6 Month Update

We have officially been in Germany for 6 months now! Isn't that crazy?! I think it is absolutely crazy!

For this post I thought it would be fun to share a little bit about my thoughts on things I've noticed/experienced, things I am missing, things I have learned, and just an overall discussion of what life has been like the last 6 months - aside from the traveling excitement.

For those who may be bored by this post I am sorry! :) Come back Monday to read about our latest adventure! 

Image courtesy of Google.

Eating huge sausages with hardly any bread
You can get a bratwurst with bread at a lot of places - the grocery store, the mall, street vendors, etc., but they all come with the smallest "bun". Only the middle section of the sausage can be enjoyed with the bread! I am not sure why this is, regardless it is still really delicious! 

Bubbly
I will never forget when I ordered a liter of tap water and was served a pitcher of sparkling water! I was dumbfounded at how this could be! (I still kind of am.) Everyone likes their drinks bubbly over here! From the water to the apple juice, it comes bubbly! The good news is, non bubbly versions do exist too. 

Image courtesy of Google.

Hello & Goodbye
In the US you can go to a lot of places with no body giving you a formal hello or goodbye. That is not the case here! Everywhere you go - from the bank, to a store, to the hospital, everyone greets back and forth. A hello or good day, to a ciao or Tschüss (goodbye).

Fast Cashiers
Checking out at a German grocery store requires skill. The cashier rings your grocery's so quickly and you are responsible for bagging them even faster! Sometime's if I have too many grocery's I will just throw them in the cart and bag afterwards. There is 0 time for messing around at check out! Your money better be ready, and your bagging hands better be quick!

Image Courtesy of Google. 

Closed
Everything is closed on Sunday - aside from the bakeries - a few of those are still open. But any kind of shop is closed (grocery, pharmacy, drugstore)! Gone are the days where I grocery shop on a Sunday - but if we're being honest who actually enjoy's going to the grocery store on a Sunday? That is right - I don't think anyone! What we enjoy is the convenience of being able too! Here, we know we can't so we make it work! 

Recycling
I have 5 different bags in my kitchen for trash! One for actual trash, one for plastics, one for cardboards, one for compostable items, and one for glass! It definitely took some getting used too - separating everything out, but now that I do it, I don't think I could ever go back! 

Washer/Dryer
I think of myself as a pretty smart individual. But give me a German wash machine and I completely lose my ability to function! I had to research our machine and take notes! Theni had to look at the notes I took every time I did laundry for the first two weeks! For one it is in a different language, but for two the settings are different from what we have in the States. Additionally, we have been dryer free for 6 months! It requires more patience. You can't wash something and be able to use it the same day - so washing sheets and towels becomes a calculated task! 

 Language Barrier
It exists, big time. Even though I am learning German, I am not fluent. Which means that sometimes simple tasks are made more complicated. At first, I used it as an excuse. I wouldn't go to the meat counter because I didn't know how to ask for what I wanted. I let the language actually build a physical barrier between me and the things I needed or wanted to do. Some things I had to do, but would hate it because I would be so scared. Like dry cleaning - Blake work's all day, so I have to take the dry cleaning. I would be so scared to drop it off or pick it up! But now, I don't let it scare me! I use what German I do know, and most people will use what English they know and somehow someway we figure it out! Even the moments where I still don't know what they said to me, the clothes still got washed. The best part was? Nothing happened to me! I lived. There was/is nothing to be afraid of.



Comfort Zone
I have loved the quote above for as long as I can remember. But I don't think I fully had an understanding of what it really meant to be uncomfortable. Everyday living here has pushed me to really reach far beyond what I am comfortable with. From everyday tasks, to learning a new language, to trying new foods, and meeting new people. I am forced into situations where I have to know ahead of time that I am probably not going to understand 50% of what is about to go down. I am forced to speak German - even though my German is terrible. But I do it, and sometimes people laugh at me, but it is the most humbling experience and for that I am grateful. 

What I Miss
I of course miss all of my family and friends. But most of what I miss is food. #FatGirlProbs
Fall is well underway so I miss all things FALL. I miss the cider mill, and stuffing my face with cider and doughnuts. I MISS CANNED PUMPKIN, I can't find it here. I know I can use a regular pumpkin, but I miss the simplicity of a can. I also miss tacos - like really delicious gourmet tacos. 

