One of the first things I noticed were the drivers. Ironic because when we moved to Germany I was terrified of driving anywhere in Europe. After three years, I realized how organized German driving is. You almost always know what the other drivers will do. Not the case here. (Not the case in Italy either) What's up with driving in the left lane? I never realized how obnoxious that is until we returned. In fact, I'm fairly certain I was an offender.... And blinkers? Why no blinkers? Within two days I witnessed my first "trash thrown out the window" scenario. I had forgotten that actually happens. We also quickly noticed the rushing, the intensity, and the.....coifed-ness.
Everyone. is. in. a. hurry. It's stressful to watch! Also, the heat wave. It wasn't even that hot but the first few weeks I felt as if I was suffocating. The food. Of course, we ate everything we thought we had missed. Some things were as good as we remembered but many things were just now considered mediocre. It's easy to become accustomed to everything fresh made.
The trip from Norfolk to Abilene was great. We stopped in NC to visit Mike's aunt, uncle, and cousin. We then journeyed to see my parents which was fun. Henry, the pet turkey, and his entourage of chickens visit them at their home and it's hysterical.
We are back in our old house. That was a definite comfort. No house hunting. No frantic move emergencies. Just move right back in. But, best part about moving back? Marvin. The Marvinator. Pupples. Doodley. Whatever you want to call him. He is awesome. Named after the boxer, Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Now 4 months old, he is a handful but he was from the beginning really. It's definitely harder to raise a pup without an adult trained dog in the house serving as a play buffer and a good example. Boxers are velcro dogs which we love but at this age, it's exhausting. Let me brag, though. Staying home with him the first couple months has resulted in a potty trained puppy in two weeks. No, he's not 100% reliable but he's pretty close. He is very smart. Hate to say it but, smarter than our last two muffins. Doesn't make me love them any less but just pointing out a fact. He knows lots of commands and is fairly consistent with them. My favorite is "Pound it" or "Bump it" where he taps his nose to our fist for a fist bump. It will melt your heart. He's perfect. And hilarious. We are so happy to have him. Oh, you want a ton of pictures? Sure!
If you have an opportunity to live overseas, take it. Don't be afraid even though there is so much awkward and things sometimes are much harder.
Living in Germany changed my life. For the better.
