Moving abroad may have been one of the best choices I ever made in my life. Some people are made to stay on solid ground and enjoy life from their backyard. That is not me. I was made to spread my wings and fly! Traveling alone is a passion while others think it is scary and dangerous. There is something so incredible about exploring a new city and seeing where it takes you. Germany is an incredible country. Living there taught me so much and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to live there.  Germany has so much more to offer than we typically think and are told in the USA. Here are a few of my favorite things about living in Germany!

Bayern, Germany 

I lived in a smaller town outside of Nuremberg, Germany. Nuremberg is part of Bayern. This is the part of Germany that is known for the Oktoberfest! The dirndl and lederhosen also come from this area (not all Germans own and wear them)! There are lots of micro-breweries in this region. Bayern holds a lot of green and nature areas which is great when you love being outdoors! It always feels very safe and honestly, I feel so at home here!  The food is also so incredible and I will be writing an entire blog on that alone! Germany has a large variety of culture from the more hipster version in Hamburg and Berlin! Bayern has more of the traditional old village feel! Around 50% of Nuremberg was destroyed during WW2. Being able to walk around a see how well the rebuilt just makes living here so much better!

German People

From my experience as someone who is learning the German language, people often are very patient and or speak English to me which can be very nice sometimes and frustrating in others. Everything is also very straightforward! There is not as much small talk and the good old American I’m good when you aren’t. Also, most of the people I met and have made friends with will help me practice my German. Once you get to know people is when you start asking “How are you?” The catch is that when you are asked that typically they care and want to hear the real answer.  Overall German people seem to be so kind and non-judgmental.

Transportation

Compared to America, Germany is small; the size of some states. This has its advantages and one of them is the public transportation system from busses, to planes and everything in between. Here most of the time everything runs on time and efficiently. Portland has an okay system inside of down town, but it can get bad outside so living in a small town and still having good access to transportation is incredible. Having reliable and safe public transport is just another reason I love Germany!

There are so many reasons to love this country and these are just a few! If you would like a part two of Reasons to Love Germany let me know!