Life in Germany One Year Later Reflections from an American Family
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- Опубликовано: 9 июл 2024
- One year ago we left the US to begin our new life in Germany. Living in Germany as a foreigner (and living abroad in general) can be an amazing experience, and can transform your views on the world. In this video, we celebrate one year as Americans in Germany, and discuss some of our favorite things about moving to Germany.
#germanyvlog #ilovegermany #americanfamilyingermany #movingabroad #whyilovegermany #expatingermany #lifeingermanyvlog
00:00 Intro
00:36 Reflections
05:12 Paxley's Favorite Thing About Germany
06:08 Corvan's Favorite Thing About Germany
07:05 Kira's Favorite Thing About Germany
08:37 Anneliese's Favorite Thing About Germany
09:15 Genevieve's Favorite Thing About Germany
10:42 MJ's Favorite Thing About Germany
12:53 Summary
About us: At the end of July, after a long time of hoping, dreaming, and planning, we sold or gave away almost everything we owned and left the United States to begin our journey with four children as an expat family. We moved to Leipzig, Germany, a beautiful city in the state of Saxony. This is our story.
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It's hard to believe it's been one year! Have you ever moved to a new country? What was your experience in your first year? Let us know! 👇
Well i hope you love the place as much as me then i find out im 30percent German anyways lol love your story GodOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU ALL SAFE AND HAPPY. ...WPG
As an American living in Germany, I welcome all of you with great enthusiasm and wish continued success during your stay here with God's blessings.
Thank you!
von mir ebenfalls alles Gute zum einjährigen! und es freut mich das es Euch spass zu machen scheint, und das alles gemeinsam - als Familie - zu erleben und zu erfahren bringt euch bestimmt noch mehr zusammen . genauso wie es für jeden einzelnen eine eigene Erfahrung ist. und ich schaue eure videos( ebenso wie die von einigen anderen amerikanischen familien) weil es einen daran erinnert, das wir alle ein teil von " gottes regenbogen" sind und sooo einfach friedlich miteinander sein können wenn wir immer dsaran denken das jedere seine eigene story hat und wenn man sich austauscht es immer einen punkt den wir alle gemeinsam haben! also noch eine lange tolle zeit in unser aller heimat erde! (zufällig an dem flecken den man deutschland nennt) Liebe Grüße Michael/Hannover
Happy one year from me too! and I'm glad that you seem to enjoy it, and that experiencing and experiencing all this together - as a family - will definitely bring you together even more. just as it is a unique experience for each individual. and i watch your videos (as well as some other american families) because it reminds you that we are all a part of "god's rainbow" and can be sooo easy to be peaceful with each other if we always remember that everyone has their own story and when you exchange ideas, there is always one point that we all have in common! so have a long great time in our homeland earth! (coincidentally on the spot you call Germany) Kind regards Michael/Hanover
Danke! Und ich stimme zu, dass unserer Erfahrungen teilen und der Geschichten anderer Menschen zuhören, kann uns wirklich erinnern, dass wir alle nur Menschen sind. 😃
You are a wonderful family! We need more people like you here in Germany. Definitely.
Thank you!
Happy anniversary!! You did a great job 🎉🎉 But one word to Kira. I can imagine it's pretty hard moving that far from home as a teenager. But give it a chance, one day you will more than likely say it was worth it 😉 so stay strong ☺️
It's been the hardest for her, but she's been settling in better lately. She has a friend from the States that just moved to Berlin, so we are going to try and get them together! That will be great for her.
you have chosen one of the most beautiful cities to live in and to get to know Germany.
Happy Anniversary! 🥳
Thanks!
Happy anniversary! Nice to have you here. 👍
Thanks!
Awesome content! Glad to see everyone doing well!
Hey Tony! Thanks for watching bro, hope you and your fam are good!
Congratulations🎉 with you're first year here in Europe/Germany hopefully many more years will follow😊
Other than that a great video keep it up👍
And greetings from the Netherlands🇳🇱
Thank you!
