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Expat-Repat : After 6 years in Germany, Qualities I Want To Take Home

Michelle Newby — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 22:12:27 +0000

I can’t believe the time has come for us to pack up our lives and move home to New York.

When we moved to Germany in 2015 - the first few weeks we had some ‘culture shock’ moments: “How do I get the grocery cart unlocked??” “why are there so many different ways to throw out garbage??” “Why does EVERYONE drive a hatchback car"??”. My Dad mentioned on a call “You should write a blog post about it! Because soon it will all feel normal.” And I am so glad I did, because it is a wonderful and timeless snapshot of our ‘deer in headlights’ moments. (blog posts here and here).

Now, only a day before the movers come to pack up our life in Nuremberg, Germany - I wanted to list down some qualities that I love about German life that I hope to take home with us (and not forget once we’ve re-settled into American life).

Please keep in mind, I am not saying the American way is all wrong. I am only saying, we can always learn from each other, and here are some of my favorites i’ve learned:

MINIMALISM

This is something I have really grown to LOVE about Germany. You do not feel the need to buy buy buy. It really allows you to enjoy life when you’re not stressed about ‘quickly running to the store’.

For example: during the Christmas season, the focus is on quality family time (and lets be honest - the Christmas markets!) The focus is NOT on feeling the need to buy gifts for everyone you know. You’re able to spend your time enjoying the holiday season, enjoying time with family, enjoying traditions - without the unnecessary stress of having a million presents under the tree (which lets be real, the kids wont remember all the gifts anyway)!

Another example: For kids birthdays, it is typical that you will get ONE small gift from each person. (a small book or a nice piece of clothing, etc). Not piles of gifts from people. And honestly? It is more enjoyable. I can remember exactly what every person that came to Charlottes 1st birthday got for her - because each was simple and thoughtful.

Note to my future American self: Stop buying unnecessary things. Set boundaries for gifts at holidays & raise my children to understand that love is not shown through gifts.

RECYCLING / NO SINGLE USE PLASTIC

Ok, i’ll admit it - when we first moved here I thought - “we need 4 different types of garbage bags AND we need to recycle glass in 3 separate colorway bins?” And now? I love it.

And the no single use plastic?? Amazing. After my first year in Germany I came back to the US and it hit me - I cannot believe how much single use plastic we use in the US! Where do we think it all goes?? Birthday parties with 30+ plastic plates, forks, knives, spoons, cups that will be used once then thrown away (not even recycled). It broke my heart.

Something i’ll always remember here in Germany - every Thanksgiving & Christmas, our fellow expat friends (shout out to Kerry & Chris) would host a party (pre covid). They would have about 40+ people over their home for a buffet dinner -and the plates we would use? Reusable Ikea plates / cutlery, etc. (you can see in the image to the left). After we used them, we’d stack them outside on their balcony - and they would wash them all to be saved when we left. Of course, it is MUCH more work - but it really makes a difference.

Note to my future American self: Stop with the single use plastic. seriously. it can be done.

SLOW SUNDAYS

In Germany, all stores are closed on Sunday. Clothing stores, pharmacies - even GROCERY STORES! I’ll admit, when we first moved here we thought it was crazy. “But, what do I do with the day? I have so many errands to run!” And of course, we had the occasional “I forgot to get X at the grocery store on Saturday, now we cant make this for dinner tonight”.

But then we learned to love and appreciate our Sundays. Bike rides to the park to read books, picnics, Facetiming with family in the afternoon. (and once Charlotte was older - lots of visits to the playground). Sunday became our day to slow down before the next week of work started.

Note to my future American self: Slow down on Sundays. Don’t spend your entire Sunday in the car running errands to then have to start the next week of work stressed and feeling like you never relaxed.

LÜFTEN (airing out a room)

In Bavaria, you’ll find that even in the dead of winter people will open up their windows every day for what they call “Lüften” or airing out a room. Sometimes you’ll even find it as a legally binding clause in rental agreements to protect against mold. They believe that regular ventilation of indoor spaces improves the quality of air in a home or workplace (it was common at the adidas HQ for your papers on your desk to be blown off because of a coworker swinging the window wide open).

And the past year in a global pandemic? It became almost mandatory.

During the summertime in Germany, Lüften took on a different strategy. You see, we don’t have air conditioning in our apartment (as most do not), and some days in the summer got up to 95 degrees! The strategy: Open ALL The windows in the morning while it was still cool, and by 11am when it would start to heat up, close the windows (and sometimes draw the curtains on an especially hot day) to keep the cool air in.

Note to my future American self: Open the windows in your home at least once a day! Even in the summer before we turn our air conditioning on.

WALKING / THE GREAT OUTDOORS

In the theme of ‘fresh air’ - one thing we’ve loved about our time in Nuremberg was the walkability of the city. After driving home on a Friday after work, it was common that we would park our car and not use it again until Monday morning.

Walking to the grocery store, our friends home, the weekend market, the playground, into the city to stop by Zara & H&M? All on our own two feet. (or on our bikes). From what I’ve been reading on other ‘Repatriation’ blogs is that they all feel ‘chained’ to their cars once they move back to the US. I know the use of our cars will increase when we move home, but I hope we still have some things within walking distance.

Note to my future American self: get outside and WALK wherever possible. Ride your bikes, enjoy the fresh air!

HOLIDAYS! (aka Vacations)

Last - but absolutely not least: vacations. VACATIONS!

Before I moved to Germany, I would get only 10 days vacation, and not even use them all! They would just go to waste. Am I crazy?! What was I thinking? Oh yes, I was feeling the guilt of not spending 100% of my time on my job.

In Germany? Taking time for yourself and your family is self care. It makes you a better worker, a better parent, a better friend. AND? You have amazing memories to look back on.

During these past 6 years, I’ve thought of our holidays as ‘bookmarks’ in our lives. The moments in my life I can clearly look back, remember amazing experiences and wonderful times spent with my family. I want to continue creating those ‘bookmarks’ for Charlotte.

Note to my future American self: I know you’re busy, I know you get caught up with work, I know you will feel guilty about taking a ‘long weekend’ (remember the days of taking 1 month off with no guilt? - do it. It is your life. Enjoy it!

I’m sure there are so many other things that i’m forgetting (because let’s be honest - its midnight only a few hours before the movers come - my mind is currently somewhere else). If you think of anything additional - write it in the comments below!

First impressions of Germany
2 Months living in Germany
1st year in review

Life as an Expat Family in Germany during a Global Pandemic

Michelle Newby — Thu, 25 Mar 2021 21:17:00 +0000

2020 - what a year, eh? A global pandemic is not easy on anyone, but it posed some interesting struggles on expat families.

Expat families typically have to rely on each other more than others - that is the nature of being an expat. You are an outsider navigating an unknown country so your spouse/family become even more important.

But this year of being in literal lockdown / quarantine in our tiny Nuremberg apartment definitely made us stronger (and crazier) as a family.

Here are some pros & cons of being an expat in Germany during a global pandemic.

Pros:

JOB SECURITY / WORK LIFE BALANCE

Despite having to work from home with a toddler from March - July 2020, we were never judged by our company / managers. Taking calls with a Charlotte yelling in the background, having to miss meetings due to a needy toddler - I never once worried about my job. That was a wonderful feeling despite the chaos - that in Germany, your job is very much secure.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Germany takes the need for fresh air very seriously. So when the pandemic first hit in Spring of 2020, that was one thing they did not take away from us - in fact - they promoted it. They know the importance of getting outside, exercise and fresh air for your mental and physical well being. And with a toddler and a small apartment?? We needed it for our sanity!

EXPAT FRIENDS WHO BECOME FAMILY

One wonderful factor about living in another country is you are automatically connected to fellow expats as you’re all in the same boat. And during the pandemic? That connection becomes even more important. To emotionally and mentally have people who are experiencing the same struggles as you? It was crucial for Andrew and I - but also crucial for Charlotte to have a best friend she could look forward to seeing every weekend. They became our stability during this chaotic year, and we will forever be connected through that.

Cons:

LOST IN TRANSLATION & STRICTER RULES

With the constant changing of rules and regulations (Germany does love their rules) - it was an added struggle to find the translations or ask your German coworker “… so we cannot drive 10km from our home?!”

Also - about these rules… there were a lot. And seem to be getting stricter by the month. Stores? Closed. Hotels? Closed. Ok, how about a remote airbnb in the mountains? Closed. Driving beyond 10km from your home? No. Over the wintertime we could not see more than ONE person in our home? So that expat family that we love so dearly? No.

And you know what - in Germany we’ve accepted to follow the rules no matter how ridiculous. And I had thought other Germans did as well… so why do the numbers keep going up??

NO FAMILY SUPPORT

Other coworkers who had families within Germany (or even in neighboring countries) heavily relied on their family during this time. Spending weeks at a time at the grandparents place so the kids could be given all of the love and attention they deserve while the parents are able to work. We did not have this option.

IT WAS ALL ON US

During this time Andrew and I were actually our most busy at work (sport/fitness saw a big boom during the pandemic). Two full time working parents plus a toddler at home? What could go wrong?? :)

This meant weekly planning of who would have Charlotte for the first half of the day while the other was in the glorious “bedroom/office” able to work in silence. (And then we’d switch for the second half of the day).

But just because you were not in the “bedroom/office” did not mean that you didn’t have to work to do. I’ve taken conference calls in varying locations this past spring: On walks, at the playground, while giving Charlotte a bath, while changing her diaper. This is when I became obsessive about checking if I was on mute to make sure I don’t say “don’t stick that piece of banana up your nose” on an 80 person conference call.

There was a lot of literal ‘passing’ Charlotte off to each other - and there were a lot of tears (from all of us), but we did it - and it made us stronger.

NO FAMILY IN GENERAL

This was the most difficult. Since becoming expats in 2015, what made it ‘ok’ was the thought that home was only a flight away. We typically visited family in the US about twice a year. Then the pandemic hit. 3 different trips we had planned home - all canceled. When we were planning our xmas trip home for 4 weeks in 2020, I said to Andrew “there is NO WAY that we are not going home, we need to see our family” - and yep! it was canceled.

Not seeing family for 15 months is tough enough - but with a toddler?? It’s heartbreaking. That is practically half of her life! She has grown so much, her personality has constantly changed and our family hasn’t experienced it.

But the toddler is also what makes the traveling home so complicated. International flights with a toddler is already a headache, but add COVID tests & a mandatory mask? This will be fun!

VERY SLOW ROLLOUT OF THE VACCINE

It feels as if we are very far behind in regards to speed of rolling out the vaccine to the public. I’m not sure of the specifics - but i’ve definitely heard that is a big frustration.

