Americans in Germany Drinking Whiskey

A low cost of living, ample green spaces and no where to pee. We've both lived in Berlin, Germany for many years - through the good times and the bad. The city has become a second home to us and we thought it'd be only natural for us to finally discuss what we believe are the best and worst things about living in Berlin. 

Taxi drivers not using their meters, a "free" rose that actually isn't free, and a glass of wine that costs 115 Euro? One thing that we’ll all eventually become victim to while traveling in Europe are SCAMS. This week’s episode focuses on tourist scams! We share our personal experiences being scammed and give advice on how you can avoid them altogether. 

Running out of gas is not allowed? Speaking the wrong form of “you” might land you a ticket? This week we’re discussing weird German laws you probably didn’t know existed and even some from the USA for good measure. Alex and Geoff will also play a little game of, “guess where this law comes from.”

This week by popular demand we have dived into the workplace, which might be at a big corporation or just your laptop in your living room. We discuss doing business in Germany with the focus on the main differences between being a full time employee and working as a freelancer. There are pros and cons for both, which will be illuminated with the help of our guest Ryan, who has experienced both sides of this complex coin. 

Who are the Mythbusters? This week, it’s not "Adam and Jamie". Instead, Geoff and Alex are tackling more myths, stereotypes & misconceptions about Germany and its people in the second part of our ongoing series.

As Americans living in Germany for many years there is plenty we love about our new home, otherwise we wouldn’t still be here. However, after much reflection and comparison it’s obvious Germany is not perfect and there are things that the United States does a little bit better. This week’s episode focuses on the things the USA does right, which we wish could be universal.

The best way to integrate into your new community is to learn the language, but how important is knowing German? What is the best way to start the process? What mistakes did we make when we first arrived in Germany and how would we start our language learning journey differently if we could? During this week’s episode we discuss everything related to learning a new language, especially German. To help us, we are joined by the co-host and producer of the YouTube channel “Easy German”, which produces fantastic videos that help teach casual German to expats.

Easy German: https://www.easygerman.org/

Prepare yourselves for the beauty of nature. For this week's episode we'll be stepping out of the big cities and exploring the forests, mountains, and beaches of Germany. However, there’s no need to be afraid, because oddly enough, the German wilderness has very few dangerous animals.

Have you ever climbed into a WWII bunker, walked through a defunct amusement park, or sunbathed next to a forgotten Prussian palace? This week we’re discussing the abandoned buildings of Berlin and the pastime of "urbexing", also known as urban exploration. Join us as we detail the history of how these buildings became abandoned and why they’re still receiving visitors.

There’s the common myth that traveling and living abroad changes you…oh wait, it’s not a myth! In this episode we discuss the many ways we’ve changed personally after living in Germany for these many years.

To learn more about the Equal Justice Initiative, please visit: https://eji.org/