Moving to Germany: part one.

“How would you feel about moving to Germany?” says Zac as we take our daily 5 pm phone call.

Zac is self-employed and works long hours that often stretch late into the night. I am an early bird working full-time in an office and teaching Spinning on the side. During the week, we only get to speak is when we’re both sat in rush-hour traffic trying to get to opposite ends of the city.

I think he’s joking, so I laugh and say “Sure, let’s go!”

“I’m serious” Zac explains. “There’s a company in Germany that a friend of a friend works for. They‘re looking for welders to join them. I’m going for an interview.”

And so, 2 weeks later, early on a Monday I drop Zac at Cardiff airport for his flight to Munich. He returns on Friday evening, jumps into the passenger seat and says “So seriously how do you feel about moving to Germany? Because I start my new job on August 1st.”

Packing up and heading out.

Over the next 6 weeks, we have to end our current tenancy and find a new place to rent in Germany. We need a suitable car to travel across Europe in and have to find a removals company to move our lives for a good price. There are bills, costs and taxes to figure out. I have to give notice at my full-time job and the gyms I teach at. I have to try and find a job in Germany and say goodbye to my beloved and beautiful friends and family.

Suddenly, it is the end of July and we find ourselves on the long drive from Hereford to Bavaria, Germany. 13 hours of driving and a 2-hour ferry ride later, we arrive. We have booked ourselves into a hotel for our first 2 nights here to allow us the comfort of a bed and shower.

Although it’s only 6 pm, we both collapse on the bed from exhaustion. We wake around 8 pm and head downstairs to grab a pizza from the restaurant.

And then it’s straight back to bed, ready for more adventures tomorrow.