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Have I Changed?

Written by: Amanda // Category: South Korea

In about two weeks I will take my first step onto American soil since Feburary of 2012. Actually, onto any English speaking country’s soil. The only places I’ve visited while in Korea the past two years have been places in Asia. I have fears. Mostly ridiculous, but they are there-looming above me like a cloud. Not a dark cloud, because I’m not scared, they’re just curious fears (that doesn’t even make sense but bear with me).    Don’t laugh to hard, because these are legitimately serious.

1. Have I lost my knack for speaking English? I catch myself all the time saying really weird things. In an average day I make about 50 grammatical errors in my speech, and painful ones at that. Sometimes I just have to stop talking because I get all sorts of confused. I’m not mad at myself though. I spend  8 hours a day talking to children that can barely tell me their own name in English. My husband works with older students, but he also has a hard time carrying on a normal conversation. Just in case you’re wondering what a conversation typically would be with the average English speaking Korean person (referred to as KP) we pass on the street, this is how it would go (pay special attention to the grammar).

KP: “Where you from?”

ME: “I’m from the United States.”

KP: (grunts) ???

Me: “I’m from America.”

KP (yet again a confused grunting sound, this time with a slight cocking of the head, you can tell they’re getting impatient): ???

Me: “America. I’m a Me-gook (means American in Korean).

KP: “America?”

Me: “Yes, nay (yes in Korean), ME me-gook.

KP: OHHHHH!!! Me-gook! Good, very good!

Basically the gist of this conversation is to teach you two things. First, you have to have lots of patience. Second, the shorter you can make what you’re trying to say, the better it is. So instead of telling someone, “I’m from America”, or “I’m a me-gook,” I should have just said,  “Me-gook.” If someone asks me about my family, I’d better say, “Father, Mother, Sister, Brother, Husband.” instead of what’s more politically correct, “I have a lovely family. I’m happily married to an amazing man, but I also have a father, a mother, an older brother, and a younger sister. My sister’s married too and she has a little baby girl.” There is NO WAY that would get across, unless the person was a really good English speaker, which you can randomly come across. Let me tell you, when you find someone that speaks good English here, it’s like a breath of fresh air.

But then you’re bombarded with this sorta crap:

card

I’m afraid I’m going to sound like an idiot when we first get home (if not the entire time-two years of incorrect grammar usage is a long time to fix). I’m scared that I’ll be paraphrasing and over enunciating my speech, and it’ll be hard for native English speakers to understand. Either that or I’ve dumbed down my English so much people will think my vocabulary is that of a 6 year olds. Sigh. Here’s to hoping that the first few days Derik and I have alone can be spent regaining the speaking skills we have lost.

2. Are my mannerisms weird? What if I act like an Asian tourist? We all know what I’m talking about. If not, feel free to reference this post. What if I do weird things that only people in Korea do? Like: take a million selfies, try to use charades when asking for something, bowing to everyone out of politeness, and giving everything with two hands?

3. What if the food that I’ve idolized the past two years isn’t as great as I remember? I was talking to Derik about this one yesterday. I haven’t had American food in so long I’m wondering if in my mind I’m over exaggerating how good it is? I know all of you Americans out there are like, “Meh, it’s not that good,” but you haven’t been living off of canned corn and fermented cabbage. I’ll be letting you know about this one after I pay my visit.

food

4. Can my skin withstand the hot tropical ‘American’ sun? Weirdly enough, in the past two years my skin has stopped getting tan. I think Asia has this weird ‘white skin’ effect on me because all the women want the whitest skin possible. Maybe Asian sun actually isn’t as hot as people say. One of my friends (who is very careful about the sun) told me how terrible and fierce the sun was in Vietnam. When we visited, I was careful to put on sunscreen, but I didn’t get burnt (or even tan) the entire time we were there. WHAT IS UP WITH ME. Maybe Asian sunscreen has superpowers.

5. Will I get eaten by sharks? It’s funny, but after living abroad for a while, America kind of becomes a scary place. You hear the world’s perspective on American violence, and of course you only hear of the most traumatic things that have happened. Seems like one of the only things (besides Obama, shootings, and train derailments) the world news likes to cover about America is shark attacks in Hawaii. Frick. They go on and on about how there has been an abnormal amount of attacks this past year and no one knows why. Derik has decided he’s only going in the water while inside a shark cage or on a big boat. Ok I’m over exaggerating that a bit, but basically he doesn’t want to leave this world as shark food.

