It feels surreal to type this but… at the end of this month, it’ll be three months since we moved to Munich. (!!)
Now, I’m a big believer of signs. The universe, or whoever you believe is pulling the strings of all us marionettes, will lead us to where we are supposed to be…so long as we notice the signs that are posted along the way to guide us. (Lately, I’m discovering that the key to everything is noticing.)
The big change of moving to Germany plus the big change of turning 30 has led me to do some reflecting. I’ve allowed myself a slow period of settling into this new life. I’ve given myself grace on the hard days, not pushing myself when I clearly don’t want to be pushed.
But three months in, I’m wondering if it’s time to… well… give myself a little nudge.
SIGN #1: I was recently out with two new expat friends (at the coziest jazz cocktail bar, might I add) and they were talking about how it takes a full year to settle into a new country. Outside, I nodded and smiled, Miss Pleasant-and-Understanding 😊. Of course, naturally, yes, sure.
Inside, I felt much closer to this: 😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩😩
A YEAR of this cocoon era???? Was my 6-months in Manchester just some beautiful fluke? Within 2 weeks of arriving in Munich, I was already writing in my journal about how much I longed to be settled in this new city. Can I do another 50 weeks like that?
There must be a way to expedite the connection I feel to this city and the version of me that lives within it, I thought. There must.
SIGN #2: My cousin sent me a Marco Polo video sharing about the Alphabet Date Challenge that couples do. She was sharing it with me as something to keep in mind for whenever my husband and I move back to the States in a few years, as we’ll probably crave that excitement we felt when living abroad.
Yet I couldn’t help but notice that the challenge checked so many boxes of what I was looking for now: it was manageable, it would force me out of my comfort zone, it would allow me to explore the city on days when I’m not sure how, and — most importantly— it sounded FUN!
So! Here’s a vlog1 of my first ever Alphabet Challenge activity! A is for Alter Hof.
Information about Alter Hof here!
The cool highlights, according to the website:
As part of the first imperial castle of the Wittelsbachs from the 13th century, it is an important testimony to the medieval history of the city
Despite some renovations and reconstruction after the Second World War, the medieval architecture has been preserved to this day
The Monkey Tower is one of the most exciting legends about Munich
In the basement of the Alter Hof, there is a permanent multimedia exhibition about the historic Imperial Castle to discover (this is the exhibit I explore in the video!)
Anyhoo, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this challenge. And also my first vlog. How many times did you cringe????
If you have any suggestions for the other letters, I’m allllllllll ears!
I honestly have no idea why I felt I needed to vlog this challenge, especially considering I’ve never vlogged before. It just felt right.
The Alphabet Challenge: A is for Alter Hof