Baseball in Germany

I have known for some time through J that is it possible to see baseball games in Germany but I finally made it out a few weeks ago to watch one. I headed out of the city on the S-bahn to Haar to see the Munich-Haar Disciples play the Mannheim Tornados in the second game of a double-header. The weather was a bit chilly and overcast but it was fun nevertheless. Ice cold drinks (including beer) and burgers from the grill were available. The home team served as the grounds crew and the crowd watching was small, giving it a after-work softball league game atmosphere. The entrance fee was 3 Euros. The announcers used a mix of German and English to call the game and I heard quite a bit of American English coming from the dugouts so it seems this league has more than a few expats playing. All in all I would recommend a visit if you are missing American baseball and want to see some boys of summer while far from home!

Schedule



Posted from Munich

Firmenlauf

A week ago, I received an email from my company to let me know I was off the waiting list for the annual Munich firmenlauf (Company Run). I had signed up some time back in March and had planned to start running again around that time, as soon as I recovered from the lung infection that had plagued me most of February and March so I would be nice and fit in time for the run. For one reason or another, dominated by laziness I am sure, I never really got back into running form and even have struggled with any kind of fitness over the last months.

So when the email came with only one week's warning I was more than a bit concerned about how I was going to pull off a run with so little time to prepare. The only reason I didn't bail altogether is that the run is 'only' 6.5 km or just over 4 miles. Should be do-able.

Last weekend I dove right into training and mapped out a 6k route around my house. I decided just to alternate one day running and one day cycling, kept it up through the week and finished with an extra morning ride yesterday morning (the day of the race).

Monday and Tuesday were very painful days but it was only muscle pains, nothing deeper. I ran extremely slow all week as there was no point to worry about time for this race. I just wanted to be able to complete it. By Wednesday most of the aches and pains had subsided, I took my final long bike ride and felt as ready as I could be for the race on Thursday night.

The race started and finished at Olympiapark. I was not quite prepared for how massive the event was going to be. I met up with my colleagues and we changed into our shirts, got our race numbers and shoe chips for timing on and then headed over to the starting area.

There were roughly 30,000 people participating. A DJ was getting the crowd pumped up. We stood in groups depending on our estimated time for completion. Crowds of co-workers wandered past in groups of 10-20 in their matching team shirts. I felt like I was watching herds of animals crossing the great plains or schools of brightly colored fish darting in unison around a reef.

It was a hot night and the clouds were building up darker and darker as we waited to start. The first group (the real runners) went off and it was over 30 minutes before my group got to start. The first people had completed the race before we even started.

Just as I passed through the starting gate a few drops came down and before long lighting and thunder were crashing down, trees were blowing sideways and I was soaked to the bone. By then, there was no other point but to finish. Like cattle being chased down a chute we all kept racing along at our best pace through the storm. Some nice locals were outside under the umbrellas or on their balconies cheering and blowing leftover world cup vuvuzelas. I missed the marker for the 5th kilometer and just as I was wondering if the race would ever end I saw the marker 'only 300 meters more'.

We approached the Olympic Stadium in the dark and pouring rain broken only by flashes of lightning and claps of thunder and the squishing of soaked running shoes. The crowds of runners continued to pour into the bright stadium and everyone was waiting inside soaked, laughing and cheering for the ones who were just arriving. Sure we were slow as anything. But we made it!

I wandered home through the rain, soaked, raccoon eyed from mascara gone awry and looking forward to a nice hot shower to warm up and my warm bed to pass out in.

Posted from Munich

At Least It's Not Boring

I think I read somewhere once that the body perceives good and bad stress much the same way. To be honest, after all the internal and external pressure I have had over the last years, I don't get too wound up about a lot of things anymore.

This week though, I have had sweaty palms, restless nights and a nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach. Yet all of it seems to be from the good kind of stress so I think maybe it is true about how the body responds to all stress.

There is a lot of newness in my life right now.