Me? I guess if I was going to go, I’d rather go by a shark then by being burned alive in a car accident. At least people will have something cool to talk about.

6. What if American customs won’t let me in? Or take something from my backpack? I can’t even remember TSA rules and regulations anymore. Can I take my razor? Hairbrush? Nail file? We pretty much get away with murder here in Asia. We just flash our US passports and barely get our bags checked. <<SPOILER ALERT:Dear Brother, if you’re reading this I’m about to give away your Christmas present so skip the rest of this paragraph>> I have a bottle of snake wine with a real dead snake inside for my brother, and I’m worried the customs agents will take it from me. If they do, I’ll be pissed. I really want to see him drink it (while I film it to upload on Instagram of course).

7. I’m scared to go to the hair salon. I haven’t walked into a professional salon (or any salon for that matter) in two years. Also I’ve been without shampoo for a year. When I go to Hawaii I’ll be dropping by the hair salon. I’m scared to see what the stylist will say about my hair. Is it horrendous? Is it dry? Is it greasy? Is it just weird? How much will they want to cut off?

photo

8. What if I don’t dress stylish anymore? This is totally a girl moment of mine. I worked at American Eagle for 4 years in college and did overnight floor sets in Oregon right until we left for Korea. I kept my sweet 40%-50% off discount for 5 years, and I was ALWAYS wearing awesome new stuff. Now, living in Korea, I don’t even know what the style actually is. Although Asia is probably years ahead of the US in fashion, to be honest, I’m not sure if there actually is one particular dominating fashion style in Korea. Trust me, if you’ve ever visited Korea for 5 seconds you’d see this.

Also I haven’t been able to purchase that much new clothing in the last few years, so my stuff is getting pretty worn and I’m assuming outdated? Luckily for me, I stick to mostly solids. That’ll help.

9. I think it’s awkward to eat with a fork now. My husband and I use chopsticks for a majority of our meals. Sometimes we go to a restaurant the waitstaff will give us forks and knives out of compassion, but  the silverware just feels heavy and cumbersome.  It’s actually easier now to eat with chopsticks.

10. Will I be a terrible driver? It’s no small secret that the driving over here is absolutely terrible. I expect the worst out of any given moment, and nearly have disastrous incidents every time I’m driving. It’s a miracle to me that there aren’t more accidents. The picture below is a three lane street in the middle of one of the largest cities in Korea: Busan. WHAT IS THIS?!photo-5

I don’t know how many times I’ve almost  been sideswiped because someone wasn’t looking over in my lane while they were merging into it. Traffic laws are more of a suggestion and are rarely enforced. Will I remember to completely stop at a red light and just wait patiently until it turns green? Or will I make a complete stop and then go because no one is at the light? Yikes.

How ‘American’ are my husband and I? I know we’ll blend in just fine since we’re going to Hawaii (a land filled with diversity), but it’ll be interesting to find out all the ways we stand out due to our expat life.

 

​

Welcome to Living in Another Language! Thanks for dropping by. We’re Derik and Amanda, a couple with a permanent case of wanderlust. Follow along with us as we travel the world. Read more about us HERE.

