Day 6

It's Saturday, a week after we left Seattle.  In so many ways it feels like the blink of an eye and in others it feels like a year ago.  We have really learned so much and done so much since leaving home.  We hit the ground running in Berlin and have not stopped once since arriving.  We have a newfound appreciation for the immigrant experience knowing all too well that we have it so SO (complete understatement, I know) much better than most immigrants and/or regugees.  Not only was this a choice move and one just really for fun and the experience but we also have the language (Marty at least does) 3/4 of our family has the citizenship, we have an education and resources - both financial and family and friends here with all the important information we would need. Even with all of these benefits and advantages it is still really, really difficult, overwhelming and all-consuming.  And we have realized that we have this rather self-important attitude that we WILL get this to work out (Internet, insurance, food, schools, etc) we came with that attitude because unbeknownst to us we've had it our whole lives.  Privilege.  We have a lot of white and American privilege.  So much of living here is a learning experience and not just in where to find the grocery store and learning the language but truly being able to see the world from a very different perspective.

We have a rather lazy Saturday morning... Well, not really Kim or Marty.  She flew out of Berlin and they left for the airport around 4am!  Such a great visit, Kim.  Thank you SO much for coming and helping us set up.
In the afternoon we decide that since we still have the rental car we should drive to Cottbus, the town where Marty's parents are from which is about 90 minutes away.  About 10-15 years ago the apartment building next door to the one that Marty's dad grew up in went for sale through auction.  Marty and his parents bought it as an investment but also for a way to stay tied to Germany.  And then a few years after that the actual apartment building that his dad grew up in went up for sale and they bought that too.  These building purchases really did pave the way for us.  It set the wheels in motion for a long term commitment to and love of this area of Germany.  

When Marty and I first met we both said that if we moved to Germany we would like to live in this cute, quaint, small town.  And it really is cute but now that we live in busy, bustling Berlin we cannot imagine living in a place so small.  It is really nice to visit though.
To make owning property half way around the world work, we need someone local to manage everything for us.  Many years ago, Marty's dad found this woman, Frau Ehreke, who has been phenomenal.  She is always right on top of everything and communicates any problems or issues right away.  We visit with her and her family for most of the day.  They have 3 daughters, 2 older ones and one that is just one year older than Josie, named Bianca.   Benjamin and the two girls played together for hours while Marty asked Frau Ehreke and her husband so many important questions regarding insurance and taxes and so much more.  I, of course, cannot understand much but a few words more each day are seeping in my very tired brain.

When we are just about to leave their house Bianca invites us to go with them to some ride park.  So because we are in flexible vacation mode we say sure.  We drive just 10 minutes away to this crazy little ride park and the kids had a blast.  We haven't really done much (if any) touristy stuff and the kids (rightfully so) are a bit tired of just setting up life stuff.  

It is interesting to note that in Germany there is much more freedom to be.  Everyone here knows how to conduct themselves and therefore they need far fewer public policing.

 In this entire park there were just a few workers helping to make sure that the rides were running properly but Marty and I both mentioned that if this park were in Seattle there would be workers at every stage making sure people weren't doing things they weren't supposed to.  Overall a fun but tiring day as we didn't get back to Berlin until close to 10pm.