Americans in Germany Drinking Whiskey

No one ever said moving to a new country would be easy. You deal with the visa application process, attempt to find a job, and encounter culture shock on a daily basis. However, many people might not be aware of the many every day trivial tasks that give expats anxiety and stress. These might be things that in your home country you would do without thinking twice, yet suddenly, they require a lot of thought and even help from others to accomplish. Join us this week as we talk about the tasks that expats find surprisingly difficult to do, such as talking on the phone, going to the doctor, or even just showing someone their ID!

Lager, Pilsner, Weißbier and more! You can not discuss Germany without mentioning beer. It's been 90 episodes since we talked with you about the history of German beer and the part it plays in daily life living in Deutschland. However, this week we dive deeper into the different types of places it is consumed, such as beer gardens, spätis (late night convenience stores), public parks, and beyond. During the first episode on beer, we focused more on the what, and now in the sequel we focus on the where, how, and why!

Want to learn German? Check out the KLEO app today at meetkleo.com!

This week, we once again are asking each other questions! Alex and I cross-examine one another about our time living in Germany and traveling abroad in general. In order to give real, off the cuff answers, neither of us will know what the other person will ask beforehand. Our answers will hopefully provide useful information to all of you listeners! 

Anyone who has lived abroad knows that while it can be quite a fun adventure, it also has its dark side. This comes in the forms of several roadblocks put in your way, which normally you wouldn't have to deal with when living in your home country. This week, we discuss the biggest obstacles we have both encountered living abroad as expats and how we eventually overcame them. These include: fighting all the reasons to stay home and making that final decision to move abroad, dealing with the insecurities of temporary housing and finally finding a true sense of "home", establishing ourselves as foreigners in an industry made up with German locals, and more!

Yes, we're super slow making sequels to episodes. However, we always eventually get it done! As Americans living in Germany for many years, there is of course plenty we love about our new home. Throughout the run of the podcast, we have spoken at length about what makes Germany so great. However, we’re the first to admit Germany is not perfect (who is?). This week we present to you part three in our series about what the USA gets right and indeed does better than Germany. 

The German Shuffle...again...number 10. It's like an itch that keeps coming back! The “German Shuffle” is a series of episodes in which we don’t focus on only one topic, but instead several unrelated topics. It’s a good ol’ fashioned variety show! This week’s episode will cover: being legally required to open your apartment windows, the consequences of pretending you're fluent in German, how children in Germany learn how to ride bicycles vs. children in the USA, and more!

This episode is brought to you by MyExpatTaxes.com! Those of you living in Germany must take advantage of their easy to use, low cost, and low stress services in order to take care of your tax obligations in the USA. 

A few weeks ago we came across an article that detailed the growing problem of "begpacking" and after reading further we became very intrigued. The term begpacking is defined as backpackers busking or begging to fund their travels. Whilst this may sound innocent enough, the past few years has seen a steep rise in privileged travellers from wealthy western countries standing on street corners in poorer countries with signs asking the locals to "help pay for their trip." During this episode we'll both have a conversation about the growing trend and the ethical gray area that surrounds it. Are there better ways to fund your around the world journey? 

This episode will be a far reaching discussion about the driving cultures of the USA and Germany. The focus won't be about large American pick up trucks vs. miniature European hatchbacks or even the quality of German cars. Instead, we will talk about the differences between the role of cars in the USA vs. Germany and how this has affected the look and layout of cities in each country. As we "drive down the road", we'll cover: how the fascination and necessity for cars in America develops at an early age, why the combination of residential and commercial spaces in Berlin limits the need to own a car, and the different roles public transportation plays in the US and German cities. Join us, won't you?

We finally reached our 100th episode and we couldn't be more excited! This is a one-off special edition episode in which we will detail the behind the scenes of making the AGDW podcast. We'll divulge secrets about the production, including funny stories about times when we made huge mistakes, explain the history of the show and also answer listener questions live! 

No country is perfect - even the largest economy in Europe. This week we are discussing what all of you would change about Germany - assuming you could do so with the snap of your fingers. To do this, we asked our listeners what was important to them and had everyone send us their answers. We'll both be reacting to what you believe would change Germany for the better and debate whether we agree and why. Come along with us and find out if you're also on the same page!