Beer, castles, gummy bears, oh my! BMW's, the Autobahn, gluhwein, bratwurst, old towns, easy travel, efficient transportation, diverse cultures, and Berlin! What could I possibly be referring to? Germany! And it's an experience you can't let go of; living there is lifestyle. So here are some signs that one was lucky enough to live in Germany.
1. You never let go of the language.
"Guten morgen," "Danke," "Ja," etc. Whatever you pick up, stays with you.
2. You have a habit of recycling everything.
Food, cardboard, plastic, clothes, batteries, different glass bottle colors, etc. Anything and everything! Germany is all about the environment and that rubs off on you. Moving back to the United States is shocking. I didn’t realize there were specific plastics and papers that were recyclable.
3. When it comes to celebrations, you have high expectations.
Oktoberfest is THE celebration of Germany. It's everywhere!
4. Whenever Christmas festivities come around, you feel a little pang in your heart.
Sure, Christmas markets were always packed and it was cold, but it was beautiful and put you in the Christmas spirit.
5. You feel like crying anytime you see an American beer commercial.
You were spoiled, what can you say?
6. You have a COLLECTION of wines and wine cabinets.
Not to mention, you also have wine glasses galore! They're usually used for special occasions (every night).
7. Depending on how long you've lived in Germany, your house may look like a museum.
Grandfather clocks, cuckoo clocks, engraved plates, entire furniture sets, etc. All from the Black Forest!
8. Nutella is nothing new.
9. You miss food being cheap and a delicacy.
Bratwurst, Schnitzel, Doner boxes and kebaps, Lahmacun, Chinese, Indian, and German restaurants
10. You miss weekend adventures ranging from going downtown or to a different country in a couple of hours.
The frequency of travel has made you into a packing genius!
11. You've never heard the term "Road Rage".
Driving in Germany stressed almost never happened. There was no such thing as speed limit on the autobahn (although this seems to have changed in certain areas), and everyone knew how to drive; turning signals were never negotiable.
I know these aren't all the signs, depending on whether you've lived there for a couple months or 10 years. In the end, living in Germany (or anywhere else for that matter) is an experience you carry with you for life.
