The decision has been made...

I'm coming home! When my contract ends mid January I will back my bags and head for Denmark. Now that the decision has been made, I know I've the right choice. I'm ready to move home to Copenhagen. Berlin is great, but it has never truly felt like home. And now feels like a good time to find something new to do in the one place that has always been home.

Let the preparations for a new relocation begin!

Jack, Jack, everywhere Jack!

Now that it's getting colder here in Berlin, I see Jack everywhere. Almost everywhere I look, there he is. Mostly on jackets and backpacks, but I've also spotted him on for example hats.

I am obviously refering to Jack Wolfskin. It seems like you're not a real German unless you own something bearing the iconic paw that symbolises the brand.

Jack does of course also live up to the German idea of pracital over beautiful, not that he isn't pretty, but he's probably leaning a bit more towards practical ;)

Impatiently waiting for christmas

I love christmas! It's absolutely the best time of the year. Every year when November approaches, time seems to slow down. As the days crawl by in a pace that can only be described as extremely slow, I impatientely wait for the calendar to read December.

This year is no exception. I am as impatient as ever and am already comtemplating when I can start christmasing without looking like a christmas nutter.

Psst! The truth is that I've already put up some christmas light. But don't tell anyone ;)

Happy first birthday!

Today, this blog turns one year old! During this past year, I have tried to keep you updated on my experiences as an expat in Berlin. I realise that most posts have been random thoughts or photos of more or less random things. I do, however, hope that you've been entertained nevertheless :)

I realise this sound sort of final, but you won't get rid of me that easily:p

More to come!

One year ago today...

A year ago today, I visited Berlin for the very first time. I was here for a job interview, this job interview is, as you may have guessed, the very same job interview that led me to move to the German capital. A lot has happened since that day and the experience itself seems so far away.

Since I relocated to Berlin, I've moved twice, started to learn a new language, got the hang of the long distance relationship, learned that Germans don't mind blowing their nose in public, bought countless plane tickets, gained heaps of professional experience and much more!

At times, things were moving really fast and time flew by (an example being June, as you may recall). But at other times, it felt like the clocks had stopped. But in any case, 2014 is soon coming to an end.

Now that my contract here is soon fulfilled, I need to consider my next move. The choice comes down to either staying here in Berlin and try to get my contract renewed or moving back to good old Copenhagen. What makes the choice difficult is that what makes the most sense doesn't really feel right. But I guess that's true for many things in life.

I know that whatever I chose I'll be disappointing someone, the question is who do I want to let down the least.

While I'm considering all this, christmas is drawing closer and I am indeed a sucker for christmas. But more on that later!

Life as a commuter part III

The last two weeks, the schools of Berlin have been closed due to autumn break. And I have been enjoying it! Probably not as much as the children, but still. The reason for my joy? An almost empty tram in the morning on my way to work! I have been enjoying the extra wiggle room immensely. But now it's back to reality! As of yesterday, the kids are back at school and I have to get used to having less space on the tram yet again ;)

So, I've been wondering...

how come is it that German women need a secluded area in the fitness centres to do their weight lifting? Here in Berlin you'll also find fitness centres just for women, again weird! Is it because German women are more shy than women elsewhere? Or that German men are more likely to harrass women, who are working out? Both scenarios seem unlikely to me. But then why?
But I guess that's just one of those small differences between Denmark and Germany...