Erster! 😄 Ich wünsche Euch von Herzen alles Gute zum "Einjährigen", und für alle "years to come" nur Glück, Liebe und Freude zusammen und auch hier in Deutschland! Und ich freue mich immer, Deine "beaming eyes" zu sehen, wenn Du Dich freust! Alles Liebe aus Mittelfranken!
Vielen Dank für deine freundlichen Worte! 😁
Wohoo! Happy Anniversary!🥳
Thanks!
We lived in Germany in 1956 to 1958....it was the best time of our or my life i still think and miss the people and places its a beautiful country. We lived in zoest. WPG
It really is a great place, and we have loved the people that we have met here. 😃
Just found your channel and subscribed :) Happy Anniversary and greetings from the other side of Germany!
Thanks!
First video I've seen from you all - really glad you are happy here in Germany. Have to check out some other videos from you.
Thanks! Glad you found us!
Congratulations, well done 👍
I hope you all had a good time so far and you can enjoy your stay.
Wish you all the best 🙂
Thank you! 😃
Thank you for spendimg your time in Germany
I'm thankful we get to be here!
MJ and the family - happy to hear that you are all excited moving on to your second year in Germany. Actually, today 4y ago, I moved from Greece to Leipzig with my dog, Sandy - I've recently done my own reflection, kinda like yours, and concluded that overall I do not regret at all moving here despite all the difficulties. Really enjoy your videos, recently discovered you channel. Keep it up. Greetings from Schleußig, Alex & Sandy
Congrats on your 4 year anniversary here! Glad to hear you still don't have regrets. How has the weather been for you? I know Greek weather is quite a bit different than the weather here in Leipzig (especially in winter)! If I can ask, what part of Greece are you from? My grandfather's family is Greek from the island of Nisyros.
@@OnwardMJ It took me a while, but now I'm used to it. It was indeed a big difference. You'll still hear me complaining all the time 😁but I've come to the realisation, nowhere is perfect - it's all about the balance. I'm from north-eastern Greece, small city called Kavala. I've lived many years in Thessaloniki for my studies and work before moving to Leipzig. Have you been to Nisyros or other places in Greece?
@@alexandrosemmanouilidis5991 that's true, nowhere is perfect, and we can either complain or make the best of it! I haven't been to Nisyros yet, but I've been to Lesvos twice (including a whole summer with the entire family). We were doing some humanitarian work there. We passed through Thessaloniki on our way home but didn't have time to see much. We're looking forward to going back and seeing more of the country!
@@OnwardMJ Another good thing about Leipzig, you have relatively cheap flights to most of the European cities - not from our airport, but from Berlin, still not that far away. Highly recommend visiting Greece, perhaps not during July/August since it's super warm and crowded. Happy to offer some tips when you plan your trip. Have great day 🙂
Happy anniversary!
Thanks!
Ich hörte, dass das erste Jahr in einem fremden Land das schwerste sei.
Bedeutet, ab jetzt sollte es für Euch nur noch besser werden....
Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Überstehen des ersten Jahres!
Es freut mich, dass es Euch in Deutschland gefällt.
Ja, das hoffe ich auch! Doch, es war nicht zu schwer, und es lohnt sich! Obwohl natürlich ist alles nicht perfekt, Deutschland ist für uns eine neue Heimat.
Now with less corona restrictions, it will be even better to live here and explore our country.
Congratulations! 'You can all be really proud of yourselves, as getting along in a foreign country is not easy at all! 🥰
Thanks! Yes, it isn't easy, but it's worth it! 😃
Herzlichen Glückwunsch! Ich wünsche eurer Familie, dass ihr weiterhin euch so großartig in Leipzig integriert und euch immer wohler und wohler fühlt. Wie wunderbar das ihr glücklich seid. Meine Familie und ich haben gestern den Leipziger Zoo besucht, wirklich ein schöner Zoo. Weitere spannende Zoos: Berlin, Duisburg, Köln, Frankfurt um nur einige zu nennen. Alles Gute und liebe Grüße. Markus
Vielen Dank! Schön, dass du warst gestern im Zoo. Es ist einer unserer Lieblingsorte hier. Wir würden auch gerne einige der anderen Zoos besuchen! Vielleicht bald, aber es gibt immer viele Dinge zu tun! 😁
Hannover Zoo is one of the best in Germany ❗
@@donald9961 We'll have to check it out sometime!
