It’s been about two months since I’ve given a real update on life abroad. Like most of the world, the past few weeks have been filled with restrictions, social distancing, and time inside. Last week I started going into the office a few days a week, yesterday I went to a biergarten, and next week we’ll be allowed to travel within the country more as tourism and hotels reopen.
It’s again a weird time to be abroad. Most of my news sources come from the US, and many of my friends are in hot spots like Boston and New York. For them, life is still far from returning to a sense of a new normal. For me, I went outdoor bar hopping yesterday, with certain guidelines in place. It’s certainly a weird feeling to have to wear a mask to go inside to the bathroom at a restaurant, and even stranger is the fact that we had to leave our name and phone number at most places we went. This helps ensure that if there is an outbreak, it could be easily traced. While I like that we are taking steps to protect ourselves while things reopen, it is certainly a weird experience. In any other circumstances this would feel like a violation of freedom, and while I’m not totally comfortable with it, I do understand it’s for the greater good of everyone’s health.
I am cautiously optimistic about the future of things here. When the lockdown began I thought travel was out of the question for a while, but am excited by the fact that borders will begin to reopen soon. Two of the places I most want to travel to, Greece and Croatia, are talking about their desire to make things safe for summer tourism, especially since this is a main source of income for most people.
Likely due to the shift to a new normal, this week is the first time since moving here that I finally feel like this is my new home. I ran errands around the city and found some new favorite boutiques, went on a day trip, and hung out with friends. After living in Boston for nine years, I knew moving would be tough, and even though I was so excited to live abroad, the adjustment proved much harder than expected. A book I was reading the other day had a line that I thought nailed this feeling on the head": “We can’t have change without loss.” A lot to lose, but even more to gain. It’s been hard to realize that even if I move back to Boston after this, my life will never be the same. Many of my friends are getting married, having kids, and moving themselves. While it’s been tough to realize this, it’s also made it easier to adjust to my life here, knowing that I too am building something new for myself. So while I don’t know what’s to come in the future, I do know that I am excited for the adventure, and as long as I’m here in Germany, the cheap and delicious wine, cheese and bread. :)
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