I started my new 'project' in Munich last week. However, this is completely different than anything I have done before. I have moved from delivery focused project management to sales and account management. I am fascinated by the entrepreneurial aspects of what I am doing and feel enthusiastic about the opportunity. At the same time, I am largely on my own, in uncharted territory and not only do I have to figure out what is I should be trying to achieve but also how. Part of the time I feel like I am fumbling around in the dark or running in circles and I am relying almost all on intuition now. I have to take a step back each morning and evening, pull out my compass and check if I seem to have headed in the right direction or I need to backtrack and try something new. When I see any progress, however big or small, it is thrilling because I can see the direct result of my effort and creativity. But I also feel a lot of accountability if something goes wrong. Sum of it all though is that I love trying this oh so very new thing.

Someone shared a favorite quote of hers with me a few weeks ago and it seems very appropriate right now.

'Leap and your net will appear.' Good stress.

On the relationship front, I am also in new territory. Sure I have had plenty of relationships before. But this one seems different. The more I get to know Mr. Kilt, the more I like, respect and trust him. I never have to say 'but' about him. You know what I mean.

He's great, but...
I think he likes me, but...
We have a lot in common, but...

There is no but. I just enjoy him, his attitude, how he treats me, doing nice things for him, and making plans for the future with him.

It's good and it's exciting. A girl gets butterflies from something like that.

We have a week in Scotland booked for the first week in May and now are planning 16 days in the US around Labor Day. I'm going to show him around a bit and introduce him to the friends and family. Good stress!

All of that would probably be fine but then I really went and did it yesterday. I thought she was joking. However, the woman who designed my dirndls is doing her annual fashion show of her 2010 collection and has asked me to walk in it. And I agreed. I have NEVER done anything like that! So in just over a week I will spend 8 hours getting primped, trained on runway walking and squeezed into one or more dirndls to strut my stuff in front of 500 people. I keep thinking of the SATC episode with the runway catastrophe and am hoping I can stay on my feet.

Now I really am stressed.

Posted from Munich

Springtime in Munich

I don't know where the time has gone but this past weekend marked one year since my return to Munich to start my post M life. It also marked the first spring-like weather for 2010. The temperature has risen into the teens, the snow is nearly all gone, the sky alternated between beautiful Bavarian blue and cloudy with sprinkles. The first naked German was spotted. Ah yes, spring has sprung.

I had fun with my visiting friend and expect I will make a trip up to Brussels to see her, her husband and their kids sometime this summer, probably with Mr. Kilt in tow as they also hit it off. My friend and I had quite a lot of discussion over the weekend about kids, family, working as a mother (or not). I have known this friend since we worked together in the US in 2002. When we met she was married to her former husband, just starting her career and neither of us would have expected that life would have carried us over to Europe. I liked seeing how her life has evolved over the time we have known each other and seeing her content in her life with her Belgian husband, her two children and two step-children. She has a great sense of humor and we got more than our share of German stares as the two of us we chatting and laughing like fools as we wandered around Munich. Friends are good for the soul.

Yesterday, we had our 2010 inaugural visit to the beer garden. Mr. Kilt, my friend and I took a paddle boat around the lake in the English Garden and then headed over to the Chinese tower where they tried a half-mass of starkbier (Lenten season strong beer) and for me a Radler. I love beer garden season and it will be even better than usual this summer with showings of the World Cup games.

Sadly I did not take my bike out as planned yesterday since it was raining quite a bit prior to the meetup time. I am not too worried though, there are plenty of opportunities to come.

All in all, it was a nice, stress-free weekend in Munich and now I am getting ready to fly to London tomorrow for a few days of training.

Happy Monday.
Posted from Munich

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

Winter Wash Out

I know. A lot of photos lately. But, they make me happy.

Posted from Geneva

And Now for A Change Of Scenery

It has been snowing the most beautiful, fluffy, snow-globe-like snow for the last few days in Germany. Stunning!

Posted from Munich

First Term Over

Today marks four years since I boarded that plane to start a new life in Germany. I can't help feeling a little nostalgic about that girl with the butterflies in her stomach, love in her heart, a curious mix of joy and sadness in her head and absolutely no clue what she was about to get herself into. The only thing I knew for sure then was that life was about to change in ways I could not predict.

On Monday, I paid a visit to the Place that Shall Not Be Named. Perhaps there, during my two hour wait to register my new address and try to track down my lohnsteuerkarte, which had not arrived last year in my complicated moving and mail forwarding scheme, I could see just how far I have come. I was not stressed. I was not sweating. I was not in tears. I was just patiently waiting, knowing what I needed to do and knowing how to manage the discussion in German so long as we could speak slowly. It all worked beautifully and I left with a proud smile on my face.