I sometimes miss the simplicity of certain tasks. Like going to the bank. While yes, I am being pushed out of my comfort zone trying to ask for money and that is a great experience. I sometimes miss how simple that task would be in the US. Or ordering a sheet cake from Kroger - So simple. But here I have to research where I can even do that and then research how to ask for it. Again, it is humbling and I enjoy that aspect. But sometimes I miss being able to walk right into Target and grab exactly what I need. 

All in all WE LOVE IT HERE. And we are incredibly grateful for this opportunity. I have learned so much, I have experienced so much. 

The best part is, we still get to experience so much more!

Happy Friday!

November // Rome Day 3 // Books

Well hello there November! 

This is how I feel... year after year. Don't get me wrong, I love me some summer days. But fall is my season! However, here in Germany, it kind of feels like we just skipped over the whole fall weather thing. :(


Rome

First I am going to share our Day 3 in Rome! If you missed Days 1&2 click here.

We woke to a really beautiful day in Rome. We got up a little late so we grabbed a quick breakfast and hopped on a city bus. We were on a strict itinerary after all!

Well, after 35 minutes of being on the bus, and still not yet arriving at our destination, I pulled up google maps, and sure enough we were going all over Rome, but nowhere near The Colosseum. Not sure what happened, but we got off and walked!

We passed this on our walk! Not sure what it is. 

We made it to our first stop...

The Colosseum

Well, technically our plan was to visit The Roman Forum first. Typically, the line is shorter for the Forum. So you buy your tickets there, and then already have tickets for entering the Colosseum. Well again, the lines were incredibly long at both!!! Like 3 hours each! My plan didn't work, yet again. We chose to admire this from the outside. Looking back, I wish we would've gone inside them both, but oh well - Next time!



All the people.







It was still pretty magical. 

Trying to see what we could of the Forum without actually having tickets to go inside!



Next, we checked out the Spanish Steps!

I loved these! We loved sitting and watching the people! Fun fact: Did you know you can't eat, lay down, or even smoke on the steps! There are guards who walk up and down the steps to remind people of the rules. 





View from the top of the steps!

After the steps, we broke the #1 rule of eating out in Rome. We ate RIGHT BY THE STEPS. (The rule is not to eat near any tourist sites.) The food wasn't that great, and the prices were astronomical. But, we were hungry. Sometimes the convenience factor has to come in to play.

After the steps we wandered to a park that was nearby that promised to have an awesome view!



Getting close!



It was amazing in person.

We wandered through the park for a bit, and enjoyed the sunshine.

Next, we walked back to the Trevi Fountain to see it during the day, and to toss our coin in! It is said that if you toss a coin over your shoulder into the Trevi Fountain you will return to Rome one day. 

Blake tossed a coin a few years ago when he was there, and it worked for him. :)



We tossed our coins and ate one last gelato before having to head back to the hostel to catch our flight. Again, we broke the rule. We got gelato right by the Trevi. It was a bit more expensive, but guess what? It was the best! We loved it so much we got gelato from the same place twice!

We missed a few things on the second day because of our late start and our weird bus detour. We would've loved to also see the Pantheon and a few more churches.

All in all, we had a great time in Rome and I do feel that we got to see a lot in our short time. We were exhausted for at least 3 days afterwards. But we left with happy hearts, and bellies full of pizza and gelato! Really, what more can you ask for?


Book Review

HOLY books batman! I was busy reading the past two months! 7 books in total, 3 in September, 4 in October. Amongst this collection is quite possibly my new favorite book of all time!

First up was Silver Girl. I love all the Hilderbrand books that I read, but this one was by far my most favorite of hers! It is based off a true story and it was fun to discuss the real events with Blake! I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Next up, I read The Choice.  I usually don't read Nicholas Sparks books, I don't have a good reason why, I just usually reach for other things. BUT, many people recommended that I read this one. Well, I loved most of it, but I have mixed feelings about the ending. I am giving this one 3.5 out of 5 stars!

