It took me 11 years to repatriate back to the US. 11 gloriously wonderful years I had the pleasure of living abroad, making one of my dreams come true but which were also terribly lonely years. I struggled to make friends with Germans, suffered from severe homesickness but was always quickly forgotten with each trip booked. 11 tortuous years constantly debating, “Should we stay or should we go?” as my heart was torn between two countries. Well, December 2023 we finally made the move back to the US, and now I can say, for many reasons, it was the right decision. 

My time living abroad in Germany is slowly coming to an end. 11 1/2 years is a long, long time to fall in love with my expat homeland and became fully integrated into the culture. There are many things I have both struggled to adapt to during my time here and have fallen head over heels in love with. Leaving behind both is a bit bittersweet and as the time comes to an end, it’s making me a bit more emotional. Here is my list of favorite things I will miss about Germany!