The last four years have been an amazing experience and I would do it all again, oh yeah I would. Despite the ups and downs, the fun, the pain, the losses and the gains, and how it has fundamentally changed me as a person, I would not change taking that plunge. Someday I hope I can articulate why I have loved this experience and continue to love living in Munich so much. For now it remains difficult to explain in any simple way, especially to those who have not been through something similar.

I have a hope too, one that I was reminded of in the last days of so many mixed feelings. I am tentive after being burned again. I am looking for stability and roots after years of wandering. At the same time, I hope I never become afraid to take a leap of faith and to explore the world, myself and most importantly the others in my life. For I have found that to love may mean to lose, to move forward may mean having to leave something behind and to gain something worthwhile means throwing yourself out there and taking real risks.

Now I am looking for a balance between all these things that make me tick. Here's to whatever comes next!

Posted from Queretaro

My Ride

Last night I was feeling particularly happy. For a moment in time, life is in balance. Yesterday is not troubling me and tomorrow is not really on my mind either. I am just here and now, connected with my present.

The weather was cool and springlike, the view from the plane of Geneva and the mountains at takeoff was stunning in the late evening light and I was headed for Munich. I had a short chat with the gentleman next to me in my crappy German but it still gives me a thrill when I can manage a basic conversation.

I thought about the plans I have this weekend and found it a bit startling that only two and a half months after returning to Munich I have a completely booked calendar on this long weekend. Has it only been 10 weeks since I spent that snowy week in a cheap hotel in Goetheplatz, tenatively testing the waters of a return to Munich?

I walked up to the car rental counter and smiled at the cute girl who offered me a VW Golf or a Mini Cooper. I didn't respond but continued to smile at her. She paused for a minute then started typing again. Wait, she said. Would you like an Audi TT? Hmm, let me think. Better believe I would!!

My busy weekend just got a little busier as I will be taking this car for more than one spin out in the countryside.

Posted from Munich

A New Home

I got the call today.

I have an apartment! Or I will have one later this summer when the current tenant moves out.

I viewed it on Monday night and it was pretty close to what I was looking for so I threw my name into the running. Figured it would turn out like all the others with someone else getting it.

Today I was informed that it's for me! Finally, my home sweet home.

A great location, nice size, bright, with a balcony and accessed from a quiet courtyard hidden from the street.

Now I need to start looking for some furniture...

Posted from Divonne-les-bains, France

Rainy Evening in Munich

Posted from Munich

Alive and Well

But my laptop isn't. I've been more or less offline for the last days/weeks while my laptop has come to a sputtering stop. Last week it was resusciated only to fall back into a coma from which it never recovered. We cut the life support last Thursday and bade it farewell as it moved on to laptop heaven. Today I will pick up a new one and hopefully can get back to posting once in awhile. However, I am staying in a temporary apartment as the apartment search lingers on and on and I don't have internet there so will probably still be somewhat limited.

I actually don't mind at all the limited computer time. With work being so slow and not wasting hours goofing around on the internet I have been getting out, getting to know Munich and making a lot of new friends here. For me this is a real treat as normally my life is completely centered around work, airports, stress and only being able to maintain the bare minimum of contact with friends and family, while barely managing to keep all the chores and admin under control.

Last Thursday I made a mad dash to Cologne, packed up the apartment in one night and got back on Friday evening. Other than that I have been firmly planted in Munich for a whole month, the longest I have been in one spot since moving to Europe and am loving it! Just in time for spring weather, beer gardens and more photo opportunities than I know what to do with!

Posted from Munich

Munich Week 2

I'm 3 days deep in German language immersion class and the 2nd week deep in my return to Munich.

I can't be happier spending this time here.

Eight hours a day of German is definitely intensive. We have covered a lot of new grammar and vocabulary already. The instructors are amazing. We have one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I think it's too intensive to teach all day in this kind of environment. It's also good for us to have two styles and approaches.

There are 5 of us in the class. We had 6 but one switched classes after a few hours since he wasn't quite at the same level as the rest of us. Of the remaining there are two Italian women, one Spanish woman, one Turkish man and myself. The level is perfect for me as we do some review of what I have already learned towards the end of my time with my tutor in Switzerland over a year ago, a good refresher, but most of what we are covering is new.

