Auf Wiedersehen.

We say goodbye to Germany on June 1st. I knew I wanted to write a little love letter to my expat life on the blog. But now that I am sitting here, fingers on the keys, I'm not totally sure what I want to say...

Expat experience, Germany, EverWilde Blog

I guess to start off ... this is an experience I never knew I'd have, never knew I could handle, but even more than that, one that I never knew I wanted. I took my first trip to Europe 2 years ago to find our house here in Germany and before that I hadn't done much traveling. I'd spent most of my adult life in the midwest, had a good job, great friends, family around the corner and was comfortable. The prospect of moving abroad was mind-blowing and overwhelming to say the least. I still remember that first dinner with Jason's company when this idea was pitched. I was about 6 months pregnant with our first baby and thought the idea was hilarious. As we walked out of the restaurant that night, I remember laughing. Literally. Saying out loud to Jason, HA. Thanks for dinner guys, but that's NEVER going to happen.

But then, we started to think about it and talk about it... Jason had been traveling to Europe for work for over a year at that point and told me about cities he knew I'd love and I won't lie... I was envious that all of his "work" trips involved sightseeing. But when it came to actually LIVING over there (here) I wasn't sure. It was a huge unknown. And it meant taking a gigantic leap outside of that comfy life we'd built for ourselves.

But (obviously), in the end Europe won out. We told our friends. Told our family. Told my office. We packed up and shipped out. The first couple of months definitely weren't easy. I vividly remember coming home from the grocery store crying because I couldn't figure out how to order turkey at the deli counter and all I wanted for lunch was a damn turkey sandwich. I remember sweating every time I left the house because parking in the tiny german spots and figuring out how to pay for said parking at the cash machines was a freaking work-out. I remember people coming up to me and asking questions or telling me what I wasn't doing correctly and not understanding a word they said. I remember spending about 30 mins trying to find an elevator when I didn't know the german word for one and was too intimidated to ask.

But I also remember finding that freaking elevator and doing my very happiest-happy-dance. And I remember practicing how to order in German and then getting that turkey-sandwich-of-dreams. And I remember finally learning how to tell people how old my cute baby was when they asked. And I remember meeting an English speaking mom at a store who then became my friend and introduced me to her friends. I remember discovering new foods and finding the best, most delicious schnitzel right in our town. And I remember feeling like a rockstar-champion-award-winning-human. Because I did it. And, yes, it took a while. But here I am. I can navigate this country and speak (a teensy bit to get by) German. And have actually created a life here that I've loved.

And to top it off, we have seen the world while doing it.

In just under 2 years, we've traveled to 13 countries, 28+ cities and still have 2 more trips to go before we call our Euro-Expat-Life done. We've navigated all of those countries with a baby/toddler in tow and have loved every place we've seen. Pretty good for a travel-newbie. But we've still got lots on our list. So, gigantic world full of awesome places...you haven't seen the last of us, yet.

People have asked us if we feel changed by this experience. My answer is always "I hope so."

I hope that we hang on to a little of our newfound adventurous spirits and infuse a bit of that into our everyday. Even if our everyday doesn't involve traveling to a new country. I hope that we find ways to bust out of our comfy-zone a little more often after we move back into it. And I hope that I can take some of what I've learned from my new German, Finnish, Hungarian, British, Armenian, South African, fellow expat-mommy-friends and become a more well-rounded, open-minded mom & self.

When we first shared the news that we'd be relocating to Europe, I remember a few people told me that I'd never want to move back. BTW I laughed at them too. But now, here I am wishing we had another couple of weeks or couple of months or even another year of this totally insane, mind-blowing life. These last couple of weeks have been emotional. I am already mourning this experience and all that it's brought to my life and to my family. But one of my new friends said it to me best - "You're leaving on a high note!" And that couldn't be more true. We will look back on our Deutschland Days with the utmost fondness & nostalgia. We'll laugh and smile (and knowing me, I'll prob shed a tear) as we reminisce on our once-in-a-lifetime expatriate experience in Germany.

So long story short. If you have a chance to live abroad, do it. If you have a chance to travel abroad, do it. If you have a chance to step outside of your comfy, even if that step isn't as dramatic as ours was...Do it.