Gratulation!!! Ein Jahr D!!! Wünsche euch noch weitere schöne Jahre und ja....es ist eine unbeschreibbare Bereicherung eine andere Kultur an eigenenr Haut zu erleben und ja....man sieht die Heimat dann auch mit anderen Augen. Eiren Kindern wünsche ich auch alles Gute. Als Teenager ist es schwer Freunde zurücklassen zu müssen. Hang in there and maybe some friends can come and visit you in Germany.
Danke schön! Ja, es gibt Schwierigkeiten, ins besonders für die Teenager, aber wir glauben, dass es sich lohnt.
(Ich wünsche Euch allen viel Glück und Gesundheit hier in eurer neuen Heimat. Liebe Menschen sind stets herzlich willkommen.)
I wish all of you good luck and healthy here in your new home. Lovely people are always welcome.
Vielen Dank!
Glückwunsch zum 1-jährigen!! Auf viele weitere schöne Jahre! Und vergesst nicht die Sicherheit hier in Deutschland! ;) Grüße aus Colditz
Vielen Dank!
Doing the same next year - from london. However wife is from here , so probably a small advantage in the transition . Glad it worked for you!
While I'm sure that will make things easier, I don't think it's ever too easy to move to a new country and a new culture, so I wish you luck too! It's truly been amazing for us. 😀
Ich wünsche ihnen und ihrer Familie auch weiterhin alles Gute,Glück und Gesundheit.🙋♂❤👍
I wish you and your family all the best, happiness and health.🙋♂❤👍
Vielen Dank! 😁
Ihr kommt so sympatisch rüber, euch kann man eigentlich nur nett finden!
Danke! Wir sind total nett! 😁
Happy anniversary! You did a great job together. You have a wonderful family. Just a question: do you have planned how long you will stay? Did you promise your kids to go move back after an certain time? Did your perspective on the US change?
We don't have any plans to leave right now. The older kids will be able to make the choice if they want to stay here or move back (or something else) once they graduate. But things can change, so we'll just have to wait and see!
I forgot to answer your question about our perspective on the US. I'd say we've had an unusual but realistic view of the US for a long time, so I'm not sure if it's changed too much. The US is a great, but flawed, country, and has a lot of positive aspects along with the negative aspects. After living here for a year I think we've been able to both appreciate some things about the US while also noticing some things that need to be changed.
06:07 the difference is responsibility - it is not a difference between playgrounds being challenging or safe. It is about being taught a certain level of self-responsibility at a young age. That is actually why we do not have to write on coffee that it can be hot :) - or that plastic bags, when placing your head in them could be suffocating, or that the cat should not be placed actually in a microwave....
Yes, I think Americans often need things spelled out for them a little more clearly...Doesn't help that the US is a lawsuit heavy country where you can sue anyone for anything - even if it was your own fault! But the playgrounds have been great for the kids (and for us!) as they have learned how to control their bodies and know and push their own limitations.
Happy anniversary! with the WGT having restarted this year, what did you think about it?
Thanks! Our timing was off - we planned a trip to Dresden without checking out what was going on in Leipzig that weekend and missed it. 😬We did get to check out some of the outfits before we left and it was cool to see so many people ready to enjoy the experience. Next year we'll have to make sure we stay around for it!
Oh, nice!💐🙋 You come to Berlin, the capital, one day too, for a visit. ☀️
We should be making a trip up there soon! We did visit a few years ago. It's a great city.
Sometimes going to a different country you also start to appreciate some things about your own country more. At least that's my experience from living in Japan for a while.
That's probably true. I think there's a few things that we miss, but overall we're enjoying our life here more. But I think with the move came an increased intentionality in how we were living, so that has to be a factor. Maybe we just let ourselves get into too much of a rut back in the States. If we ever go back, it will be interesting to see how it compares. 👍
First of all congratulations
We have hundreds of zoos in Germany, small and very large. Have fun exploring ;-)
What you all should enjoy much more is the huge plus of safety you have in Europe. As a comparison, in Germany you had 220 murders recorded by the police, in the USA in the same year 21600. A hundred times more murders in the USA, but only 4 times more inhabitants.
