2018 started with a bang, by which I mean that Johann and I needed to beat the ice off the frozen hinges of our front door with a cinder block. Thank you, America. I asked you to make Johann’s first trip to the States a memorable one and you delivered.
Those East Coast shenanigans were even more bittersweet considering that I had just signed a three-year contract in Munich. Beginning in February, I would be living in Germany, which is a country that frowns upon making a spectacle of oneself by say, beating things with concrete or smiling in public. In Germany, everything is by the rules and the rules are all in high German, which made for quite a struggle.
The hardest part of moving to Germany was adjusting to a life more settled. As much as I appreciated the chance to live abroad, I missed the freedom and excitement of traveling constantly. And so, most of the year was spent negotiating the new terms of life, of living with a partner in tiny quarters and not picking up every few weeks to visit the most exotic location I could think of. My days were now spent furniture shopping and learning a new language and adjusting to life with more than one suitcase. It wasn’t good or bad, so much as different. And it was a change that took some getting used to.
On a happier note, Johann was a constant presence throughout the year, often answering questions that I never thought I’d have to ask, such as:
How does one get a bird out of a museum?
And, my favorite, would you still love me if I was in a rap video about Estonian vodka?
Some other highlights from 2018 that don’t fit the narrative:
The New York Times suggested that buying a pair of scissors was a life-changing event and I told them exactly where to put the scissors for that to be true.
The real estate firm that rented me a Munich apartment asked if I would be part of an ad campaign and then paid me €50 not to be in that ad campaign.
The World Cup happened and I, a person with no authority or expertise whatsoever, came thisclose to picking the winner.
I blogged about my terrible passport photo looking more like a mugshot, which resulted in some curious autofill suggestions on Google.
My downstairs neighbors trapped a bird in the stairway and I did my best to trap that same bird in my apartment.
I gave pep talks, a bunch of them – about taking control of your career and keeping a hobby and not owning everyone else’s bullshit. A lot of you liked them, so here they are again.
I also coined some terms:
The fair minimum: the amount of effort I put into my day job
Survival of the richest: the commoditization of safety for the wealthy
America, For Real?:a party game in which foreigners must guess if absurd products, customs and events are uniquely American or completely made up
Living the high[light] life: what Instagram makes it look like everyone else is doing while you sit on the couch
“All That” budgeting: designing a personal budget that maximizes value over materialism
In one of my final posts of the year, I announced that I was learning Italian, which is not exactly an efficient use of my time although it did produce some great material. But I had a good reason for doing that and now I’ll tell you what it is: Johann and I will be living in Venice for much of next year. Johann decided to do a semester at the university there and I, of course, couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tag along. We leave at the end of January and come back in mid-June.
And so, it seems, 2019 will be starting with a bang of its own, though hopefully not a splash.
Thank you to everyone who followed along this past year. There were ups and downs, but overall it was another good one for me. I hope you can say the same.
Best wishes for a happy, healthy and successful 2019!
That’s fantastic news! And you will be there before the hordes of tourists arrive in the summer! What a great new adventure.
I remember many of the posts you linked, and I will read the rest later today. Let’s hope work will be quiet 😉
You had a wonderful year, and I’m excited to see what 2019 will bring! Happy New Year!
happy new year to you too! hope 2019 brings much health, happiness and success!
Wow, Venice! That sounds utterly brilliant.
thank you!! door’s open if you happen to be passing through
Happy New Year, Nova. Congrats on the new adventure :)
Happy (Belated) New Year, Nova. And congrats on the new adventure! Truly inspirational!
Hi Sophie – happy belated new year’s to you too! I’m excited for the new adventure. Look mw up if your own adventures take to you Europe or anywhere close. I would love to explore more of Northern Africa… I’ll be so close. xx