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The Past

  • ►2019
    • ►April
      • Traveling During Pregnancy: First Trimester
  • ►2018
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      • Campervan Iceland with Happy Campers
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      • A Taste of German Tradition in Spreewald, Germany
    • ►August
      • Changes, Life in Germany: an Unpublished Year
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      • Switzerland on a Budget
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      • Sailing to Vis, Croatia
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      • Why it is Important to Blog for Yourself
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  • ►2016
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      • 36 Hours in Istanbul, Turkey
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      • One day in Mykonos, Greece
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      • 10 Ways Alaska and New Zealand Are Remarkably Similar
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      • Cruising Milford Sound
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  • ►2015
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      • What to do in Mallorca, Spain
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      • Holiday Gift Guide for the Traveler and Expat
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      • Finding and Photographing the Aurora in New Zealand
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      • 8 Must-Try Foods in New Zealand
      • Kaikoura Dolphin Encounter
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      • A Day in Ruedesheim
      • Living Expenses in New Zealand
      • A Romantic Stay at The Gangsa Private Villas
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      • A Luxurious Getaway at Samabe
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      • The Other Half
      • An Adventure Tour through New Zealand
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      • Staying at Sala Arun Bangkok
      • Fall in New Zealand
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      • Maré, New Caledonia
    • ►March
      • 15 Blog Post Ideas for Travel Bloggers
      • 5 Reasons New Zealand Should Be On Your Bucket List
      • Finding a Place to Live in New Zealand
      • A Weekend Getaway at Kinross Cottages
      • Beachcomber Island, Fiji
      • How to Grow Your Travel Blog
    • ►February
      • Central Otago Wine Tour
      • The Best Times to Travel Internationally
      • Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
      • What 1,095 Days of Travel Has Taught Me
      • The Story Behind The Name
      • 10 Travel Quotes That Will Inspire You To See the World
      • Cruising Sydney Harbor
    • ►January
      • Let's Chat
      • The LIAL Guide to Seoul, South Korea
      • So You're Going on Your First Cruise...
      • Sunrise at St Clair Beach, Dunedin
      • 10 Ways to Save Money for Travel
      • New Years Eve in Sydney Harbor
      • What's In My Camera Bag
      • 2014-Our Year in Travels.
  • ►2014
    • ►December
      • LIAL Reader Survey 2014 RESULTS
      • Travel Insurance: Yay or Nay?
      • Beginner's Guide to Astrophotography
      • And We're Off!!!
      • Yonderbound: Make Travel Planning a Breeze
      • Things All Expats Do But Won't Admit To
      • Wellington, New Zealand
      • 12 Songs for Your Travel Playlist
    • ►November
      • Why You Should Travel in 2015
      • Travel Blogging + Marriage
      • Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Osaka, Japan
      • Things I Find Strange About New Zealand
      • Pearl Harbor
      • Five things you should do before you start traveling
      • Tunnel Beach, Dunedin
    • ►October
      • LIAL Reader Survey 2014
      • Queens Park, Invercargill
      • The 5 Types of Travel Bloggers
      • The Lunar Eclipse
      • 10 Tips to Improve Your Photography
      • Minus 5 Ice Bar, Queenstown
      • Rain Boots or Wellies?
      • What Travel Means To Me
      • Sandfly Bay, Otago Peninsula
      • Real Life Friends
    • ►September
      • Moeraki Boulders
      • A Journey Through Middle Earth: Hobbiton
      • Thoughts
      • Travel Blogging Isn't for the Faint of Heart
      • Finding Work in New Zealand
      • Radio Silence
    • ►August
      • Campervan New Zealand
      • A Case for Travel Partners
      • Getting a Working Holiday Visa in New Zealand
      • How to Survive Long-Distance Flights
      • 7 Tips to Help You Grow Your Instagram
      • Why Russell, New Zealand Should be on Your Travel Itinerary
      • 10 Things to See and Do While Visiting South Korea
      • New Zealand in Instagram Photos