The situation is similar in road traffic, with 40,000 deaths in 2021, including 6,500 pedestrians. This is more than frightening and is certainly also due to the huge pick-up trucks and SUVs. In Germany, unfortunately, there were still far too many 2,562 deaths in road traffic in 2021. And this in a country with highway sections without speed limits.
So once again my congratulations and enjoy this plus in safety as well.
We do enjoy the safety here, although we were fortunate to live in areas that were generally safe. The statistics are certainly scary though. I was recently thinking about car accidents. I saw the aftermath of one here recently, and realized that it was the only accident I've seen in the last year. Compared to the US, even in our smaller city, accidents were much more common.
I feel you should do collab with another American families that moved to Germany like the McFall family, who is Merry Messy Life on you tube. They live in Germany little over a year ago. Understand your position in learning about a new country culture, customs, and habits.
We would love to collab with them, and maybe we can make that happen some time. We've connected with a few other RUclipsrs to talk about life and vlogging, so hopefully we can put some collab videos out of that as well. It does help hearing the stories of other people going through similar journeys!
such a nice video. Really like Germany a lot, especially the affordable housing system and the job opportunities.Can you throw more light on housing in Germany?
Thanks! Housing in Germany I think can be a bit tricky, since there is such a huge difference depending on where you live (and how big your family is 😂). It also depends a lot on where you were living before moving to Germany. This will probably be something we will talk about as we try to add more casual vlog style videos to the channel, so stay tuned! 👍
I knew you were talking about Leipzig, before you said Leipzig😂😂😂
I moved here from another part of Germany about 14 years ago. Have been at home stays in USA, England and France have visited many countries ... but I haven't moved anywhere for more than a month yet.
It's an awesome city!
It`s very hard to immigrate to other countries. I learned it the very hard way, Hold together, after a while it gets easier.
Thanks! It's starting to feel like we're settling in now and life is becoming more normal. (Still need to improve my German though!)
Congratz! But Kira doesn't look too happy. Moving is always a big deal... emotionally. Leaving friends and move to other side of the ocean could take a while to accept the new place. But I'm glad she enjoys the independence. Once I worked at the public service at the LVB. On tram I met a lot of new people from all over the world.
Btw. I started thing about moving to the US a while back. I think I'm seeking for an adventure. German life is too easy, especially here in Leipzig. When you will get the German citizenship, you will know what I'm talking about. =)
I wish you luck moving to US. Especially now with everything going on. If you do move my advice explore different parts of the US and be safe.
Yes, it's been hardest for her, but she is doing good. There are a lot of great reasons to move to the US - it's a great (although flawed) country. I agree with the other comment - try to explore as much of the US as possible. It's a big country with so many vastly different subcultures. I lived in 4 different states (and I've visited almost all of them), and they were all very different experiences.
You will find more adventure in less regulated countries. Mexico, Tonga, Paraguay, Chile, Namibia, Thailand come to my mind.
Did you decide to move to Germany together and did everyone agree, including the teenage daughters... who had to leave friends? Such a step is always difficult. I hope it gets a little easier with time. Many greetings
It was something that we were talking about and planning for a few years, so everyone was involved in the process (although not everyone was as excited as some of us). It was difficult for the older girls, but they do seem to be getting settled in now.
Happy anniversary to all of you, wish a great success, I have just one question, how do deal with the tax return, as a US citizen leaving abroad, thank you
Thanks! Unfortunately the tax question is very complicated and depends on a lot of different factors (what kind of work you do, whether you live overseas for a full year or only part of it, etc). I suggest looking for a tax professional if you need help or have specific questions. Best of luck!
I wonder how the children felt about learning German was it hard or easy for them? Just came naturally?
For the younger ones it came naturally. It was a little more difficult for the older girls, but since they are going to a German school and have the Deutsch als Zweitsprache class, they've been doing great. Now the parents just need to catch up!
