On March 1, we celebrated our 1 year anniversary of moving to Germany! In some ways it feels like we just got here, but in other ways it feels like we've lived her forever!
We've certainly seen and done so much since we moved here, yet there is still so much more to see and do. We are getting our next travel spots in order and have a "Bucket List" of places we want to see before we move back to the States.
Our next big trip planned is a cruise in May through Venice (Italy), Athens (Greece), Izmir (Turkey), and Split and Dubrovnik (Croatia). We are cruising with Rick's parents and we couldn't be more excited to visit all of these amazing places!
We just had a fantastic SURPRISE visit from my family! I thought they were coming to visit at the end of March, but they showed up at my door on March 9, the day after my birthday. My Mom, Dad, and Grandma all came and we did the usual sight-seeing and just enjoying having family around. My Dad is staying for a month (living the retired life!), so it will be nice to have him around for a while.
As I look back at where we were a year ago, I can't believe how much we've learned and how far we've come. When we moved here I knew 1 word in German, Danke. Haha! Now I can order in a restaurant, make appointments, read signs, and so much more. I'm still far from being bilingual, but I'm happy with what I know, and I will continue to keep learning as long as we are living here. I also learned how to drive a stick shift, which was a huge challenge (mentally) for me. Now, I actually like it :). I look back at my pro's and con's list and I see some changes. I can actually move a few things off of the con list and on to the pro list :). For example...I actually like paying for my shopping cart at the grocery store...you never have to worry about someone leaving a cart right next to your car, they are always put back where they belong!
I'm sure my lists will have many changes as the days go on. It's always fun to look back and see how much we've learned! I'm looking forward to year #2 :)