    • ►July
      • Look Up
      • New Zealand Bucket List
      • Pros and Cons of Living in New Zealand (30 day edition)
      • The Suitcase Designs (New Look + Premades!!)
      • 6 of the best tropical destinations in Asia
      • Why New Zealand?
      • Not Captured on Camera
      • Pololu Valley, Hawaii
      • Thoughts On Living in a Campervan
    • ►June
      • Searching for Whale Sharks
      • Final Words on Korea
      • Moving Overseas? How to Get You and Your Belongings to Your Destination Country
      • Boracay, Philippines
      • Steel Wool Photography Tutorial
      • Things to Do in Phuket
      • Why We're Leaving Korea
      • We're Officially Announcing...
      • Living Expenses in Korea
    • ►May
      • What I Miss About Summer in the USA
      • Phuket Botanical Garden
      • Instagram Favorites
      • Monkey Beach
      • Sunburn Remedy: Instant Pain Relief and Overnight Healing
      • Change is Inevitable
      • The Negative Side to Travel
      • James Bond Island
    • ►April
      • Korean Commercials Pt. 3
      • Macro Photography Without A Macro Lens
      • 21 Household Tips and Tricks
      • Belated Blogiversary
      • Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival
      • Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Mai
      • Pros and Cons of Living in Korea
      • Thoughts
      • Springtime in Geoje
      • 12 Tips on Night Photography
      • Sunday Night Market, Chiang Mai
    • ►March
      • Lately in Korea
      • White Temple, Chiang Rai
      • When Hotels Bite
      • Grand Palace, Bangkok
      • Living Minimalistically
      • Stay Out of Trouble While Traveling
      • Things Only Expats Understand
      • Maui Photo Session
      • Backpacking for 60 days
      • Long Neck Karen Tribe
      • Back Home
    • ►February
      • One Year of No-Poo
      • How to Travel Right out of College
      • Two Year Expat Anniversary
      • Valentine's Day
      • Lessons of Love (From Abroad)
      • Your Questions Answered: The Miscellaneous
      • Teaching ESL is Hard
    • ►January
      • Your Questions Answered: Expat Living
      • Tips on Moving Abroad
      • Blogging 101: When Blogging isn't Fun Anymore
      • What Not to Say to an Expat
      • Your Questions Answered: Travel
      • Initial Thoughts from the USA
  • ►2013
    • ►December
      • 2013-Our Year in Travels.
      • Geoje Sculpture Park
      • Christmas
      • Saturday's Thoughts
      • Lok Kawi Wildlife Park
      • Have I Changed?
      • Korea has Taught Me...
      • Not Home for the Holidays
      • Rokuon-ji (the golden temple)
      • I Need Your Questions!
    • ►November
      • A Post About My Hair
      • Thanksgiving: Through the Eyes of an Expat
      • Blogging 101: Time Management
      • Sandakan: River Adventure
      • How to Photograph Fireworks
      • A Recent Blog Design
      • Chuo Ward, Japan
      • Search Terms for the Win
      • Miss/Don't Miss (part 2)
    • ►October
      • Blogging 101: Using Pinterest to Maximize your Blogging Potential
      • Busan International Fireworks Festival
      • Geisha Town [Kyoto After Dark]
      • Confessions of an Expat
      • Korea: Where Random Situations Rule (on Twitter)
      • Jinju Lantern Festival
      • Quarter of a Century
      • Capture the Colour 2013
      • Do You Have Fur On Your Legs?
      • Simply Just Blogging
    • ►September
      • [Japan] Fushimi Inari Shrine
      • Homeless for Half a Month
      • I Don't Understand
      • Looking for Saltwater Crocodiles
      • Blogging 101: Advice
      • Saturday Takeover: Misadventures in Japan
      • Korean Commercials Pt. 2
      • Expat Blues
      • Snorkeling Borneo
      • LASIK in Korea? You must be kidding.
      • 500,000? That's a Big Number
      • Finding Home
      • [BORNEO] Sunsets and Coconut Water
    • ►August
      • Guess We Didn't Get the Memo
      • Korea Doesn't Care About Miley
      • Step Into My Life
      • Blogging 101: The Sponsor Game
      • Don't Get Mugged
      • Introducing...(aka HUGE NEWS)
      • Three Years Ago the Wedding Bells Rang
      • Let's Talk About 'No Poo' (FAQ 2)
      • We're Back!
      • As of Now...
    • ►July
      • Why I'm the Worst Traveler Ever
      • How To Be a Tourist in Asia
      • It Wasn't That Long Ago...
      • Blogging 101: Wordpress Plugins
      • Lately [10]
      • 30 day challenge
      • Korean Commercials Pt. 1
      • Weird Wednesday (7/17)
      • The temple on the sea
      • I love bloglovin!
      • A saturday photo session
      • Friday Funnies {7}
      • A game of charades (aka everyday life)
      • Blogging 101
      • The collective social blog hop
      • This one goes to the cats