Even though I can really understand the teachers, the classmates, the reading and the grammar, and have a good vocabulary when concentrating on individual words, I still struggle with speaking in complete thoughts/sentences. Everytime I need to say something I draw a blank. However, when someone else is speaking I know what they should say, what is right and wrong most of the time. It is kind of aggravating. However, a lot is clicking and it is well worth the time and effort. There are still seven more days to keep chipping away at the speaking problems.

The apartment hunting is going slow. There are not too many on the market that fit all my criteris (and yes, you better believe I am being picky about this apartment). The one I tried to get last week still has not been officially given to me or anyone else but that's another story. It may still come through but if not I am not sure what I will do. The main alternative is a huge area of development near Schloss Nymphemburg where DB has sold a big tract of land and it is being developed at a furious pace. Lots of brand new apartments coming on the market but I have mixed feelings about being in a newly developed area. The only other option is to wait as random single apartments are coming available and see if I get lucky. Demand and supply are not in my favor though. Time is running out on the apartment in Cologne so I will need to at least find a temporary solution by end of April.

As far as work goes, I know two options are being discussed for getting me back into reality but I am staying out of it. It's fitting that it's April Fool's day today as one option involves going back to the project I had left in Zurich and the other involves going to another project in Cologne. Ahhh life. To be honest I have lost any interest whatsoever in going back on the road. Life is developing here just fine...

Each day I learn more German and more about the different areas of the city. The ladies I had so much fun with last weekend are ready for another gathering on Saturday and have invited me to join in the group. Time will tell but I think I am lucky I found them. I even went out for a dinner date (*gasp*) last night. It's about time to brush myself off and get back out there so when asked I figured, why not?

Oh, and I found a really nice Canadian dentist in Munich who fixed my broken tooth yesterday and who has a hygenist who will clean my teeth in a couple of weeks. Finally!! I don't care how fluent I ever become; I always want English speaking doctors!

Posted from Munich

Life

It's been a few days.

I had laptop problems, actually still do, but I also wanted to take a break from observing my life and go about the business of living it. I also took a break from work, not just in the 'on holiday' sense but also gave it a complete kick out of my head. And that was probably 8 years overdue.

So this week has been about focusing on my revised priorities in life, priorities born out of the wreckage of last year and subsequent lessons learned. My base of operation is a cheapy hotel in a good location in Munich. The apartment search is intense and progressing slowly but every step that brings me closer to a real home is a step in the right direction.

I found a perfect place last Wednesday but the owner will only decide this weekend who will get it. Maybe I will do another post on apartment hunting and how it all works in Munich once I am out of this stage. It's a tricky business, especially if you are a foreigner. For now, I am just crossing my fingers that this apartment comes through and I can call off the search.

In between running around to apartment viewings and scouring the listings for prospects, I have been re-connecting to Munich. Actually I think re-connecting is not the right word as I am more starting from scratch in a familiar place than picking up where I left off.

I've been out and about checking out the different parts of the city, learning how it is laid out and taking lots of pictures. I have, by necessity of a hotel stay, been trying lots of restaurants and will probably write up some reviews in this blog. I've been running in the English Garden. Each day I spend here I like it more and feel more at home.

I have met a lot of people this week. I joined a couple of expat events, one of which led to a follow-on invite to a dinner party later in the week and the other which led to a leisurely 4 hour lunch and w(h)ine with some very fun ladies who are just my age and at the same point in life. It's been a long time since I laughed and had so much fun. These may have been one-off experiences or could be the beginning of some nice friendships - but either way it is again a step in the right direction.

Tomorrow I move over to my lodgings for the start of German class. I am looking forward to taking another crack at German and hoping I really have an a-ha experience in these next two weeks. What I have already convinced myself is that this is the place to make as many mistakes as possible as it is the safest environment there can be. With that attitude and limited distractions I am optimistic it will be a productive couple of weeks.

Maybe I will post more in the next days or maybe I will just be out there, enjoying it all. I still have a ways to go but at least I know where I want to be.

