A Month in Germany

Hallo! It's hard to believe that one month ago we drove our weighed-down Volkswagon Golf from St Andrews, Scotland to Wuppertal, Germany. I don't think I imagined I would ever move countries 33 weeks pregnant, but to my surprise, it can be done!

For dinner on Thursday night in Dover, England, we stumbled upon a quaint pub serving tapas. It felt like we were back in Spain. After complimenting the chef, he bought us each a drink on the house: a beer for Garrick and a cranberry and soda for me. Our hotel room got upgraded to a suite with a sea view, and we truly relaxed. This was an unexpected blessing for us as I had expected the trip to be something to get through, not something I would enjoy.

The next morning we caught the 7:20am ferry to Calais, France. Our drive through France, Belgium, and Germany was pretty uneventful, although Garrick just received a speeding ticket in the mail from France. We arrived and quickly looked around our new flat and planned what we could do with the space before calling it a day. On Saturday, we took of first of four trips to the place we love and hate: Ikea.

And now we've been here over a month! "One day at a time" has been my mantra. This move has been like our move to Scotland on steroids. The language barrier being one reason, and another, the fact that Garrick has to do most of the work because I'm in my third trimester. But, I feel like our move to Scotland gave us the wisdom and skills to equip up for this move. This past Friday was the one month mark of our new life here. Most nights are spent enjoying a slow dinner, followed by a game of cribbage, and then a movie. This time as a couple before our first child arrives has been wonderful in so many ways.

Here are some highlights of month one:

- Our flat is now a home! My next post will be a photo tour. Garrick hopes to never again put together Ikea furniture.

- I've established care with a Frauenarzt and have had two great appointments. Eloise was breech but turned and we now await her arrival! We'll attend an information session at the birthing hospital this evening. 

- Garrick has continued working at the Theologisches Zentrum Wuppertal and developed a routine he enjoys.

- We've set up wifi, mobile phones, etc.

- Saturdays are usually spent exploring Wuppertal and surrounding cities. We've found a few great restaurants and walked around the Botanical Gardens near our house. We also took the train to Münster and found a lovely market and enjoyed the local brewery. 

- We've attended the Evangelical church below our flat and the first two songs were in English. My favourite line of one of the chorus' was "Jesus lives in my house."

- Friday night we had our first dinner guests.

- We've enjoyed getting to know Garrick's colleagues and enjoyed meals together and birthday celebrations.

- I've slowly found most of the items we needs for Eloise. It's been quite the challenge since most of my product knowledge is North American, but things are coming together.

- I've been working on my German and making slow, slow progress. 

- Garrick is playing baseball for the Wuppertal Stingrays and has his first double-header this Sunday.

To close, here are some iPhone photos of our recent happenings. I've not taken out my DSLR in a while, but I will soon!

Downtown Elberfeld (Wuppertal)

Sankt Laurentius Kirche (Wuppertal)

A rainy view from our kitchen window. 

Our hospital bag is packed!

The Luisenviertel (Wuppertal)

Garrick's birthday spent with new friends. They gave him lots of German food to try!

Bikes in Münster.

34 weeks! (I'm now 37.)

Münster

Pinkus Müller Brewery, Münster

Pinkus Müller Brewery, Münster

Bringing the Castle Sands to Germany.

First batch of chocolate chip cookies in our new home.

Cheers, Scotland.

We arrived on 3rd September 2012, and we're leaving on 16th April 2015. That's 3 years, 7 months, and 13 days. That small amount of time doesn't seem to equal the major ways in which this experience has changed us. With our move to Germany just 4 days away, I feel more prepared than I thought I would. Here's why:

Transition is complicated, but builds character. Our first flat in St Andrews was less than ideal. We signed the lease sight unseen, and the mould that greeted us upon arrival almost had me on the morning plane back to Seattle. That first night we slept in our sleeping bags on the living room floor, and I cried. Hard. The next day we walked to the East Sands beach and I told Garrick, "I guess I can live here."

In just a few days, we're moving to another country, Garrick is starting a new job, and we'll become parents in early June. These changes are all good and we cannot wait for our daughter to finally be on the outside. But we're going into this knowing there will be rough times. Garrick's German is decent, and mine? Well, I know how to ask for help at the grocery store. It will take a few months at least to feel settled, but I know we'll get there.

Our second day in Scotland at the East Sands.

Community is essential.  A week after arriving in St Andrews, we met our first friends at church. A year later, new faces arrived, and we made more friends. And, some left. This was our first taste of the transience of the academic life. While we were excited to make new friends each year, we were sad to say goodbye to others.We also made friends with my coworkers, and we tease them that they are our local tour guides.