So that was my summary of some of the pros and cons of expat life as a family in Germany. What has been weighing on us most is the distance to family - which is one of the reasons why we decided to move back to the US in April of this year! We’re sad - we’re excited - we’re nervous - we’re feeling all the emotions!

Having a baby in Germany vs the US
Road Trip with a Baby
Road Trip with a Toddler

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

Road Trip to Provence with a Toddler: Itinerary and Hotels

Michelle Newby — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 21:13:50 +0000

When we travel I become slightly obsessed with the details. Excel sheet itineraries / powerpoints with examples of activities. I will admit, I love it more than my job. Since moving to Germany, we have always known when & where our ‘next’ trip would be. It gave me something to research and obsess over. Watching youtube videos of the location, reading bloggers experiences of hotels, searching inspiration on instagram.

We were planned to go on vacation end of April with my Parents. The dream plan: We would meet in Paris, Charlotte would try her first French Macaron, we would have a picnic in Luxembourg Gardens and lots of quality time with the Grandparents. (also allowing Andrew and I to have a very rare date night). Then we would move on to Disneyland Paris (a dream of mine to go there… oh yeah, and for Charlotte to go too of course… haha). Then fly down to spend a week in Provence/Cote d’Azur.

Then… COVID19.

All plans stopped. Work. Daycare. Birthdays. everything.

What we thought would only be 4-5 weeks of the daycare being closed turned into 18 weeks. 18 weeks of honestly.. stress. Because although her daycare closed, work did not. In fact, both Andrew & my jobs got even busier. (great for the business, not for parents). The first few weeks were pure chaos. Literally passing Charlotte off to each other in the hallway as we ran into our office (aka bedroom with a small table) to present on a conference call.

We slowly found a new routine. I would take Charlotte in the morning (while taking conference calls from the playground), and then Andrew and I would switch so I could have uninterrupted work time in our ‘office’. And then we would both get back ‘online’ after Char went to sleep from about 8:30pm-1am. EVERY NIGHT. For 18 WEEKS. (We were desperately missing our family back in the US who would have gladly stepped in to take on the babysitting role). Believe me - I was also LOVING the extra quality time I was having with Charlotte. Allowing me to make so many memories with her. But we had no time for ourselves. Any time that wasn’t spent on Charlotte, or work, would be spent on catching up on much needed sleep.

There was crying, exhaustion and temper tantrums. And I’m not even talking about Charlotte.

During quarantine it was impossible to turn work ‘off’. We weren’t ‘working from home’ we were ‘living at work’. Calls/whats app texts/emails/messages at all hours of the day. That is when we decided : we need to take a break. Turn work off and spend quality time together.

Traveling in Europe during COVID19 (July 2020)

Things to keep in mind:

At the time we planned to take our trip, the borders to European countries were open.
We felt it was much safer to drive than fly.
We tried to stay at smaller hotels/bed and breakfasts/airbnbs etc, to distance ourselves as much as possible.
Masks in indoor public spaces were required.
The drive down to Aix en Provence (the furthest location) was only 11 hours. (New York - Orlando, Florida - a road trip our family would do often is a 16 hour drive, so this seemed easy).

Southern France Road Trip Itinerary

For more information on how I built this itinerary and tips on a road trip with a toddler, see this separate blog post.

Colmar, France - 2 Nights
Geneva, Switzerland - 2 Nights
Gordes, France - 3 Nights
Aix en Provence, France - 3 Nights
Nice, France - 3 Nights
Lake Maggiore, Italy - 2 Nights
Allgau, Germany - 2 Nights

Location Details

COLMAR, FRANCE: 2 NIGHTS

Location: Beautiful & colorful village. Although its in France, the architecture reminded me a lot of Germany (its just over the border). Quite a small city which made it walkable and perfect for 2 nights.
Hotel: Le Colombier. Great location, easily walkable to all restaurants/shops/activities.
Food: French food with a touch of Germany. Which meant heavier food like meat, potatoes but also foie gras, baguettes, etc.
Kid Friendly:
- Splash Park @ Parc du Champ de Mars
- New Playground @ Complexe sportif de la Montagne Verte

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: 2 NIGHTS

Location: EXPENSIVE. Everything about this city is expensive. The city is built around the lake.
Hotel: Hotel Longemalle: Great location a few blocks from the lake and the center of all the restaurants. Small balcony with great views.
Food: Delicious but expensive. Burgers were starting at $40. It was difficult to find a ‘middle ground’ for food. If it were Andrew and I on a date I could justify these restaurants, but with Char when we rush through a dinner? It was too much.
Kid Friendly: The least kid friendly city on the trip.
What i’d change: We love Switzerland for the mountains. I would have found another city nearby closer to the mountains & more kid friendly.

GORDES, FRANCE: 3 NIGHTS

Location: Beautiful cliffside village. Good location for road trips
Hotel: Villa Hautvallon: I’m torn as I was most excited for this villa but it was unfortunately one of our worst memories of the trip. The hosts were quite restrictive and unfriendly, especially as this was a VERY expensive stay. There are so many other villas in the area, i’d recommend somewhere else.
Day Trips:
- Abbaye Notre Dame de Sénaque: Lavendar Fields (end of June/July when lavendar is in season)
- L’isle Sur La Sorgue: Amazing Provencal Market on Sundays with Antiques
- Avignon
- Bonniex
- Provencal Markets: Do some google researching for the schedule - but they basically have at least one every week in each village.
Kid Friendly: The hotel: quite dangerous for a toddler, but she loved the pool. The city: nice, but no playgrounds
What i’d change: I would have stayed 4 nights (in a different villa). There are so many gorgeous little villages within driving distance that we didn’t have enough time to see.

AIX EN PROVENCE, FRANCE: 3 NIGHTS

Location: Amazing, everything we needed. Mix of old world & new. Everything within walking distance
Hotel: Hotel Aquabella: PERFECT location. Just at the edge of the city which allowed them more space for a gorgeous pool / restaurant / etc
Food: Unlimited choice of restaurants. Brasseries / Bistros / Italian / Burgers / Mexican / Healthy (amazing avocado toast) / etc.
- Le Petit Bistrot Place Richelme - the most memorable meal. Escargot, steak tartare, foie gras - we ordered all my faves.
Kid Friendly: YES! our first experience with ‘kid menus’. Char loved the pool at the hotel. But there were no playgrounds nearby in the city
Shopping: Markets!! Amazing food markets & my most favorite outdoor antique market on Sundays at Cours Mirabeau (I bought some gorgeous antique linens)
- La Fromagerie du Passage - amazing cheese & wine store.
What i’d change: I would have stayed 4 nights.

NICE, FRANCE: 3 NIGHTS

Location: PERFECT. Amazing city + oceanfront. Mix of affordable x expensive. Very close to other cities
Hotel: Hotel West End Nice: Great location. Oceanfront, easily walkable & small balcony facing the ocean. It was a bit ‘older/outdated’ - but for the location I didn’t mind.
Food: So many options. Every meal was memorable. And the staff at every restaurant was wonderful.
- Z Tapas Restaurant
- Hotel Amour Beach: Laid back French restaurant on the beach with great staff & live music
- Le Grand Cafe de France
Kid Friendly: YES! All restaurants had kids menus & high chairs.
- Playground: Promenade du Paillon: The most AMAZING playground. It was massive and brand new.
What I’d Change: I would have stayed another night so we would have had time to do a day trip to a nearby city (Cannes, Monaco, Menton, Antibes, etc)

LAKE MAGGIORE, ITALY: 2 NIGHTS

Location: Amazing. Honestly better than we expected. We visited Lake Como 2 years ago on a road trip with Charlotte when she was 3 months old, so I wanted to find a different location, but in the same general area. We absolutely loved the Stresa region of Lake Maggiore. A gorgeous lake, a cute little downtown with italian restaurants, gelato & live music every night.
Hotel: Hotel La Palma: When I was researching Lake Maggiore - EVERYONE was recommending the La Palma hotel and now I understand. Great sized rooms, huge balcony facing the lake, great breakfast buffet. But the most important part? The POOLS. Yes, 2 pools! One lakeside and one on the roof with a great bar (which they will serve you drinks while you’re in the pool, yes please). Oh and both pools had a massive shallow end great for kids.
Food: Pizza, Pasta & Gelato: what more do you need? The prices were great. about 8 euros for a pizza? yes please!
Kid Friendly: Yes! Walkable town, a nice street to walk along the lake, playgrounds everywhere, kids menus & then of course - our hotel pool!
What I’d Change: We only stayed 2 nights (aka 1 full day) so we wished we stayed longer. There are also a lot of other towns along Lake Maggiore, so we could have spent time visiting those.

ALLGAU, GERMANY: 2 NIGHTS

Location: The drive from Switzerland to the Allgau was absolutely stunning. But unfortunately once we got to the hotel, there wasn’t a beautiful mountain view. But I wanted to stay in this area because it was the perfect halfway point to driving home.
Hotel: Tannenhof Sport & Spa: Nice, but also very expensive. It is known for being a very nice tennis hotel. They had at least 8 different courts, but unfortunately Andrew and I didn’t use them (and I did not want to embarrass myself in front of serious tennis players)
Food: We had 1/2 board at the hotel (breakfast & dinner) so we never left the hotel. The food was wonderful, and they had a kids buffet section which was great.
Kid Friendly: Yes, they had an indoor & outdoor pool. A small outdoor playground, and a massive and beautiful indoor playspace (with beautiful toys, i wanted to take them all!)
What i’d Change: We always like to end our trip at a nice spa hotel. Before heading back home to the chaos, its nice to have one last relaxing hotel stay where we don’t need to worry about finding a restaurant in the city, that everything is at the hotel. This hotel did all of those things, but i was missing the beautiful view that I know exists in the Allgau region.

Road Trip with a Baby
Paris Travel Guide
Road Trip with a Toddler

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

Road Trip with a Toddler: Tips and Tricks

Michelle Newby — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 21:03:49 +0000

Road trips… ah yes… what once was the ultimate freeing feeling: put the windows down, blast the music and see how long you can drive before absolutely needing a rest stop.

Wait, with a toddler?

“Mommy up up” pointing at the windows crying as we’re listening to “baby shark” for the 17th time hoping it keeps her from getting car sick as we sing along.

Oh how the times have changed.

I will admit - road trips are not exactly as they used to be. But, during the time of COVID19 and wanting to avoid planes, road trips are the way to go.

Whether it is a day trip to a remote lake, a weekend trip to the mountains, or a longer trip to disconnect from work - experiencing somewhere new has an unbelievable affect on your mind.

