Adventures of Steffi

Exploring life & language in Germany.

Adventures of Steffi
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  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
    • Expat Diaries
    • Language
    • Culture
    • Travel
  • Contact
  • Collaborations
  • Work with me
  • 5 things I love about Germany Adventures of Steffi
    Culture

    5 things I love about Germany and 5 things I don’t.

    2021-10-17 / No Comments

    Following on from last week’s post where I highlighted 5 things I love about England and 5 that I don’t love, it’s only fair that I give the same attention to my new home and share the things I love about Germany and the things I don’t love. I’ll preface…

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    Background image of mince pies on a table decorated for Christmas with text that reads "The History of Mince Pies: A holiday explainer special." Website given: www.adventuresofsteffi.com Photo credit: Edward Howell on Unsplash

    Holiday explainer special: the history of mince pies! 🥧

    2022-12-23

    10 wonderful podcasts about the expat experience to wrap your ears around right now

    2021-06-28

    Culture: 10 Weird Things About Germans

    2020-10-18
  • Culture

    10 wonderful podcasts about the expat experience to wrap your ears around right now

    2021-06-28 / 1 Comment

    My name is Steffi. And I have a podcast addiction. Going for a walk? Podcast. Cooking dinner? Podcast. Having a bath? Podcast. Taking the bins out? PODCAST. I’m even listening to a podcast as I write this post (Today in Focus by the Guardian, one of my favourite current affairs…

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    REVEALED: 9 Strange Myths About Germans

    2020-08-28
    Moving to Germany in 2022? Here are 21 amazing resources to get you started!

    Moving to Germany? Here are 21 great resources to get you started!

    2022-02-13

    Does moving abroad make you happy? Is moving abroad worth it? PLUS 8 more excellent questions answered!

    2021-11-08
  • Expat Diaries,  Personal

    Building an awesome online community as an introvert

    2021-05-17 / 1 Comment

    How do you build an online community as an introverted expat? Simple answer: you just gotta put yourself out there, baby! As part of this month’s #mayonthemove2021 challenge, hosted by the wonderful Catriona from The Frustrated Nester and Margarita from Diverse in the City, I decided to open up the…

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    30 days of yoga: my journey + thoughts

    2020-02-27
    A sunrise appears low over the horizon with a long empty road ahead and a bright green tree in the foreground

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

    2020-11-02

    10 Things I Miss About England

    2020-03-22
  • Expat Diaries

    Expat Diaries: one year in Germany.

    2020-09-04 / No Comments

    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…

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

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

    2020-11-02

    How Germany changed me: I will never wear heels again

    2021-02-22
    Hay bales in a field. Herefordshire 2021

    Expat Diaries: where is home now?

    2021-09-27
  • Expat Diaries

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

    2020-08-02 / 2 Comments

    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…

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    Expat Diaries: the last Good day

    2020-10-05

    Expat Diaries: Coronavirus and International Travel

    2020-05-18

    Baking in Germany is a Nightmare!

    2020-06-01
  • Expat Diaries

    Expat Diaries: Learning to Slow Down

    2020-07-12 / No Comments

    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…

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    Brexit + UK Expats in Germany

    2020-03-30

    Expat Diaries: (not) Driving Home for Christmas

    2020-12-21

    Saudade: feeling nostalgic for a life I’ve lost.

    2021-05-24
  • Expat Diaries

    5 Things I Wish I Had Done Differently

    2020-04-26 / 3 Comments

    I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. However, I do have some regrets. Here are 5 things I wish I had done differently when we first moved here. 1. Take an Intensive Language Course I thought I could save money and learn German using the many…

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    Expat Diaries: How the Pandemic Has Affected Me

    2020-05-07
    Sunrise Rural Germany

    Expat Diaries: Expat Depression

    2020-04-13

    Expat Diaries: (not) Driving Home for Christmas

    2020-12-21
  • Expat Diaries

    10 Things I Miss About England

    2020-03-22 / 3 Comments

    Believe me, there are more than 10 things I miss about England, but I’m trying to write something a little light-hearted for these strange times. Despite the awful mess that is Brexit, I really do miss my beautiful little country. Here are some reasons why: Convenience A lot of big…

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    You May Also Like

    Expat Diaries: (not) Driving Home for Christmas

    2020-12-21

    Expat Diaries: How the Pandemic Has Affected Me

    2020-05-07

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

    2020-08-02
  • Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian Alps
    Travel

    48 Hours in Füssen

    2020-03-08 / No Comments

    Shortly before Christmas, we accidentally drove through Füssen on a trip to Austria. I am glad we did because it was one of the most beautiful towns I have ever seen! So, we booked a spontaneous weekend trip for February and spent 48 hours in this beautiful town. Arrival. We…

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    Travel Diary: a weekend in South Tyrol

    2020-08-16

    Explore: Rothenburg ob der Tauber

    2020-03-15

    Travel: Mini-Getaway to Saxon Switzerland

    2020-09-28

 

 

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Hey! I’m Steffi. Join me here as I explore life & language as a first time expat in Germany.

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INSTAGRAM

Germany is a real work of art! 🇩🇪🎨 Check Germany is a real work of art! 🇩🇪🎨

Check out my AI-generated images of some of the country's most famous landmarks.

🔮 Can you guess all 6?

#Germany #landmarks #AI #travelinspiration

*this caption was also written by AI, including the hashtags 😜
What do you mean I can't lüften my way to better What do you mean I can't lüften my way to better mental health?
Swipe 👉 for what my brain did when Mr Steffi sa Swipe 👉 for what my brain did when Mr Steffi said "put your foot on the wall like a real Instagram model" 

I often wonder how he's put up with my shenanigans for over a decade 😆

This photo is from the longest castle (fortress) in the world! 🏰 Blog post and Reel coming as soon as I can be bothered to create them. How professional.