      • This holiday we call the 4th of july
      • The good, the bad, and the ugly
      • Island camping: it's pretty nice
    • ►June
      • Friday Funnies {6}
      • Recipe: blt stuffed avocado
      • Using the shadows
      • Friday Funnies {5}
      • Camping with the locals (expat level: expert)
      • Lately [9]
      • 'No poo' frequently asked questions
      • Would you like to know? [3]
      • Friday Funnies {4}
      • Thanks for having a birthday buddha
      • Weird Wednesday 6/12 + Sponsor Spotlight {june} pt.2
      • No gym membership required
      • Friday funnies {3}
      • Would you like a cup of tea with that? (Boseong)
      • Korea: the country where random situations rule
    • ►May
      • Friday Funnies {2}
      • Lately [8]
      • Weird Wednesday (5/30)
      • Things I wish I had known...part two
      • Seoraksan favorites
      • Lately[7]
      • Friday Funnies (LINK-UP!)
      • I STILL Don't Use Shampoo
      • Weird Wednesday (05/22)
      • The thing about 'selfies'
      • Latey [6]
      • Would you like to know? [2]
      • Green smoothie: grapefruit
      • The time we went to an adult playground
      • Lately [5]
      • Things i wish i had known...
      • Breakfast in seosan
      • Lately [4]
      • Hakdong (pebble) beach
    • ►April
      • Why would i say that?
      • Recipes: fish tacos
      • Lately [3]
      • Would you like to know?
      • Weird Wednesday (4/23)
      • Friend connect bloghop
      • .org vs .com and how I almost lost it
      • Cocoppa: an ocd iphone lover's dream
      • Lately [2]
      • The candid series: busan
      • For every woman
      • DIY Lip Balm
      • Lately
      • Of 'Weird Wednesdays' and liebster awards
      • Recipes: boneless bbq chicken
      • Shopping habits
      • Out with the old...
      • I'm attracted to attractions
      • Preparing for war
      • Recipes: cheddar garlic biscuits
      • The purple mountain (Mt. Daegeumsan)
    • ►March
      • Weird Wednesday (03/27)
      • Osaka aquarium kaiyukan (part two)
      • The dentist.
      • I don't use shampoo
      • Weekly photo challenge: my korean happy meal
      • Fireworks + friends = epic
      • Thirty-three reasons why I love my job.
      • Japan: land of the rising sun
      • So...you want to be an ESL teacher?
      • Weird Wednesday (03/06)
    • ►February
      • Bored on a thursday night?
      • Osaka aquarium kaiyukan (part one)
      • The time i went to north korea (DMZ)
      • Weekly photo challenge: forward
      • A trip to the bamboo forest
      • Year one
      • Be mine
      • French press lattes
      • Weird Wednesday (02/13)
      • The bet we made with the boys
      • [Vietnam] last day in paradise
      • [Vietnam] $10 dollar scooters and free spray tans
      • Weekly Photo Challenge: Unique (Dr. Seuss)
    • ►January
      • Weird Wednesday (01/30)
      • I practice my hobbies on saturdays...
      • Weird Wednesday (01/23)
      • [Vietnam] the time i ate sea urchin
      • The candid series: farmer's market
      • [Vietnam] landing in paradise
      • Weird Wednesday (01/16)
      • 5D
      • [Vietnam] a morning in the bay
      • Weird Wednesday (01/09)
      • [Vietnam] in silent waters
      • [Vietnam] of busy streets and great food
      • Weird Wednesday (01/03)
  • ►2012
    • ►December
      • Dear santa...love, an expat.
      • Delicate
      • Bring forth the holiday cheer pt.2
      • Recipes: grandma knows best
      • I've become domesticated.
    • ►November
      • Weekend reunions
      • Bring forth the holiday cheer
      • They deserve it the most...
      • Three quarters.
      • 11/11
      • Halloween: 'korean style'
    • ►October
      • I wish I were...
      • Foreign
      • Sorry if i'm rude, i'm american.
      • Expat resources
      • As the days get colder
      • Big
      • Colors of change
      • Chuseok
      • 24
      • Top ten
      • Jasmine: not the tea or the disney princess.
      • Where do i get it? 10/4
    • ►September
      • six months plus.
      • [Bali] late night cruisin'
      • [Bali] water adventure day
    • ►August
      • Grand mirage...a piece of paradise. [bali]
      • The first of many [bali].
    • ►July
      • The dirtiest people i've ever seen
    • ►June
      • Its not always about the pictures.
      • Yeosu world expo. Basically the coolest event i've ever been to.
    • ►May
      • Seoul. It's beautiful chaos.
    • ►April
      • When did time escape me?
    • ►March
      • That BBQ Chicken...
      • Sick Days...
      • Busan
    • ►February
      • Of food and other things.
      • The Journey Over
      • The Grand Adventure
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Currently on Instagram