We listened to this book while driving to and from our various destinations. Big Little Lies was one of my favorites from Liane Moriarty! She writes a suspenseful story that even intrigued Blake. Win win for me! I really loved this one. 5 out of 5 stars!

It Ends With Us is probably the best book I have ever read! I loved it so much, and it made sure to make me feel! It is one of those books you will think about long after you have finished. I don't want to give anything away about it, so I am just going to say read it! If you asked me for a book recommendation recently, I probably told you to read this! The amount of love I still feel for this book is crazy. 6 out of 5 stars!

After reading It Ends With Us, I was kind of on a book hangover. I knew that nothing would be able to compare with the love I was having. So I Googled books similar to It Ends With Us and that is how I found Swear on This Life. It was also a really good book. I loved it for different reasons. I bought it in the evening one day, and it just so happened I couldn't sleep that night. SO I read the whole thing by morning. It had many similarities, but enough differences to cure my book hangover. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Hating Game was sassy and quirky! It takes place in an office setting and deals with the relationship between two co-workers. It was really hard to put down! It is a little raunchy, but a great chick lit novel! 5 out of 5 stars!

The Hopefuls is set in Washington, D.C. so naturally I was a little bit interested by that fact alone. But I think anyone would really enjoy this book. It is a novel about a woman who's husband works on Obama's campaign and then works in the White House. It talks a lot about life in D.C., and it was really easy to read. I have never read a book that took place somewhere I lived. So I had fun with that! There were a few parts that seemed to drag on for me, so I am giving 4.5 out of 5 stars. 



This was my life after finishing my books this month. Such a good book month!

Rome, Italy // Days 1&2

Today I am sharing the first part of our quick trip to ROME! 

All of my dreams came true when we stepped out of the plane.

I have dreamed of going to Rome for as long as I can remember. It didn't feel real when we arrived. 

If you are friends with me on Facebook, you may have saw when I posted this picture!

And then you may have also saw when I referenced the 'this is what dreams are made of' song from The Lizzie McGuire Movie. With no shame, I sang that famous song. And I secretly hoped I would meet an international pop star and get to sing on stage. #Kidding Well it didn't happen, but we did have an amazing time!

For those who have no idea what I am talking about, here is the video clip from the movie! And for those who do know what I am talking about, but want to get the song stuck in your head, press play. ;)

We arrived fairly late on Friday evening, into CIA - Rome Ciampino Airport. We paid around 5 euro per person for a bus that goes to Termini Station. It was incredibly easy to figure out, despite my prior worries. From Termini we walked about 10 minutes to our hostel.

We stayed at La Controra Hostel Rome and it truly was perfect! We had a private room with an ensuite bathroom, I didn't even notice that we weren't staying in a hotel. It was clean, comfortable, private, and quiet! Not to mention the price was spectacular and so was the location! I feel that a lot of people have bad perceptions about hostels. If that is you, do me a favor and stay here! :)

Before I share our trip, I want to share some information/tips/nonsense!

Usually, when we travel to a place, I will have a list of things we wish to see. But that is it! No order to see them in, no itinerary, no plan! We like to wander, get lost and explore. Rome was our 1st exception. We had a little less than 48 hours to see the city, and Rome is huge. You could spend a week in Rome. But we had 48 hours, so I had to get creative.

I typed a by-the-hour itinerary with the help of this blog post! I printed out maps. I planned out bus and metro schedules. I was prepared, because otherwise we wouldn't have been able to make the most of our time!

After checking in, we set out to see the Trevi Fountain at night. (Yep, this was on the itinerary!)







We wanted to see the Trevi in the day and in the evening. I am sure glad we did this because the scene around the fountain was different at night!



This picture is silly, BUT that is Blake opening the door to our hostel! His head meets the HANDLE! This door was HUGE and heavy.

We woke up early Saturday AM to jump start our day!



On the way to breakfast, we passed by this. A pharmacy vending machine. Brilliant!



The best cappuccino I have ever had in my whole entire life, and a chocolate pastry! Blake and I each got the same thing from this little cafe. Breakfast cost us a total of 4 euro! We were happy!

We rode the metro to The Vatican City. Our first stop for the day was the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel.