Happy ONE year! Good decision to come to Germany... I think the quality of life is higher here than in the US, especially healthcare, food and other things. Hope you will stay and have great time together. I know the language and some quirks from germans can be challenging or weird, but i think it is just because you are used to a different culture, language etc., like a habit so to speak.
Little fun fact for your family: Germany has the most Zoos on earth... And europe has over the half of the Zoos worldwide. Have a nice weekend! Greetings from the southwest "Saarland"
Thanks! I didn't know that Germany had the most zoos - that's great (and of course we're glad one of the best ones is in our city!). I agree that over time some of the cultural differences will become more normal. But it's one of the reasons we wanted to move overseas anyway - to learn and experience new cultures! So it's been great. There are some great quality of life improvements we've noticed while living here, and we're trying to enjoy them all. But as far as healthcare and food - well, I'm not quite sold on it yet. Maybe I'll make a video about it at some point, but there are ups and downs in those areas too.
nice video you guys and congratulations for managing the move so well.
I would love to watch a video where Kira explains how moving was for her, she seemed a little reserved and gave "polite" answers ...
US-americans seem to be afraid to tell their truths and rather give what they think is a polite answer, but it is so "empty" that non-americans sense they are being lied to, or "led astray"
I wish Kira would understand that we germans operate differently and from a tiny kid on we are used to being critizised, we can handle critique, we actually embrace it as a chance for personal growth, because only if you acknowledge a problem you can start to solve it.
sadly there are so little videos with teens expressing their thoughts ... but then ... that is not a thing while amidst teen-angst
thank you for your video and I am sorry for being harsh and direct and not sugarcoating things enough xD
Thanks for your comments. Kira is a little shy and doesn't always want to be in the videos (and she is always given the choice) but maybe one day she will want to share her thoughts in more detail.
And don't worry about us not being honest, we will be sharing some of those thoughts soon too! Although our experience had been incredibly positive, there are some things that have been surprising and frustrating (bureaucracy, paperwork, technology, healthcare to name a few). But we're a small channel and we didn't want to make our audience too mad too soon! 😂
@@OnwardMJ germans love to complain - it would be a pleasure to be able to complain about you guys too, maybe some day xD
@@whattheflyingfuck... After we make a video with complaints, I'll be ready for the complaints about us in the comment section! 😂
@@OnwardMJ I imagine for a shy person from the (superficially) polite culture in the US it might be a hard time setteling, espacially as a teen. theres a saying in german "kinder sind grausam" and its true. the younger ones due to their blunt and honest thoughts and the older ones, cause theyre very much to form their "circles" and being kinda negative towards everyone on the outside. if all the kids have allready drawn their lines cause they know each other for the most part of their life, its quite a challange to get involved. nevertheless, im very positive Kira will be making great friends over here and enjoy it as much.
You mentioned that you want your channel to gain growth, i think visual elements will go a great way for you, giving more visual input for some of the things youre explaining, i.e. short scenes, photos (preferrably with a slow pan to be more vivid) , screenshots, tables, etc., while the explanation is given.
Also what ive kinda missed in your expierience so far, was the abillity to travel other countrys. You should totally do that with the family. There are great Places for the whole Family only a few hours by car or train, even flying might be an option , cause its for the most part far cheaper than in the US and the cultures vary a ton more than among the US states.
Happy anniversary and have a great time :)
@@Xerlash Thanks for your thoughts. I agree about teenagers - it can be challenging enough moving to a new place and making friends, but moving to a whole new culture and language adds a new level of difficulty. But she has been making some closer friends recently and seems to be doing good.
I did want to add more B-Roll to this one, but I was on a time crunch and wanted to release it as close to our one-year anniversary as possible! My actual work prevented me from having enough time. 😂 I'll make sure to get more visuals added next time.
And we will absolutely be making some international trips in the future! First, we have some different places in Germany to visit, but one of the reasons we came here is because of how close it is and how easy it is to get to other countries - so that is definitely something we will be adding to the channel!
Regarding family activities: Did you go indoor climbing/bouldering already?
