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.

Scotland Bucket List

Garrick and I woke up on 1 January and thought, "Here we go!" Our move to Germany is just three months away. We're getting excited about this next chapter, but are also sad to leave St Andrews and want to say goodbye well. Transition is messy and comes with lots of ups and downs, so I hope this list can add some structure and happy memories to our time of packing and preparing. Garrick will buy a car on his next trip to Wuppertal at the end of January and drive it back to St Andrews, so we'll be able to travel more easily. Here is our bucket list for our remaining time here:

Crail Pottery: Garrick has wanted a custom pottery mug since we moved here, and this is the place to go. Crail is also in the beautiful East Neuk and home to lots of sea glass filled beaches. (Completed 17/01/15.)

The Cocoa Tree: We've been here several times, but is there such a thing as too much chocolate? Also, their bean and chorizo soup is our favourite. (Completed 17/01/15.)

Isle of Skye: We visited here with Garrick's family during our first year, but we'd like to see the Fairy Pools. We have plans to go with friends around March.

Beach walks: The West Sands, Castle Sands, and East Sands are all gorgeous beaches in walking distance of our flat. I'd like to go at least once a week to one of these places.

Balgove: Hands down, the best breakfast in St Andrews. It's also a nice walk to get there on a Saturday morning. (Completed 10/01/15, but I'd like to go again.)

Edinburgh: We've gone on several day trips to this city, but I've yet to hike Arthur's Seat. I'd also like to visit our friends Will and Jackie one more time.

The Peat Inn: This is a beautiful 5-start Scottish restaurant near St Andrews. Garrick is taking me here for my birthday in February!

Burns' Night: On the 25th of January, we celebrate poet Robert Burns and eat haggis, neeps, and tatties. I think we have two celebrations on the calendar this year.

Jacobite Train: This 84-mile scenic railway journey takes you from Ben Nevis, this highest peak in Scotland, and ends at the deepest seawater loch in Europe, Loch Nevis. I'm not confident we'll have time for this, but I'd love to make an effort.

The Grange Inn: This is a 17th century farmhouse near St Andrews that serves Scottish food. We're going in early February with friends.

Tartan: I have a tartan throw, but I'd love to get a few other items before leaving Scotland. Our friend Chris recommended this site: http://anta.co.uk/.

Fish and Chips: Enough said.

Bonfires: Our Christmas tree is currently drying out in our back courtyard so we can light it down at the beach for a bonfire. Once it's a wee bit warmer, we'll be ready!

Castles: Our Historic Scotland passes proved the perfect way to see Scotland during our first two years here, but there are still a few more castles I'd like to see, namely Glamis, Kellie, and Balmoral.

Photographs: I need to get out and photograph our favourite places in St Andrews. Because we live here, I forget the charm of this cobble-stoned town.

Time with friends: In this case, this one is last, but definitely not least. In fact, it's the most important one of all! This community of people is so special to us. Garrick's viva date is set for mid-April, and as our lease runs out at the end of March, we'll get to stay with our good friends Jesse and Liana. I'm so grateful for this time with them before we leave and for their generosity.

Loch Fyne

A major perk of working for the University is that we have a full week off for Christmas and New Years. I've met some wonderful friends through work, so we all decided to rent a cottage together on Loch Fyne over the break. After many planning meetings and messages, we found a perfect place, organised food, and coordinated transportation. We even managed to go grocery shopping with all seven of us. On our first morning there, we went for a long walk on the icy trail near our cottage. 

Most mornings, we woke around 9:30am and turned on the kettle for tea and coffee. We spent three days working on a jigsaw puzzle, watched movies, knitted, and truly r e l a x e d.

Loch Fyne is famous for the best oysters in Scotland, so we visited the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar for lunch. The group ordered a plate of crispy oysters, and Garrick and I shared a plate of crab claws before our mains arrived. I had the Salmon and Cod Burger, and Garrick, the Hand Dived Scallops. This was one of the best meals I've had in Scotland, and would highly recommend a visit.

After lunch, the sun was setting (oh, Scotland), and I snapped this photo of the loch.

For Hogmanay, we stayed at our cottage for a game and curry night. I made naan breads and the rest of the group each made a delicious curry. On New Years Day, we went to dinner and a ceilidh at The George Hotel in Inveraray. Garrick and I partnered with our friends to learn the dances, and came back together for Strip the Willow at the end. At one point, Garrick missed a step and a member of the band said, "Pay attention!" in the mic. I couldn't stop laughing.

Garrick reminded me that next year we will be making new memories in Germany over the holidays. I am so grateful for our time in Scotland, and I know it's a blessing that we're so sad to leave. The night ended with a live piper, and then we were off to our beds.

We love these people: (left to right) Sam, Ken, Jane, Nicole, Robbie, and us. Happy New Year! 2015 is a big year for the Allens with another international move around the corner. Stay tuned.