A day in my life in Germany

I was fascinated, when I was younger, by photos of foreign countries.

I’d examine the images, absorbing every detail and imagining myself in those places — on a serene beach in Mexico or a busy street in Japan. It wasn’t the popular sights that intrigued me, but instead the mundane pieces of daily life.

I was recently reminded of my childhood curiosity while on a run through my village in Germany. As I moved along the narrow brick sidewalk, I realized the scenery that had become commonplace to me, was actually quite different than what I was used to in the States. A younger version of myself would have been so interested in what I was seeing in that moment.

Maybe that’s something you’d be interesting in seeing, too.

It’s been nine months since we moved to Europe, and I’m still trying to find a routine that works for me. Every day is different, but here’s a peek at how I spent a recent Tuesday in Germany.

7 a.m.

This winter has been incredibly gray and rainy, but on the days when Germany takes a break from the clouds, we’re treated to really beautiful sunrises. Our house is situated on a bit of a hill and our bedroom overlooks the street from the second floor.

Every morning I open the rolladens, scan the street, and take a few moments to soak in the sometimes-colorful sky.

7:30 a.m.

When I’m feeling fearless and ready to practice my German language skills, I venture out to the small bakery in my village. It’s a short walk from my house to the main street. With coffee in hand, it’s a peaceful way to wake up for the day.

The bakery sells out of things like bread loaves and breakfast sweets early. On this morning I ordered a loaf of bread for the week and “eine muffin schokolade.” I also sometimes go for “brotchen,” which is just a roll that’s eaten for breakfast. I slice it in half and top each piece with anything from peanut butter and nutella to cream cheese and jam.

9 a.m.

Ahhh, yoga. Yoga has been a constant in my life for years now and it’s something I could not live without here in Germany. I attend a few different classes in a few different locations throughout the week, but on Tuesdays I head to a nearby village for a 1.5-hour vinyasa class. We practice in this cool event space in the middle of the village. It’s a great way to get out of the house, meet new people, and find community in a foreign place.

11 a.m.

There are a host of new errands that have been added to my to-do list since moving to Germany. I try to weave these tasks into my daily routine. On this day, I had to dispose of our glass bottles and jars at one of the collection points in our village.

Europe takes their recycling seriously. At home, we separate our waste into four different containers, plus glass. We take some of our glass items back to the store for a pfand, or deposit, and we dispose of the remaining items at a collection point like this one, where we separate the bottles and jars by color.

12 p.m.

Time to get to work. I own a digital marketing company and work from my home office. I’m fortunate that I can make my own schedule depending on workload. Most workdays start before noon, but Tuesdays are, of course, an exception to that.

6 p.m.

Another change in my life is the amount of meals I eat at home. When I lived in the States, it was normal to order take-out or eat dinner at a restaurant a few times a week. In Europe, eating out is less common. Most meals at restaurants last two or more hours and reservations are usually required, which means you need to plan those events in advance.

On this night, I made a roasted cauliflower curry soup. It was a very good recipe that I found through a Facebook video.

In addition to eating at home more, Germany has helped reshape the way I think about food. The refrigerators are small, which means less food on hand and more trips to the grocery store. Any food waste is tossed in a “bio bin.” Our bio bin is a small, covered container underneath the kitchen sink. Over time we’ve made it a point to avoid throwing away food, which has forced us to get creative with leftovers.

8 p.m.

When we moved to Germany, I knew that we were in for a dark and dreary winter, so I made sure our house was a cozy and enjoyable place to be, since we would inevitably be inside a lot. Most nights end with a glass of wine and an episode or two from a Netflix series.