Expat Diaries - Adventures of Steffi

How Germany changed me: I will never wear heels again

I am not a fan of fashion. That is to say, I am not good at fashion. Never have been. But I have seen The Devil Wears Prada enough times to understand that I still very much buy into fashion as a concept and therefore I must, on some level, care about the clothes I …

Expat Diaries

Expat Diaries: (not) Driving Home for Christmas

Earlier on in the year, I booked the last 3 weeks of the year off work. Firstly, because I needed to use my holidays up. Secondly, I was still cautiously optimistic that the second wave of the pandemic would be better and we would get our chance to travel back to the UK for Christmas. …

A sunrise appears low over the horizon with a long empty road ahead and a bright green tree in the foreground

Expat Diaries

Expat Diaries: the joy in between / the next good day

It seems pretty apt that this is my choice of post this week. Germany has entered “Lockdown Light” from today – similar to Bud Light or Coors Light. Beer, but not really BEER. You can go outside, but not really for anything good. Funny, because public consumption of alcohol has also been limited under the …

Expat Diaries

Expat Diaries: the last Good day

This week’s blog post is inspired by the wonderful ItsRadishTime. After she posted her video about the last Good day (y’know, before *it* happened), I decided it would be a good idea to look back and write about my last Good day in my diary. So what you have before you, good people, is an …

Expat Diaries

Expat Diaries: one year in Germany.

It has been one year since I packed my life into 3 suitcases, said goodbye to my friends and family, gave up a comfortable salaried job, and headed to mainland Europe with absolutely no idea how I was going to make a living. It is the single biggest risk I have ever taken in my …

Expat Diaries

Expat Diaries: becoming an expat prepared me for a Global Pandemic

There have been many times over the past 5 months of this global pandemic where I have questioned if I really am okay, or if I’m just telling people I’m okay. If you’re a high-functioning depressive like me, you’ll know this trick well. But, as it turns out, I really am okay. Becoming an expat …

Expat Diaries

How to Buy a Car in Germany (pt.2)

A couple of weeks ago, I shared part 1 of How to Buy a Car in Germany. Here’s part 2! I’m also going to provide an approximation of costs at the end, so stay tuned if you’re wondering how much it *really* costs to buy a car in Germany! Getting Insurance: In the UK, it’s …

Expat Diaries

Expat Diaries: Learning to Slow Down

In a country famous for its unlimited road speeds, I slammed the brakes on and learned to slow down. 10 months into my journey here, I am slowly beginning to enter the ‘Acceptance’ phase. Accepting that this is the life I have chosen. Oddly enough, I have the global Coronavirus pandemic to thank for that. …

Expat Diaries

How To Buy a Car in Germany

In January, we decided it was time to begin the search for a German car and send our UK car back to its little island. However, we found it very difficult to find comprehensive information on exactly how to buy a car in Germany. Specifically, how to buy a car privately in Germany. I decided …

Expat Diaries

Baking in Germany is a Nightmare!

Baking is not one of my biggest passions, but sometimes I do get the urge to start whisking eggs and folding flour into things. Usually when I am feeling anxious or stressed and feel like my life is falling apart. For a short while, baking a recipe allows me to have control over something. This …