We just took a 2.5 week road trip from Germany down to Southern France in July 2020 (the borders to European countries are currently open) and stayed at 7 different locations throughout France, Switzerland, Italy & Germany. (full itinerary blog post). Along the way we learned a few tips that we wish we knew from the start - so I thought i’d share!

Let me also note: My parents used to drive down us to Florida to visit my Grandparents & go to Disney World. I am one of FOUR children. New York to Florida is 16 HOURS. How did my parents do that?! Several times!

Keep in mind: This is built from my personal experiences with our two year old daughter, Charlotte. I can imagine road tripping with more children / different ages you may have completely different experiences & needs. As all parents know - every child is different. So I hope there is at least one helpful tip in here for you! Also - please share any recommendations you have for road tripping with a child!

TIPS & TRICKS FOR ROAD TRIPPING WITH A TODDLER

MY STRATEGY FOR BUILDING A ROAD TRIP ITINERARY WITH A 2 YEAR OLD:

What are your must have locations? Ours was Provence & Nice.
What is the driving distance? Nuremberg to Provence is about 11 hours of driving.
Break up the drive: For us, we’ve found that drives shouldn’t be longer than 4 hours each as it would be too much for Charlotte. She gets antsy / car sick / etc. So I tried to find two stops on the way down that would help break up the drive. (Colmar & Geneva).
Spend at least 2 nights in a location: That way you have a full day to explore and don’t feel rushed. In our favorite spots we would spend 3 or 4 days in a location.
Time the drive for nap time: (she typically naps around 12-3ish). The days of our drive we would get breakfast (a light breakfast for her) play / pack / shower and get on the road around 11ish.
While you’re driving: We try to stop with less than one hour left on the drive. I would try to find a rest stop with a playground (surprisingly easy!) so Char can get out/play/stretch her legs. You can just google “playground” or “spielplatz'“ etc in google maps (thank god for iphones).

WHAT TO PACK FOR THE CAR:

A bag of easy/not messy snacks: Pretzels / Puffs / Rice Cakes / Fruit pouches / Raisins. (Char is also prone to carsickness so I kept snacks quite mild). Also - bonus points for snacks that take a while to eat! Any way you can pass the time driving with a toddler - take advantage!
A bag of toys/books: barbies / magnet book / favorite stuffed animal. We hadn’t done the ipad just because we weren’t sure if it would make her car sick.
White noise: We unfortunately didn’t think of this until our last 3 hour drive. Playing white noise through the bluetooth of the car speakers! DUH! She slept over 2 hours! it was amazing.
‘in case’ bag in the trunk: Change of clothes / Plastic bag (for carsick clothes) / roll of paper towels / wipes. Unfortunately we did have to use this one. On the side of a highway, a carsick-covered car seat, a sick baby, and 1.5 hours of driving still to go. It was one of the lowest points of our trip.
Distraction (make the kid laugh): With over an hour left of driving and a car sick toddler - we thought - we’re never going to make it. What do we do? Do we drive and she may get sick again?? The answer: make her laugh. We found that if she was laughing, she wasn’t getting sick. That included:
- Songs (Baby shark, Moana soundtrack, nursery rhymes)
- Playing: (Charlottes favorite) Take her Barbie or Bunny and make it jump around the car / bounce off of daddies head / etc. She thought it was hilarious.

HOTEL MUST HAVES:

Balcony: We’re not at the point of booking a ‘suite’ where we have a living room to hang out in after we put charlotte down to sleep, so we always look for a balcony. That way once shes asleep around 8:30pm, we hang out on the balcony most likely with a glass of wine. My goal was to either read or write in my journal, but most of the time I was posting picture from the day on Instagram.
Pool / Beach / Splash Park (in the city): Indoor or outdoor pools at the hotels are amazing. But if thats not available a beach or a splash park/fountain is equally fun (Found great ones in Colmar & Nice). This was probably her most favorite memories from our vacation.
Breakfast included: Such an easy way to start the day. You don’t have to think about where you will eat, just roll out of bed. And you can snag a croissant/apple/banana on the way out for a snack for charlotte later on. (oh god… i’m one of THOSE parents now!).
RANDOM TIP: RESEARCH PARKING - This was usually the most stressful part of the road trip. After driving 4 hours, Char wants to be out of the car, we’re stuck on one way roads trying to find the parking garage, we make a wrong turn, Charlotte is crying, we’re fighting. UGH! What a terrible way to start a new city. Research beforehand!

I know that I seem to be writing quite negatively about the drive, but there were some funny & memorable moments and once you’re in the location - it is SO worth it.

I would love to hear any other tips on traveling with a child! Please share in the comments below.

Road Trip to Provence, France with a Toddler: Itinerary and Hotels
15 Months of Parental Leave as an Expat: Benefits of Living in Germany
Road Trip with a Baby

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

15 Months of Parental Leave as an Expat in Germany: How to Make the Most of Every Month

Michelle Newby — Sun, 01 Mar 2020 21:16:19 +0000

So apparently i wrote this blog post in August 2019, and I never posted it! I most likely wrote it during one of Charlottes naps, and then completely forgot about it, until 6 months later!! (sounds about right!)

AUGUST 2019:

As my start date of going back to my “job” approaches (September 19th!), I cant help but feel extremely lucky for the past 15 months diving head first into my other “job” (mother).

My original plan was to take 12 months off (come back to work in June), but we had to wait for vacancies in the adidas daycare which didn’t open up until September. So I took the last 3 months as unpaid leave so I could spend the time with Charlotte.

When we told friends and family we were pregnant and having our baby in Germany, I was getting so many questions I wrote a blog post here. Its funny to now look back at what I had wrote, I was so focused on being pregnant and having the baby, that I didn’t think much about the ‘after’.

EXPAT PARENTAL LEAVE STRUGGLES

Living in Germany as an expat can sometimes feel.. lonely… and then spending a year out of work on maternity leave can feel even more alienating. Don’t get me wrong - I am grateful for my year of maternity leave. But - I loved my job, I loved working with my team, I loved working out at Crossfit every morning. And all of that came to a halt, and I was home alone every day with my (adorable) little baby girl.

Between Andrew and I, I am the more ‘social-needy’ one in the relationship. I love being around people, making new friends & working on projects in a group. So I was honestly worried that I would be jealous and spiteful when Andrew would come home from work telling me about his day.

So here are some of the ways I navigated through those fears, and made some of the most amazing memories (and friends) on that year off.

TIPS ON HOW TO NAVIGATE THROUGH PARENTAL LEAVE AS AN EXPAT

Create your own “mama tribe”:

Having a baby can sometimes feel alienating, especially if you are in a country that is not your home, with no family, and you don’t speak the language. Having friends who had babies of similar age was a lifesaver. Coffee meet ups, playground dates, etc.
I wasn’t friends with any of these girls prior to having Charlotte - I had only met them because of Charlotte!
If I heard a mother speaking english with her baby, I would literally be like “Hi! So you are an expat in Germany too? Be my friend!”. Babies give you a great excuse to make new friends.

Host a ‘baby brunch’ or playdate at your home”

Like i wrote earlier, i’m a ‘people person’. I love being surrounded by people, hosting parties, etc. And that didn’t need to stop once I had a baby! I will admit, the level of detail definitely went down because there is only so much you can get done during that one hour nap! But your friends will understand - we’re all in the same place.
Also - this is great for when its cold outside, and you don’t want to take over another cafe with your loud, crawling babies.

Don’t let yourself fall into the “trap”

You know, the trap of: “what did i even do today??” I fed Charlotte, cleaned up breakfast, put her down for a nap, fed myself, took a shower, did laundry, she woke up early from her nap, fed her lunch, cleaned again… etc etc” the day seems to fly by without feeling like you accomplished anything in particular!! And that is such a negative trap to fall into - because you are keeping your little mini-me alive, happy and healthy! I’d say that was a productive day! ;)
What help me stay out of that trap:
- Write lists! even with the simplest tasks. It feels so good to cross it off! And then I’d look back at the end of the day thinking “wait - I actually did get a lot done today!”
- Take pictures and videos of your little one and send your husband updates. Andrew loved seeing Charlotte throughout the day, and it felt nice to share what we were doing each day.
- Cooking! Charlotte was a pretty good napper, so I found it therapeutic and exciting to try to make new meals for dinner while she naps. Homemade gnocchi, indian night with homemade naan, basically anything from Half Baked Harvest. I felt like I had accomplished a task by the end of the day. (and Andrew loved it too!).

Get outside every day:

Once autumn hits Germany, it gets very dreary and grey until April. With a baby, it becomes easy to hibernate inside, but after some time it feels quite depressing. I would set up coffee dates with my “mama friends”, go for a walk into the city or just go for a walk in the park. Anything to get us out and get some fresh air in our lungs.

Facetime with family:

I feel so grateful that we are living in Germany during a time that Facetime exists. Although we are far from family, it makes us feel that much closer if i can see my family “face to face” every weekend.
Create a schedule for facetiming. It has helped so much knowing that on Sunday afternoon we ALWAYS facetime with both sets of parents (or grandparents to Charlotte).

Oh, and of course, how could I forget: TRAVEL

This will need to be saved for a separate blog post because it is so important & extensive. But to give you an idea - during my 15 months of parental leave, she had been on 26 plane rides & 12 countries.

I am so grateful for how much travel we did within her first year. She slept everywhere, I was the food, and she didn’t have an opinion of where we should go or what we should do. Now, at 20 months, things are becoming a bit more complicated. (but still amazing and worth it!)

Although it is of course not ideal to live far from family when you have a baby, I must admit… it was somewhat liberating. Knowing that we survived this first year all on our own. We delivered our baby in a German hospital, with no experience what-so-ever, and we somehow raised the most amazing little sweetheart.

Having a baby in Germany
Roadtrip with a Baby
1st Year in Germany

Instagram @mnewby14

The Most Delicious Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Recipe

Michelle Newby — Fri, 03 May 2019 14:18:00 +0000

About 6 months ago, I made a banana bread for one of my ‘baby brunches’ I had hosted at our home. I couldn’t seem to find “the perfect” recipe, so I ended up blending 3 different recipes into one. Since that brunch, I have probably made this exact recipe about 10 times, and every time I get the same reaction “omg, can you share the recipe?” So I am finally writing it all down! I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do!

