Karlsruhe
In a manner of speaking, I am a dual citizen and had visited Germany on numerous accounts.
I spoke German a bit from home, however, the language my mother spoke 20 years ago has changed and evolved, much as any language changes and evolves with time.
No, not really. That was a mistake
Very. Perhaps more so because I did not expect it. Everything was different in the little ways.
I went mainly into shock. Perhaps it is most poignant when you are in that college-aged phase as I am and you have a clear picture of how you think all age groups ought to be and then they aren't. There was some frustration, that is undeniable and a lot of idealization of American (at least my small midwestern-town) culture.
Frustration, bits of depression, lots of homesickness. Those things get better with time though.
The independence. I come from a small MI town, when you want to go somewhere you have two options drive your car or have someone else drive you. Public transportation here is very good, you can get anywhere with it.
Getting used to stores closing at 8.00pm and staying closed on Sundays.
Um, try asking what hand motions are considered 'inappropriate' or might have an ulterior meaning.
Don't fight it. Expect it. It doesn't matter how well you know the culture, knowing it and living in it are two wholly different things. It does get better, you have to wait it out. Having someone who is going through the same thing helps a lot! Good Luck!
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Expats often move to Frankfurt for jobs in finance and IT. Frankfurt is continental Europe's largest financial center and has a population of approximately 2.5 million in the city and surrounding urban area. Towns in the Taunus area north of Frankfurt and Wiesbaden and Mainz to the west are popular among expats. There are many international and bi-lingual schools to choose from and lots of expat clubs in the Frankfurt area.
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