The One with 1 Year in Germany!

Whelp. It's official! We have lived in Germany 1 year today! 

 More specifically, Bavaria Germany!

Sometimes I read the post of our adventure getting here (The One with Getting to Germany) and I dread returning home! I have awful international travel luck. I mean, it could have been worse, much much much worse, so I'm thankful we made it and we're here and we've been LOVING IT.

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT GERMANY

The rolling green hills. The morning fog. The cute little towns centered around a church. Every inch looks like a postcard pretty much. The proximity to other major destinations like Prague (2 hours), Venice (6 hours), Paris (8 hours), Berlin (3 hours), anywhere in Switzerland (5 hours), Amsterdam (7 hours), so on and so forth. Here it's just a day trip away, in the states it's a major travel expense! The history: everything is old and has thousands of years of history. The flower pots in everyone's windows in the summer/fall. The slower and more relaxed pace of life. No speed limit. Doesn't get too hot - today it's raining and 55 degrees. What summer? I've finally decided I'd rather be cold than hot. But that's another post for another day. Castles everywhere. Being in the army and making great friends who are in the same stage of life as we are. There's something enchanting about being in a foreign country and having to fake it 'til you make it!

THINGS I MISS ABOUT AMERICA
Target. It's been over a YEAR since I've stepped foot in a Target! I'm going to flip my lid the next time I do. Definitely an instagrammable experience :) Costco and things in bulk sizes. The biggest milk cartons here are half gallon, and we drink a lot of milk! Arbys and other American restaurants. 24 hour Walmarts or places you can get medicine at all hours of the night. Stores that are open past 4pm. Being close to my family and friends. It's sooooo hard not being able to go to my Grandpa's funeral next weekend. Everyone understands the words that are coming out of my mouth in the states. Malls and strip malls and mini malls. Being close to anything - it takes a half hour to drive and be in an actual town and to get to the freeway. No time difference - we're 6-9 hours ahead here so my social media outlets are null all morning and afternoon and then in the evening when I'm going to sleep everything picks up without me! Dollars instead of euros cuz the dollar stinks here. New construction. TV!!! MOVIES!!! MUSIC!!! I am SO OUT OF THE LOOP here. Proximity to Disneyland :) 

In summary, I will GLADLY give up all of the little things (okay, maybe Target is a big thing :) for 3 or 4 years in exchange for all of the wonderful perks of living in Bavaria/Germany/Europe. This is what we've dreamed of doing ever since Chris got into dental school and applied for the HPSP scholarship through the army! 1 year down, 2 or 3 to go, we don't really know! But we are planning to ask to stay for 4 years instead of the usual 3. That's how much we love it here :)

PS - it's pretty cool to live here during the 2014 World Cup! Go Germany!