultural dance. What she had written years ago spoke directly to my heart. I jotted down several notes. "It will take time... I don't have to adjust in a certain amount of time... or even really completely ever." There is so. much. grace. in that sentence. I shared the following story with her... Daniel and I went to a town a few weeks ago about an hour away for a local festival. After walking by the first several cafés giggling and looking awkwardly around because we were unsure if we were "supposed" to seat ourselves, or if anyone in the café spoke English, or if we would "like" anything on the menu, we decided to bite the bullet in the next café we passed and set down. Our waitress walked to the table, said something in German we did not understand to which I bashfully asked, "Sprechen Sie English?" She smiled and replied "Nein" (no). At that point I glanced Daniel's way, glanced back at the waitress and asked for "eine moment". She said "Ja" and walked away. This exchange, although I'm sure it was less than 60 seconds felt like at least 5 minutes of silence. At this point, we also realized the menu was entirely in German (duh!). We decided to stay and figured we could point to what we wanted on the menu. Moments later, another waitress walked over, speaking English and was able to helpe us order.

Awkward and unnatural as it may have felt, we did it, we set down at a German café, ordered from the menu, listened to everyone around us speaking a language we did not understand, paid in euros and went on our merry way. All this to say, I think our baggiest obstacle is going to be having courage to step outside our comfort zone and look a little off beat on the dance floor the first few songs. We aren't going to learn the language or the culture if we never step out of our "American bubble".

Since this adventure we have met some American neighbors (two couples in particular), and have, with their help been able to step outside the American bubble a little easier. We have experienced riding the bus, navigating the bahnhof (German train station), experienced a true German festival, and attended a local sporting event. These neighbors have been an absolute gift. They have each been here for over two years and know so. much. Sadly for us, one of the couples are headed back to the states in a matter of weeks. But seriously, they've been a living-breathing "how to navigate life in Germany" book for us. And we so appreciate it.

 

 

In other news, our household goods shipment has ARRIVED. We are by no means completely unpacked, but are slowly getting there. So thankful to have our stuff in country. Bedding. clothing. dishes. coffee. TVs. ALL of it. It's here, in our German home!

Rental Sweet Rental

A quick look at our new rental. Can't wait to turn this white walled, tile floored, stair filled rental into our  H O M E  here in Germany. Endless possibilities.

 

Thankful for this hardworking guy.

 

View from our the balcony where we're standing in the above picture. 

 

Our little kitchen with our European fridge, more white walls & no garbage disposal.

German culture is big into recycling  E V E R Y T H I N G,  to include compostable items. Hence, no need for a garbage disposal.

The living space on the main floor. The wheels are turning & the Pinterest searches going with what kind of nook I could create under that staircase. Those beautiful, larger than life doors in the back open up to the backyard. ALL of the floors throughout the house are heated. Little fun fact, no German houses have air conditioning.

Our Chewy's backyard. The white building to the right is our garage.

 

The full bath on the second floor. Another fun fact for ya - German toilets have two buttons. A big button & a small button. Again, this all goes back to the environmentally conscious culture in Germany. To the right is the shower & to the right of that is the laundry room with our tiny German washer & dryer.

 

...Beginning to see a theme here? I am. I can't help but wonder why it is that as an American, I feel so many "German things" are so small when in reality, it could all just be a matter of perspective. Maybe Americans are just accustomed to way too much excessive-ness. More to ponder...     

The Master Bedroom. Check out there fabulous windows! They fully open AND have automatic blinds they call "rolladens" that come down with the push of a button. {They're actually on every. single. window. in every. single. home in Germany.}

 

 

Oh yeah, did I mention the house is four {4} stories?...

 

 

T-8 days till move-in. Then it's another waiting game, hoping our HHG {House Hold Goods} shipment catches up with us this side of the Atlantic.

 

 

Would appreciate thoughts & prayers as I seek the Lord and His peace, learning to enjoy this transitional, unsettled, uncertain, in between time in this European adventure.  

Guten Tag

We have been in Germany for just under two weeks now AND what a week it has been. So many stories, thoughts & ideas flood the keyboard as I try to formulate this post and fill you all in on our adventures so far. Bare with.

Holding back from playing the tourist just yet, we have tried to focus on house-hunting & getting all of our affairs in order. You see, as if moving to a new country and jumping time zones wasn't enough to take in, we have also needed to study for & take our German drivers test {we are both official German licence holders!}, open a German bank account to link to our bank back in the States, car-shop, {For those who don't already know, Daniel said goodbye to his faithful truck of ten years in Massachusetts}, track our car being imported from Maryland, as well as our household & expedited shipments, get new cell phones, attend briefings {Daniel many more than I}, learn about VAT forms {who knew?!}, sign up for ration cards{..yes, ration cards. When we buy things like gas & coffee here we have to use ration card}, buy a GPS because in addition to not being able to pronounce any of the towns we have been house-hunting in, we absolutely have no idea how to get to any of them & many more things that escape me currently ...you get the basic gist.   

Now, perhaps more than ever, I am so extremely thankful for the life-partner God has gifted me. Daniel has been such a rock throughout this entire process. I have immense respect for this man whom I love with ALL of my heart. He has encouraged & loved me in moments of uncertainty when he knows {sometimes even before I know} that I am feeling overwhelmed. He has been so gracious, giving me space when I've needed space & holding me tight when I've needed to be held. He loves me so well & cares for my needs AND wants in a way I've never experienced before. His sense of humor is perfect. for. me. He keeps me smiling and I am so excited to be on this European adventure with HIM. Okay, I could gush all day, but you get the idea... you don't know me very well if you didn't already know how crazy I am about him.

