A few things we won't miss and a few we will

A few things we won't miss about living in Germany:

1.  Stores are closed on Sundays.  There are just times where I haven't planned well enough ahead and it would be really nice on a Sunday to be able to run errands or pick up some ingredients for a meal I forgot the last time I went shopping.  I've learned my lesson and am always sure to have a good supply of ibuprofen on hand in case someone gets sick on a Saturday night or Sunday.

2.  Quiet Sundays.  The unofficial law is that you can't do noisy things on Sundays -- the kids can't be screaming and yelling in the backyard and you can't mow your lawn.  That means if you count on Saturdays to mow your lawn and it rains that day, you have to wait another week to mow your lawn.

3.  Driving in Germany.  I will admit that I still get nervous driving here, particularly in unfamiliar places.  In Germany, the powers that be like to keep traffic moving.  That means you don't see as many traffic lights or stop signs as you do in the U.S.  You see more roundabouts, yield signs and intersections where you have to count on your knowledge of priority to navigate through it.  Your brain has to be much more alert here, and I often arrive home after a drive to a new part of the area feeling exhausted.  You approach an unfamiliar intersection with no traffic lights or stop signs and your eyes scan all around -- Do I have the yellow yolk sign indicating that I have right of way?  If not, did I make note earlier whether or not I am in a "Zone" which means drivers coming from the right get right of way?  Or do I have the sign that means "You have right of way at this--and only this--intersection?"  I've learned when in doubt, just slow down at every intersection.

Driving at night is an issue as well.  German streets are not as well lit as in the U.S. (if they are lit at all).  At every traffic light in our area, there is an additional traffic sign indicating priority.  When I first got here, I was confused.  "I have a green light, but there is a stop sign right next to it.  What do I do?"  When I was taking driving lessons a few years ago, my instructor told me that those signs are for when the traffic lights are out.  "Geez, how often do your lights break down here?" I thought to myself.  The sort-of answer is "Every night."  Traffic lights are shut off late at night.  That means you need to rely on signs instead and familiar streets no longer feel that way. 

4.  Feeling out of touch with what is happening in the U.S. Back in the U.S., between TV news, the newspaper and internet,  David and I kept up fairly well with current events.  Especially since 9/11, when I just happened to turn on the radio right when the station began broadcasting what was happening in NYC and right before the second plane hit, we didn't want to be caught unawares of a developing situation.  Since we've been in Germany, I definitely have a feeling of being out of touch.  We know the big headlines and if I was so inclined, I could do research and be more up to speed on current events, but I find myself often not so inclined.  The news can just be too depressing.  

5.  Picking up the kids at school every afternoon.  This has become a bit less of a chore since Micaela and James got cell phones.  Instead of having to search them out, I can call them and tell them I'm on my way and to meet me at the security booth in the parking lot.  I can also call Micaela after school and remind her to be sure Emilie gets to her piano lesson.  But it's a pain that it takes at least 45 minutes to pick the kids up and then I have to start dinner, sometimes at 6:00 and we don't eat until 7:00.  Considering that Emilie and Becca might need to take a bath, etc. it can mean a later bedtime that I would like.  It can also mean that the kids are very hungry and sneak snacks before dinner, so that we all sit down to eat a meal I worked hard to put together and they're not hungry for some reason.

A few things we'll miss about living in Germany:

1.  Stores are closed on Sundays.  Sundays are peaceful days in Germany.  Plan ahead, get all your errands and shopping done by Saturday, because you can't do it all on Sunday.  Sundays are for relaxing, taking a walk or a bike ride, or doing some sightseeing.  You are in a way forced to relax here on Sundays.

2.  Quiet Sundays.  You are guaranteed to have peace and quiet on Sundays.  You can have people over for a barbecue or sit outside and read a book and you don't have to worry that your neighbor will whip out his lawn mower or leaf blower and ruin your afternoon.

3.  Driving in Germany.  What most Americans know about driving in Germany is that you can drive as fast as you want on the Autobahn.  And that's true, though if you're in an accident, you can be cited for driving faster than you should have been.  What I have noticed in my everyday driving around is that Germans are courteous drivers.  They use their turn signals, which is important in a country that doesn't use traffic lights and stop signs as often as in the U.S.  If you need to change lanes or merge onto the Autobahn, Germans make it easy for you.  My driving instructor had told me, "Germans look at driving as 'We're all in this together.  Let's get where we need to go safely.'"  Except for the drivers going over 120 mph on the Autobahn, I have found that to be true.

4.  Feeling out of touch with what is happening in the U.S.  When you don't have the morning news on every morning for three hours and in the evening for one, and you're not reading the newspaper every day, there's a good chance your stress level will decrease.  I haven't been "worried" about as many things as I might have been had we not moved away from the U.S. for a few years.  Watching news segment after segment about topics like the various flus and the potential for great loss of life, the dangers of letting your kids walk around the neighborhood alone, bizarre murders or accidents, can take a toll. 

5.  Picking up the kids at school every afternoon.  Because all the kids' extra-curricular activities take place at school, I know that once I pick them up and drive home, there is no more driving them around to their lessons, practices, etc.  It's all done for the day.