hello berlin, it's nice to meet you

(click to see more photos)

After 10 months of waiting on citizenship, 4 weeks waiting on passports and visas, and 35 hours of airplanes, airports, buses and u-bahn rides, we are finally, finally, finally here. phew!

Here are just a few things we have liked so far.

Bikes everywhere with different kinds of add ons to transport kids. Wagons in the front, kid seats on the back, front mount chairs, rear mount chairs, pull behind carts, half a kiddie bike connect to the back, etc. It's so safe and flat with tons of bike paths, and no one wears helmets. All the bikes are really great retro models. Such beauties! Luke is in love. me too.

DOGS!!!! I think when dogs die and go to heaven, they actually come to Berlin. I have never seen such a dog accepting city. Most dogs go out with no leads or leashes, they just run along side bikes or walk ahead of their people. Some how they all know how to heel, stop at the traffic lights, and wait outside shops for their owners. They even ride the u-bahn (subway). I see all this and miss Yoshi BIG TIME.

Everyone lives in apartments here. We were able to score a 6 week sublet with some americans right near the centre of the city (kitchen pictured above). Of course all the buildings are old and amazing. A lot of balcony's serve as people's wee gardens are are thus gloriously decked out. If you don't have a flower box, you may as well go home.

Great creative people! We had one friend already living here and so we have gotten to know a few people already, indluding our current roomates. A lot of english speaking creatives teach at these kids camps that last a week and pay the big euros. Savvy people tend to teach 10-25 weeks a year at these camps and then take the rest of the time to work on their own creative projects.

Anyway, I think that is enough for now. We are now settled and I have even found some well paying temporary work (helping out a really interesting family with their household until their permanent assistant comes over from L.A., I start tomorrow!).

But before I sign off, I have had several old friends and people from back home ask me, "How are you able to do things like this?" And I want to encourage anyone who thinks that living/working overseas sounds far fetched, because it is really NOT THAT HARD. You may have to be persistent, do some research, and be willing to take some risks, but its do able.

There are visas out there, you can find work, you can go and live just about anywhere and you can do it on the cheap. There are many teaching english abroad jobs that are really easy to get into, and there are working holiday visas available too. So go! have an adventure!

Here is wiki's explanation of working holiday visas.

okay bye for now. I will bring you more updates soon!

xkimberlee

PS. Lies, those socks! crafting and living out of a suitcase just do not go together. My craftiness lives through you now! (at least for now).