In other news after replying to endless posts online, communicating back & forth through both broken and embarrassing German/English combinations with landlords and realtors, and visiting five potential houses and apartments in the local area, WE HAVE SIGNED A RENTAL CONTRACT. Last Monday we met with the landlord to go over the contact. From there, we visited the housing office & three hours later got their {literal} stamp of approval on our housing contract. Then, MONDAY we'll meet with our landlord & realtor {/translator} & will officially be given the keys to our new place. ...re-reading that makes it all sound SO MUCH simpler than it actually was.

We basically liked three of the five enough to consider moving in. Let's pretend we're on one of those HGTV shows, you know House Hunters or something & give each a title.

For rental #1 we'll go with...  

"Apartment with Breath-Taking View"

 

 

 #2 "Close Commute Duplex with Yard"

  

#3 "Charming Barn with a Commute"

 

D R U M R O L L    P L E A S E . . .  

We've decided to rent the "Close Commute Duplex With a Yard"! We love that its less than 15 minutes to where Daniel will be working. The area is great - very close to lots of local spots. There is a bus stop right outside our street AND we will finally have a backyard for Chewy. The duplex also includes a garage, and had already been inspected by the Housing Office on base, making things much less of a hassle on our end (the other two had not been inspected yet). More pictures to come. We officially move in on the 18 September. Until then, it's suitcase, hotel living for the Langstons. 

Other steps in this housing journey have involved more than a few trips to some other departments on base {TLF, FMO, VAT, AFRC... and probably guaranteed a few other acronyms I'll remember later}. Vising FMO, we were able to sign up for some temporary furniture to use while we await our household shipment. That delivery is set to arrive in two weeks. Until then, we continue to live in TLF {i.e. the hotel}.

Massachusetts to Germany

Thursday morning we said our official goodbye to Massachusetts & the three of us began the first leg of our journey across the Atlantic Ocean... our seven {s-e-v-e-n, 7} hour car ride to Baltimore, Maryland.

 Traveling minivan style. When we arrived at the airport in Boston they informed us they did not currently have any mid-size SUVs and asked if we would be interested in a minivan. They offered to wave the gas fee & told us we could pick out any model we wanted. This ended up being a huge blessing as we were easily able to fit all of our luggage, Chewy's kennel & still have plenty of room for Chewy. The van also had some fun features like Satellite Radio and a DVD player that we took advantage of on our rainy Saturday afternoon in between checking out of our hotel & checking in at the airport.  

 

Expert packer status. Every inch counts.

 

Along the way we made a quick, unplanned, surprise pit-stop in Pennsylvania at my sister & brother-in-laws house so Daniel could meet our precious niece whom he had not yet gotten to meet. THANK YOU to both Sarah & Matt for letting us crash & for waking up your kiddos so we could love on them. To our other PA family, we are so sorry we couldn't stop & see you all - we love you all! Next trip!! ...or maybe in Germany?!  

Baltimore Skyline.

 

My favorite tourist companion.

 

To get from where we were in Baltimore to Fort McHenry, we took a water taxi. Both of our first times in a water taxi.

Having neighbors in Massachusetts {Whom we are desperately going to miss, both as neighbors & FRIENDS. The bar has been set.} who used to live in Maryland came in handy when we needed some tourist advice. Upon their recommendation we decided to visit Fort McHenry {as well as some delicious places to eat}.

 

 

Fort McHenry is best known for its role in the War of 1812, when it successfully defended Baltimore Harbor from an attack by the British Navy in Chesapeake Bay.

 

The inside of the fort where over 1,000 people lived.

The main entrance to the fort.

My strong man.

 

During the bombardment of the fort, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write "The Star-Spangled Banner".

 

Friday evening two dear friends who live in York, PA drove to Baltimore to see us one last time before the big move. We enjoyed a delicious dinner & great conversation at one of our favorite places, P.F. Chang's.

Didn't manage to get one of the boys, but so grateful to have gotten to spend the time with you both!

 

After spending almost two days in Baltimore sightseeing & relaxing, we checked out of yet another hotel along this journey, reloaded the rental car & headed to the airport.

Two adults, one chocolate lab, five suitcases, two carry-ons, and one kennel later we were ready to check-in.

Oh so thankful for the invention of the luggage cart.

We arrived at the AMC Terminal in the Baltimore Washington International Airport, returned our rental car and checked in. After waiting until the final call we checked Chewy in with all the other pets flying & proceeded through security to our gate.

 

 

About to board our flight to Germany, but first... let me take a selfie.

 

After successfully boarding our midnight flight Daniel & I both tried to sleep as much as we could, dosing in & out, rotating pillows & resituating blankets. So grateful for such a comfortable traveling buddy who lets me sleep on this shoulder.

 

Seven and a half hours later, we arrived safe & sound in country. Some of Daniel's co-workers met us at the terminal, helped us with our baggage & showed us to the Ramstein Inn. After checking into lodging & unloading all of our bags, one of them kindly drove us to the commissary on base where we were able to pick up some food for the week & other essentials. Tired & slightly dazed from the trip & time zone change, we returned to our room. Realizing we hadn't eaten since dinner the day before {Chick-Fil-A obviously! ...a great "last meal" in the United States} we popped in a frozen pizza, plugged in our dead cell phones using converters and, after inhaling a few pieces each, happily climbed into bed & quickly fell asleep.

 

THANK YOU for ALL the prayers & support. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts & prayers as we continue to transition. In the coming days, specifically as Daniel completes his in-processing today & tomorrow and we begin house-hunting on Wednesday. In addition that I would have peace and confidence {& success} in finding a job.