" Lagerkoller"

It's been almost two months since my last post and a LOT has happened since then. To keep with the theme of the last post, here's a little list of what we've been dealing with:


-We found a flat to rent! (I say "flat" not to be pretentious, but because that's what it is/was... one floor of a giant house. Or, one *flat* level.) The flat was beautiful and perfect. We had three bedrooms on our floor, then a guest suite downstairs, a backyard, and an American landlord. The only downsides were that it was not downtown and we wouldn't have been able to move in until right about this time (end of May), but the flat was so great that we decided it would be worth the walk and the wait. I'll come back to this...

-We bought a car! It's a BMW and it's red... and we both HATE it. Obviously for different reasons (me, because it's cramped and the seats are uncomfortable. With my back issues, sitting in these seats can be painful. Chris, because of mechanical reasons that are highly technical and really boring.)

-Chris's cousin Eli came to visit! It was really great to see a familiar face! Our plans to go visit him in Stuttgart have been foiled so far, but hopefully we can get there within the next few weeks!

-We attempted a visit up north to see the Hallmans, but had to turn around 1/3 of the way there due to car issues. Thus began the great debate to either keep the BMW for Chris to drive to work and buy another car later, or to sell it and go ahead and get a better car.

-We've been downtown many, many times and are starting to get our bearings about direction. Haha, just kidding, I'm as lost as a man in the feminine products aisle! Chris mostly knows what he's doing though.

-Chris graduated with his Master's Degree!!!! He has worked so hard for this and been such an inspiration! No one is prouder than I am for this man! Not only has he finished his degree, he's also been an amazing father and husband too! (lots of squishy, lovey-dovey feelings about this. Will exclude to prevent nausea and eye-rolling.)

-We took a train to Rudesheim with some new friends and had a blast! Presley really liked the train and I really liked getting out of this hotel!

-Remember when I said we found this amazing place, but that I would come back to that? Yeah. We lost that place. The current tenants are military and they got extended for another year. Yes, I cried. Yes, I called my mom and my bff and had a couple of meltdowns. But then Chris and I talked and decided that maybe this is a chance for us to live in the city center like we had originally wanted. Plus, my new friend Kris messaged me and said "You never know... that first place might have been full of black mold!", which was exactly what I needed to hear!  I lined up a few places for us to see, including an appointment that evening for a place downtown. We went and were originally pretty certain we wouldn't like it since it's on the 5th/top floor and there is no elevator. But.... then we walked into the flat. It's beautiful. Tall ceilings, beautiful wood floors, 4 bedrooms, two bathrooms, laundry on the same floor, balconies, fireplace, and a little spot that will make the perfect reading nook for me. The landlord is so nice and even the current tenant was nice and helpful! We are blocks away from multiple parks and playgrounds, groceries, and restaurants. We also think our guests will enjoy it better there because they can easily go out on their own to explore or grab a meal without worrying about getting back! We now have a contract and have been taking the stairs here at the Lodge to train for our new hike!

-Finally got to go see the Hallmans! We rented a car and headed up on a Saturday. They were a sight for sore eyes! We tried to go visit the castle, but we didn't think about not being able to take the stroller inside with all the stairs, so P was MORE than a handful. All in all, it was a great trip, but we learned a lot about traveling with a toddler!

-I had my Mother's Day and my 31st birthday within a week of each other and Chris and P made me feel so special! My favorite part? The Presley scribbles on the cards!

-We found a babysitter! Thanks to our new friend Kris, we found Mia and she is wonderful! We were able to go out on a date and we're actually going out tonight too! We also found another girl who offers in-home German lessons, so we will try to schedule that after we get moved into our flat.

-We bought a new car. Again. After a month and a half of issues from the BMW, we (Chris) decided it would be best to go ahead and get a new car and sell that one. Since we are moving downtown, I decided against getting a second car for myself since I can walk everywhere (I put some of that money into a better stroller... cobblestones are rough on wheels!). We are supposed to pick up our VW Passat Friday! Yes. We bought a station wagon!

I think I hit the high notes from the last two months. I will say that this move has been a lot harder on us than we initially thought. Most of my issues are all related to being "stuck" here in the Lodge. I'm really looking forward to being downtown so that it's easier for me to get out and about with P. Also, just so we will have SPACE again. Not to mention that P will have his own room again. Between P's moving and noises and Chris's snoring, I'm getting very little sleep and have taken to napping when P naps everyday.
We really miss our friends and families, but we're slowly making friends here. I'm still a hermit, but I'm getting better about trying to push myself to get out and about. Mostly, we're just really ready to get out of this hotel and into our flat and start experiencing Germany. Sometimes, life here on the base feels like a weird bubble. It's like being in Germany, but not being in Germany. Very isolating, but also comforting.

There have been a lot of highs and a lot of lows, but we're going to make it. I always sign off with "I'm going to do better with posting more" and it's always a lie, so this time I'll sign off with :


Auf Wiedersehen!