Statistics! and Settling In

Yesterday I went to the grocery store without panicking or crying, *and* I spoke to the cashier in German! So you can say I’m adjusting pretty well.

I even found vanilla bean paste, which is as close as I’m gonna get to vanilla extract. So I made some cookies, because baking is my self-care, my love language, and my only domestic skill.

Yesterday I also went to a friend’s house and finished a blanket I started back in the US. She has a sewing machine and a lot of talent and did the hardest parts of the sewing for me. (I drew the Texas shape though, and I sewed most of the straight lines).

We signed up for German lessons and we start next week! I’m very excited about that. We got the teacher that everyone said to get. We’re not sure why he’s the best, but everyone says he’s the best. The thing about being an expat and not speaking the local language, is that you just have to take the advice of everyone who came before you. It’s not like I can interview potential instructors – I can barely make a phone call.

Actually, speaking of phone calls, I have made TWO phone calls in the past week. It’s oddly terrifying, because you just punch the number in and pray that the person on the other line speaks English. And then you mentally rehearse “es tut mir leid, ich spreche nur spanisch und englisch, sprechen sie englisch?” until they pick up and then you just stumble through that sentence and hope they say yes. So far I’ve had great luck.

I also went on a run to Switzerland yesterday. It’s less than 3 miles round trip and I didn’t run the entire way, but that’s just a cool thing I get to say now, and I say it as often as I can.

Coach is settling in a little better this week. Today she only barked 4 times (while writing this she barked again, so let’s make that 5), and each time she shushed herself within a few seconds. This is a great relief because we want to be good neighbors. She is also starting to catch on that if she quiets down when we ask her to, she will get cookies, and she loves cookies.

Today Derrick is going to Happy Hour in Austria while I work. I haven’t been to Austria yet, but it’s about ten minutes away. I’m jealous.

The most exciting development today was these pamphlets Derrick brought home from work.

I haven’t opened the red book yet, but the pamphlet includes such vital information as how many bee colonies there are in the country (985), and the fact that there were 0 traffic fatalities in 2018.

We’ve tidied up the house a little, I think I finally figured out the washing machine, my office looks like an office, and I was able to make dinner two days in a row … it’s starting to feel a little more like home!

We will get the rest of our furniture/belongings in about 6 weeks, and then I hope to feel like I actually live here.