The Preparations Begin...

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Well, the journey is about to begin! My last day of work is Monday, and my plane leaves on November first. Look out Europe, here I come!!! Having my new and GREATLY improved passport (and my plane ticket) make this trip finally feel reel.

I will be moving to Dusseldorf, Germany for a year to be an Au Pair with a family. The kids are young, 1 & 3, girl and boy respectively... I don't know what to expect this time. This will be my third trip to Germany, but I've never been there for so long before. The last time I was there, I was near Regensberg in Bavaria. That time was only a month long stay, and it wasn't enough. That gives me comfort to know that I won't be wishing I were "back home" right off the bat.

So far, the list (in my head) of why to go vs. why to stay is very un-even. The possibilities in Europe are endless....

The candy
The beer
The food
The public transportation
The history
A trip to Amsterdam is shorter than a trip to Vegas.
The new people
The simple fact that over an entire year I'll be able to visit every country in Europe I ever dreamed of seeing...and probably some I never thought of.
The people (contrary to popular belief, Germans are in fact quite nice and hospitable...don't blame the residents today for the mistakes of another generation!)
The pictures I'll take
The hot European men!! :-)
The Castles
The Museums
The Cathedrals
The rivers
The new oceans (new to me...)

I am overwhelmed with glee about my impending travels. It's limitless!!

I am a little nervous...what if the kids don't like me, what if the parents suck, what if I do have to drive everywhere (with the kids in the car). The upside is that every time a little negative sneaks in my head, it's pummeled to the ground by all the positives of being in Europe for a year.

I will miss my friends and family, and I'm sure I'll miss some comforts of "home", but seeing as I've never been in one place long enough to let my roots take, I'm sure I'll manage. I do remember returning from my last trip abroad and immediately missing the German lifestyle. The walking, the Pretzels, The potato pancakes, THE BEER!!! Every time I've forced down a Bud Light or Coors or MGD over the last 7 years, I have died a little inside. The American version of beer is so terrible, Germans should re-name beer so people don't get confused.

Well, I have to get back to it! Those clothes aren't going to pack themselves.... but wouldn't it be cool if they did?

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