The Most Delicious Chocolate Chunk

Banana Bread Recipe

NOTES:

It is important to let the ingredients get to room temperature first.
The buttermilk is the secret ingredient to make this bread super moist.
I actually bake my banana bread on the lower level of my oven, and add an additional empty pan on the top level of the oven otherwise the top of my banana bread gets too burned. (but that is just because of my silly German oven!)
It tastes even better the next day! It somehow gets extra moist. Thats why its the perfect ‘make ahead’ recipe if you’re hosting a brunch, etc.
Feel free to omit the chocolate or add in any additional ingredients (walnuts are a great choice!)

INGREDIENTS:

3 large extra ripe bananas (about 1 1/2 cups mashed) - the browner the better!
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 tablespoons butter (softened) / (113 grams)
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 dark chocolate bar roughly chopped (about 65% cocoa)

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 325 F (165 C).
Grease & flour a loaf pan.
In a small bowl, mash bananas until creamy and stir in lemon juice. Set aside.
In a medium size bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon & salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter & sugars.
Add in eggs and beat until combined.
Mix in the bananas.
Mix in the vanilla extract & buttermilk and beat until combined.
Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture.
VERY IMPORTANT: STIR THE DRY MIXTURE GENTLY, JUST UNTIL THE FLOUR IS INCORPORATED. DO NOT OVER STIR. (it’ll turn out dry / tough)
Fold in the chocolate chunks (but save a few to the side).
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan (then stick some of the saved chocolate chunks to the top - it’ll make it look extra pretty/chocolatey!).
Bake on the center rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cooking times may vary. Check on the bread at about 1 hour. Insert a toothpick into the center, it should come out clean and the bread should be golden on the outside. (my oven is a bit off so it takes about 1 hour 30 minutes)
Let cool for about 5 minutes and then remove the bread from the pan and place on a cooling rack to finish cooling.
I know it will be hard to resist, but its best if the banana bread sets for 30 minutes before cutting into it.
Slice & enjoy! (It tastes even better the next day!)

Fig & Crispy Proscuitto Kale Salad
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Sweet Potato Gnocchi

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

An Alpine Cheese Festival in Switzerland!

Michelle Newby — Tue, 23 Apr 2019 10:21:10 +0000

Our second day in Switzerland somehow magically fell on the same exact day as an Alpine Cheese Festival (Alpkäsefest) on the top of the Grosse Scheidegg mountain in the middle of Switzerland. It was surrounded by blue skies and lazy cows grazing the hilly green grass. My dreams were literally coming true.

First - let me quickly stop and point out the obvious - I am very far behind on my blog posts. For some reason, ahem Charlotte , I haven’t found the time to actually sit down and gather my thoughts to write a post.

So I am now going back in time to September 2018 when Andrew, myself and 2.5 month old Charlotte took a 4 week road trip down to Italy from Germany.

Although I am an obsessive travel researcher, I honestly had no idea there was a Cheese Festival only 30 minutes from our hotel in Switzerland! After getting some “directions” from the woman who owned the hotel (when I say ‘directions’, I mean half of them were correct). We packed up Charlottes diaper bag, brought the stroller (which we never used btw), strapped Charlotte to me with the ergo carrier and made our way down to the bus stop hoping we were waiting at the right one.

It was a crazy, windy, and steep ride up the mountain. The road to the top of the mountain was so windy that every time we would approach a corner where we would turn, the bus would play a funny sounding horn song to alert the bus coming in the other direction.

We made it to the top and were rewarded with the most unbelievable view.

“This is Switzerland” I thought to myself.

We took some time strolling through the mountain side. (aka, I was trying to get as close to the cows as possible while still at a safe distance since I had Charlotte strapped to me). They all had little cow bells on them, and it made the most peaceful chime that I will forever remember.

The Alpine Cheese Festival on top of the Grosse Scheidegg Mountain in Switzerland

We didn’t want to leave this perfect little spot, but the cheese festival was calling our name.

There were different wooden huts each with their own specialty cheese. And when you looked inside the wooden huts, you’d find they were stacked high with delicious CHEESE!!

You could either walk around doing a taste test of each flavor of cheese (which we did - how could we NOT?), or you could go up and get yourself a whole slab of cheese for later! They also had beer, wine and tasty little cakes (which we enjoyed with the most beautiful view).

This Alpine Cheese Festival on the top of Grosse Scheidegg in Grindewald, Switzerland will forever hold a special place in my heart. It was such a perfect way to start our road trip down to Italy with Charlotte when she was only 2.5 months old. Oh, oops!! CHARLOTTE! How could I not post any adorable pictures of Charlotte? Geez, I start writing about a Cheese Festival and I completely forget about my daughter.

Honestly she was strapped to me with the Ergo Carrier 98% of the time, but here are some adorable pictures of her while we were changing her diaper. Oh and a quick little video at the end where she makes a sleepy appearance.

Living in Germany - 1st Year
Pros & Cons of a Roadtrip with Baby
Having a baby in Germany vs the US

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

Fresh Fig and Crispy Prosciutto Kale Salad

Michelle Newby — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 16:52:20 +0000

For those that know me well know that I have a slight, well… lets be honest, obsession with Kale.

It went from ‘like’ to ‘love’ once we moved to Germany where they view kale (grünkohl) as a seasonal vegetable which can only be bought from October - February. Seriously?! Only 4 months to enjoy my favorite food?!?

And to those Germans out there who tell me, “well you can buy it frozen all year round!” - I cannot make kale salad with frozen kale! And that is THE BEST thing you can do with kale!

So when it is “Kale Season”, we will literally eat kale every day. Seriously. Whether it is chopped up into a stuffed eggplant, in kale & chorizo soup, sautéed in an omelette or more often than not… in a kale salad.

We used to make the same kale salad with the same lemon mustard vinaigrette dressing (recipe here), but lately i’ve been experimenting… and I think I found my NEW FAVORITE KALE SALAD.

FRESH FIG & CRISPY PROSCIUTTO KALE SALAD

NOTES:

For the Kale Newbies out there (haha, see what I did there?) who need the full instructions on how to prep the kale, please check out my original Kale Salad blog post. It also has a video showing the MOST IMPORTANT STEP of any kale salad - massaging the kale. (blog post here).
I’m serious, do not skip the ‘massaging the kale’ step. This is what makes your kale go from rough to delicious!
We do not have the luxury of ‘bagged’ kale here in Germany, but if you buy the bagged kale, be sure to take the center ‘rib’ out or it will be tough to eat!

INGREDIENTS:

KALE SALAD:

1 large bunch of fresh kale or 1 big bag of kale
1 medium honey crisp apple
4 fresh figs
5 strips of prosciutto chopped into bite sized pieces
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
handful of almonds (or walnuts / pecans / etc)

MAPLE MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE:

2/3 cup olive oil (+ an additional olive oil for massaging kale)
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
2 TBS of maple syrup
1 TBS dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste

METHOD

For more detailed instructions on prepping the kale, please check out my original blog post with images & videos. (here)

Prep the kale leaves depending on what was bought (bagged vs fresh). Wash thoroughly if fresh as they can still have dirt in the leaves. Take out the center ‘rib’ of the kale. Chop to small bite sized pieces and place into a large bowl.
Drizzle some olive oil and massage the kale. This is the most important step!
Add all of the vinaigrette ingredients into a bowl and whisk (or add into a closed tupperwear container and shake!). Drizzle over the massaged kale and use tongs to toss so the dressing is completely covering all the kale.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and add chopped prosciutto. Cook, stirring often until prosciutto has become slightly crispy on the edges. Remove from heat
Chop the figs into quarters & chop the apple into bite sized pieces.
Assemble the salad! Add crispy prosciutto, fresh fig pieces, apples, pomegranate seeds & nuts. ENJOY!!

KALE SALAD
PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

Sweet Potato Gnocchi in a Brown Butter Walnut Sage Sauce

Michelle Newby — Sun, 18 Nov 2018 10:37:56 +0000

After taking a road trip through Italy, feasting on hand made pappardelle, lasagne, spaghetti… you name it! I am going through a bit of a …. well… withdrawal. But, you know how when you’re on vacation - having pasta for lunch and dinner (with gelato of course) doesn’t seem like that big of a deal??! Well now that we’re back at home, and back to working out, I can’t seem to justify the two-a-day pastas.

So, I tried to find a somewhat-healthy (but really not-so-healthy, hello butter sage sauce!) meal that would bring us back to the days of Italy. The reason I say “somewhat-healthy” is the switch from regular potatoes to sweet potatoes. But believe me, it is every bit delicious, light and pillowy as traditional gnocchi.

I even had a special someone “help” me with rolling & cutting the gnocchi! (she got bored pretty quickly).

SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI IN A BROWN BUTTER SAGE SAUCE

NOTES:

If you have a potato ricer, I highly recommend using it. No matter how much I “mashed” the sweet potatoes with a potato masher, I couldn’t seem to get it 100% smooth.
In the recipe you’ll see that I write measurements in both American & European measurements. Thats because I personally use my American tools (cups, teaspoons, etc), but I have to buy things like ricotta cheese in ‘gram’ form. So I always have google open so I can quickly convert!
The flour measurement is just an estimate, you can add more or less depending on consistency
You have 3 options with the gnocchi: 1. it can be boiled right away. 2. it can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 1 day and boiled when ready. 3. it can be frozen and boiled whenever! (if you are going to freeze it, I recommend placing them spaced out on the baking sheet in the freezer for about an hour, and then placing them in a ziplock baggie, that way they will not stick to each other).
Be gentle once the gnocchi is cooked, these little delicious pillows are fragile!
It is best to use fresh sage for the sauce, I unfortunately had to use dried sage because I could not find fresh sage in 3 different grocery stores in Germany!

INGREDIENTS:

SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI:

1 pound red-skinned sweet potatoes (about 2 potatoes)
1 12 oz or about 340 grams container fresh ricotta
1/4 cup or about 32 grams grated parmesan cheese (plus additional for topping)
2 cups or 256 grams (or more) of flour

BROWN BUTTER WALNUT SAGE SAUCE:

1 stick or 113 grams of butter
5 fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup or about 100 grams of chopped walnuts

METHOD:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (204 C).
Wash sweet potatoes then poke some holes with a fork and bake for about 45 minutes or until soft and tender. When they’re cooked allow them to slightly cool (but should still be warm) and slice them in half, scoop out the insides and finely mash or puree them.
In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, ricotta and parmesan cheese. Then add the flour, about 1/2 cup at a time while mixing in between. Stopping when the dough can be formed in a ball (it will still be slightly sticky)
Generously flour a clean counter and place the rounded dough on it. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces. Working with one piece of the dough at a time, roll the dough into a rope about 1 inch thick and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place the gnocchi pieces onto a flour dusted baking sheet. Do this with the remaining 5 pieces of dough.
To make the sauce: Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the butter begins to brown (about 3-5 minutes). Stir in the walnuts & sage and continue to cook until the walnuts become slightly toasted (about 3 minutes). Then keep warm over low heat.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the gnocchi in batches so they are not over-crowded until they float to the top (about 4 minutes). Remove the gnocchi using a slotted spoon and add them to the sauce.
Divide the gnocchi among the bowls & top with freshly grated parmesan! Enjoy!

