Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland
My Year Abroad in Germany has officially come to an end. I’ve been very lucky to have had this opportunity and although I’ve sometimes complained about living in Detmold (“Detmold? Where’s that?”), I’m truly going to miss it and am already thinking about coming back to visit next year!
Like on reality TV shows, there’s nothing I’d love more than to be given a video of “the best bits” but unless someone’s been stalking me for the past 9 months with a video camera, this list will have to do. So here are some of the best moments of my YA (just off the top of my head so some may be missing):
When I showed my 7th graders my old Woodford school uniform and they started applauding, I thought it was absolutely hilarious!
Being told that my German is good (didn’t think I could even string a sentence together before I came here)
All the various trips to European cities I’ve been on – Berlin, Paris, Munich and Vienna stick out especially
Going to Karneval in Cologne on Rose Monday watching all the floats pass through the city and shouting till we lost our voices just to get as many sweets and flowers as possible
Riding a 4 person bike in Vienna - it was like a rollercoaster haha
Surviving a 10 hour overnight train journey from Copenhagen back to Bielefeld then waiting for the first train back to Detmold to shower, change and then go straight into school the very same morning - only on the YA!
Walking over a frozen lake in Copenhagen (only a few metres in; you can never be too cautious!)
Getting to know my German relatives – I think I’d literally only met them twice before!
Meeting some wonderful fellow English-speaking assistants
Making lots of German friends. Oh wait…
Of course, there are always aspects of a different country and its culture which are appealing. Living in Germany has its perks and here are the things I’ll miss about Deutschland:
Great shoe shops FOR BOOTS; other types of shoe in Germany are verging on heinous
The Semesterticket which cost just over 200 EUR and gave us unlimited, free travel on all public transport in NRW = BEST THING EVER
Travelling. Living in the centre of Europe with too much money and too much free time, I've been on numerous trips to quite a few new places this year. No more “Hey guys, let’s just pop over to Amsterdam for the weekend!”
Sauerkraut, Schnitzel, Apfelkuchen – three of my fave German specialities and yes, I like Sauerkraut! #andwhat
Oh and while we’re on the topic of food, oh how I’ll miss the warm, doughy, salty pretzels I would often buy from the school canteen at break
Enthusiastic, funny kids. My job wouldn’t have been so fun and easy-going if it wasn’t for them
Speaking German. Deutschsprechen macht mir Spaß (I find speaking German fun), as geeky as it sounds!
Where there are upsides, there are always downsides. Things I’m glad to be leaving behind:
Over-salted food. Erm, have the Germans never heard of water retention and high blood pressure?!
The supermarkets. Yes they’re cheap but who wants to go to Rewe when they can go to Tesco or Asda and get ANYTHING they could ever want?!
Deutsche Bahn – probably the main thing tainting Germany’s reputation for efficiency and punctuality
The Germans’ lack of ability to form an orderly queue. Never have I ever been pushed in front of so many times in a queue, c’mon it’s not THAT hard!
Awkwardness in the staffroom at school. Yes, I complained about this at the beginning of my stay and it never really changed at all over the course of the year but na ja I still have fond memories of being a teaching assistant this year
The awful internet connection whilst Skyping friends and family at home; probably doesn’t help that I live in the basement
Everything being closed and not being allowed to hang washing out on a Sunday. Although I hear most European countries still keep this tradition, I LIKE BEING ABLE TO DO THINGS ON A SUNDAY
Sie or du? Definitely got this wrong many a time. Being British, I’m always very paranoid about unintentionally offending someone by calling them 'du' instead of 'Sie' so I just siezen them when I really should duzen them
Being mistaken for a school kid. I'm 21 yet still look younger than the kids I teach...
This year abroad has been absolutely amazing and is without a doubt one of the best things I’ve ever done because I’ve learnt so much; not only lots of German and about the culture but also about people in general and about myself (deep, I know). It’s made me realise that I’m definitely a city girl (what possessed me to tick ‘small town’ on my British council application will forever remain a mystery). I WILL miss Detmold though, mainly because of the wonderful people I’ve met here. And on a sidenote, I do also feel very safe here; having lived in Leytonstone, South Leamington Spa and Ilford, being able to walk down the street without witnessing someone getting mugged in broad daylight, I must say, is rather refreshing.
I’m going to Toulouse in July to au pair. I definitely need at least a month if not more to improve my French because when I skyped the family, I wanted to speak French but my brain kept giving my German words which was frustrating as hell! I just about managed a few comprehensible phrases and sentences. They seem absolutely lovely though, so I’m quite excited! Can’t let myself forget all my German though!
But first, I’m heading home for a month and I CANNOT WAIT to see all my family and friends again <3
It’s Auf Wiedersehen to Detmold and the rest of Germany for now but I’m sure I’ll be back!