Posted from Munich

Sunday in the Park

Close Call

I don't know what my problem is lately with travel planning. I seem to be unable to accurately plan and execute a smooth trip. Maybe it's too much travel, too many different rules and regulations per country, airport, airline, etc. Too many lucky breaks where they have let me squeeze by so I didn't learn my lesson. Maybe I am just too blasé about whether and when I get there anymore.

Yesterday I was pushing my luck beyond any reason. My flight to Munich was at 9:55 AM. So for me that means check in at 8:55 is plenty of time for an airport the size of Cologne and leaving time for the German protocol.

However, I needed to return the rental car and here is where I made the big mistake. It takes 30 minutes to get to the airport from my apartment. So I left the house just before 8:30. What I did not calculate were the following:

- 10 minutues tanken (fill the gas tank)
- 15 minutes walk from rental car drop to check in
- quick check in no longer accepts credit cards as identification (only passport and confirmation number but American passports don't work)
- 50 people in front of me waiting to check in at the desk because they also could not use quick check in
- baggage drop line 20 people deep

So, flight at 9:55 and I am arriving to a check in mad-house due to previous calculating errors at 9:20.

Resigned to missing the flight I go through the last ditch effort to try to boot up my laptop and get my reservation number to do the quick check in. Laptop is crap and is taking an hour to boot up.

Then an angel with Germanwings stepped up and asked what I was doing. I explained and he grabbed me and took me to the front of the check in line*, we dumped the bag, got the ticket and off I ran to security (boarding time started at 9:25 and by now it was 9:35).

I walked up to the gate just in time to walk on the plane, sit down and take off. And the kicker is my bag even made it. Seriously, how am I supposed to learn this way? I guess I will pay for it next time!

Oh, and I am loving being back in Munich. It is a little weird after not living here for the last 8 months and how much life has changed since then. On the ride from the airport into town I had some mixed feelings about whether the past would dominate my emotions or my excitement about the future. So far so good and I am off for a walk to the Englische Garten. With snow in the forecast most of this week I need to get some sun while I can ;-)

* I really hate those people, even when I'm one of them.

Posted from Münich

The Good News and The Bad News

So it's official and I am finished in Cologne.

That is the bad news. Having steady work right now during these economic times is a good thing so while this situation wasn't my dream circumstance to begin with, it's not a time to be too picky and I'm a little disappointed that we are closing up shop. Now it's time for another round of spin the wheel of fortune and see what (and where) happens next.

The good news though is that this solves the problem of needing some time in Munich to do a proper apartment search and move in. I booked a one way ticket to Munich for Saturday and will spend next week there taking care of business!

And just to soothe my nerves I had a couple hours with my boss yesterday to get an update on the bigger picture of what's ahead and, for now, the outlook is still good.

Müncheners in the mood for lunch, dinner, coffee or a walk in the sunny Munich weather in the next days, feel free to reach out!

Posted from Köln

Top 10 Reasons...

I can't wait to get back to Munich!

Seriously, Cologne is a nice enough place but it's not for me.

The transition back to Munich may be difficult at first - there are a lot of memories there and, while I have a handful of friends in Munich, nearly all my short weekends there were spent with M. and around the house. In some ways, I think it will be like a new city to me but I am really looking forward to it! Here are a few of the reasons.

10. The Weather
I never understood J's weather complaints about Germany. I figured maybe he was just more sensitive to the seasons or something because I didn't think the weather could be so different in another part of Germany. However, now I get it. Cologne is dark, dreary and rainy all the time. Munich weather has 4 gorgeous seasons and there is significantly more sun there in all 4 of them.

9. Hopfisterei
The best bread in Germany, a country with some of the best bread in the world. Nuff said.

8. Beer Gardens
Magical summer nights lit up with the white glow of lanterns and easy breezy conversation after a few maß. Or a spring business lunch with a few maß. Or a post Oktoberfest hair of the dog few maß.

7. Dirndls
I am addicted. I have two. I want another one. And maybe this year I will really do the dirndl fashion show if I get invited to participate again. Third time's the charm.

6. My Own Kitchen
Folks, I am dying. Dull knives. Two pots. Instant coffee. In my heart and in my imagination I am a gourmet chef. Cooking is the adult version of how I used to feel when I was playing as a kid.

