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A Taste of German Tradition in Spreewald, Germany

Written by: Amanda // Category: Germany

There’s nothing more exciting than stumbling upon a hidden gem, and I can truly say our visit to Spreewald, Germany was one of my favorite mini-getaways so far. Spreewald, named a UNESCO biosphere reserve back in 1991,  is known for its picturesque 187 sq. miles of canals that are used for traditional irrigation, and the natural organic products these canals and surrounding areas produce. If you’re currently thinking of a little venice meets fairytale forest, you’ve got the right idea.

Spreewald is located about an hour south east of Berlin, and to be honest, when I first started researching it back in 2016, I wasn’t finding  that much info on what the area provided. Why drive several hours to visit such a strange and seemingly less-touristy area instead of a trip to historic Berlin? Luckily, after a quick google search, I found Audrey from That Backpacker’s post she wrote a few years ago on her visit to the Spree Forest and was sold.

I had been secretly obsessing about visiting this magical land for over a year, we just hadn’t found the right time for the road trip until this past Labor Day weekend. It was a last minute decision to head to Spreewald, and even with the high season coming to close, we did not have much of a choice lodging-wise, but somehow found a place close enough to the center of things, in Lübbenau. The weather was drizzly the entire weekend, and we were thankful to have our car accessible to drive the distances from our hotel to where all the shops, restaurants, and canals were. If the weather had been nicer, we would have just rented bikes or walked as most things weren’t more than 2 miles away. We also had to consider the fact that I am 6+ months pregnant and getting around isn’t quite as easy as it has been in the past.

Things to do in Spreewald:

I have never felt more immersed in old German culture than I did in the Spree Forest, and maybe that’s why I loved it so much! Many of the residents are direct decedents of the Slavic Tribe settlers in the area, and have kept up with the traditions and ways of old in terms of language, customs, and some farming techniques. It’s impressive to see the quaint houses built right on the water (some of which have access only by boat/canal), the differences in language between where we live and Spreewald (this was a huge shock when we went to order dinner), and the variety of fresh, local products offered for sale that are directly produced in the area.

Considering a trip? Here are a few things I would recommend on doing while visiting the area!

Rent a bike

Our original plan was to park our car for the weekend at our hotel and then rent bikes to get us to where we wanted to sightsee. However the rain put a damper on things and we ended up driving the 2 miles into Lübbenau central and finding a parking place near the city center (approx. 6 euro per day and paid via parking meter), then walking around the rest of the day. When the rain was heavier, we would duck into a little shop for coffee or to sample some local mustard and wait for the weather to let up.

If you go the bike rental route, there are endless amounts of trails that twist and turn amongst the canals, yet are clearly marked so you don’t have to worry about getting lost in the thick of them. You can easily ride from town to town via the forest trails and not have to worry about cycling on the busy road! Even with the rain, the forest trails appeared well kept and dry (thanks to the heavy canopy above), so don’t let the weather deter you if a long bike ride sounds good to you!

Go pickle tasting

If you’re a pickle or cucumber fanatic, you’ll be in heaven during your Spreewald stay. Not only can you find pickle stands, shops, and museums on basically every corner and parking lot, but in the middle of Lübbenau, an open air market boasts varieties of pickles from various venders to taste and buy by the bucket. Cucumbers/pickles are such an important part of Spreewald, nearly all the restaurants have created their own special local entree to showcase their devotion to one of the area’s most important products.

Visit the Freilandmuseum Lehde

I was most excited about visiting Freilandmuseum Lehde, an open air museum set up to pay tribute to the traditions of the past. It’s an interactive museum and would be fun for all ages: learn how to milk a cow, make bedding out of straw, build the infamous canal boats, play traditional games, and hand wash laundry!

As a visitor, you’re able to walk through some of the traditional houses (you’d be surprised how short people used to be), read and watch informational videos and signs on the way life used to be, and interact with the staff that are dressed as characters from the 18th and 19th century.

Hop on a canal tour or rent your own kayak/canoe

A canal tour is a must-do while visiting Spreewald! Sit back and relax in one of the traditional boats while your guide navigates you through the canals, OR rent your own kayak, canoe, and even paddle boat and go on your own canal adventure! Both are thankfully budget-friendly and thankfully not overpriced being such a touristy thing to do. Be sure to check with your hotel to see if they have any deals on canal tours! Ours offered a free drink in partnership with a local tour company, and even though the guide did not speak a word of English, we still had a wonderful and relaxing time! Many of the canal tours offer a culinary experience if you really want to go all out.

Try the local culinary specialties

As you know by now, cucumbers are a huge deal in Spreewald being produced locally, and so is horseradish, mustard, and dill! Venison and fish dishes are very popular in the area, and are usually garnished with several local herbs and spices. I noticed on several menus, baked potatoes were offered (I ordered one and was surprised it came with toppings of: cheese, horseradish, and green beans), as well as the local dessert special of a pancake roll offered with cinnamon and sugar or berries and cream.

