Expat Advice: Dream vs. Reality of Expat Life in Braunschweig, Germany
What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?
Braunschweig
Describe how you "dreamed" expat life would be before you moved overseas. Please provide as much detail as possible.
I work for VW in Wolfsburg. I dreamed of meeting a lot of colleagues and friends, travelling around Germany and in Europe, enjoying the cafes, restaurants, bars, and clubs.
How has your expat experience NOT met the expectations you dreamed about before you moved abroad?
Sort of... I have been trying to do my best travelling around, but two things have been a small impediment: I don't have a lot of friends here and am single, so I'm less inclined to travel alone (but I have done it on a number of occasions... beats staying at home). Second is that usual daily life can 'get in the way,' meaning there is a ton of stuff I need to do to prepare my apartment, such as appliance and furniture shopping... all the usual chores associated with a move. Since stores are closed on Sundays in Germany, this process can be more time-consuming than I imagined.
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guestThe first few months settling in a foreign country are hard because of the whole settling in process and figuring out how the local system works. But these things are what keep your brain cells alive. About traveling alone. You need to learn to be your own best friend. Enjoy your own company. It's nice to travel with a compatible companion but it's also nice to travel alone and if you sign up for tour you often find others traveling alone and conversations are started up. It's a way of opening up. That is what you want to experience isn't it?
