I realize we're coming up on a year since the last time I put together some thoughts, or even a summary wishing it were a play-by-play, on anything we're doing. It's been an incredibly crazy year. Grab some popcorn.
Our main goal in going to Oxford (beside the immediate and more obvious acquirement of an MBA) was to stay in Europe. Before Jeremy even applied to any MBA program, we were planning on searching for a European job and doing everything we could to stay overseas for a few more years. We don't actually have a timeframe, we think we'll probably move back when the excitement of a new continent doesn't outweigh missing family, but that hasn't happened yet. Especially because we keep getting family to come and visit us :)
The Oslo adventure pushed our timeline back by several months - originally we thought we'd be into a new job and home before Oslo was born. But that didn't happen like we thought. And jobs and interviews didn't happen like we thought. So, with the deadline of needing to be out of our apartment and the UK looming, we just started planning Germany. We started looking at long-term AirBnBs, and Jeremy started applying for a few jobs in Berlin (a major tech-startup hub). Oslo had surgery at the end of February, and then March was spent packing and cleaning and getting rid of things. And then very suddenly we were on our way to the bus station, and then the airport, and then our first AirBNB.
We technically moved to Germany on March 30th, but we found a storage unit, stayed for a week, packed only a small-ish suitcase, and then didn't return to Berlin for another month. We went to the Czech Republic for a couple of days, Frankfurt for a week of Ostercamp, Denmark for a week, and then Belgium and France for alternating days for various activities until we flew back to Berlin. We moved into a new Airbnb, a little more roomy than our first and with the checkout date for the same day that our tourist visas expired. Apparently, we run on deadlines.
Jeremy found a job and started working about a month after we came back to Berlin. It was a crazy month, but it was relieving. It meant we could get visas, which we didn't actually get until the end of August (Jeremy started work in June), but we did all of it legally- there's a weird not-loophole-but-feels-like-a-loophole that the German government created which allows for people without visas to stay until they can get a visa. Appointments at the Ausländerbehörde (immigration, literally foreigners Authority) are booked at least three months out, but if you have a confirmation paper, proving that you have an appointment, it's not an issue that you don't have a visa yet... As long as you don't try and leave the country.
Jeremy started at his job only a couple of weeks before our tourist visas expired, so we hadn't gone looking for apartments yet. It felt a bit like putting the cart before the horse, so as soon as we had the means to get a visa, with two and a half weeks before we had to move out, we scrambled. Jeremy found us a furnished short-term apartment (3 month contract with allowance to extend for a month at a time) and we spent our visa expiration day moving a mile and a half closer to Jeremy's office. Jeremy had to be at work, so Kiersten (Jeremy's sister who had come to spend the summer with us) and I moved everything from point A to point B. It was a good place for that summer. We traveled with Kiersten, visited Poland and the Czech Republic and Austria and lots of different places in between, and slowly adjusted to some of the pieces of living in Germany. But just a few.
Kiersten left just before we got our visas, and then we started searching for a not short-term apartment. We kept extending our lease until we found something significantly cheaper, but the housing market is insane in Berlin, and I had a lot things to learn about apartment hunting, so we weren't successful until December. And we only found something furnished and short-term (4 months maximum kind of short term), but we moved in a week before we headed to the US, paid to keep our suitcases warm, and headed off for a whirlwind of a Christmas/wedding holiday. We visited Jeremy's parents for Christmas, and the day after, drove to Lubbock for Jace's wedding, then turned around the day after the wedding and went to cram in as much visiting as we could while almost all of us were recovering from the flu. That post will hopefully be sponsored by Nyquil, since that trip definitely was.
We'd been back in Berlin for a week when my step-dad called to tell us they were getting sealed, so a week later I hopped on a plane with the boys again, and Jeremy joined us the day before the sealing. I wasn't kidding about paying to keep those suitcases warm. We got back to Berlin, searched down to the wire for a new apartment, and signed a new 12-month contract seven days before our old one expired. We've been here for just over a month (but with traveling, we've only actually slept here maybe three of those weeks), and almost every suitcase is finally unpacked.
In all of the craziness of this year, we've learned a lot. We've made a lot of mistakes, some of them expensive, but many have been averted by smart and kind people we've met. I think it would be fair to say that there have been more frustrating days than fun ones. But the fun ones have been really great. And you know, we are making progress. There are some major things we need to figure out, less-Germany-more-life things, but it's coming.
And the language? Well. Jeremy has navigated our train being canceled, and the new travel plan options, in German. And I said the opening prayer in sacrament meeting on Sunday. So basically... we still have a long ways to go :)
[title from something just like this by coldplay and the chainsmokers]
Our main goal in going to Oxford (beside the immediate and more obvious acquirement of an MBA) was to stay in Europe. Before Jeremy even applied to any MBA program, we were planning on searching for a European job and doing everything we could to stay overseas for a few more years. We don't actually have a timeframe, we think we'll probably move back when the excitement of a new continent doesn't outweigh missing family, but that hasn't happened yet. Especially because we keep getting family to come and visit us :)
The Oslo adventure pushed our timeline back by several months - originally we thought we'd be into a new job and home before Oslo was born. But that didn't happen like we thought. And jobs and interviews didn't happen like we thought. So, with the deadline of needing to be out of our apartment and the UK looming, we just started planning Germany. We started looking at long-term AirBnBs, and Jeremy started applying for a few jobs in Berlin (a major tech-startup hub). Oslo had surgery at the end of February, and then March was spent packing and cleaning and getting rid of things. And then very suddenly we were on our way to the bus station, and then the airport, and then our first AirBNB.
