One year ago today, everything we owned was packed and being shipped across the ocean. The things we couldn’t ship got sold or given away. It was a true fresh start. Sure, it was a little scary to veer from my 8-year career in healthcare for an essentially unknown job far away from “home”. My identity was tied to my career for so long and I suddenly felt this shifting. But the shift was intentional and controlled. The decision was sensibly thought out, and the process carefully planned. This life change wasn’t reckless, but it was radical. Boarding on a one-way ticket, with the final destination being a place I had only seen in pictures was nothing short of exhilarating.
The year that followed our move to Germany has been full of triumph and tribulation. We have summitted mountains (literally) and hit valleys, pushed to our limits living in temporary housing and recovering from injury. In the end, the positives have surely outweighed the negatives. Garmisch-Partenkirchen feels like a little slice of Heaven on Earth. The fresh mountain air penetrates deep into my soul. There is peace in the purity that is here. From crystal clear glacier fed lakes to fields of wildflowers and fresh snowfall decorating the mountain treetops. Every season has been a delight. I still (365 days later) stop in awe daily on my morning commute to work thinking “I can’t believe I live here.”
Our new home being a nature haven, is just one factor though. We are so grateful to have been welcomed with open arms by the community here. Coworkers have become family. These people have graciously stepped up to help us on multiple occasions… Our friends helped us get groceries when we were without a car, were tour guides to new destinations, and took me to the hospital when I tore my ACL. I only hope we may be able to pay those favors forward now that we are more situated here. The genuine kindness we found in the Garmisch community nearly eliminated the time that may have been spent feeling like an outsider in a new town. This is something that should not go without notice when looking back on our first year.
Austin and I have also been welcomed into German homes, immersed in the hospitality and culture. These experiences have been truly eye-opening and special. I have found that most German people are happy taking time, all afternoon if you’ll let them, to visit. And they are even more enthusiastic about it if Kaffee und Kuchen are involved 😊 We have been welcomed to celebrate holidays with traditional food and cheer. We have enjoyed Bavarian Brotzeit on multiple occasions. We have shared recipes, stories, and conversation (despite my broken attempts at speaking German). I realize now that we were likely embraced to this degree because of our obvious appreciation and respect for the culture. But it is easy to us. Austin and I both have German heritage – these traditions are very much present in the way we grew up in Cincinnati. The similarities (in food, family tradition, and faith) seem so much like home, that it’s not hard for us to value them.
If being pushed outside of our comfort zone setting up life in a new country, learning a new language, and understanding cultural norms wasn’t enough, I have also been pushed to step outside of the comfort zone in my career over the past year. I have always been a practical person. As a nurse, my job was guaranteed. My skills were in demand and I knew exactly what I needed to do to achieve the next promotion or certification. I was very successful in my nursing career, but I was also stressed, working too many hours in a job I felt undervalued in. Add in a commute and city living, I was burning both ends of the wick. I knew I had more to give and more balance that I needed out of everyday life.
My new job has made me realize that I have a valuable skill set, but I am not elite or irreplaceable. My position, success, or degrees do not make me superior to anyone else. There are many people pursuing things of value in this world. I have found great interest in being open to hearing these endeavors, receiving other mindsets, and ultimately finding common ground instead of reasons for division. My new job has equipped me with a unique skillset outside of nursing and I am quite proud of that.
I am not sure exactly where my career will lead from here, but I am confident that this more worldly view will serve me as an advocate and leader. The fact that I no longer get the “Sunday-Scaries” is a huge quality of life upgrade. I have set boundaries to maintain only a healthy level of stress, prioritizing a balanced life. A big piece of that life balance comes from an increase in activity here. Climbing mountains, swimming, skiing, or city walking. You name it, I love it. And it’s at my fingertips as soon as I step out the front door. Recovering from ACL surgery this year has surely taught me patience and perseverance. But I’d be hard pressed to identify a more motivating place to get outside and rehab than here. For those of you that are looking for an ACL status update, I’m almost 4 months post-op and back to hiking (did a 800m vertical climb this weekend).
There are surely things to miss about our hometown of Cincinnati. Mainly our family and friends. Missing out on birthdays, holidays, drop in visits, play dates with nieces/nephews, and face to face conversations with our grandparents is painful. All this, but it’s not so difficult to stay in touch loved ones. From intermittent messages and photo sharing, to postcards and facetime calls; technology minimizes distance. I have not experienced extreme homesickness in this first year abroad, but I have gone through moments of nostalgia and longing for the past. Things aren’t realistically how they used to be when we were growing up in Cincinnati because everyone is out pursuing different things. We have friends living in many cities across the US (and world) now. But this doesn’t lessen the level we cherish these friends and family. The conversations and reunions are actually much richer when they do happen.
When challenged what three things (other than people) we miss the most about Cincinnati, Austin and I had identical answers: sporting events, Mexican food, and Skyline chili. I’d say that’s complaining on a pretty high level lol Whew. What a whirlwind these 365 days have been. I’m happy that we took the chance to move here and I’m proud of the body of work we have created since the move. Many unique experiences and personal interactions in turn with time (spent climbing mountains, writing this blog, and recovering from ACL surgery) have taught me a lot about myself. I have become more accepting, patient, and resilient. I am more comfortable with silence and with feeling a little out of place. It’s all part of the adventure. So here’s one last ‘Prost’ to climbing more mountains in year 2 and embracing German Gemütlichkeit to find joy in each step of the journey.