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
APPLE SPICE CHEESECAKE
FIG & PROSCIUTTO KALE SALAD

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

Berlin, Germany | Travel Guide

Michelle Newby — Wed, 07 Nov 2018 08:42:06 +0000

Historic, hip, and sometimes a little bit odd. That’s Berlin. Since living in Germany I’ve visited Berlin 3 times and each time was very different than the last. Because we live in “small town Nuremberg”, going to Berlin was like a visit to “the BIG CITY”. So many more restaurant options, so many new cocktail bars to try, and oh-so-many interesting shops to see!

Here are a few of my personal favorite bits of Berlin, but please feel free to share any of your own in the comments section below.

WHERE TO STAY

So i’ll admit, the 3rd time I visited Berlin I was lucky enough to travel with work and we all stayed at the Soho House Berlin. I think I am forever spoiled, because I have never stayed in such a hip, gorgeous hotel since!

SOHO HOUSE BERLIN (website) - $$$ - GORGEOUS hotel, with an amazing bar, pool, spa & gym. BUT, not only is it expensive, you must be a member to book a hotel room.

STEIGENBERGER HOTEL AM KANZIERAMT (website) - $$ - we stayed here during our first visit. Nice hotel directly next to the main train station which was very convenient!

MICHELBERGER HOTEL (website) - $$

MOXY BERLIN HUMBOLDTHAIN PARK (website) - $ - hip boutique style hotel close to the metro for easy access to all areas of Berlin. Directly next to Humboldthain Park, perfect for an early morning run before starting the day.

AIRBNB: (website) - $-$$$ - Always a great option to feel like a local!

WHAT TO DO

THE MUST SEE HISTORIC SPOTS:

The Brandenburg Gate

The Berlin Cathedral
The East Side Gallery
The Holocaust Memorial
Checkpoint Charlie
Victory Column
Museum Island
Reichstag Building

OK, NOW THAT WE’VE COVERED THOSE - HERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES THAT CAN BE DONE IN BERLIN:

Stuff your face at Markethalle Neun (website). If you have read any of my previous blog posts you know I have a serious LOVE for food markets. (Foodhallen in Amsterdam, Borough Market in London, or even the Sunday Street Food Market in Phuket Old Town, Thailand) It is something about having so many different local flavors all under one roof (where you can test and try as much as your stomach will allow!).

Get lost in the random finds of the flea markets. Antiques, mannequin heads, old war memorabilia - who knows what you will find! Check out this website which has a list of the flea markets and what days they are open.

Watch a Hertha BSC fütball / football / soccer game at Olympiastadion. The stadium was originally built for the 1936 Summer Olympics! The most memorable part of the game was honestly watching the fans. There was a section behind the goal which was completely synchronized with their movements and song. The singing & chants blasted throughout the stadium! It was absolutely mesmerizing. And lets be real, there is nothing more German than football + beer.

If you are visiting Berlin during the holidays, you must visit one of the Christmas Markets (website). Although Germany can be somewhat grey & dreary during the winter months, the one thing we always look forward to are the Christmas Markets. Holiday music, cute little Christmas stalls, and lets be real… the ‘glü’ that holds it all together: Glüwein. (aka a warming drink of red wine & spices)

WHAT TO EAT

I am personally not a fan of German food (a bit too heavy for my liking). But if its your first time in Germany and are craving German food, here are some local favorites:

Currywurst mit pommes - (currywurst with french fries). I have lived in Germany since 2015 and I have still not tried currywurst (and i’m ok with that!) To me, it basically looks like cut up hot dogs covered in a curry/ketchup sauce, am I wrong?
Käsespätzle - (aka noodles covered in cheese). Delicious & warming on a cold day, but you feel like a big block of cheese after eating it!
Any type of sausage.
Wiener Schnitzel - Technically from Vienna, but a favorite in Germany.
Eisbein (Pork Knuckle) - A huge chunk of meat, usually served with a side sauerkraut and a kloß (big potato dumpling). Don’t order this if you have a long night ahead of you, because all you’ll want to do after eating this is pass out because its so heavy.
Beer - Germany is famed for their beer, but they go for a ‘less is more’ approach. Due to the Reinheitsgebot, “German Beer Purity Law”, water, hops & malt are the only ingredients allowed. (no pumpkin beers found here!). But they do have ways getting around this law, like adding ingredients after! Lemonade (or sparkling lemon soda) + beer = a Radler. (very refreshing on a summers day)
Pretzels - Germans live off of pretzels. And since becoming a mom, I’ve noticed it even more as pretzels are the go-to food for all German kids.
Berliner Pfannkuche - basically a jelly filled donut!

RESTAURANTS

If you couldn’t tell from my comments above, I am not a lover of German food, therefore I am not an expert on German Restaurants. Here are some of our favorite non-German Restaurants

Katz Orange (website) - $$ - An “International Menu with Seasonal Produce”. We weren’t able to make a reservation, so we took a chance and showed up hoping to get a seat at the bar. It ended up being even better than a table! We had great conversations with the bartender with some curated-off-the-menu cocktails made just for us.

District Môt (website) - $ - Saigon Street Food. This is a fun little lunchtime spot. Highly recommend the “1-800-Hot-Bao-Bling Burger” (seriously, it was amazing).

Other favorite restaurants:

Pauly Saal (website) - $$$ - Modern German Fine Dining
Dóttir - (website) - $$$ - Icelandic Cuisine
Grill Royal - (website) - $$$ - Steakhouse (where celebrities frequent)
Zenkichi - (website) - $$$ - Japanese Cuisine & Rare Sakes
Ganymed (website) - $$ - French Cuisine
To The Bone - (website) - $$ - Northern Italian Cuisine
Djimalaya (website) - $ - Israeli Food
And of course - any food market you can find. (as described earlier, Markthalle Neun is the best!)

BARS

Berlin is known for their crazy night clubs (for example, the famous Berghain). But cocktail bars are more our style:

Buck & Breck (website) - secret little speak-easy style cocktail bar
Redwood Bar Berlin (website) - cocktail bar right next to Katz Orange. Perfect for a pre or post dinner drink
Klunkerkranich (website) - a hipster outdoor beer garden perfect for a summertime drink

COFFEE

Berlin seems to have endless amounts of hipster coffee spots. I don’t think I can ever stay on top of them all, but here are a few of our favs.

St. Oberholz (website)
Ora (website) (image above) a converted apothecary which is also a restaurant & bar.
Bonanza Coffee Roastery (website)
Distrikt Coffee (website)
Commonground (website)
Silo Coffee (website)

SPOTS TO STAY HEALTHY IN BERLIN

If you get tired (and full) of the beer, currywurst, pork & pretzels… here are a few spots to stay healthy.

ADIDAS RUNBASE BERLIN: (website) Daily runs around the city & yoga classes on site. (to help burn off that Käsespätzle).

ADIDAS RUNBASE LAB KITCHEN: (website): Smoothie bowls, paleo meals, spirulina smoothies? If only I could eat like this every day.

SUPERFOODS & ORGANIC LIQUIDS: (website) Exactly as the name describes. Smoothie bowls, superfood salads, quinoa bowls.

OTHER TRAVEL GUIDES

PARIS TRAVEL GUIDE
SAFARI PACKING GUIDE
BANGKOK TRAVEL GUIDE

INSTAGRAM: @MNEWBY14

The Pros & Cons of a Road Trip Through Europe with a Baby

Michelle Newby — Sun, 28 Oct 2018 09:32:13 +0000

As I’ve discussed during a previous blog post (here) Germany has some AMAZING parental benefits, one of them being parental leave. I am taking 12 months off with 60% paid parental leave, and Andrew is taking 2 months off parental leave.

For Andrew’s first month of parental leave, we flew home to the US for Charlotte to meet friends and family.

And for Andrews second month off - we decided to do a 23 day road trip through Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia & Austria.

Yes, a 23 day road trip with a 3 month old.

You have no idea how many times people told us “you are so BRAVE for traveling with an infant!”, and I am here to tell you… this was the BEST time to travel with a baby!

We traveled with Charlotte when she was 12 weeks to 16 weeks old. Which little did we know, was Charlottes sweet spot of being super cute and personable, but also still young enough to not get distracted when sleeping (and also sleeping through the night!). Because now that she is 18 months old, she is becoming a bit more fussy and waking through the night (hello 4 month sleep regression!)

Obviously traveling with a baby will never be as easy as traveling before having one, but that should never stop you from continuing to travel and experiencing the world!

PROS FOR TRAVELING WITH A BABY:

THEY SLEEP EVERYWHERE

Charlotte was constantly asleep. In the car seat, in the ergo carrier, in the stroller, in my arms at dinner. When they are that young, they don’t get distracted as easily and love to sleep! In fact, she honestly slept through most of the road trip.

2. AMAZING EXPERIENCES FOR THE LITTLE ONE

I know, she wont remember any of the places on this trip. BUT, at this age one of the best things for her is to listen to people talk, and to watch peoples expressions.

Every day while we were site seeing, hanging out by the pool, cooking dinner… Charlotte would be watching and listening to our conversations, watching us intently.

AND with the amount of friendly people constantly stopping us to get a glimpse of Charlotte, she was definitely seeing more than if it were just me back at home in nuremberg!

3. YOU MAKE SO MANY NEW FRIENDS

Because of Charlotte, we struck up so many wonderful and RANDOM conversations everywhere we went! Whether it was people we sat next to at dinner, waiting in line for gelato, or just getting stopped randomly on the street… we talked to people we would have never had a conversation with if it wasn’t for Charlotte! (but you do need to beware of the random/friendly people asking if they can hold your baby.. that happened to us a few times!)

4. YOU GET TREATED LIKE ROYALTY

Our first day in Florence we wanted to see Michelangelo’s David. After some morning play time with Charlotte at our airbnb, we stopped to get an espresso then walked over to the Galleria dell’Accademia. Not realizing that 11am was probably the most busy time to wait in line! The line was about 2 hours long, and when we walked up to the front to ask which line to wait in, the guy pulled back the rope and whispered “no no, you can just come through”. All because we had a little baby!

The next day when we went to the Uffizi, Andrew and I looked at each other and said “should we try it again??”. And sure enough! We were ushered right in past the line!

