I would really love to hear your answers to one of the questions I was asked (this is also a cheap way to get out of posting something myself, but seriously, I want to know).
So, I ask you, from your perspective, what is the best part about living in <insert country of choice>?
Live in Germany? You can write about Germany. Or not. Never lived in Germany? You can answer it about the country you do live in. Or about the country you wish you lived in. Or a country that you once lived in. I’m flexible. And if you’ve never commented before, here’s your opportunity. You can be philosophical, make a wise crack, whatever. I just want to hear from you guys! Don’t want to answer this question? Then make one up and answer it!
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
The best part about living in Germany is that I suddenly have great teeth!
Seriously though, I think the consumerism and the rat-race feeling and the obsession with image are all still at lower levels in Germany than the US, and I really like that. I also think it’s beautiful and like the accessibility to the rest of world, compared to the isolation of the US.
I kind of like living in Austria. I’ve been to CA and sometimes I am really depressed that I’M landlocked in Austria. It is really bad sometimes to not see HUGE AMOUNTS OF WATER. I wish there was something like an ocean. Water that covers 90% of the horizon and I wish there were natural beaches like in SoCal. Oh man, I think I’ll have to invest into a nice beach house up in Santa Monica or something like that.
The best part about Austria is the health care, it’s a rather safe place and I can easily live an international lifestyle since Vienna is a nice hub for traveling Europe. Maybe, Europe isn’t such a bad country after all. Maybe. Yet, CA is nice too, but I think I can’t afford the comfort I have here…
I’m going with: visual stimulation. I love the sights of Germany, from the sweeping grandeur of Berlin’s monuments to the red rooftops of the buildings on my street to a perfectly-poured Weissbier. This country makes my eyes happy.
I wrote a blog entry to answer your question.
Well, I currently live in the US, wish I was in Europe, and will write a nice long (or not so long) post on my blog (Life on Both Sides…) to cover this topic.
We live halfway between my Swedish home town and our French house! Otherwise I like the fact that you can walk and cycle so easily here.
I live in Canada and most people thing it’s a great country. Maybe it was once and I do remember a time when it was a good place to live, but not any more. My parents emigrated from Germany when I was just 7 and I think they made a mistake. I love Germany and visit as often as I can and try to see as much of it as I can…ciao
Hi Christina,
How are you doing ?
I’am happy to put in my feedback.
What is it that I love about living in France?
I love the diversity of it’s regions. You can go to the sea,mountains,countryside and of course, the big cities.
I also love it’s culture and History, and to be learning new things all the the time.They repect thier culture and encourage arts and try to preserve their past.
I think a lot of Americans are sensitive to this, as we come from such a “young” country compared to those in Europe.
Although modern France can be” rush around” in the big cities, it still is more layed back than in the States.
T love that part… you can spend hours dining and chatting with friends, and it’s not considered as “wasted time”…
Did I mention dining? FABULOUS…
I’am hooked
All the best to you Christina, and the same to little Oliver & Rainer.
Best part about living in Germany? Cheap and abundant wine!
I think there are a lot of really great things about Germany, but for me, the best was seeing it through the eyes of my parents when they came to visit. They’d never been to continental Europe before last year, and they seemed to approach every new experience like children. It kind of reminded me not to take living here for granted.
Great idea!
I didn’t want to be a comment hog, so I just did a blog post about it.
I’ve been more aware of the disadvantages recently, but we are so lucky to be both relatively safe from crime and mobile without a car, both of which are hard(er) to come by in the States.
@c n heidelberg: LOL! My dentist is always raving about what great teeth I have!
@phillip: You should check out the Outer Banks of NC, or the islands off SC sometime. I really love the beaches there. CA is a bit too crowded for my taste.
@jul: I never thought of it that way, but it’s pretty true. Although I do miss seeing the leaves change in Virginia. That makes my eyes happy too.
@swenglishexpat: I want a French house
@rositta: Canada has got to be better than the US?
@barbara: I love French food. I have no idea how the French stay so thin. I would go nuts if I lived there.
@diane: And it’s good too!
@thefishhusband: Maybe it’s because I’m crazy, but whenever I read a book, I imagine taking the (or a) main character on a tour of my area and talking about the world with them. So I’m always trying to look at the world through another’s eyes.
@tessa, maria, & snooker: Great posts!!!
I, too, have a new appreciation for my dental health.
I really love the good bread in Germany. And feeling safe all the time. (Though I don’t remember feeling unsafe in the USA, I think being away and watching the news has made me afraid.)
The best part of being a cynic living in Germany:
My car doesn’t get shot at by my students anymore.
I don’t have to choose any longer between the two medicines I should take which one I can afford that month.
I don’t worry that my government is going to do something completely irrational without some form of real resistance.
I can have intelligent conversations about politics, books, history etc with most women here…ouch, that one might get me into some hot water, but well I always had a hard time finding fellow women to talk to in the States about such things.
I love feeling “European”, more aware of the world around me, learning how to be more rational/logical, testing what parts of my cultural/social upbringing are worth keeping and not…
Bread, bratwurst, beer…chocolate… eating foods that are in season…
I find it cool that if there is someone who is not liked or difficult, they are not painted as evil and treated cruelly, ostracized – whether a politician, an uncle or a co-worker… you just don’t invest time in those people, but you still treat them humanely…
Have a good Sunday! I have the afternoon off – Papa took the kidlet to the Tierpark!!
The best part about living in Germany is that it’s so close to the rest of Europe!