Back to school!

Chip is going back to school... 

It's his first day today as the new Music teacher at a school close by. Additionally, he is starting classes at the university to obtain his Master's in Secondary Education. The next two years are going to be very busy and we will be sticking around in good old and warm Arkansas. After that, we'll see where our path is leading us. It's on our heart to be near our friends and family who support us and to whom we are close to no matter how many miles are between us. So we are excited to see what God has in store for us!

The school cone - die Zuckertüte or Schultüte!

A German tradition that had been around since the early 1800′s in the eastern states of Saxony and Thuringia, and was gradually adopted by the rest of the country. In Germany a cone is given to a child on their first day of school filled with chocolate, candies, school supplies, and various other goodies. 

So I thought I would make a small cone for my husband to help him usher in the new school year :) I know Chip is passionate about teaching and he will be fabulous! I take my hat off to all of you teachers out there. It takes a lot of guts to do what you are doing!  childreninlargegroupsfrightenme#
  

                                                                    

                                                                      Susanne 1990

This is I back in the days on my very first day of grade school, known as Einschulung in German. It is a landmark in every child's life and throughout Germany it is honored as a special occasion.

                                                                        

CULTURE SHOCK

It's been awhile!

I started my blog over a year ago having two posts in total ever since. My apologies for that. This is going to be a German/English blog - whatever floats my boat and when my boat is very floaty, I'll even translate my posts into the other language. 

Judging from my first post - was I ever excited about moving to America! Kickstarting my new marriage and spending my every day with the man I love. It was probably for the best staying away from blogging while adjusting to my new life; it would not have painted the prettiest picture: Going through mountains of paperwork to become a permanent resident in the US, heart-wrenching homesickness, being newlyweds and doing the in-law dance with two left feet - and what is up with this Arkansas heat? Imagine sitting in a sauna while covered in honey and breathing through moist cotton. 

Fast forward 1 year. Bob the turtle has tragically kicked the bucket. Thor the turtle has worthily taken his place. The summer is brutal again, but now I get to pay my own AC bill with my own paycheck. My Californian husband is still as gorgeous as ever and has mastered enough of the German language to converse with me auf Deutsch - about the important things anyway like: "I love you." "You look so pretty today." and "We need to buy more kitty litter".

  

In some respects, the American dream is simply that, a dream. Crossing an ocean to a land far, far away and living happily ever after doesn't just happen overnight. You don't just magically immerse yourself in a foreign culture that you had only previously comprehended through Hollywood's latest blockbuster or McDonald's next door without encountering some speed bumps. Eating new food, learning new customs, getting a new family - sometimes you don't even know what your expectations are until they aren't met, stereotypes fall through, relationships don't necessarily develop the way you'd hoped.

It would take more than a blog or a fairytale to capture what packing up your life and starting anew with someone wonderful entails. But I'm still here, still kicking, loving life and knowing that God is with me every step of the way.