Holidays at home

*what happened yesterday*

Back in Germany.

Although it’s only been four months since I’ve waited at Frankfurt main station in this very same spot, I still need a couple of hours to get used to everything. I’m aware it’s still Europe and just a short plane ride away, but still.

Talking German on a daily basis is not new; everyone else talking German is tho. Everything sounds very different.

I got up at 5 a.m., threw another pair of shoes in my suitcase and headed for the airport. Creepy how quite London can be… But nothing like being surrounded by screaming children in the cosy atmosphere inside of a plane. Hurray! I did manage do snooze for about 10 minutes tho.

And now I am on my way to the countryside. From England’s capital with more than 8 million human beings back to woods, cows and awful public transport. And I am really looking forward to it. Not the damn, basically none-existing, public transport, but to the view from my old room, my cats and family and the Bestie. And to being able to see the stars at night!

(An elderly lady next to me on the train has a plate of cake on her lap. Hmm! Bestie,  get baking!)

Got to admit, I’m a bit disappointed by the grey sky that’s greeting me here! Over the last few days it’d been sunny in good ol’ London town. A bit breezy maybe, but not that grey.  I hope Germany will lighten up a bit, especially up north since I want to walk along the river in Hamburg. No rain!

However, it looks a lot more… springlike here. Very green.

I can’t wait to get to our house, get some kitty kisses, and hugs hugs hugs from my loved ones. Much needed, to be honest.

2013 - let's do this!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!

I hope you all had a wonderful last day of 2012 and the hangovers are not too bad.


Before we get to the resolutions for 2013, let's reflect a little on the last year.
2012 was super exciting. I pretty much changed my entire life; moving to London my suitcase packed with big dreams and a lot of hope. What an adventure!
It turned out quite well. I spent 5 months with an incredible family, saw Her Majesty, meet both my idols, enjoyed the Olympics and a wonderful, sunny, sushi-filled summer in one of the most beautiful cities on earth. I made new friends, laughed a lot and learned even more. Although I've worried a lot about living on my own, playing grown up and starting a new job, everything turned out just fine. And the English winter is not THAT bad...
I must say, 2012 was pretty good to me.

There have been a few lows, especially the last few weeks, but I am entirely grateful for everything that's happened last year.


So my plans for 2013 are simple but crucial. I am going to take care of myself. There have been things that I have neglected, ignored, suppressed or simply forgotten. Time to start sorting those out.
I will also take the first steps towards building the career I want. And yes, this will include more updates on this blog.
Oh, and I will try to swear less. Fucking bad habit!

That's it. No diet plans, no fitness club membership, no deadlines. Whatever comes along, I'll take it and - like my French Friend would say - make it happen.


I hope that 2013 brings you nothing but happiness and love and everything else you wish for.


Thank you 2012. Bring it on, 2013!

Growing up and being silly

That's what it's all about, princess!

So, you wonder how being adult is working out for me, right?
Besides the fact that I mix up my languages (including grammar!) on an hourly basis and getting far too excited about the little pleasures of my days, I think I'm doing a fairly good job at being an adult. Almost adult. Nearly almost adult. Okay, maybe I have not yet grown up entirely.

But I no longer worry about paying rent. And I only snooze my alarm for 30 minutes now. I even sit with my flatmates and watch mind-numbing TV shows after work - because that's just what I need after eight hours of talking. The Mumsy is really proud!
I still don't sort my washing by colours tho'.  And I still don't cook. After having thought about it for the first three weeks, I now no longer bother. Whatever can be heated up or baked in the oven will have to do for tea.


But, although I might have not fully grown up, I have moved on. And moving on is AWESOME! It is liberating and a giggle!

I might have sorted out my wardrobe and shipped all my earthly belongings to London at the beginning of the year, but there were little bits and pieces that I have dragged around with me for years quite a while now. Things I could not put in a box and leave in Germany to fall into oblivion.
Not all of it was bad, but it wasn't doing me any good either. So I did a lot of thinking and a bit of moaning, I threw in some laughter and new POVs, and let time and this beautiful city do it's magic - and voilà!

