Hi there! I’m Margo, the gal behind Gutenblog Y’all. A lifelong Virginian, I now reside in the idyllic little German town of Heidelberg. I’d categorize myself as a pretty standard 20-something with a special appreciation for Nashville (Connie Britton fan club anyone?!), a generous glass of red, and of course my sweet fluffy schnoodle (that’d be Schnauzer + Poodle), Stuart. Photography is one of my favorite hobbies and gutenblog y’all is my outlet for sharing my favorite shots with YOU as well as family and friends back home in the States. It may not be a hobby but I also really get a kick out of planning and organizing trips, often finding myself immersed in Trip Advisor forums and google maps, so you can also count on tips and guidance on how to improve your European vacation. My fiancé and I came to Germany not only for an opportunity to try life out from on the other side of the pond, but to see all that there is to see in Europe. Join us!
1. What brought you to Germany?
This past Spring a work opportunity fell in my lap that I couldn’t pass up. I’d visited Heidelberg before so I knew it’d be a beautiful place to call home so with little hesitation (to my parent’s dismay) I quickly jumped at the position. Before I knew it I was on a one way flight to Europe.
2. Tell us about the best place you’ve visited since moving to Europe.
Oye. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to see a lot of gorgeous places in Europe with work and leisure travel, but favorite… let’s go with Amsterdam. Final answer. You might just associate the city for liberal drug laws and the red light district but it’s SO much more than that – perhaps the most beautiful architecture I’ve ever seen, fun night scene, and fantastic museums.
3. Do you have a bucket list? Share some of your must-do things in Europe.
I sure do. Nothing like a bucket list to keep the wanderlust flowing, right?
1. Sail on Lake Como, Italy
2. Photograph a spice market in Marrakech (this is Africa but I want to throw it in)
3. Take a cooking class in Paris
4. Stomp grapes at a vineyard in Tuscany
5. Drink a cocktail on the beach in Dubrovnik, Croatia
4. As an expat we all miss something from the place we call home, what do you miss the most?
This is tough because there are two things I miss very dearly: a chipotle chicken burrito with sautéed peppers and onions, rice, guac and some of that runny sour cream AND a chick-fil-a original chicken sandwich with polynesian sauce and waffle fries. In a few days I’m going to be returning to the States for the holidays and simply can’t wait to get my hands of both of the fast food delicacies. 😀
In all seriousness though, I miss my sweet girlfriends every single day (praise the lord for snapchat and whatsapp) and of course my family. I am SO thankfully that even though I’m over hear in the land of schnitzel, within a minute I can be chatting with my favorites back in Virginia about Kate Middleton’s new haircut.
5. How have you managed to make Germany your new home? Any tips for new expats?
Now 5 months in, I think it’s safe to say that my fiancé and I now think of our little apartment as home. Yes, we’ve had our share of mishaps, like when we locked ourselves out and couldn’t call our landlord because he doesn’t speak English and doesn’t have a cell phone. That’s when you kind of wish everything were simpler. Going into this though we knew that being an expat would have its extremes and I can honestly say that the transition was easier than I expected.
Summing up the ‘Expat Living’ advice on my blog, here are my top tips for fellow expats:
1. Nest – if you can, bring your favorite sheets and pictures from home. The familiarity of it all goes a long way. After our furniture arrived even Stuart was noticeably more relaxed.
2. Slingbox – we are still able to watch all the same tv programming as we did in Virginia via this handy gadget, hence my concern about Rayna’s decision to buy Highway 65 (Nashville reference again).
3. Skype and FaceTime – phew, no explanation necessary.
4. Meetup and Internations – both of these organizations are wonderful forums for meeting fellow expats and locals. If nothing else, joining in on Meetup or Internations events is a great way of getting to know the community your reside.
5. Book a trip home – perhaps this may seem obvious, but by booking our trip back for the holidays wayyy back in June we were able to keep a light at the end of the tunnel on those especially tricky days.
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