During our time here, we had times of joy and times of sorrow. Academic accolades often came with lots of rejection. I had several job changes, some positive, some negative. There were deaths in my family, and also the birth of new family members. We are joyfully anticipating the arrival of our baby girl in June, but experienced two miscarriages last year. In these times, we had people eager to celebrate with us and to comfort us. As our families were thousands of miles away, these people became our family.

We are being very proactive about forming a community of friends in Wuppertal. It's slightly more intimidating as we are the only Americans we know of so far, and our language skills need work. But I know that we need community to thrive.

PC: Spencer Bentley

Living in Europe is a privilege. Being a Washingtonian, it takes at least a full day of travel to get most anywhere in Europe. Plus, jet lag is a pain. When I list the countries I've visited since moving to the UK, I'm immediately thankful. In Germany, so many beautiful places will be within driving distance. It's pretty cool that our daughter will have dual citizenship and travel to many different places from birth!

Different isn't bad. In Scotland, vegetables are tinned, not canned. Eye glasses have legs, not arms. "Hiya" means hello. "Cheers" means goodbye. Washing machines often are in the kitchen. And these differences are minor in comparison to accents or other cultural conventions. In our early days, I would come home exhausted. I felt like I was translating all day long. I would often revert to the thinking that my way was the best way, and anything different was bad.

But soon, I started appreciating some of these new ways of doing things. I'm excited to learn from the German culture and adapt to a new lifestyle. I'm sure some things will drive me crazy, but I'll be less quick to assume that the differences are negative. Also, I will actually be translating all day; not just trying to understand new accents.

We're on the same team. I'm competitive and so is Garrick. It's easy for us to forget that we are in this together. On days when I had to walk to work in gale force winds, or when we were tight on money, I would often blame Garrick. This was counterproductive to working through anything. I often remember the words Brian Muchmore said at our wedding, and the baseball he gave us with "Team Allen" written on it. This truth grounds us. 

We both decided to move to Germany. This will be true on good days and bad ones. We have been focusing on being good friends and supporting one another through this uncertain time. I even stayed up late to watch the first Mariner game of the season last week, and Garrick has been very attentive to all of my pregnancy needs and makes me laugh all the time. What a blessing it is to do all of this with my best friend!

Cheers, Scotland!

30 Weeks

In less than 10 weeks, we'll meet our little girl. Even though that's not much time, much will take place before she arrives. On Tuesday, we turned in the keys to our flat and enjoyed our sea view for the last time. We are currently living with generous friends while we wait for Garrick to defend his thesis on the 14th of April. Then, we move to Germany. So, the birth seems ages away, even though it's very soon.

I'm feeling okay. By 8 o'clock, I usually like be be horizontal due to my sore back. My favourite part of pregnancy is feeling each and every wiggle, kick, and somersault. It's even better when Garrick's hand is pressed to my belly during these moments. I've learned that pregnancy is filled with highs and lows, like most life experiences. But, even during the lows, this life inside of me is growing, healthy, and a precious gift from God. Garrick's sense of humour keeps me laughing (most of the time) and makes the days pass quickly.

Our daughter has a name: Eloise Harper. Referring to her by her name has helped each of us feel bonded with her. We have a one-line a day memory book that we're writing in to capture this unique season. Garrick thinks we're cool parents already, but I'll leave that up to her to decide. Soon, her nursery will be underway at our flat in Germany. She already has quite the wardrobe and lots of books to read thanks to our lovely friends and family. Introducing her to her grandparents will be very special, and both sets are coming to Germany soon after her birth!

That's all for now. More to come soon.

(A friend in St Andrews took these photos of us last weekend in front of our flat. Thanks, Kate!)

February Update

We have 45 sleeps until we drive to Germany. Our Bucket List is keeping us grounded as we prepare for the big changes ahead. And today, I added and completed another thing: breakfast at Balgove followed by a manicure with Liana! (Thanks, Garrick, for this thoughtful Valentine's gift.) There's lots to cover, so we'll just get started.

Pregnancy

I'm in my 26th week and now require at least 6 pillows to sleep at night. Our baby girl is most active in the afternoon and evening, and we watch in awe as my stomach moves and bounces. We have a name, which I'm sure we'll share here soon. Last weekend, my lovely friends planned shower for me, and I'm still overwhelmed at the kindness of the community here. Liana, Elissa, and Rachel made a delicious brunch that had everyone going back for thirds. (Thanks to Kate Sherrard for the photos!)

