1. Separating Work Time and Personal Time is hard
When you live in the same place you work, it can be hard to separate work time and personal time. There are times when my host parents are home, but I am playing with the kids or watching a movie with them. Those times, are my personal time that I am choosing to be with them. But there is also an element of being a second parent. One Saturday, my day off, I was eating breakfast with the kids, while the mom was in the kitchen, and one of them was putting so much Nutella on their bread. I made a comment, but didn't stop him from putting it on, and later was told that I could and should step in in that situation. Sometimes you just don't know. For my family, they think of me as a second mom, so in those situations I should step in. So, now I know. Basically, if you want to have a clear separation, when you're not "on the clock", go out or go to your room, so you don't have to deal with sticky situations.
2. Don't mess with Visa Stuff
You can take some time and read one of my previous posts about getting a Visa, but basically, don't mess around and do what they say to a T. German's tend to be a little more type A, so if they say have an A1 level of German, have it! Check out my post about Visa's here.
3. I'm More of a Maid and Housekeeper than a Nanny.
The first month I was here, I spent almost everyday with the kids, because they were on summer vacation. Now they are back in school, and I am home alone, doing ungodly amounts of laundry and keeping up with the house. Everyone's family needs are different, but since both kids are in school, I help more around the house than some Au Pair's do. I am responsible to help cook dinner in the evenings, clean up after meals, start and unload the dishwasher, do laundry, keep the house picked up and go grocery shopping. Thankfully, I don't have heavy cleaning, since there is a cleaning lady who comes once a week, but I am still doing a lot. And, I also have to take and pick up the kids from school, and be with them when they get home. So I am looking at this year as an opportunity to see what it is like to be a housewife.
Here is a list of a few things that I forgot, or didn't think of brining that I wish I had:
- Student ID- you can use this all across Europe and Germany, and get discounts on all kinds of stuff. Even though I technically graduated, I had my mom send me mine, because I am not making lots of money, and every little bit that I can save helps. You can get discounts on museum entires, tours, cinemas, etc, as well as you bank. My bank charges a few Euros a month to keep the account open, UNLESS you're a student. SO bring yours!
- Checks- if you have a checking account in the US and have checks, BRING THEM. And I am not talking about travelers check, no one really uses them anymore. I had no idea that I could write a check here in Germany at the bank and it would transfer into my new German Account. Now, this does take time, but it is the simplest way to transfer money, and there are no fees involved! I had my mom send me 4 checks, so if I needed them throughout the year, I had a few extra. So if people want to give you money for Christmas or your birthday or any other reason, they can put it into your US account, and then you can write a check for it to be transferred into your German account! Pretty cool, right?
- Emergency Credit Card- About 2 weeks before I left, I realized that it might be wise to have an Emergency Credit Card to take when traveling or in case I need it in Germany. I've never had a credit card, other than one through a department store, so I have always been nervous about carrying one, but I decided it was probably a good idea. Unfortunately, mine is currently in a box somewhere, that was shipped from my parents almost a month ago, but I am still praying it is on its way. None the less, I feel more comfortable knowing if anything happened, I can access more money if I need to. Unfortunately the easiest card for me to get was through my bank, which will have international usage fees, but I think that is almost good, because I won't be tempted to use it unless its an emergency!
- Locks- A luggage lock and a lock for storage in hostels. When I went to Munich a few weeks ago, I realized I didn't have a luggage lock, or a lock for a locker to store my stuff in the Hostel. If you're doing any sort of traveling, bring one. It easier than trying to find a store here that sells them. Thankfully, my host family had an extra one they loaned me , which was very helpful.
- Medicines- I was thoughtful in bringing some meds, but there are a few I wish I had. Anti-Biotic Ointment is one thing I didn't bring, and now I regret it. I don't know where they sell it, because I can't find it at any store I have been to. Also other sorts of creams, like Hydrocortisone. Bring them, so you have them when you need them and you're not scrambling trying to find them here when you need them.
Those are some of my tips and things that I have learned so far. Thanks for reading. Check back soon for more posts and a video tour of my house!