We’re Moving to Germany!

I can’t believe we’re actually doing this, but we are. The past month has been an emotional whirlwind but we are finally starting to process that we are moving to another country!

Why are we moving? The short answer is that life is short. The kids are getting older at a terribly fast pace and before they grow up and leave us, we want to spend as much time as possible, creating memories and doing the things we love.

Our best memories as a family are made when it is just the four of us, taking road trips, staying in weird AirBnbs, and visiting new places.

After our first “big trip” to France in 2017, we came home wondering how we could spend more time doing things like that. With Matt’s very limited vacation time at work, it sometimes meant he was not able to join us, or that his trips were cut short. We started thinking and discussing the potential for a move overseas.

So, that fall, I started searching USAjobs for overseas positions. I spent the next three years refining my resume and applying to positions here and there. We knew it was a long shot since there aren’t many federal jobs overseas, and for the ones that exist, the competition is really tough. I had a few interviews and even was a ‘second choice’ twice but nothing ever materialized. With the kids getting close to their high school years, we decided that if nothing happened by Summer 2021, we would shelf the idea.

During 2020, there were hardly any positions posted due to Covid, but shortly before Christmas, I was invited to an interview for a position in Stuttgart, Germany, which then quickly led to an offer.

I had four days to reply. House Hunters International makes moving your family to a new country look fun and exciting, but what they don’t tell you about is the anxiety, fear, guilt, and downright panic phase you have to go through. We discussed everything with the kids, we stressed, and cried, and weighed the pros and cons. We finally decided we definitely were not that adventurous and I was going to turn it down. My check-in was supposed to happen on Day Four, but the day came and went and I didn’t hear anything. I spent the day second guessing our decision. When Matt came home that night, he said that he had also been thinking about it all day. He basically said that we needed to do this or we would be spending the rest of our lives thinking “what if?”

The check-in came on Day Five and with the encouragement of the kids, I clicked the “yes” box.

Here we are about four weeks later, gearing up to go on this great adventure. We’ve been busy telling our friends and family, going through everything we own and purging what we can; sorting items into what we will bring and what we will store, and trying to tackle the miles-long to-do list that we have to get through. No matter how much we cross off each day, the list continues to grow.

At this point, we still don’t even know our departure date. Matt and the kids will definitely be here through the end of the school year. I have agreed to arrive on-site anytime between February and June. Hopefully we will get the final dates this week and can really put the plan into motion.

As much fear and anxiety as we have, we are still so excited to start this adventure!