It can be intimidating trying the local cuisine, especially when many of the ingredients seem foreign and a bit strange, but I would say Derik and I were blown away by 90% of the things we tried (the horseradish potato being the downer as it became a bit overwhelming after the first 4-5 bites). I wish we had taken more photos of our food over the weekend, but we were so hungry after all our adventures, we scarfed everything down the second it hit the table.

All in all, we had an excellent time visiting Spreewald, and would highly recommend it to anyone trying to get away and truly experience German culture. Keep in mind the area is very German and not many speak English or even have English menus to order from.

Travel Tips:

  1. Although it’s nice to get out early, most shops and tours do not open until 10am and close before 6pm. Keep that in mind if you’re wanting to start at the crack of dawn! I would recommend taking a bike ride or walk through some of the forest trails early in the morning if you want something to do.
  2. Eat breakfast at your hotel or you may end up having to grab something at McDonalds, which is a good 10 minute drive away from Lübbenau . There aren’t many breakfast cafes nearby…if any at all, so keep that in mind.  Derik and I made that mistake, and being pregnant and hangry is a bad combination to start any day.
  3. If you’re short on time and want to visit Berlin as well, Spreewald could be done as a day trip! We wanted to stay a full weekend just to relax.
  4. There are a few other local attractions nearby like Tropical Islands and the #instafamous Rakotzbrücke Devil’s Bridge to visit if you have more than enough time!
​

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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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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The Past

  • ►2019
    • ►April
      • Traveling During Pregnancy: First Trimester
  • ►2018
    • ►October
      • Campervan Iceland with Happy Campers
    • ►September
      • A Taste of German Tradition in Spreewald, Germany
    • ►August
      • Changes, Life in Germany: an Unpublished Year
    • ►March
      • A perfect stay at House of Bruges
    • ►January
      • An Overnight Layover in Singapore
      • A Day in Brugge, Belgium
  • ►2017
    • ►November
      • Switzerland on a Budget
      • Travel Guide to Krakow, Poland
      • Korcula Town to Stari Grad with MedSailors
    • ►October
      • Andronikos Hotel Mykonos
    • ►September
      • Sailing to Vis, Croatia
    • ►June
      • A Visit to Berchtesgaden, Germany
      • A Day in Oslo, Norway
    • ►May
      • Why it is Important to Blog for Yourself
      • Staycation at Hilton Palacio Del Rio
      • Oh Hi, We Moved to Germany
    • ►April
      • Norway in a Nutshell
  • ►2016
    • ►December
      • Finding the Perfect Christmas Gift
      • 36 Hours in Istanbul, Turkey
    • ►October
      • Visiting The World’s Largest Pumpkin Festival
      • One day in Mykonos, Greece
    • ►September
      • 10 Ways Alaska and New Zealand Are Remarkably Similar
      • Exploring the Alamo with Jord Watches
    • ►August
      • Exploring Kenai Fjords National Park with Major Marine Tours
    • ►May
      • Hiking Bodenburg Butte
    • ►April
      • 6 Tricks to Enhance your Images
      • Hatcher Pass with Pins To Kill
      • Monkey Forest, Ubud
    • ►March
      • Glamping Bali with Sandat Tents
      • Cruising Milford Sound
    • ►February
      • 5 Reasons to Book a Yacht Charter This Summer
    • ►January
      • Bali Cooking Class
      • Revisiting the Grand Mirage
  • ►2015
    • ►December
      • What to do in Mallorca, Spain
      • PNW Coast with Jord Wood Watches
      • Why Park City, Utah Should Be On Your Winter Bucket List
      • Holiday Gift Guide for the Traveler and Expat
    • ►November
      • 24 hours in Wanaka
      • Finding and Photographing the Aurora in New Zealand
    • ►October
      • A Luxury Villa Stay in Mallorca, Spain
      • 20 more travel quotes you probably haven't heard before
      • Anniversary Getaway at the Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul
      • 8 Must-Try Foods in New Zealand
      • Kaikoura Dolphin Encounter
    • ►August
      • A Day in Ruedesheim
      • Living Expenses in New Zealand
      • A Romantic Stay at The Gangsa Private Villas
      • The Best Time of Day to Post on Instagram
      • 5 ways to encourage travel bloggers
      • A Luxurious Getaway at Samabe
    • ►July
      • The Other Half
      • An Adventure Tour through New Zealand
      • A Clean Slate
    • ►May
      • 5 Tips to Help Overcome Travel Anxiety
      • Staying at Sala Arun Bangkok
      • Fall in New Zealand
    • ►April
      • 6 lesser-known vacation spots you should definitely consider for 2015
      • Let's catch up.
      • Aurora Australis in New Zealand
      • Are You a Traveler or a Tourist?
      • 8 Things I Don't Like About Long-Term Travel
      • 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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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. 💕
Oh Switzerland, you beaut.🇨🇭 We spent a coup Oh Switzerland, you beaut.🇨🇭 We spent a couple days enjoying the beautiful weather in the land of chocolate, cheese, mountains, and cows with bells 😍😍🤩. If you remember, we visited the same area  a month shy of two years ago but but the weather was quite the opposite! I’d have to say though, when you visit such a majestic and beautiful area, it doesn’t matter what the weather is, you’re going to be in awe and love it anyway!
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