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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    You May Also Like

    What exactly is expat coaching? Find out in 10 questions with Share the Love Coaching!

    2022-01-09
    Graphic design with the EU flag vs. England flag

    The truth about what Europe thinks of England: revealing how Europeans really feel about us (part two)

    2021-07-25

    Is British food banned in the EU post-Brexit?

    2021-07-05
  • Expat Diaries,  Personal

    How Germany changed me: I will never wear heels again

    2021-02-22 / No Comments

    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,…

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

    2020-08-02

    2020-02-23

    Expat Diaries: (not) Driving Home for Christmas

    2020-12-21
  • Culture

    Culture: Smoking in Germany

    2021-02-07 / No Comments

    Smoking in Germany is still very popular. So popular, in fact, that a study conducted by the RKI in 2017 showed that 20.8% of women and 27% over the age of 18 smoke at least occasionally. There has been a strict smoking ban in public spaces in the UK since…

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    What exactly is expat coaching? Find out in 10 questions with Share the Love Coaching!

    2022-01-09

    Culture: 10 Weird Things About the British

    2020-10-24

    How to be Vegetarian in Germany

    2021-04-04
  • Travel

    Travel: Mini-Getaway to Saxon Switzerland

    2020-09-28 / No Comments

    Travelling internationally right now is difficult, and not something I am personally comfortable with yet. Ideally, we would have made this holiday a trip back home, but the UK is currently drowning in a sea of messy Brexit talks, a highly concerning rise in coronavirus cases (recording 6,873 new cases…

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    Natali’s Bohemian Style!

    2017-08-02

    Travel Diary: a weekend in South Tyrol

    2020-08-16

    2020-01-11
  • Travel

    Travel Diary: a weekend in South Tyrol

    2020-08-16 / No Comments

    3:30 am on a Saturday is no time to be awake. And yet, thanks to the summer heat making it impossible to sleep properly, and sprinkled with a little bit of excitement, here we are. By 4:30 am, we are packed in the car and heading south. We have 2…

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    Jeans is Always Trendy

    2017-03-20

    Learning German

    2020-01-05

    Start Day Positive

    2017-07-25
  • Expat Diaries

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

    2020-07-19 / No Comments

    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…

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    5 Things I Wish I Had Done Differently

    2020-04-26

    Expat Diaries: How the Pandemic Has Affected Me

    2020-05-07

    Building an awesome online community as an introvert

    2021-05-17
  • 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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    Expat Diaries: the last Good day

    2020-10-05
    Hay bales in a field. Herefordshire 2021

    Expat Diaries: where is home now?

    2021-09-27

    Expat Diaries: Coronavirus and International Travel

    2020-05-18
  • Expat Diaries

    How To Buy a Car in Germany

    2020-07-05 / No Comments

    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…

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    How Germany changed me: I will never wear heels again

    2021-02-22

    Building an awesome online community as an introvert

    2021-05-17

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

    2021-05-24
  • Expat Diaries

    Baking in Germany is a Nightmare!

    2020-06-01 / 8 Comments

    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…

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    Expat Diaries: one year in Germany.

    2020-09-04
    blue background with a photo of Ettie Jayne from the Alignment Alchemist and the words "MENTAL HEALTH" and "with @thealignmentalchemist" along with the hashtag #mayonthemove2021

    It’s good to talk – mental health as an expat with Ettie Jayne from The Alignment Alchemist

    2021-05-31

    Expat Diaries: How the Pandemic Has Affected Me

    2020-05-07
  • Expat Diaries

    Expat Diaries: How the Pandemic Has Affected Me

    2020-05-07 / No Comments

    Hallo meine Lieben! Hello my loves! In this week’s Expat Diaries, I have finally managed to write some coherent thoughts on the current global pandemic. Here they are! Everything feels so new and overwhelming right now. Except it doesn’t. There’s something strangely familiar about this current situation. However, that familiarity…

    Read More

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    Building an awesome online community as an introvert

    2021-05-17

    Baking in Germany is a Nightmare!

    2020-06-01

    5 Things I Wish I Had Done Differently

    2020-04-26
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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

✨Play✨ #mayonthemove2022 It gets harder as yo ✨Play✨
#mayonthemove2022

It gets harder as you get older, doesn't it?

To allow yourself moments of freedom and joy throughout the day.

There's always something else you could (or should) be doing.

But it's important to invite those moments in, even when they come unannounced.

Here's a few ways I give myself permission to be completely playful and relaxed:

👣 Exploring: it doesn't always have to be somewhere new. Sometimes the best places to explore are in your local area.

🧘🏻‍♀️ Yoga: the best way to play with your body in my opinion (apart from, ya know...THAT kind of play 😜) and it brings me so much joy.

📖 Reading: becauss there's no better form of escapism.

🎶💃 Music/Dancing: I won't show you that because the Internet doesn't need to see me dancing, seriously...but in the words of Frank Turner, "be a fan of any band who ever made you wanna move your feet" ❤️
✨ Delightful Discoveries ✨ #mayonthemove2022 ✨ Delightful Discoveries ✨
#mayonthemove2022 

I get overly excited when I see and do new things. I'm the human embodiment of that "wow" audio clip on TikTok/Reels.

