03 May 2012

Travel-Inspired Series {Part 5}: Bailey from Lost & Found

I'm so excited to have Bailey from Lost & Found guest posting here today for the fifth edition of my travel-inspired series.  Bailey is a Southern California girl {like me!} who recently moved abroad to au pair in Germany for a year.  I've loved following along with her expat adventures since she moved abroad in March and can't believe how much she's already managed to squeeze into two short months.  I can't wait to see what the rest of the year holds for her!  Looking at her photos, she sort of makes me want to hop on the first plane to Germany so that I can tag along and join in the fun on her travels :)

Today Bailey's here talking about some of her first impressions of Germany - the good, the bad, and the ugly!


{Update: I'm back from an amazing long weekend in Rwanda and Uganda!  Can't wait to share pictures and stories with you guys :)  Off to Cape Town tomorrow morning for another fun weekend with friends that I haven't seen in way too long, and then it's back to reality.}


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Hello Jenna's friends!
My name is Bailey. I blog over at Lost&Found.
Jenna asked me to guest post while she is on a crazy, exciting adventure traveling to Rwanda and Southern Africa.
I know, I know, I'm jealous too.
But, I can't complain too much, since I just started an adventure of my own-
one month ago, I packed up my life and moved to Germany to work as an Au Pair.
So, I guess this makes me an expat.
and for some reason, I love the way that sounds,
expat..

Anyway, I digress.

Today, I will be sharing a little bit of my first month with all of you.
The best parts,
and the most challenging.

I always like to hear bad news first, so, I'll start with the most challenging...

The Bad

1. There is no Mexican food.
Yes, this has been the hardest part of moving from California to Germany.
California has some pretty amazing Mexican food, 
and I have been lucky to sample many many taqueria's in my 25 years of life. 
I miss burritos the size of my head.

burrito the size of my head.
and, I ate it all. Plus, a taco.

2. I had to leave behind these guys,
my babies,
Moose and Frankenstein.
Honestly, I am more of a dog person, and for the most part never really liked cats,
but these fur balls completely converted me.
At least, they won me over to love them. 
I'm still a dog person.


3. Oh wait, there is no #3.
Except...
the weather can be a bit dull sometimes, 
not everyone speaks English (obviously),
and, flip-flops get me strange looks.


The Good

1. The food.
More specifically- the beer, sausage, ice cream, bread, and cheese.
Yes, the food here in Bavaria is deliciously filling.
Bakeries are everywhere and ice cream is made with real sugar.
Also, the rumors are true-
beer in Germany is better than I could have expected.
That American crap, never again.

this beer tasted like bacon- in an amazing way.

2.  I feel like I am living in The Sound of Music.
Seriously.
I was driving today, looking at the snow covered mountains, and all I could think was,
whoa, I live here,
this place actually exists.
Seriously people, Bavaria is like a different world.


3. The ability to travel.
I have a serious addiction to travel (and good food).
Over the years, I have learned that there is nothing better than experiencing different parts of the world- even for just a couple days.
This is one reason why I have always dreamed of moving to Europe.
Everything is so close.
And public transportation is a dream.

Prague, Czech Republic
Bamberg, Germany

4. My host family.
I am so lucky to have found such a welcoming, supportive, and understanding host family.
They really have made moving to a new country one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Without them, everything would be different.

5. Germany is extremely pet friendly.
My host family has a dog that pretty much goes wherever we do.
One afternoon, we went to Lake Eibsee in Garmisch, and of course, the pup came along. 
On the way home we stopped for dinner,
and the pup came with us-
inside the restaurant.
I couldn't believe it,
but, apparently this is very common, not only in restaurants, but also on trains and buses.

this is not the family dog. but, I like this little guy- even if he doesn't like me.

6. While many things can be very costly in Germany, some things are pretty reasonable.
For example, packaged cheese and cold cuts.
For 8 slices of good cheese, it's 1,14 euro, 
and for a fresh baked roll, it's 0,15 euro.
Since I love all things bread and cheese, this makes me one happy girl.

7.  Trees and forests everywhere.
I was born and raised in Southern CA,
trees don't exist where i'm from.
It is comforting to look out my window and see trees everywhere,
and not just the planted kind.

8. Police are everywhere.
Not even joking.
Munich is swarming with police all the time.
So, unless you are trying to break the law,
this is a comforting feeling in a big city.
No fear of attackers or pick pocketers.
I am safe here.

9. The outdoor markets.
This speaks for itself.



Overall, expat living is a pretty good deal.
And, I am so happy I found the perfect family in the perfect place!
There is always a risk involved with any huge life change, 
but sometimes, you just gotta do it.
After all, what's the worst that could happen?

Thank you Jenna for having me!
I hope you are having an amazing time over there in Africa!
I will make it to your part of the world one day...
like I said, I am addicted.

If anyone has any questions about working as an au pair or living/traveling in Germany, please feel free to ask!
I hope all of you have a great day!

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I must agree with Bailey here, real Mexican food and my fur baby back in California are two of the things I miss the most in South Africa.  It's actually difficult to choose which one I miss more.... {just kidding... kind of.}

Thanks so much for guest posting for me Bailey, you're more than welcome to visit any time!

Find her blog here.

9 comments:

  1. Love this series!! And I am headed to Germany for my 30th birthday next year--cannot wait! As a New Mexico girl myself, the thought of no Mexican food makes me want to break out in hives. :)

    ~Tiffany
    http://tiffanyd22.blogspot.com

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  2. Great post! I love hearing about adventures in new places!

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  3. Great post! I'm so happy to meet you and aren't the market's in Europe phenomenal!! You really don't need to say more...and the prices are pretty great here in terms of food, I agree. I'll have to put Germany on my "go-see" list before I head home from France.

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  4. I travelled to Munich a few years ago and its an incredible place. The food (and beer) is outstanding and those fresh markets are to die for. I came to America to be an Au Pair so I can totally relate. I'm happy you have a great host family because that can make or break your stay.

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  5. i have to let you know how much i adore your blog, and how much i am loving the 'travel inspired' series! i am pretty seriously looking into getting my masters abroad, and you have really opened my eyes (and mind) to how many opportunities there are out there. so, thank you :)

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  6. Thanks for sharing this! Could you tell us more about how you came to be an au pair and what the process was like? It's something I've always dreamed of :)

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  7. Thanks for this series Jenna! As a fellow expat I am really enjoying it :)

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  8. excellent series! i agree with you about the mexican food. why does it have to be so hard to find in other parts of the world. living in south korea ,it's the number one food that we miss. can't wait to hear about your trip to uganda!

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  9. excellent series! i agree with you about the mexican food. why does it have to be so hard to find in other parts of the world. living in south korea ,it's the number one food that we miss. can't wait to hear about your trip to uganda!

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Thanks for the love!