Our adventures may be few and far between nowadays Our adventures may be few and far between nowadays, but the ones we get to take are oh so sweet. 

My daughters are now 2.5 years and 6 months old. Life never slows down, but only gets faster with each day we’re blessed to live. Social media may not be a part of my life how it used to be, and instead I’m working on living life intentionally each day as we raise our girls during these crazy times. 💕
2020 has been a year has it not? As much as I love 2020 has been a year has it not? As much as I love social media, I found myself taking a break as the things we were all going through made social media so insignificant to me. 

In January/February I had a miscarriage. It was a horrible way to start the year, and little did I know it was just the beginning of it all. 

Even with the loss, hardship of moving back to the US in the middle of a global pandemic, and navigating our new lives here, we were given many blessings. The greatest of those was finding out I was pregnant again in March.

It’s a scary time to be pregnant right now, especially after a miscarriage, because doctors visits are very minimal. Also, Derik was never able to come to a single visit. I was terrified something would happen and I would be told bad news and have to face that alone. But God was gracious to us. 

We kept our special little secret to ourselves, and it wasn’t until our third trimester before we told immediate family and close friends. My pregnancy was very private for me, and a special time to bond closely with the babe growing inside me.

Our sweet little girl arrived November 30, and yes I had to deliver with a mask on, but she is perfect and I truly feel our family is complete. 💕🌈
 
“When a rainbow appears, it doesn’t mean the storm never happened or that we are not still dealing with its aftermath. It means something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and clouds. Storm clouds may still hover but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of color, energy, and hope.”
I am in love. As I’m sure every other plant/mons I am in love. As I’m sure every other plant/monstera collector is when you get to behold such a beauty in real life. If there were ever #plantgoals, this is it. 

Since moving from Germany, it has been a long and slow process getting our life back to normal. All of our belongings have yet to arrive so we’ve literally been camping in our house on an air bed and camping chairs for two months. 😂 All that to say, having to start my plant collection over again here stateside has been so much fun! I will miss the plant prices if Germany, but the selection here blows my mind. Anyone else obsessed? We’ve lived here for almost 8 weeks now and I already have 11 plants 😂😬😬😬. I don’t have a bed or a couch, but by golly I have greenery. 😂🤦🏼‍♀️🌱
Oh my heart. I’ve been trying to figure out the Oh my heart.

I’ve been trying to figure out the words to say about our time in Germany, but my fingers can’t seem to type out how to express my love, gratefulness, thankfulness, sadness, and heartbreak I feel about leaving. Every country we’ve lived in has taught us something and has given us so many beautiful memories, as well as opened our eyes a little more to different cultures and ways of living.

But Germany was special. The first time we stepped foot into Germany was in 2015, and we loved it so much we stayed the extent of our travel visa (3 months). I was able to visit again in 2016, and then we officially packed everything and moved in 2017. Germany has always had my heart: the people, the festivals, the food, wine and beer, the immaculate home landscaping, and even all the rules that every resident is just expected to follow to a tee (like recycling every tiny scrap of trash). Our family grew from two to three while in Germany. Bringing our daughter into the world, and raising her for a year and a half in a different culture, will be one of the most beautiful memories of my life.

Our move was impacted by the COVID pandemic, and it took three long months of delays, red tape, and countless phone calls to get everything together so we could actually get on a plane and have our stuff packed and shipped to our new home. 
I am breathing a sigh of relief to know all the stress of everything is over and our new adventure can begin. I am mourning the loss of leaving Germany. I am in a weird transition right now trying to grasp it all, but here we are jumping into new things head first! We are back in the US for a while, in the beautiful state of Tennessee, and look forward to many new memories, travels, friends, and being able to spend time with family! 
Photos from my sweet and talented friend @juliejayphotos
I feel like I failed hard this year at Christmas m I feel like I failed hard this year at Christmas markets. We went to a total of ONE market, which is exactly 19 less than I told myself I would go to this year to make up for not going to any the year before 🤦🏼‍♀️(I was 40 weeks pregnant and not feeling crowds). I will say, it was a great one and the weather was so nice, we stayed out until the market shut down.

If there’s one thing I will miss most about Germany when it is our time to move, will be the sheer enthusiasm this country has for Christmas, and I’m not talking about consumerism. Food, laughter, friends, family, music, dancing: celebration. Also, Germany shuts down for not only one day, but THREE. Stores are closed, mail is not delivered, people aren’t out and about. Everyone is home enjoying time with family, and I love it. However, I may have gone into full blown panic mode Christmas Eve when I realized I had a total of 8 diapers to get us through until the 27th. 👀
We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whist We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whistler, Canada! A 10 hour flight from Germany , and I can’t say this one was better than the one we took over the summer on our trip to Alaska, but we survived! Entertaining a 11 month old for that long is much harder than a 6 month old, especially when they aren’t into sleeping on the plane AT ALL. 🤪

Whistler was beautiful despite the lack of snow, and we enjoyed our time with family, the delicious food, and as much sightseeing as one could do with a jet-lagged baby. 
This was actually my first trip to Canada ever, (unless you want to count the move my parents took up to Alaska from Arkansas when I was two. 😂🤷‍♀️ ) and I loved it! We would really like to take a big Canadian road trip someday and explore more of the country! 😍😍🇨🇦
Being a mama may mean I don’t always have time t Being a mama may mean I don’t always have time to put myself together, but I would rather spend the extra moments making special memories with our daughter that she can cherish forever. I doubt that she will look at this picture and see a tired, messy haired mama that’s barely had time to wash her face nevermind carefully apply makeup, but am hoping she will see a mama that never tires of carrying and cuddling her, or sharing new experiences with her. 💕
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