5. YOU ARE THE FOOD

Since Charlotte was only 3 months, and not eating solids yet, she was on a strictly breast milk diet. AKA her food was ready and waiting for her WHENEVER she wanted it. That made our lives so much easier! And we would plan our meals around when she was hungry. That way when we noticed she was getting fussy/hungry, we would find our lunch spot, i’d feed her as soon as we sat down, and then we’d order our drinks/meals after she finished and she was content and happy.

Just be sure to bring some sort of a swaddle/cover up for you. Each country is different on how they perceive public breast feeding, but it was always easy enough to tie the long swaddle around me so Charlotte could eat in peace.

CONS FOR TRAVELING WITH A BABY:

TRAVEL WILL BE MUCH SLOWER

Whenever we had a google maps estimating for driving, we always added at least 1 hour. That includes time to stop and feed / change / get some fresh air. We also felt it was good for Charlotte to be out of the car seat about every 2ish hours, so we’d make sure we’d take her out and let her “stretch her legs”.

2. DINING OUT CAN BECOME TRICKY

During the few days of the road trip, Charlotte decided her new fussy time was around 7pm, aka dinner time. We tried a few different options, eat earlier (aka 6pm dinner - early bird special!). Wear her in the ergo, have her fall asleep then eat over her head. Or even stand while eating, that was fun!

And then there is the fun memory of us eating dinner outside in Florence on a warm night, and while I am holding her I hear that oh-so-familiar sound. I look down to see that the beautiful Janie & Jack onsie was completely ruined! Everyone sitting at the tables around us was smiling and laughing, they thought it was adorable!

3. PLANS WILL CHANGE ACCORDING TO THEIR SCHEDULE

If she needed to take a longer nap but we wanted to get out and explore the city… Charlottes needs always came first. Or if they are having a fussy day but you wanted to check out a museum, don’t force it because it will most likely backfire while you are in the middle of a quiet museum.

And in the case of this picture… they BOTH needed an extra nap. ;)

4. THEY WILL NOT ALWAYS BE 100% HAPPY

They will cry, and it will most likely happen in public where you get a bit embarrassed. But thats just life with a baby! The fellow parents will give a nod of understanding because they’ve all been there.

This literally happened to us one night we were down in the hotel lobby/bar area. We were hanging out on the couches after dinner, Charlotte was happy as a clam, giggling away. Then all of a sudden… she started wailing. We had no idea what happened! I jumped up with her, ran to the elevator while Andrew collected our things on the couch. We were so embarrassed at the thought that the cries would disturb peoples night, but honestly… I don’t think anyone noticed!

These are just some of our personal experiences of traveling with our little 3 month old through Europe. But as i’ve been learning, every baby is completely different.

And I think the biggest take away is, the road trip will be whatever you make of it: If you try to force timelines / activities, you will be stressed. If you are relaxed, enjoy the experience and expect that some of your plans may shift, then you will have a great time!

If you have any pros or cons to add on from your own personal experience, please share in the comments below!

Having a Baby in Germany vs the US
Living in Germany - 1st Year
Charlottes Nursery

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

Charlottes DIY Newborn Photoshoot

Michelle Newby — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 09:53:38 +0000

When Charlotte was only 5 days old I attempted to do my own simple little DIY photoshoot. I always wanted the super cute photos of Charlotte when she was a tiny little newborn, but I also didn't want to have to pay someone to come in and do this for us. (also, i'll admit, I didn't even know how to find one here in Germany!)

After researching and, now, personal experience - here are some helpful tips for a DIY newborn photoshoot:

Do the photo shoot ideally before they are 10 days old, this is when they are the most sleepy.
Find which area of your home has the best natural lighting.
Keep the room warm as she will be almost naked most of the time. If doing this in the winter, a space heater would be great!
Wait until your baby is in a deep sleep, as that makes it easy to 'pose' them. And typically babies are in the best mood in the morning.
Have a white noise machine (aka your iphone with white noise playing on spotify) to keep them super sleepy.
Be sure your baby is fed & changed. But there will be some mishaps! I will admit, she poo'd on one of the blankets!! (does this happen to professional photographers?!)
Know EXACTLY what types of pictures you want. I literally went on pinterest and found the exact ones that I wanted to copy so it could be done as quickly as possible. (be sure to capture their cute little features - fingers, toes, etc)
Have all of the supplies & props 100% set up & ready to go because you may have a small window of time to capture what you want.
Just keep snapping pictures! At this point you can't make them smile or do ANYTHING. So if you're lucky, you may capture a cute little grin while they're stretching.
Have realistic expectations... I know I'm not a professional photographer, so I didn't expect them to be perfect / everything to go smoothly. This is also why I didn't do any extravagant props, it would have been more of a hassle than anything!

Charlottes DIY Newborn Photoshoot

My Grandmother, Charlottes Great-Grandmother, knit this blanket for me when I was a newborn. And now we've passed it along to Charlotte.

My friend & coworker knit these for Charlotte! Our little adidas expat baby.

Charlottes Nursery
Having a Baby in Germany vs the US
Surprise Baby Announcement

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

Baby Girl Newby's Nursery

Michelle Newby — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 11:12:34 +0000

Since we live abroad in Germany, a lot of our friends / family back at home in the US wont ever see our little girls nursery, so I thought i'd add a little blog post with some pictures! I also wanted to do this before the baby comes because I know it will never be this clean/organized again!

Maybe I don't say it enough, but I am SO lucky to have Andrew. Not only because he has been the most loving & caring husband, especially throughout this pregnancy. But also due to the fact that he is slightly a perfectionist / OCD. :) Which matches perfectly with me, because I am NOT. :) This meant - every time that we got in a new delivery / picked up new furniture, he would put it together immediately. At first I was like "do we really need to do it this weekend??" - but now I am so grateful, because the nursery has been set up already for 1.5 months and there was no need for any last minute stressing.

I'll admit, its not as easy to decorate for a nursery here in Germany. What I would have given for a Pottery Barn Kids, BuyBuyBaby, or even Target! Most of the furniture in the room is from IKEA, because, well.. its all we have. (and its pretty inexpensive!) And I ordered A LOT from Amazon.

Those cute little balloons are from my work baby shower. Somehow they're still inflated!

Surprisingly, the glider was the hardest thing for us to find here in Germany!

I love the details of this room!

THE SAFARI PRINTS

We loved the idea of bringing in some safari animals to the room, especially because our safari trip to the Serengeti last year was one of the most memorable experiences of our lives. I ordered these prints off of Etsy (link here), which I just downloaded the files, had them printed here in Germany and picked up the frames from IKEA. Those 3 steps were 10x easier than hanging up the frames themselves. (If anyone has experienced the unknown material of German walls, you'd understand)... Thank you again Andrew ;)

Cute little bookcase from Ikea

Which has some great storage space since this room does not have any closet storage.

Its next to our daybed which helps to also make this a guest room. (The daybed actually pulls out to be a queen sized bed!). Once again thankful for the storage space underneath.

DRESSER ORGANIZATION

This dresser, which yes - is IKEA (link here) is the Hemnes 8 Drawer Dresser in "white stain". It also doubles as our changing table.

Andrew may win at being the most organized between the two of us, but for some reason, I loved the idea of organizing these drawers! I have a feeling its going to completely become a DISASTER once she is here... but for now, sometimes i'll just walk into the room and open the drawers and stare at them... (thats normal, right?)

I'd guess that 80% of the clothes that we currently have are all borrowed from my older sisters little one, Juliana. (thank you!) I have always heard that everyone buys 'too much clothes' for their newborns, so I am taking the minimalistic route, and when in doubt we buy more!

The white drawer organizers you'll see below are also from IKEA (link here). It makes it super easy to organize by clothing size. That way - if she quickly moves out of the 'newborn size' all I need to do is pull out those organizers, and switch up the 3 month sized white organizer which is just in a lower drawer! I had seen this on Pinterest and thought it was a great idea.

TOP 4 DRAWERS

I tried to keep these drawers to the "most used" items.

Left Drawer: Newborn Sized Clothes, Onsies, Kimono shirts (for while she still has her umbilical cord), little socks & mittens. Since we dont know how big she will be born, she may not even fit into most of these onsies!
Left Middle Drawer: Diaper changing stuff: Diaper Cream, wash clothes, random stuff.
Right Middle Drawer: Diapers & wipes
Right Drawer: Burp Clothes, Bibs and bows (I may have an obsession with buying bows)

MIDDLE ROW OF DRAWERS

Left Drawer: 0-3 month old short sleeved onsies, long sleeved onsies, cute outfits & knit pants.
Right Drawer: 3-6 month old outfits (basically anything I bought already which is way too big). A bunch of different type of 'sleep sacks' & already done swaddlers. And then the cutest little adidas baby shoes.

BOTTOM ROW OF DRAWERS

Left Bottom Drawer: Muslin Swaddles & hooded towels. I have found that along with bows, my buying obsession has been these muslin swaddles. The top ones with the blueberries, lemons and strawberries are from Little Unicorn (link here). And the bottom row is from Aiden + Anais (link here)
Right Bottom Drawer: Blankets & more (bigger sized) diapers.

Now all we need is for our little baby girl to arrive! :)

Surprise Baby Announcement!
Having a Baby in Germany vs the US
Living in Germany - 1st year in review

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

Surprising our Family with our Baby Announcement & Gender Reveal | Holidays 2017

Michelle Newby — Sat, 09 Jun 2018 16:41:33 +0000

I cannot believe it - June is already HERE! It feels like just yesterday Andrew and I found out I was pregnant. And now we are just 2 days away from the "due date" (although I know its more likely we will have her on any day BUT that date).

It has been quite an interesting 9 months, going through the process of being pregnant in Germany. (for more on that, see my blog post here). But I will admit, the past 6 weeks of being off of work (and fully paid) have been wonderful! (thank you Germany!).

The most difficult thing about being pregnant in Germany (other than the fact that there is NO AIR CONDITIONING... seriously, anywhere) is being away from our friends and family during such an exciting time in our lives. Luckily, we still got to share some amazing moments with them while we were home this past Christmas.

Our Surprise Baby Announcement to our Family on Christmas Morning

Ever since we found out we were pregnant we were SO excited to tell our families, but doing it over Facetime just didn't do it justice. We wanted to see their faces & feel their hugs and excitement when we told them. So we decided to wait until we were home for Christmas to tell them. I would be about 16 weeks, so it was perfect timing.

We had thought of SO many fun & different ways to surprise them, but we finally settled on this video. Back track a bit to August 2017 - our family rented a beachfront house on Cape Cod for the week (ending with our cousins wedding). Andrew and I flew home from Germany so we could experience this with them. It was SUCH a fun week, so I made this video to recap all the great times. But then... we added in a little surprise at the end!

