The Germany Experience

Not every Germany experience ends with permanent residency or German citizenship. For some, the plan was never to stay for longer than a few years, or things change during the stay, or some other unforeseen occurrence (cough COVID) makes it necessary to leave. This episode focuses on the stories of three previous guests who have since left the country. I talk to them about their time in Germany, why they left, what they miss about Germany, and what their life is like now.

My guests are all Canadian, and their stories are all tied together by Toronto. Here are the episodes they previously appeared on:

Sarah S: Through the Eyes of a Newly-Arrived Expat

Sarah C: The attraction of Munich, the versatility of “Doch!”, and environmentalism in Germany

 Amy: A serial expat in Germany


Check out the Common Ground podcast: https://commongroundberlin.com/

It's THREGEPADFO time!
Nicole of The Expat Cast and I are once again competing in our annual charity challenge to see which podcast can raise the most money for our chosen cause. This year, it's Kinderlachen, which helps children across Germany who are in need or ill. The project I am supporting on focuses on  helping children who face unexpected difficulties due to serious illness, an accident or other personal circumstances.

Learn more and donate here!


JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/theGermanyExperience

 Visit the official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de

Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience

Review the podcast: https://thegermanyexperience.de/rate

 Contact me: [email protected]

Instagram: the.germany.experience
Official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de
YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience
Contact me: [email protected]

Podcast Intro Music by: Adrian Bran

What can you expect in a German job interview? What's expected of you? Lisa Janz, the woman behind Job Coach Germany, joins me to explain what the five phases of a typical job interview are, and gives some insights into what interviewers are looking for. She even has some psychological tricks to boost your chances of making a positive impression.

Lisa was formerly in HR , so knows the process from the inside. Nowadays, she focuses on helping people find the job that is right for them in Germany.

Lisa's Website: https://www.lisajanz.com/

Lisa was a previously a guest on the episode called,  What do you want from a job in Germany?

It's THREGEPADFO time!
Nicole of The Expat Cast and I are once again competing in our annual charity challenge to see which podcast can raise the most money for our chosen cause. This year, it's Kinderlachen, which helps children across Germany who are in need or ill. The project I am supporting on focuses on  helping children who face unexpected difficulties due to serious illness, an accident or other personal circumstances.

Learn more and donate here!


JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/theGermanyExperience

 Visit the official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de

Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience

Review the podcast: https://thegermanyexperience.de/rate

 Contact me: [email protected]

Instagram: the.germany.experience
Official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de
YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience
Contact me: [email protected]

Podcast Intro Music by: Adrian Bran

You sent in your questions about health insurance in Germany, and this week a representative from Techniker Krankenkasse, Nina, is here to answer them.  You can also get an idea of what to expect from a health insurance fund by hearing how TK does things and what they offer.

If you are considering signing up for health insurance with TK, use my link:

https://thegermanyexperience.de/tk

It is an affiliate link, so if you sign up with it, you'll be helping out the podcast. 

The questions that Nina answers: 

• How does health insurance work in Germany?
• What do I have to do if I get ill?
• What are the differences between Gesetzlich (statutory) and Privat (private) health insurance?
• Why is it so difficult to get an appointment with a specialist? 
• Can I apply for health insurance without a German address?
• What are IGEL treatments?
• Do couples go onto the same insurance?
• What should foreigners expect from a health insurance provider?

JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/theGermanyExperience

 Visit the official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de

Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience

Review the podcast: https://thegermanyexperience.de/rate

 Contact me: [email protected]

Instagram: the.germany.experience
Official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de
YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience
Contact me: [email protected]

Podcast Intro Music by: Adrian Bran

Elizabeth first spent time in Germany as a student, and she fell in love with the place. But, by the time her year was up, she was ready to return back home to the States. However, when she got home, she immediately started missing Germany. This began a pattern that would persist for years: Elizabeth would move to Germany, but would eventually move back to the USA again. In more recent years, though, she has wanted to make the move more permanent and has been actively searching for jobs in Germany.

Elizabeth joins me to explain her 20+ years relationship with Germany, the reasons that she kept leaving Germany, the habit Germans have of staring, and bringing her dog, Fritz, with her to Germany.

Find Elizabeth on Instagram: @hello.there.deutschland


JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/theGermanyExperience

 Visit the official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de

Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience

Review the podcast: https://thegermanyexperience.de/rate

 Contact me: [email protected]

Instagram: the.germany.experience
Official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de
YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience
Contact me: [email protected]

Podcast Intro Music by: Adrian Bran

How educated are expat spouses? How do they feel about life in Germany? What word would they use to describe Germany? A new study  by Expats & Spouses Monitor answers these questions, and more.

Back in February 2021, Amaia, originally from Spain, joined me to talk about the study that the Expats & Spouses Monitor was doing. Essentially, they wanted to look at the situation and feelings of expats and their spouses living in Germany. And now, the results are in. Amaia returns to the show to go through the results with me. One of the biggest conclusions is no surprise: Expat spouses are highly educated and have previous work experience, and they remain an untapped goldmine for Germany. Amaia also explains what they will do with this data now that they have it.

