Comings and Goings

I am about due for my annual rant about how I must learn German (see how I used the very German 'must'?), followed by feverish activity to plan how that will happen, followed by less feverish actions to make it happen, followed by yet another admission of defeat. But I'll hold that thought for another day because something else is on my mind.

It is nearly one year since I moved back to Munich.

I have no clue how that went so fast. When I was getting ready to move back, I made this list about what I was most looking forward to upon my return and below a small update on how I did.

10. The Weather
Yes, still love it, current winter fatigue aside

9. Hopfisterei
Faithfully on the breakfast table every weekend

8. Beer Gardens
Took full advantage of them last summer and will be even more fun this summer with World Cup viewings to look forward to!

7. Dirndls
Added dirndl number 3 to the collection last summer. Maybe throwing that on in the next couple of weeks for Starkbierfest. Or maybe will just put it on and run around the house. Love them!

6. My Own Kitchen
See recent food photography posts. That's coming from my beautiful and slowly but steadily approaching fully stocked kitchen.

5. The Cloud
In the Heavenly Bed since Jan 2010

4. The Mountains
I make it to the mountains on average once a month. Due to my new passion for cycling, I didn't have as much time for hiking last summer as I expected. But between drives, hikes and skiing, oh yeah! The Mountains!

3. Viktualienmarkt
It's not for my day to day shopping but for any special occasion I start with a trip to Viktualienmarkt. Latest was for the Paella dinner to get the best possible seafood and yummy appetizers.

2. Decorating
It took a lot longer to find the apartment than I expected. So is the decorating. But I have to admit I am in love with what I got so far. Dining table, Heavenly bed, a desk, a guest bed, and some chairs. A sofa was just ordered and should make it by May. Probably the highlight so far has been printing out my photos and framing them to hang around the apartment.

1. Making Friends
I have really been lucky here. I sought out friends and found them. From the Greek bartenders, to the weekend cycling group, from the SATC ladies, to my photographer pals, from my ski buddies, to the German colleauges turned friends, all the people who have entered my life in the last year have made it really special.

But...

Now it is time to say goodbye.

No, not me! Didn't you just read all of the above?

And don't even get me gushing about fellow Münchener Mr. Kilt. No, I am happy in Munich.

But as is natural in life, especially the life of an expat with many expat friends, contracts end, relationships end, and reasons for staying disappear. Alternatively, reasons for leaving present themselves. And so, people go.

I haven't had to deal with that too much. The first three years in Munich my friends were colleagues in Basel who were all from different cities already or friends of M.'s who were German and never going to move anywhere. Ever.

Now, my non-colleague, non-German friends are set to leave in droves this year. Not all of them of course but enough that I foresee a large vacuum being created in their wake. I am happy for them, for those that want to go, and sad for me, who would like these wonderful people to stay. I hope to keep making more friends as new people come but I see that this will become a never-ending cycle.

For now, I am just bracing for a summer full of farewell parties.

Posted from Mannheim