Here is a compilation of the actual video, with my families reactions (apologies for the sound quality switching back and forth!)

Studying and practicing !

Getting ready for our own little one with our adorable little niece!

The New Years Eve Gender Reveal (with one big mistake!)

Like I said, we wanted to experience as much of the exciting pregnancy moments with my family as possible so we decided to do a little "Gender Reveal" on New Years Eve. (fun fact - my sister did the exact same thing last new years eve, and our little ones will be almost exactly a year apart!)

My brother & sister in law were wonderful enough to host us. And of course, although we told my mom all we wanted to do was a small little cake to reveal, she naturally had to bring out some super cute decorations. You'll notice we kept writing Junge oder Mädchen (which means "Boy or Girl" in German) but my brother thought we were NAMING our baby that! At one point he was like "we are going to need to talk about these baby names..."

Before cutting the cake a revealing the colored icing, we had everyone pick a cupcake based on their guesses, boy or girl?! We even facetimed Andrews mom & boyfriend in Massachussetts & Andrews sister in Florida to watch!

Everyone was so happy and excited for us! Especially the young boys who were excited to get a new little boy cousin to play with.

ITS A BOY! WAIT... WHAT?

Well thats what the 'note' from the doctors said! "XY" = Boy. But little did we know... only a few weeks later when we were back in Germany we went in for the more detailed scan. And at the end the doctor says...

"yep, so you have a healthy baby girl!"

... and we just replied "you mean boy?" (thinking maybe he just slipped in translation from German...) Here is the video from our reaction right after we found out! The doctor was so funny about it "I think next pregnancy.. maybe it will be a boy.. but not this time"

And here we are... only days away from meeting our amazing little GIRL. Andrew and I are so excited to meet her! These past 9 months have luckily been quite an easy pregnancy. (Fingers crossed the delivery & the baby herself will be just as easy! :) ) We'll see!

Having a baby in Germany vs the US
Must Haves: American Imports
Living in Germany - our 1st year in review

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

San Sebastian, Spain: Beautiful Beaches & Learning to Skateboard

Michelle Newby — Sun, 25 Feb 2018 16:02:36 +0000

During our 2016 road trip through France & Spain Andrew and I were inspired by the surf & skate culture in Biarritz. We typically try to do whatever the locals do (surfing in Biarritz, eating Pintxos in San Sebastian), so we decided to buy some skateboards and Andrew tried his best to teach me!

LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN SAN SEBASTIAN

We found a quiet little bike path along the water and decided this would be a good spot for me to embarrass myself.

I was always very thankful for the fact that Andrew was extremely patient. (I tested this a few times crying in the Austrian Alps while I was learning to snowboard) And today was no different.

The first few rounds started with him literally holding my hand walking along side me. I felt like bambi on ice, why was this so difficult for me?!

But after some time (probably an hour or so), I was able to very slowly move on my own. (but never more than 10 feet at a time).

At one point, an old lady who was watching us from a bench started clapping because I finally got it on my own. She was probably thinking "I could have learned faster than her!"

We made our way to another gorgeous little spot along the ocean. They were setting up for a concert later that night which meant we had an empty parking lot to ourselves. This also meant Andrew could try some of his old 'tricks' (my aspiration).

What is the best way to reward yourself after learning something new??

A pitcher of Sangria on the beach. In fact, I think we ended up having two pitchers of Sangria that night. (hey! we deserved it!)

THE BEACHES IN SAN SEBASTIAN

There are two main beaches in San Sebastian (both will be equally as busy).

Plage de Zurriola.

This one has a bit more waves, which means you can find some surf lessons at this beach. The days we were there there were practically no waves. (maybe its because we just came from Biarritz and I was spoiled by the waves). But this is also the beach where we found our delicious Sangria bar, so I highly recommend it!

La Playa de la Concha

The biggest and most central beach. "Concha" means shell, and this is due to the shell shaped bay.

Its been recognized as one of the most beautiful beaches in Spain, with a gorgeous view of Santa Clara island in the center of the 'shell'. But due to this fame, it can also be VERY busy.

How to do Pintxos like a Pro
24 Hours in St Emilion, France
Biarritz Travel Guide

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

San Sebastian, Spain: How to do Pintxos like a pro.

Michelle Newby — Sun, 25 Feb 2018 15:19:32 +0000

After our road trip through St Emilion & Biarritz, France we dropped our rental car off in Biarritz. (it is WAY more expensive to rent a car if you drop it off in another country) And hopped on a bus to San Sebastian. The bus was extremely easy, and had a gorgeous view as you'd drive along the coastline of Basque country.

While we were in Biarritz, someone mentioned to us that we would be getting to San Sebastian on Thursday night, aka - Pintxos Pote! Naturally I was excited... but also confused.

What is Pintxo Pote??

First, lets start with a Pintxo. While most people think of Tapas for Spanish traditional cuisine, in the Basque region of Northern Spain, Pintxos (pronounced peen-chos) are their claim to fame.

Pintxos were traditionally a slice of baguette bread stacked with any type of food. To hold it in place, a cocktail stick or 'pintxo' was used. And Pote refers to a drink.

So Pintxos Pote = A bit of food & drink

On certain nights in San Sebastian some restaurants will partake in this Pintxo Pote which means you can get a Pintxo & a drink for a certain (very cheap) price. (As cheap as 1 euro, or as expensive as 5 euros).

On these nights, the streets will be filled with hungry & happy San Sebastians (and tourists) enjoying the beautiful weather and delicious food.

On a non-pintxo pote night (every other night of the week) there will still be plenty of pintxos out at the bars. But there may not be this 2-for-1 deal.

PINTXOS 101:

ORDERING PINTXOS:

The pintxos will usually be lined up all along the bar. Sometimes you'll see on a menu written above the bar for hot pintxos, and those you must order.
Some pintxos may cost more than others (2euros vs 4 euros), and sometimes there is no way of knowing which is which!
Typically you take a small plate, place whichever pintxos looks interesting on your plate, order a drink and pay. (some bars have you pay at the end).
Then either find a standing table in the bar or hang out outside, its all quite relaxed!

Ordering our made-to-order pintxos at the bar
The menu on the blackboard

WHAT TO ORDER:

Try to order something you wouldn't typically try- you'd be surprised! San Sebastian does meat really well, so be sure to try: Carrillera (beef cheek), pulpo (octopus), solomillo (steak), bacalao (cod)
Order some of the dishes that need to be cooked to order (written on the blackboard). They are usually some of the best! (more expensive but worth it)
If the bar isn't too hectic, ask the bartender what he recommends.
Keep an open mind! This is the time to try something new because its only a bite size. When in doubt if you don't like it, you didn't waste an entire meal.
You must try their hard cider or txakoli wine. One, they're delicious, and two is they have a unique way of being poured. The higher the pour, the better! (see the picture to the right)

The bar Pintxos
The made-to-order Pintxos

WHEN TO GO:

In Spain, people eat dinner quite late (starting at around 8:30-9pm). But on big pintxos nights (like a pintxo-pote night) it can get VERY crowded, so don't wait until 10:30 otherwise it may get too crowded to enjoy.

WHERE TO GO:

First, what I recommend (if you're visiting San Sebastian for only a few nights) is doing a Pintxo Bar crawl! Stay at each Pintxos bar for only 1 or 2 drinks/pintxos, that way you can taste a little bit of each restaurant. When in doubt, the next night you can come back to your favorite place.

For the less expensive:

You have PLENTY of options, and I honestly don't remember the names of the places we went to.

For the more expensive:

La Cuchara de San Telmo (website) (separate blog post coming soon, its that good) One of our absolute favorite meals while in San Sebastian.
Zeruko: (website) Pintxos' are about 4-6 euros, but worth it. It gets quite crowded so be sure to make this your first or second stop of the night.
Borda Berri: (website) recommend getting the pulpo (octopus) or the carrillera (beef cheek)

Mastering Pintxos like a pro? That I can do. Learning how to skateboard in San Sebastian? Now that takes some work. (blog post here)

The Damnoen Saduak Floating Market
Cambodian Cooking Class
Biarritz Travel Guide

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

Biarritz, France | Travel Guide

Michelle Newby — Sun, 18 Feb 2018 15:01:27 +0000

Like I shared in an earlier post, I am quite a bit behind on my blog writing, so I am hopping back in time to August 2016 when we traveled to France for a friends wedding (blog post here) & then took a road trip down the coast of France into Spain. After stopping in St-Émilion for one night of wine tasting, we drove south to spend 3 nights in Biarritz.

BIARRITZ

Biarritz is a little sea side city on the Bay of Biscay in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It has this wonderful mix of ritzy glamour and laid back surfers paradise. (add in amazing french food + a gorgeous coastline? i'm in love)

Here is a little history for you - in the mid-19th century it became a favorite holiday spot of Napoleon III & his spanish wife Eugénie which made it quite popular for the years to come. Attracting people like Frank Sinatra, Bette Davis, and Ernest Hemingway. By now the old-fashioned elegance has started to wear off, and the surfers are starting to take over.

WHERE TO STAY

In regards to location - luckily Biarritz is quite small, so you really cant go wrong. We personally wanted to be as close to the beach as possible (while still keeping our budget under control), so we went with an airbnb a few blocks from "Plage du Port-Vieux"

HOTEL DU PALAIS - $$$ - website

If you are in the mood to splurge, this is the place to do it. (about $600 a night during the high season) This location was built by Napoleon III in the mid-19th century for his wife. (formerly Villa Eugenie). Its located on Miramar beach, directly next to the Grand Plage. You will be among some good company as Coco Chanel, Frank Sinatra & Ava Gardner have stayed there.

HOTEL CAFE DU PARIS - $$ - website

A bit more affordable 4 star hotel. In a perfectly central location only blocks from the beach.

AIRBNB - $ - $$$ - website

Ahh Airbnb - a personal favorite of mine. Where you can get a beachfront balcony room / apartment for under $100. Airbnb is subjective to what you're looking for (if you want fresh linens each morning & the option of room service - go to a hotel). But if you want to live like a local - its perfect.

WHAT TO DO

Biarritz is a perfect location for all types of vacation-ers. Whether you prefer a relaxing holiday or one with a bit more adventure, you can do a bit of everything. (with a glass of french rosé waiting for you at the end of every day).

GO SURFING! Or at least watch the surfers at Plage de la Côte des Basques. We attempted one morning at it was AMAZING! (luckily you rent the wetsuit with the surf board because the water was cold!)