At the Gatwick (UK) airport
We technically moved to Germany on March 30th, but we found a storage unit, stayed for a week, packed only a small-ish suitcase, and then didn't return to Berlin for another month. We went to the Czech Republic for a couple of days, Frankfurt for a week of Ostercamp, Denmark for a week, and then Belgium and France for alternating days for various activities until we flew back to Berlin. We moved into a new Airbnb, a little more roomy than our first and with the checkout date for the same day that our tourist visas expired. Apparently, we run on deadlines.
Hiking in Czechia
Park in Russelsheim, pre-Ostercamp
Oslo with Kimbee, Ostercamp
Ostercamp
Beach in Denmark
Beach in Denmark
I don't even remember where this is. But man, we loved on this double stroller.
Grocery shopping in Denmark
Sightseeing in Gent, Belgium, before DDCB
Paris, France Temple Open House
Walking to the train station from Church with Trace and Meg Teerlink, back in Berlin
Kiersten and Kalie came to Berlin! June 2017
Topography des Terrors, Berlin
Hosting all of the jumpers who came for Turnfest 2017!
Freiburg, Germany temple
Visiting the Baganz family and seeing the progress of their koi pond, up close and personal
(read: Berlin threw a rock in and had to get it out. Not sad about this punishment)
Zepernick, Germany
Jeremy found a job and started working about a month after we came back to Berlin. It was a crazy month, but it was relieving. It meant we could get visas, which we didn't actually get until the end of August (Jeremy started work in June), but we did all of it legally- there's a weird not-loophole-but-feels-like-a-loophole that the German government created which allows for people without visas to stay until they can get a visa. Appointments at the Ausländerbehörde (immigration, literally foreigners Authority) are booked at least three months out, but if you have a confirmation paper, proving that you have an appointment, it's not an issue that you don't have a visa yet... As long as you don't try and leave the country.
Jeremy started at his job only a couple of weeks before our tourist visas expired, so we hadn't gone looking for apartments yet. It felt a bit like putting the cart before the horse, so as soon as we had the means to get a visa, with two and a half weeks before we had to move out, we scrambled. Jeremy found us a furnished short-term apartment (3 month contract with allowance to extend for a month at a time) and we spent our visa expiration day moving a mile and a half closer to Jeremy's office. Jeremy had to be at work, so Kiersten (Jeremy's sister who had come to spend the summer with us) and I moved everything from point A to point B. It was a good place for that summer. We traveled with Kiersten, visited Poland and the Czech Republic and Austria and lots of different places in between, and slowly adjusted to some of the pieces of living in Germany. But just a few.
Hanno Kramer's lakehouse in Seddin, June 2017
Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, Oranienberg, Germany
We stopped somewhere outside of Grunewald on the way home from Peacock Island, the picnic during which a peacock ate bread off of Wes' head, and Kiersten came home with a tick. Good times.
Rakotzbrücke (Devil's Bridge) in Gablenz, Germany
On the Polish border
Oslo's first birthday!
Trip to Munich, visiting Viki and Martina 😂
Kiersten left just before we got our visas, and then we started searching for a not short-term apartment. We kept extending our lease until we found something significantly cheaper, but the housing market is insane in Berlin, and I had a lot things to learn about apartment hunting, so we weren't successful until December. And we only found something furnished and short-term (4 months maximum kind of short term), but we moved in a week before we headed to the US, paid to keep our suitcases warm, and headed off for a whirlwind of a Christmas/wedding holiday. We visited Jeremy's parents for Christmas, and the day after, drove to Lubbock for Jace's wedding, then turned around the day after the wedding and went to cram in as much visiting as we could while almost all of us were recovering from the flu. That post will hopefully be sponsored by Nyquil, since that trip definitely was.
Quick trip to Munich in October - Berlin and Viki
Palace-ing
Lane had about 48 hours in Munich, which was the reason for our Munich trip.
So great to see him.
This is just a small representation of Berlin's life in the last... 3 years.
You're only a bad parent if you DON'T take a picture, right?
Jeremy had to work one Saturday, but Berlin got to go with him.
City decorations for Christmas
Lauren Bell got called to Germany AND ended up in our stake!
We should've worn Just Jumpin shirts.
I sang in the stake Christmas choir, so the boys... entertained themselves.
We'd been back in Berlin for a week when my step-dad called to tell us they were getting sealed, so a week later I hopped on a plane with the boys again, and Jeremy joined us the day before the sealing. I wasn't kidding about paying to keep those suitcases warm. We got back to Berlin, searched down to the wire for a new apartment, and signed a new 12-month contract seven days before our old one expired. We've been here for just over a month (but with traveling, we've only actually slept here maybe three of those weeks), and almost every suitcase is finally unpacked.
In all of the craziness of this year, we've learned a lot. We've made a lot of mistakes, some of them expensive, but many have been averted by smart and kind people we've met. I think it would be fair to say that there have been more frustrating days than fun ones. But the fun ones have been really great. And you know, we are making progress. There are some major things we need to figure out, less-Germany-more-life things, but it's coming.
And the language? Well. Jeremy has navigated our train being canceled, and the new travel plan options, in German. And I said the opening prayer in sacrament meeting on Sunday. So basically... we still have a long ways to go :)
Brita came to visit. And we're still killing it with group selfies.
Berlin on a bus stop post. He's like 6 feet off the ground.
Trip to Gent, pre-DDCB
Berlin with the Spargel (Spargelcup in Beelitz)
I'm still taking pictures of these bears, and Berlin wants to be in every picture.
[title from something just like this by coldplay and the chainsmokers]
1 comment:
pUXA NAO TEM SIDO FACIL AMIGA, ESPERO QUE CONSIGAS PAZ NA TUA VIDA.
PARA QUANDO VISITA A PORTUGAL?
CA TE ESPERO, AMO TE MUITOOOOOOO
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