The Feb 2021 episode that Amaia was on: The gender expatriation gap, trailing spouses, and the expat skill pool in Germany (Amaia from Spain)

Download the report: https://www.expatsmonitor.de/the-report/

To contact Expat & Spouses Monitor, or to request more detailed information from the study, go here: https://www.expatsmonitor.de/contact/

Or you can mail them: [email protected]


JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/theGermanyExperience

 Visit the official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de

Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience

Review the podcast: https://thegermanyexperience.de/rate

 Contact me: [email protected]

Instagram: the.germany.experience
Official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de
YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience
Contact me: [email protected]

Podcast Intro Music by: Adrian Bran

From new shopping habits through to being scolded by Germans, here are the answers to the questions you asked about life in Germany!

The Instagram users who asked me questions:

• @Lilo_hlt06
• @Sscomstoc
• @Alyssa.savs
• @Soundinglustig
• @Iamgermanexpat
• @Theexpatcast
• @Beagle_Vanlife
• @Theadventuresofsteffi
• @lisa_janz_jobcoachgermany
• @almondsandsunset

JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/theGermanyExperience

 Visit the official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de

Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience

Review the podcast: https://thegermanyexperience.de/rate

 Contact me: [email protected]

Instagram: the.germany.experience
Official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de
YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience
Contact me: [email protected]

Podcast Intro Music by: Adrian Bran

What's it like working in tech in Germany? What do foreigners need to know about finding a tech job in Germany?  Yotzín, from Mexico, joins me to answer these questions and discuss his experiences working in the tech field in Germany. We cover the Blue Card visa, changing tech jobs, and understanding the job market.

Yotzin on Instagram: @yotzincortez

My recent guest podcast appearances:

• The Expat Cast: A South African, a Filipino,& an American Walk into a Bakery... with Shaun & Lawin
• The Canadian Wants To Know: Chat with a South African

SEND ME YOUR QUESTIONS!
I need your questions about Germany, or me and my experiences here, for a live Q&A session I will be doing next week. Send them to [email protected], or go to thegermanyexperience.de/contact

I'm also looking for any questions you might have about German health insurance for a future episode.

JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/theGermanyExperience

 Visit the official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de

Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience

Review the podcast: https://thegermanyexperience.de/rate

 Contact me: [email protected]

Instagram: the.germany.experience
Official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de
YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience
Contact me: [email protected]

Podcast Intro Music by: Adrian Bran

After watching the Calvin & Habs duo do a reenactment of a German children's story called "Paulinchen", I decided to buy the collection of stories it appears in. It's called Der Struwwelpeter, named after one of the characters.

Written in 1845 by Heinrich Hoffman, the book contains a set of cautionary tales for children. Sometimes horrific, sometimes bizarre, and always entertaining, the book offers a great view into German culture of the time, including parenting insights and the view on racism.

Nina, a German who has already been a guest on the podcast several times, joins me to discuss Struwwelpeter and some of the works of the Brothers Grimm.

My German podcast with Nina: Die Deutsche und der Ausländer
Nina on Instagram: @nmw1802

JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/theGermanyExperience

 Visit the official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de

Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience

Review the podcast: https://thegermanyexperience.de/rate

 Contact me: [email protected]

Instagram: the.germany.experience
Official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de
YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience
Contact me: [email protected]

Podcast Intro Music by: Adrian Bran

Both Beth and Amy have appeared on The Germany Experience before, and now they come back on together after having forged a friendship here in Germany. But, as often happens with foreigner friendships, Amy moved back home. We discuss making friends in Germany, what it's like losing foreigner friends, reaching a point of acceptance with life in Germany, and their related tattoos.

Beth and Amy also help me answer a question from a listener who is constantly excluded from discussions at work because one of her colleagues doesn't switch to English when she's around.

Beth's appearances on The Germany Experience:
The 5 phases of culture shock (Beth from the USA)
Feeling weighed down by the pandemic, and making the trip back home (Beth from the USA)

Amy's The Germany Experience episode:
Sandals and socks, making friends with Germans, and "selfishly" staying in Germany (Amy from the USA)

Beth on Instagram: @bethingermany
Amy on Instagram: @amyholt11

JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/theGermanyExperience

 Visit the official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de

Subscribe to the YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience

Review the podcast: https://thegermanyexperience.de/rate

 Contact me: [email protected]

Instagram: the.germany.experience
Official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de
YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience
Contact me: [email protected]

Podcast Intro Music by: Adrian Bran

//This episode was originally released on 18th May 2020//

Montana Showalter was an American high school student who went on an exchange program to Germany (called CBYX). At around the same time, she started a YouTube channel intended to document her experiences in Germany. Little did she know that her channel was about to blow up. In our interview, Montana discusses the differences in culture between the US and Germany, how coronavirus cut her Germany stay short, how Germany changed her, and of course, her YouTube success.

Watch her videos: Montana Showalter's YouTube channel

Two of her videos we mention in the interview:

• "Who am I?" - A Personal Essay From My Exchange Year
• Forced To Leave Germany (Statement Of Departure)

Montana on Instagram: Montana.Showalter

The exchange program Montana was on: CBYX CIEE

The festival in Passau that Montana mentioned: Passauer Dult

Links to more The Germany Experience episodes, my newsletter, and my social media: thegermanyexperience.de/subscribe

JOIN THE THE GERMANY EXPERIENCE FACEBOOK GROUP

Visit the official The Germany Experience website.

Instagram: the.germany.experience
Official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de
YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/c/thegermanyexperience
Contact me: [email protected]

Podcast Intro Music by: Adrian Bran