📍 Burg Burghausen, Germany
📸 loml @ozonehostile

#exploregermany #castlesofeurope #castlesofgermany #livingingermany #lifeingermany #differentcountrysameidiot
I've set my goals in quarters this year to make th I've set my goals in quarters this year to make them more attainable. But I wanted something general to guide me through the whole of 2023. So here are my words of the year:

✨ Shift - "move or cause to move from one place to another, especially over a small distance"

✨ Remain - "continue to exist, especially after other similar people or things have ceased to do so"

✨ Refine - "improve something by making small changes"

✨ Audacity - "a willingness to take bold risks"

How are you setting yourself up for the new year? Do you have a word/words for your 2023?

#newyeargoals #wordoftheyear #mindfullymovingforward #2023goals
Look at this girl happy as Larry with her first ev Look at this girl happy as Larry with her first ever Handbrot 🍞

I know it's 2023 now and Christmas is over  but I had a really great 2022 Christmas Market season and I want you to know about it so here's my ranking of German Christmas Markets:

🎄 Augsburg - go for the main Christkindlmarkt, stay for everything else. It's not a big city, but it's my home and I love it and you won't change my mind. 10/10 ⭐

🎄 Munich - go with all your life savings and a mortgage loan or don't go at all. Tourists are everywhere, it's way too busy and expensive. Cute Glühwein cups though. 5/10 ⭐

🎄 Bamberg - go hungry! Best food offerings by far and not too pricey. Very small, so don't expect an extravaganza but it's cute and quaint and not too busy. Also, Bamberg town is worth wandering round. 9/10⭐

🎄 Tollwood (Munich) - go with an open mind for creative stuff. Lots of cool art and weird indie shop stalls. Big vibes. Food is average. Not for those with a fear of felt or incense. 7/10⭐

🎄 Berlin Medieval Christmas Market - go with life insurance like a good German in case of a fire emergency. I joke, but there are fire performers there who are super entertaining! Pretty good food and different Glühwein flavours. Also axe throwing, and honey wine. But you do have to pay to enter boo. 8/10 ⭐

What were your fave Christmas markets in 2022?? TELL ME.

#Germany #lifeingermany #christmasmarkets #germanchristmasmarket #weihnachtsmarkt #christmasmarketberlin #christmasmarketmunich #christmasmarketbamberg #christmasmarketaugsburg
2022 was a good year ✌️🤗💜 #2022recap #t 2022 was a good year ✌️🤗💜

#2022recap #traveldiaries #lifediary #minivlog
Snapshots of Berlin, 14.12 & 15.12 ❤️ #Berlin Snapshots of Berlin, 14.12 & 15.12 ❤️

#Berlin #Germany #worktravel #travelgermany #lifeingermany
I made it to 30 🎉 here's some photos of me at m I made it to 30 🎉 here's some photos of me at my happiest to celebrate the occasion, plus a couple of baby gollum Steffi if you scroll far enough ➡️
🎄☃️ Festive szn 🎄☃️ Counting this a 🎄☃️ Festive szn 🎄☃️

Counting this as my first official German Christmas because my first year I was too depressed and unemployed to enjoy anything and the two years that followed were...well, a little bit not great.

Anyone else got any good Bavarian/German Christmas Market recommendations? Please don't say Munich I already went and my bank account can't take it 😫

#Germany #lifeingermany #christmasmarkets #weihnachtsmarkt #christkindlesmarktaugsburg #christkindlmarktaugsburg #visitbavaria #festiveseason
I'm not a nester. And I'm not good at DIY, nor do I'm not a nester. And I'm not good at DIY, nor do I care to be. Having the perfect house with coherent interior design has never been of interest to me, although I love visiting my friends who have wonderfully put together homes. I'm often fascinated by how their brains managed to make all of ✨this✨ happen. 

Instead, chaos tends to reign in my world. Even in the UK I never truly felt at home anywhere. Moving to Germany made that feeling a thousand times worse for a long time. 

So I learned to build a home within myself. It's taken a long time, but pursuing this allowed me the space to finally feel at home in Germany, and in the UK.

Two weeks ago, on the plane from Munich to Manchester, somebody asked me where I was going.
Aside from surpressing the urge to make the dad joke of "Same place you are hopefully" *chortles in dad*, I answered "I'm going home." 

The same thing happened on the flight back to Munich. "Where are you heading?" asks the lady next to me. "I'm going home."

Each time I land in the UK, it feels like home again. It's comfortable. Familiar. There's a Greggs with a lovely warm pasty and a yum yum waiting to greet me as I step off the plane. 

Each time I land in Germany, it feels like home again. It's comfortable. Familiar. There's a bakery with a pretzel waiting to greet me as soon as I step off the plane.
 
During the #virtualcampfire2022 virtual meet last week, the word "homeful" was brought up to describe that feeling of having multiple homes. I can't for the life of me remember the origin of this word, but I really really like it.

My home is in England. It's also in Germany. 

It's in my friends. My partner. Home is within myself.

If you made it this far into my rambling, have a gold star ⭐

Part of #virtualcampfire2022 by @chameleon_coaching and @southboundstories

EDIT: as Wiebke kindly mentioned in the comments, the term originates from @tandemnomads so all credit to her ❤️

#findinghome #discoveringhome #exploringhome #livingabroad #findinghomeabroad
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© Adventures of Steffi 2023
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