Now for some more of our actual experience in word form. I read and planned a lot for this trip, as you already know! Everywhere/everything I read said to BUY YOUR TICKETS BEFORE YOU GO! I was like hmm, well, I think tourist season will be over, so let's risk it!
I don't think it is ever not tourist season in Rome. So never risk it. We got in the line, and the guides said that where we were was about a 3 hour wait. Well, this was problematic because THE ITINERARY and because St. Peter's Basilica (the next thing on our itinerary) closes early on Saturday's. So if we waited in the line, we wouldn't have made it. We paid double the price of the tickets, and skipped the line! 33 euro per person, and we were moving on with the day.



Cutting all these dear people. #SorryNotSorry



In the Vatican Museum and exploring! We chose to only pay to skip the line. We could've paid extra for a tour guide, but opted out!



St. Peter's Basillica from the Vatican Museum garden.





The first part of the museum.



I never did figure out why everyone was taking a picture of this, maybe one of you can tell me?





If ceiling goals were a thing, this would be mine! Incredible.



And this floor. All little tiles to make this masterpiece.



So. Many. People.



More ceiling!

After we made our way through the MASSES of people, we entered the Sistine Chapel. I have no pictures because it is not allowed. Even though I may be the only person who actually followed the rules here. It was amazing to be inside and experience the Sistine.

There are two ways to exit the Sistine Chapel. To the left is where we should've gone. It is the exit for people who aren't on a tour. Well to the right is the exit that takes you to St. Peter's Basilica - but is reserved for tours ONLY. Well, when there is 1,000 people trying to fit through a tiny doorway, they can't really tell who is on a tour and who isn't. So we blended in and snuck into St. Peter's Basilica. #Whoops



Boy am I glad we did!

Amazing









Confessional





St. Peter's from the outside. There was a line to EXIT!

Blake has been to Rome before in the middle of summer, and he said it wasn't this bad then. I am not sure if there was a special event or what, but everybody and there brother thought that tourist season was over.

There were almost too many people that I questioned if it was worth going to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. We were shoulder to shoulder with someone the entire time, and you can't be that person that stops to read something and mess with the flow. We didn't fully get to enjoy the first part, but I am glad we did it.





See the chairs? Blake said those weren't there when he went. Only furthering my theory we picked an event weekend.



Fake smile because #people. I was so over people!



  

Space! Happy again. :)



Next we checked out Castel Sant'Angelo.



There was another long line to go inside, so we just admired from afar! :)

We hopped on a bus and headed to Trastevere area. We found an amazing pizza place for lunch and devoured!

I forgot to take a picture...and there is no good excuse. I was hungry. ;)

We loved this little area. There were tons of cute shops and far less people. It was a nice way to spend a few hours! I bought a green and white scarf to support my Spartans!



We survived half the day, and we stopped for a beer!




Next we headed to Isola di Tiber. The above blog I mentioned stated that we should explore the Jewish Ghetto.

Well, I am not sure if we misunderstood her directions or what, but there was nothing to see. I would leave this off the itinerary.

We walked through Campo de' Fiori next. It was an awesome market with all kinds of things to buy! Everything from fresh fruit to flowers!

We checked out Piazza Navona next.







Per some recommendations we got gelato at Tre Scalini. Well, we didn't really like it! We knew Italy had better to offer us.



As we were making our way back to the hostel. I needed to throw my Tre Scalini gelato cup away, and I just happened to do it in here - this gelato shop with 150 flavors. So naturally, we decided to get another gelato. :) This one was much better!

We went back to the hostel and rested up before dinner. It was pouring rain, and we were kind of exhausted. I yelp'd a place that was close by that had pizza and pasta.

That lead us to Al Forno della Soffitta.



This place was PACKED. I was secretly high-fiving myself! We had to wait about 30 minutes for a table. We didn't mind. Everything looked and smelled so good.



Once seated, it was wine time!



I got a form of the famous Cacio e Pepe with shrimp, and Blake got margherita pizza.

We were both really impressed with the food and the service! It was all amazing.




We even got dessert! A tiramisu to share. It was so cute!

I still dream about that pasta and tiramisu... and wine!



The rain stopped, so we got a bottle of wine and walked around before heading back to the hostel!