One year later, and I have finally conquered The Big O (explanation will follow) and I am in the midst of building a whole new life in London, England, Europe, Planet Earth.

Next stop - THE MOON!

So here's to new adventures

And the award for the blog with the biggest lack of update goes to....

I apologise, my friends/readers/strangers; I live in the most exciting city of the year and just don't keep you posted. Naughty, Danny, naughty!

So, it's been quite a while but I have a pretty good excuse for my absence. I have been INSANELY busy. Turns out, I actually have a life after all.

My summer in beautiful London was like a fairytale! I was just about to type "minus the romance", but I actually fell in love... Gorgeous, expensive, always busy, demanding, never boring, mood depending on the weather, full of surprises... that's how I'd describe my lover - also know as LONDON. The city was buzzing with excitement for the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. And both have been a huge success. Yes, see, we're really happy together.

After all the awesome events of the summer I had to get back to the more serious side of life. Big sigh. Don't we all, tho?

So I started to sort out my life, once again, and get ready to tackle the next big adventure my lover had in store for me: a new job and a new flat. Starting a new job in a new company is not so much of a first, whereas living on my own is. From apartment hunting and paying rent to buying all the stuff the Mumsy used to get for me, it's aaaall new. It's very exciting, very scary, very interesting. 

But I am slowly getting used to my new tiny room, the funny flatmates and my public transport journey to work. I am actually starting to live like a proper adult, huh? Dear....

There's been a lot of changes. [Insert philosophical quote from Sex and the City about how life always changes and the world never stops spinning, ect] 

I have also added a new feature to my blog (that I will command myself to update regularly again) so you can now find a link to my book reviews on the right side bar. And since I still, and always will, spend the majority of my free time having my eyes glued to pages please feel free to leave me a comment about your favourite book, any book or even the most crappiest nonsense you've ever read and I will make sure to check it out. You can also leave me a message on tumblr or tweetelede me on the twitterverse. And of course, leave me the link to your online diary and I will snoop around.

So that's done. I'll continue to be all grown up now and...wait, what do adults do on a Sunday night?

No Time For Goodbye by Linwood Barclay

Blurb:
On the morning she will never forget, suburban teenager Cynthia Archer awakes with a nasty hangover and a feeling she is going to have an even nastier confrontation with her mom and dad. But when she leaves her bedroom, she discovers the house is empty, with no sign of her parents or younger brother Todd. In the blink of an eye, without any explanation, her family has simply disappeared.

Twenty-five years later Cynthia is still haunted by unanswered questions. Were her family murdered? If so, why was she spared? And if they're alive, why did they abandon her in such a cruel way?

Now married with a daughter of her own, Cynthia fears that her new family will be taken from her just as her first one was. And so she agrees to take part in a TV documentary revisiting the case, in the hope that somebody somewhere will remember something - or even that her father, mother or brother might finally reach out to her...

Then a letter arrives which makes no sense and yet chills Cynthia to the core. And soon she begins to realise that stirring up the past could be the worst mistake she has ever made...

My thoughts:

Actually, I can't remember if I have read this book before but when I found it in my bedroom here in London I just had to start it. I have definitely heard of it before and wanted to buy it anyway. 

One day young Cynthia wakes up and has to discover that her parents and her brother have disappeared. No one has seen them, no one knows where they are. And no one can tell her what had happened.

Twenty-five years after her family has varnished Cynthia receives a letter that raises more questions instead of bringing any answers. 

Cynthia tires, once again, to disclose what happened to her family and if they might even be still alive. Because didn't that young man in the food court of the mall just look like her brother would now? The hat that had mysteriously appeared on their kitchen table one night, it is definitely her father's. And there's still her aunt, who has kept a secret for so many years...

A desperate hunt for the truth and whereabouts of her family begins and threatens to tear her and her husband apart.

I don't want to say too much, you simply must read this book! I picked it up whenever I had time and finished it within three days. A thrilling, captivating story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. I will read it more than once, for sure.

