Adapting To Life In Germany Episodes
Lessons from changing jobs in Germany (Alexandrea from the USA)
June 22, 2022
Alexandrea from the USA (and former guest on the podcast ) left her job in Hamburg for one in Frankfurt. However, she realized almost immediately that the new job was not a good fit. She left during her trial period and foun…
Helping families to meet like-minded families (Dzhangar from MatchFamilies)
June 15, 2022
During Dzhangar's first years in Germany, he noticed what many foreigners notice: how difficult it was for his family to meet other like-minded families. And making friends is crucial. It helps to make you feel more at home,…
Eurovision Song Contest 2022 recap, the importance of community, and redefining your identity (Beth from the USA)
May 17, 2022
Beth comes back on the podcast to discuss how she recently found herself post-pandemic in a world that had shrunk to just her job and her family. While this isn't a bad thing, Beth was lacking a feeling of community. She als…
Using your own culture to integrate in Germany (Saehee from the USA)
May 12, 2022
When Saehee, a Korean American, first moved from the States to Germany, she struggled to adjust for many different reasons. This led to her feeling depressed and lonely. But that would all change once she started getting ba…
Language barrier problems, and overcoming the challenges involved with reporting sexual assault (Mei Chi from Hong Kong)
April 6, 2022
When Mei Chi arrived in Germany, she faced several challenges caused by the language and cultural barrier. Not understanding German can result in some minor inconveniences that make funny stories later on, but other misunder…
Writing a Eurovision song, and traveling to the Arctic and Antarctic (Fadi from the UK)
March 2, 2022
Fadi Gaziri returns to the show to talk about writing a song for the Eurovision song contest. We talk about why we love the Eurovision song contest so much, what makes a good Eurovision song, and how countries select their e…
Visa struggles, escaping the pandemic on an organic farm, and being a musician in Germany (Laura Osburn from Canada)
Feb. 16, 2022
Laura Osburn is a singer/songwriter from Canada who came to Germany in January 2020 to work on her album and play live shows – and both those plans have been derailed by COVID. We talk about her struggles to get a long-term …
Podcasts, why we love them, and how they help foreigners (Marina and Greta from Buongiorno Bitch)
Feb. 2, 2022
Marina is from Spain and Greta is from Italy, and together they host a podcast called Buongiorno Bitch . They join me to discuss our love for podcasts, and how they can help foreigners. We also talk about how both of them en…
Making German easier with “-chen” endings, a PhD as a job, and Germans take long to say goodbye (Jeanette from the USA)
Dec. 15, 2021
Jeanette from the USA moved to Germany to continue her studies, and ended up in a PhD program in Aachen. She discusses her experiences making friends while studying, learning German, and her life as a PhD student in Germany.…
The leaving Germany episode
Dec. 1, 2021
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…
Health insurance in Germany Q&A, with Techniker Krankenkasse
Nov. 17, 2021
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…
"Was guckst du?": A 20 year love/hate relationship with Germany (Elizabeth from the USA)
Nov. 10, 2021
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 …
The Expat Spouses Report - the results are in (Amaia from Expats & Spouses Monitor)
Nov. 3, 2021
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, …
Shopping habits, my German nemesis, problems with dialects, and more: Q&A episode
Oct. 27, 2021
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 @Soundinglu…
Foreigner friendships, moving back home, and “F**k it” moments (Beth & Amy from the USA)
Sept. 29, 2021
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…