5. The Cloud
I am not sure I can pull this one off in Munich. Before I moved to Germany I had a bed. I called it the Cloud. White, fluffy, downy and pillows and feathers everywhere. They don't make the same beds in Europe as in the US but if I can find it, I will at least have a place to put it.

4. The Mountains
Hiking and skiing, the view and of course, the silly brown and white cows. I miss them all.

3. Viktualienmarkt
It may be over-priced but who can beat a fresh squeezed juice, Schlemmermeyer deli and the Italian goodies stand? Let's not forget the giant (stinky) pickles either.

2. Decorating
A place with my own things, in my own style. It will quickly get overwhelming I know but still I am excited.

1. Making Friends
I hope I can do better at this this time around. If Zurich was any hint I think I can. At least if I do make more friends, I don't have to worry about the project ending and moving on again.

Posted from Köln

Return to Munich

In an effort to be pragmatic, save some money and keep things simple I had decided to make my home base in Köln while I am splitting time between there and the US for work. Before that it was Zürich, for the same reasons. Although I loved Zürich and am comfortable enough in Köln, there is inherently a problem with the arrangement. When the project ends, as planned or unexpectedly, I have to move along.

I got very attached to Zürich. I still smile whenever I look at the pictures of the view from my balcony over the lake with the mountains in the background. When work there ended abruptly it added to an already stressful time. I had to leave a city I came to think of as home behind and figure out where to go next. After hauling my stuff all over Germany and Switzerland in the last 4 months (Basel, Munich, Zurich and Cologne) plus flying back and forth to various cities in the US, it's no wonder I have been feeling flat and disconnected.

I don't have the heart to invest anything into Köln after what happened with Zürich. While I normally pride myself on following my wanderlust and my gypsy spirit I can only come to the conclusion that I have reached my capacity for flexibility. I am ready for something more reliable.

After giving it quite some thought in the last weeks, I have decided to go back to Munich. It is still my official home base for my job so regardless of projects that come and go I have a tie there. I probably would have decided even sooner but was still considering the option of Zürich.

When I return to Germany from this trip to the US, I will spend a long weekend in Munich. I plan to visit some friends, get something done about my hair, apply for my permanent residency and do some apartment shopping. I am not under time pressure so the timeline of the move will depend more on when I find The Apartment but at the latest I am aiming for June 1.

It may not be pragmatic, simple or cheap, but there is a cost to not having a place to call home and for me it has gotten too high. So back to Munich I go. It feels right.

Posted from Cherry Hill, NJ

Extended Stay

As I prepare to leave the country in less than 2 weeks and with this unexpected extra week off, I decided to try to renew my German work and residence permit yesterday. It was set to expire while I was in Singapore.

Yes, time for another visit to the torture amt.

My initial permit was granted for a year and in August it will have been a year already. Woah!

I packed all possible documents and practiced with M. saying in German, I need to renew my permits and here are my documents. It is a highly strategic activity to get together all possible things they may ask for and I have learned to bring everything short of a note from my mom.

So with much dread I drove downtown to the KVR bright and early yesterday morning and noticed quite a few nice parking spots for once. Maybe a sign of a smooth day to come? I walked through the empty halls and thought, wow, I really picked the right day to come. Must all be on summer vacation! I walked to the S-Z check-in desk and had the dawning suspicion that something was amiss. Even the service desk was empty, the lights were dim and I was all alone in the massive waiting room.

Turns out they are closed on Wednesdays. I guess all the stress of dealing with foreigners on Mondays and Tuesdays warrants a break on Wednesday to recover and prepare for Thursday and Friday. All my careful preparations in vain!

I headed back at 7:30 this morning hoping to squeeze it in before my post-op doctors appointment at 9:30. Today was certainly livelier. I approached the service desk and said in my best German the phrases I practiced with M. The woman asked me a series of questions in German and (shock) I understood them all and could answer. I got a waiting number and sat with butterflies in my stomach waiting for the visit with the interviewer.

I initiated the conversation in German and was asked several questions. Again I could follow and spit out some answers and within 10 minutes everything was entered in the system and 2 more years in Germany granted. Vielen dank!

I paid at the kasse and got my new permits glued into the passport and that takes care of that for the near future. What a relief! I even made it to the doctor on time.

Posted from Munich