But I get particularly excited about nature and pretty buildings. Here are some of my favourite delightful discoveries so far in Germany.

And yes, the Kaiserschmarrn & Aperol Spritz are supposed to be in this photo dump. If anything, they're the most delightful of delightful discoveries😋
✨ Borders ✨ #mayonthemove2022 I could write a ✨ Borders ✨
#mayonthemove2022

I could write another post about Brexit and how awful it is.

I could write about how exciting it was to move from an island to mainland Europe and have the privilege to cross land borders by car or foot with such ease. Note: I grew up on the border of Wales so, although there are land borders in the UK, they never felt particularly monumental to me. I crossed one almost every day. 

But today I won’t do that.

As I discussed in my #Passport post, the British passport still wields an enormous amount of privilege. So while things are more difficult for us now, they are by no means impossible and my experience with borders is nothing compared to others.

So for this post, I’m sharing some beautiful essays written by those living, breathing and dealing with more difficult border situations than myself. Plus, a few good books on the subject matter on the last slide 👉
✨Passport✨ #mayonthemove2022 I never thought ✨Passport✨
#mayonthemove2022

I never thought about the power behind my passport prior to 2016. I never had to. Then suddenly, a huge chunk of that power was stripped from me almost overnight.

Luckily, the formalities of a decision I did not vote for took many years to hash out and organise, because, well...look who's in charge 🤦🏻‍♀️

So in 2019, when opportunity knocked, neither my partner nor I hesitated to say "YES! YES! YES!"

While Brexit wasn't the sole factor in our decision to move abroad (we wanted to take advantage of an experience), I can't pretend it didn't play a big role.

And it's since played an even bigger role in our decision to stay.

I have to give up this passport next year for renewal and I really don't want to. In its place will be a sad, blue passport with the words "BRITISH PASSPORT" inscribed on the top.

No more EUROPEAN UNION 😢

My passport will still hold a lot of power. The British Passport will remain a great privilege. I am aware of that. And I am grateful for that privilege.

But I'm also sad, ashamed and angry about the decision my selfish country made.

And it's definitely made me think more seriously about going for dual citizenship in the future...

❓ I'm interested to know something. If you're British and have moved abroad in the last 6 years, did Brexit play a role in your decision?
Here's me, now (well, 2-4 weeks ago) in my two hap Here's me, now (well, 2-4 weeks ago) in my two happiest states: drinking coffee or drinking wine ☕🍷

And here's a lil' intro to me for #mayonthemove2022

✌️29 years old, nearly the big 3 0!

✨ Described by several people as "annoyingly enthusiastic" 

😬 Somehow I'm the most stressed, most anxious and simultaneously the happiest I've ever been.

🇩🇪 I'm not nearly as seasoned as many of you are since I've only moved countries once. And honestly, that was enough for my heart rate.

💻 I'm finally doing something I really love every day. 

👣 I'm finally finding my feet. 

🤔 Pals, I hate to say this but I think I might finally be growing up?!

And I'm doing it all with my bestest pal, Mr Steffi (@ozonehostile) who is always by my side patiently dealing with my chaotic energy 💕⚡

@thefrustratednester
@mother_city_time
#Germany #mayonthemove #livingabroad #lifeabroad #movingabroad
Don't mind me, just out here enjoying the spring c Don't mind me, just out here enjoying the spring cherry blossoms along with everyone else in Germany 🌸🌸

#Germany #landkreisaugsburg #meitingen #livingingermany #lifeingermany #springingermany
Steffi plays tourist in Dinkelsbühl 😍😍

📍Dinkelsbühl, Bavaria

#visitbavaria #romanticroad #romantischestrasse #explorebavaria #exploregermany #dinkelsbühl
Every time we go to Munich, the weather punishes u Every time we go to Munich, the weather punishes us for leaving our wee small town with arctic snow or biblical level rain.

But we have a grand time anyway ✌️

Thanks to @anapracic_ for playing photographer, you're much better than @ozonehostile 💕

#Munich #Germany #lifeingermany #livingingermany #exploregermany #exploremunich #visitbavaria #visitmunich #bloggermunich #bloggerabroad #bloggeringermany
A few more snapshots from Sao Paulo 😍 feat. dog A few more snapshots from Sao Paulo 😍 feat. dogs, family, bamboo (first time I've ever seen REAL BAMBOO!) and the city by night 🌃

#SaoPaulo #saopaulocity #Brazil #Brasil #visitbrazil #visitbrasil #tourisminbrazil #Sampa
Swipe for gin face Steffi 🍸🍸 I'm having a g Swipe for gin face Steffi 🍸🍸

I'm having a great time in São Paulo. There's something special about this city ❤️ but I definitely won't miss the traffic!

So far, I've had Uber drivers nearly kill me by overtaking into oncoming traffic and playing bumper cars with the car in front.  And I reckon I've spent a good 8 hours of this trip sat in São Paulo traffic. The driving here would most definitely send the whole of Germany into complete meltdown and yet somehow it works? You do you, SP ✌️🇧🇷

#travelblog #travelbrazil #sãopaulo #saopaulocity #explorebrazil #visitbrazil #skyebarsaopaulo #adventuresofSteffi
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© Adventures of Steffi 2022
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