Hello 2021!

Happy New Year! 

It's finally 2021, and we're optimistically awaiting to see what this year has in store! Looking at what's planned for the year, you can bet it’s going to be another great adventure! We're looking forward to moving back to the U.S., even though several bittersweet feelings are associated with the move. We can't wait to officially meet our little niece and nephew and actually hold them versus seeing them through a computer screen. We're also patiently waiting for the green light to travel, so we can hopefully check off the last few "must see" places on our list before we leave. However, as we learned last year, it’s better not to plan too far ahead… 

Germany is still in a strict lockdown and just extended the restrictions to the end of January. The week before Christmas, new restrictions were implemented, nonessential travel was banned, and all nonessential businesses were closed. The closures included all department stores, clothing stores, boutiques, hairdressers, and schools (luckily, our Christmas shopping was complete, unlike some of Jeff's coworkers). Restaurants have been closed since the beginning of November and only open for take-out, so that didn't change; however, several seem to just be closed, which is hard to see. Instead of the hustle and bustle of Christmas shoppers, the city went quiet. A handful of residents continued to wander through the city center while peeking in the shop windows, but it was nothing like in previous years when the downtown was full of laughter, cheer, and so many Christmas markets. 

We attempted to plan a Christmas excursion during the past few months, but as the holiday approached, our plan A, B, C, and D were all scratched off the list, and we realized that this Christmas was going to be one celebrated at home. With time, we embraced the change of plans and looked at it as a once in a lifetime opportunity. With 10 days off and literally nothing to do (no house projects to complete, nothing to clean, and everything being shut down), we decided to soak up our time together. We went on daily walks, bundling up and beating the rain before it came. We treated ourselves to Starbucks and Christmas market pretzels, churros, and spiral potatoes. We even tried the fried Blumenkohl, aka cauliflower, with garlic sauce once, but it wasn't enough of a treat to get a second time. We enjoyed our own Glühwein indoors (good thing we have several Glühwein mugs from previous years!) as alcohol in public was also banned with the new restrictions. We watched countless Christmas movies, catching up on several that we haven't seen in years, and of course, watching the classics we enjoy every year, including A White Christmas, Elf, and The Muppet Christmas Carol. We played several games, completed all of our puzzles, and zoomed with family and friends. We continually joked that our days felt like groundhog’s day, but in the end, that was okay. 

On one of the nicer days, we caught the U-Bahn to Schloss Kalkum for a change of scenery. We enjoyed strolling through the castle gardens while admiring the picturesque moat that wrapped around the castle. There wasn’t much to look at since the castle itself was closed, but visiting castles, big or small, will never get old! 

We rang in the new year with our Canadian friends and were happy to celebrate with others and not just by ourselves. We watched from their balcony as their neighbors and many others took to the streets at midnight to shoot off countless fireworks, even though they were technically banned this year. We had a view overlooking the town and enjoyed the firework show in the distance as well as several up close. We had a traditional toast with champagne and Auld Lang Syne playing in the background, prosting to a new year while leaving 2020 behind as a mess of memories. 

As much as we joke about 2020 being a rough year, we really can’t complain too much. We're thankful that our families and we remain healthy and that Jeff has a steady job. We're grateful to be living abroad, even when we can't travel, and for all of the adventures, life lessons, and eye-opening experiences we've been able to share and continue to experience. In the year 2020, we learned to always have extra toilet paper and hand sanitizer at home, even if we're not close to running out. We learned that Amazon in Germany ships alcohol, which encouraged us to pick up a new hobby of creating specialty drinks. We learned which Etsy store sells the best face masks and how to fit a mask on your face with glasses (2021 may be the year of contacts for us!), but most importantly, we learned to slow down, something that we both struggle with… we learned to embrace the uncertainty and to take some time to just be with each other. These are life lessons we'll hold on to, and we know that in the future when life gets busy again, we'll look back at this year and wish we could have another excuse to sit around with no commitments, cozied up at home, just the two of us spending time together.