Oh, hello there, how are you?

So, the hostparents are at the Coldplay concert and I'm home watching the boys.

Find the mistake...

No, no, actually, I'm glad to get 'a few nights off my social life'. Ever since I have arrived in London I've been busy meeting and making new friends, exploring this beautiful city, getting sunburned and trying all sorts of beer. I've gone from movie nights with the bestie on Saturdays (I MISS THAT!) to three beers on a Wednesday night. Go me!

But since I had to babysit yesterday and tonight, I got the chance to do a bit of a reflection on how I feel since I have arrived. And I finally got some early nights.
So, how am I feeling? Honestly? Pretty fucking good! Despite the meltdown and fears and last minute doubts, I am happy here. And yes, this is the moment you smile to yourself and think "Awww, man, I'm really happy for her!"
Everything is new and exciting, obviously, and my boys are simply wonderful, but something about this busy, crowded, gorgeous, expensive city makes me smile all day. Maybe it's the certainty of opportunities, or the promise of new experiences, or the chance of being simply myself or...the beer. Could also be the fact that I don't have to drive a car. Probably a mixture of everything. Anyway, I take it.

Plus, beautiful London has some pretty amazing things in store for me. The Diamond Jubilee of HM The Queen and, yes, yes, the Olympics. And hopefully a wonderful summer filled with sun, fun, BBQ and new as well as old friends.

And I got to say it: I am really, really glad I took this crazy opportunity life was throwing at me a couple of weeks ago. And while I miss my loved ones terribly, I finally start to see it all come together.
So a little advice from me, just because I am such a happy bunny these days and I want eeeveryone to feel the same - if you get the chance to do something you want to do, do it! Despite the doubts, do it! If it seems absolutely bonkers... that's even more of a reason to go for it.

Now, I'll hold on to my floating balloons and keep getting used to having an actual social life again. And I must buy a party hat to celebrate Her Majesty's 60 years of service. God Save the Queen.

Wait! Who's life is this?

Oh well, it's been a while, huh? I apologies for not being the best blogger, but I have been insanely busy.
So, what's happened the past few weeks?

• I quit my job
• I sorted out my wardrobe
• I moved to London

Nothing of importance, really.

.....

How in the world did all this just happen to me? I. Have. No. Idea!

A long, long, looong time ago the bestie and I decided to leave Germany. (Yes, that's where I'm from.) We have been talking about moving away for years now and after I came back from the US of A, we finally started to work on it. For real. So that's what we've been doing, almost every day - talking and thinking and planning and discussing and depressing and laughing over this huge thing we wanted to do. Move to England.

So, no, I didn't just pack my bags, hop on a plane and randomly ended up here. But it all happened really fast. 

I've really missed being and working with children, and after my boss told me that my position would be cut in a couple of weeks I've decided to be really open minded about what's going to happen next. I had a couple of ideas, and one of them was being an au pair again. 

So I've signed up on a website and within only one week I had had applications and messages from more than 10 families. Thursday evening, before our trip over to London for the McFly concert I skyped with R and really liked her and what she told me about the family. Because they live in London I had suggested to meet up on the weekend. 

We've met on the day after the concert at Green Park. After that I was sure that I would absolutely love to be with them and hoped that they would ask me to be their au pair. And then, Monday night on our way home from the airport, I got the email.

After that everything happened super fast. Within about four weeks I quit my job, told my friends, cried of happiness, sorted out my wardrobe, had 20 mental breakdown, packed my bags and cuddled my cats. (I miss them so much. SO MUCH!)

So, yeah, now I'm here. In London. Upstairs in my lovely room. I just had a wonderful day with my kids, filled with sunshine, ice cream, sand and laughter. I am a bloody lucky lady!


Side note: I'm still debating whether or not to start a separate blog in German so my friends and family and everyone who's interested will always be up to date. / Ich bin mir noch nicht sicher ob ich noch einen extra blog in deutsch für Familie/Freunde/Whoever anlege.
I'll let you know. I miss you! Xx