The Thesis

Garrick printed out a copy of his entire thesis and is reading through it one last time. After a short trip to Birmingham for a conference early this week, he plans to submit Thursday or Friday. Much celebrating will be required, and an entire blog post will be devoted to that momentous occasion!

Admissions

Monday marks three weeks until my last day. This job has been one of my favourite things about living in Scotland. The role suits me, and I get to work with wonderful people. Higher Education is a challenging and exciting environment, and I hope to continue to do this type of work in the future. It won't be too hard considering Garrick's chosen profession.

The Move

With just 31 days until we need to be out of our flat, I've planned a moving event for the end of March. We've found a new home for most items, and the rest will go to a charity shop. After we move out, we'll stay with Jesse and Liana for the remaining two weeks before Garrick defends his thesis on 14 April. We are grateful for this blessing of housing! Then, we'll be Germany bound. Our current plan is to drive to Dover, England, take the 30 minute ferry to Calais, France, and then drive to our new home, Wuppertal. It will be an adventure, and there will be several bathroom stops along the way.

So, how are we doing?

Some days we feel excited and grateful for the upcoming changes: moving to a new country, a new job, and baby due in June. Other days, we wonder if we're slightly insane. Having gone through an international move once before, we feel like we have a good grasp on what to expect. There will be tears, fights in Ikea, and doubts about our new life. But, there will also be a sausage stand in the town centre, new friends, beautiful places to explore, and the birth of our first child.

Moving to Scotland has been the best decision we've ever made. I have loved living here, and leaving is really hard. But, I know I will likely feel similarly when it comes time to leave Germany. For those who are curious, yes, we do hope to get back to the Pacific Northwest someday, we just don't know when that will be. I am sure of two things. God is faithful, and home is wherever I am with Garrick Allen.

It's a...

GIRL!

On Thursday, we took a half day and road the bus up to Ninewells Hospital for our 20 week scan. The technician laughed when she saw the position of our baby: she had her feet by her head and was spinning in circles. With big smiles and teary eyes, we watched blood flow in and out of her heart and identified all ten fingers and ten toes. Everything is progressing normally, and at the very end, the technician confidently told us we're going to have a daughter! After our appointment, we bought her some new outfits and then came home to Skype our families, followed by fish & chips for dinner. It was a lovely day, indeed.

Six

This year, our anniversary trip was planned by Garrick. We hauled all of our camping gear with us to Scotland and had yet to use it, so he decided to try 'wild' camping as it's called in the UK (camping where there is no official site). We love the Fife Coastal Path and thought it would be the best place to go. Garrick did all the preparing and packing and just helped me get my pack on when it was time to leave.

It was in the low twenties when we left our flat. The East Sands looked more like a beach in Barcelona. We headed up the path and stopped at the first beach we came upon as it was the perfect place to pitch our tent. We exercised good communication skills learned over six years of marriage, and successfully set up our campsite. Then, the clouds and on-and-off rain rolled in. Still, we had a blast.

For dinner, Garrick prepared rolls with meat and cheese and wrapped them in foil to heat over the fire. We read, searched for sea glass, took in the stunning views, drank nice wine, and enjoyed good conversation. Every so often, we'd hide out in our tent and play cribbage while we waited for a rain shower to pass. 

We fell asleep after we heard the church bells chime 10pm. We woke several times in the night because of waves crashing, rain hitting the tent, and wind. At about 5am, we packed up and headed home to our bed. After we woke up, Garrick went out and brought back vanilla lattes from Taste, which we enjoyed with croissants. Good man. Despite the rough nights sleep, we'd go again in a heartbeat!

When we got married at twenty, we both were aware of how young we were. So, we decided to grow up together. And I think we've done a good job of that. Garrick is a supportive and loving husband who can meet me in my greatest joys and sorrows. I am so proud of his hard work and pursuit of his passions. He also possesses the ability to make me laugh, always. Here's to many more adventurous years together, Mr Allen! You are my home.

Lade Braes

When we walked in the door at 5 o'clock, the sun shone brightly through our kitchen windows. So, instead of crashing on the couch, we put on our trainers and headed for the Lade Braes. It's a new season and we are happy to adjust to longer days. This trail is a popular place for walkers, runners, cyclists, and dogs in St Andrews. A stream runs alongside the path and birds nest in the trees above. It's peaceful and scenic: a perfect place to spend time with the one I love. Along the way, we passed the Hopkins' flat and spotted little Keira Buchanan playing in her back garden. Small town living definitely has its perks.