It amazes me how quickly humans adapt to new situations. I've spent less than a month here, and it already feels normal. Picking up kids from school is normal. Riding a bike to get from Point A to Point B is normal. Even going out in public and not understanding a word anybody says is normal. (Although I'm working to remedy that - my German classes started this week!) So take heart, Mom and Dad! I'm doing great, no need to worry!
Today marks the two week anniversary of my move to Germany and I've already learned some valuable facts of life. Now I'm going to impart my wisdom on you.
- First and foremost, parenting is HARD. I'm just the nanny - only responsible for two boys between the hours of 2pm and 7pm - and I can barely keep up. Who knew that two tiny people under the age of 12 could have so many appointments??
- It's not too hard to bond with young boys. Just talk to them about the Avengers and don't be uptight when it comes to fart jokes.
- The hardest part of switching to biking as your main mode of transportation is not the physical exertion. Nah, that's a breeze. The hard part is building up what I have fondly termed as "bike butt." All you non-bikers out there, I have a challenge for you. Ride a bike for even just 20 minutes, and tell me what hurts more - your legs or your butt. And if you can't decide right away, don't worry. Your tailbone will still be feeling it in the morning, so that'll make your decision pretty easy.
- It is super cool that I blend in with the locals here appearance-wise. (Thank you German ancestry!) But it also presents its challenges... mainly that they assume I speak German. Hate to disappoint, but my vocabulary is pretty much limited to "Ich heiβe Katie" and "Ich komme aus America." Oh, and "scheiβe" but I don't think I should go around screaming that on the streets.
- Rain pants are probably one of man's greatest fashion disasters. But you'll also be fantasizing about the pair that is hanging in your closet at home when you're out biking and get caught in freezing January rain.
- You could be the greatest cook in your own kitchen, but it's hard to manifest that culinary prowess when you have to prepare meals in a kitchen where you don't understand the appliances and can't read the packages. That being said, the following tidbit of advice transcends all languages, borders, and other obstacles: don't pour melted shortening that is still hot into a bowl of milk when making waffles. Just don't.
- Flobots make it seem so easy, but I, in fact, cannot ride my bike with no handlebars. I narrowly avoided being thrown off my bike face-first into the train tracks. Lesson learned: keep hands firmly wrapped around handlebars. Got it.
There you go. Two weeks of learning experiences wrapped up in a nice and tidy bulleted list. Learn from my experiences. Take my knowledge. Do with it what you will.
