The Most Indirect Way to Get a Job – Ever

Just over a year ago, in anticipation of possibly moving abroad at some point, Brian and I enrolled in and completed a 120-hour online TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language) course. From the get go, we knew that our best chance at getting a job overseas was going to be as an English teacher.…

Misadventures of Ice Cream

I love ice cream. I love it so much that I’m quite confident in saying that, over the course of my life, the days in which I’ve eaten ice cream outnumber the days in which I haven’t, and yes, that’s including years 0-2 (ish), when you don’t eat any ice cream at all. It’s one…

Why Oven-Warm Bread Is Such A Treat

Freshly baked bread is a big deal around here, and there are bakeries on nearly every corner.  For us, the brötchen (small rolls) provide an inexpensive and filling snack, and we’ve probably each eaten 20 or so of them in the two weeks that we’ve been in Germany. There is a clear distinction to be…

Initial Observations

Now that we’ve been in Germany for two weeks, I thought it’d be interesting to post some of my initial observations and reactions to my new country. – Just about everyone speaks English. People always start a conversation in German, but once they hear our accents and attempts at German, they generally switch to English…

Freiburg: Our First Week in Photos

Martinstor – one of Freiburg’s two city gates. Forgive the poor placement of the woman dragging her child in the foreground. Brian getting ready to enjoy a local beer – Freiburger. Surprisingly, it tastes just like all of the other pilsners we’ve had so far. The Dreisam River right behind our apartment building. I could…

Beer is Literally Cheaper Than Water

I’ve heard it before, but always as part of a cliché about Germans. “Germans love cars and rules and beer. They like beer so much, it’s cheaper than water!” But as with all stereotypes, there is some truth. In some places, it is in fact MUCH cheaper to drink beer than water. Our first night…