We haven't been there yet (so many things we still need to do!). Someone sent me a message on Facebook recommending that as well. We will check it out!
@@OnwardMJ Sure. There are a number of sites, e.g. Kosmos in Plagwitz, No Limits northeast of main station, Kletterturm in Mockau etc. However, you should check beforehand the regulations regarding kids. Usually, kids under 6 are only allowed in the kids section, ages 6-11 in the regular walls only after security tutorial and under 1-1 supervision, likewise for ages 12+ except with written permission by the parents. Similar rules apply (ages and supervision may vary) for the forest climbing trails (Klettergärten/Kletterwälder) around Leipzig, e.g. Albrechtshainer See, Markkleeberger See etc.
@@joachimschwabe3301 I had no idea there were so many places to climb! Definitely going to look into it.
In welcher Ecke von Leipzig wohnt ihr denn?
Ah, das sage ich nicht auf RUclips 😃! Wir brauchen ein bisschen Sicherheit, nicht wahr?
A hint for the zoo passes: For each 25 Euro purchase at Konsum you get a coupon called "Konsum KUSS" ("Konsum kiss") which you can use for 10% discount on one annual pass for the zoo, which is a saving of 8 euros for an adult.
Thanks for the tip! We have gotten the Konsum Kuss in the past, but never used them for anything. But our zoo passes will be expiring soon, so I'll definitely look into that! Do you know if the discount applies to the annual family pass?
@@OnwardMJ Sorry, that I don't know. It would be a big discount, for sure. So you might just have to calculate which is the best option. But I can ask, my office is near the zoo... :)
@@joachimschwabe3301 Thanks, we'll look into it. I think I have to drop some money at Konsum today, so I'll make sure I grab a Kuss!
@@OnwardMJ I also have collected some that I can donate
I had the opportunity today to ask at the ticket counter. The lady confirmed that one KISS is enough to get the family pass for 190 instead of 211 euros. That is really a good deal... :)
Kira seemed a little bummed out. Tell her that her future will be bright =D.
Thanks. She's had some ups and downs with the move, but she's doing good. 😃
@@OnwardMJ Moving as a teen must be rough, but I know you guys are strong together.
You are doing good, just keep going, Germans are very helpful when you know them, needs time 👍
Thanks! And we have found that for the most part, Germans have been very helpful!
Hi, congratulations on your year.
Of course, you don't want this comment section to turn into a political flame war. But perhaps for you as parents, the best thing or one of the best things is that your kids can go to school by themselves and you'll know they make it back home that day alive.
And I'm saying this ad someone that lives in Europe and has children.
Yeah, there's definitely been some scary stuff happening in the US. I sometimes have said that our kids go to safe schools and that wouldn't happen there, but every school that it happens at, all of the parents think that way. It's tragic.
Hi, great to have you and your family here in Germany. A very big welcome. Watching your video, I believe one of your daughters seems not to be happy, moving to Germany. Keira or kera, the one with the yoda. Hopefully we can convince her with the german way of life. It is really not that bad. I know it´s difficult to change the whole culture and country as a nearly grown up, leavin all friends behind. My best wishes to you.
Thanks! Yes, Kira had a bit of a rough first year - struggled getting settled in and really missed her friends back home. But since the new school year started things have been going much better! I think we all had some different challenges, but this second year already seems to be much better for everyone!
For Kids it´s the land of the free, or isn´t it?
It really is! (But it does give more freedom to the parents too 😂)
@@OnwardMJ absolutly
4:30 Year number two is when you start to become "different" people and it progresses the longer you stay. You can't stop it. You will start to feel uncomfortable in your own skin. You're not German and you never will be and you are not really "American" anymore.
That will be interesting for sure. While we've always felt a little different from some of our American peers, it will be an interesting position to be in. But my wife and I have always loved floating between cultures and living in a way that we can build relationships with people that are different from us (even Americans that are from different American cultures) so maybe for us it will be a good place to be. I guess we will have to wait and see!
Germany is the land of the Zoo's. Just one look at the politicians tells it all. :)
That may be true of politicians everywhere!