Lay out, swim, and pretend you are Napoleon on holiday at the Grande Plage

Walk along the boardwalk / walkway which goes from the Grand Plage to Plage de la Côte des Basques. I highly recommend getting a gelato for the walk ;)

Visit Les Halles! (website) As you may already know, I LOVE a local food market, and this one was unbelievable. Especially for the seafood section. (although i do not recommend walking through here if you are hungover from too many cocktails at "Le Rendez Vous" the night before).

WHAT TO EAT

In my personal opinion, you are at the center of all of my favorite cuisines:

You are in FRANCE (aka french bread, french wine, french cuisine)
By the OCEAN (aka fresh seafood)
In Basque country only 45 minutes away from SAN SEBASTIAN (aka tapas / pintxo heaven).

Foods you should try while in Biarritz:

Fresh Seafood - my personal favorite: Chipirones (fried baby squid)
Tuna Tartare - I usually go for Steak Tartare in Paris, but when you're this close to the ocean??
French Baguettes - This is relevant no matter where in France you are.
Tapas / Pinxtos - A spanish specialty of little plates, but mixed with french cuisine? perfection.
Basque Macarons - who would have thought there are two different types of Macarons in France? Deliciously sweet little cookie (but not sandwiched around jam, etc). Go to Mason Adam to try the original.
Local oysters
Brebis - a local sheep cheese
Axoa - veal & pepper stew (a typical Basque dish)

BARS / RESTAURANTS

Le Surfing - $$ - $$$ - website

An amazing seaside restaurant directly alongside Cote de Basque, a favorite surf spot. Perfect for surf-watching with a side of beers & fresh seafood. (the burgers looked AMAZING).

We fell upon this restaurant when walking along the beach our first night. We had beers sitting at the bar while watching the surfers. We were so inspired that the next morning we came back to attempt to surf! (I basically paddled for 2 hours). After our surfing session we rewarded ourselves with fish & chips and tuna tartare.

Any restaurant near "Les Halles"

This area is AMAZING at night. Little tapas restaurants & french restaurants one right after the other. The streets are filled with high top tables, so you walk into whichever tapas restaurant looks the best - order your tapas and bring them to a great people watching table.

There are also a selection of beautiful looking french restaurants in this area if you're also looking for a sit down dinner.

Le Bar Bu - $$ - website

We stumbled upon this restaurant on our last night in Biarritz. We wanted something low-key, near our Airbnb. And we were so happily surprised! It was a lively bar with some amazing gourmet tapas.

SPOTS TO STAY HEALTHY IN BIARRITZ

SURF! What a workout this was! Especially because all I did was paddle in, not catch a wave, and then paddle back out. My arms were sore!

Stop by Bali Bowls for some vegetarian / vegan options for breakfast & lunch. Try out one of their smoothie bowls on a hot summer day.

Go for a run along the boardwalk which goes along all of the beaches in Biarritz.

If you have any tips, favorite restaurants, favorite surf spots in Biarritz - please share them into the comments section!

OTHER TRAVEL GUIDES

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

We are PREGNANT! Having a baby in Germany vs the US

Michelle Newby — Sun, 11 Feb 2018 15:58:55 +0000

We have some news... We are pregnant!! :)

Here are the stats:

Due Date: June 2018
Its a GIRL!

At the time that I am writing this I am 23 weeks pregnant (just over the halfway mark!). I used to always think "why are these pregnant women always speaking in 'weeks'??!" And now I understand, each week that you're pregnant is another milestone. Something new is happening to your body, and something amazing is happening to your baby.

As we are "nesting" aka moving into a new/bigger apartment & buying all of the necessities... it seems our travel budget has taken a hit. :( So although we won't be traveling as much as we were in the past, this means I can catch up on our past travels that I hadn't written about! So don't be surprised if I am writing about our travels from a year ago. (i'm so behind!!)

Differences of having a baby in Germany vs the US

(That I know of so far!)

I thought I'd write a quick post because I've been getting quite a few questions since we've shared the news. I'll admit - I am not an expert in this topic - this is all still very new to me, and i'm constantly learning something new as I research, meet with my HR manager, or talk to fellow moms here.

Where are you having the baby? The US or Germany?

We will be having it in Germany! Germany is known for having amazing maternal/paternal benefits, so although it will be extremely hard to be away from family, we thought we'd take advantage of these benefits.

What are some of the benefits of having a baby in Germany?

Insurance Benefits:

I am a different case to most as Andrew and I have private health care instead of public. (complicated to describe, and in hindsight we should have taken public, but we never expected to have a baby here!) Some of the benefits that I know we will get:

Full coverage of prenatal costs (including prenatal classes, scans, NTS screening, etc)
Full coverage of childbirth costs
Full coverage of postnatal costs (including postnatal exercise classes, midwife costs, etc)

Work Benefits: read here for more info

6 weeks before & 8 weeks after childbirth full pay: "Following the standard five days stay in hospital, women receive 14 weeks of paid maternity leave in Germany – six weeks before the expected birth date and eight weeks after. The initial six weeks of maternity leave in Germany provides the mother with time to mentally and physically prepare for giving birth. The final eight weeks allows her to recover, get settled at home with her new child, and allow for the midwife to visit."
A full year off of work paid at 67% (or up to 1,800 EUR per month): "A parent who interrupts his or her career to raise a child receives 67 percent of their last net income (up to EUR 1,800 per month). The Elterngeld (parental allowance) payment ranges from a minimum of EUR 300 to a maximum of EUR 1,800 per month. This benefit lasts for one year, which can be extended to 14 months if the second parent likewise stays at home for at least two months. The aim is to allow both parents to take time off."
- "Parents also have the legal right to take up to three years leave from work. During this time a parent can receive a reduced monthly allowance from the government. Furthermore, as long as there are no valid company reasons against it, parents can choose to work part-time. Other benefits are offered to mothers, such as nursing breaks and restrictions on overtime or evening hours."
Paternal Leave: Andrew can take part in the paid leave above! Its standard that dads here take 2 months off to spend time with family (and this doesn't have to be right after the baby is born). And what is even better - the company promotes it.

Additional Child Benefits:

A monthly child benefit in Germany of 190 EUR (for the first & second), 196 for the third, and 221 for every other child.

Differences of having a baby in the US vs Germany?

The Mutterpass! It is basically a "mothers pass". And just like if you're traveling, you better NOT forget this little important document! This is where they write down all the details of every doc appointment you go to (weigh in's, blood test results, etc). And you are responsible to bring this with you everywhere. (aka they do not put any of your details in a computer... just this book - better not lose it!)
Hmm, well this is our first baby so i'm not exactly certain of the other differences. But speaking to family/friends back in the US it seems that when you go in for your doctors appointments, in the US they will give you quite a bit more attention/information. Whereas here, its very quick and to the point. "The baby looks healthy, all looks good! see you in 4 weeks!" ... "wait, what? tell me more?? lets talk about this so i can ask you the 35 questions I have after googling things last night ..."
I am having trouble finding cute baby stores. I am in the nesting phase and I don't know where to look! I'd love to find the equivalent of Pottery Barn Baby, or Land of Nod (if I attempt to ship from the US from these stores, the shipping will cost as much as what I buy!!) So if any of you reading this know some cute baby stores in Germany, please write it in the comments or message me!!

Are you scared/worried about having a baby in Germany?

I go through phases. haha! Sometimes I think "this is AMAZING! I love all of the benefits here" and other times i'm thinking "what are we doing?! we are crazy!" Here are just some of the things I am worried about:

I don't speak German fluently (ok lets be real... my German is terrible). Even if my German was 'good', that would all go out the window when they're speaking medical terms.
The paperwork! Although we have amazing benefits here... we will have to go through some hoops to get it. I have heard from friends how horrific the paper work is that we will have to fill out (in German of course...)
Being away from family & friends. This is such an exciting time in my life, and I naturally want to be with my close friends and family. It's sad to be away for all of these fun/exciting moments, but thank goodness for facetime!

Thankfully, the one thing that helps get through any of my fears, worries, questions is Andrew. He has been a partner with me through the entire process. Thank goodness for him!

Thats all I can think of for now! But please feel free to comment with any additional questions, or if you have any tips for me!!

Must Haves - American Imports
1st year living in Germany
Favorites from around the world

INSTAGRAM @MNEWBY14

24 Hours in Saint-Émilion, France

Michelle Newby — Sun, 08 Oct 2017 19:09:22 +0000

I am a bit behind on my blog writing, so I am now hopping back in time to August 2016 when we traveled to France for a friends wedding (blog post here) & then a road trip down the coast of France into Spain.

After our stay in Le Croisic, we took our tiny little rental car and drove down to Saint-Émilion. It took just about 4 hours, which was the longest stretch during our week road trip through France & Spain. Saint-Émilion is just outside of Bordeaux, and some would say even more beautiful than Bordeaux! It is also a famed wine town known for its Grand Cru wine.

We actually had less than 24 hours in this beautiful little town, as it was a quick stop on our way to Biarritz. So we tried to fit in as much as possible!

What to do with one day in Saint-Émilion, France

1. A WINE TOUR & TASTING:

What to do with such a short amount of time in this beautiful town?? First - you must research what they're known for. And Saint-Émilion? They are known for their wines. Several weeks prior to our trip I had researched a few vineyards to see which we should take a tour at - surprisingly a good amount were already booked! But we found one which was perfect and was absolutely gorgeous.

Chateau Fonplegade is a mid-nineteenth century Chateau, and is one of the most beautiful in St-Émilion. The name actually comes from a legendary fountain which can be found on the grounds. "Fonplegade" literally means the "fountain of plenty".

We booked our private tasting & tour for 2pm which meant we could have an early breakfast in Le Croisic and then get one the road for that 4 hour drive. As we drove down the grapevine lined long driveway, we felt like we were driving to a castle.

Our amazing and knowledgable host took us on a tour through the vineyards, sharing all of the rich history. The views of their land & vineyards were gorgeous!

After the tour through the vineyards, we took a tour through the gorgeous chateau, which I kept thinking "wow... I wonder how expensive it would be to rent this out for a wedding?!" (i know i know.. we are already married.. but how amazing would a wedding here be?!).

Then... the part of the tour that Andrew and I were anxiously awaiting. The Tasting. Now i'll admit, we are in no way wine connoisseurs... in fact.. I bet I cannot tell the difference from a 30euro bottle of wine to a 300euro bottle. But it was fun to pretend! He would tell us all of the amazing details of this one very expensive wine we were tasting, and Andrew and I would just look at each other swirling it around in our mouths going "mmmhhm" nodding our heads... trying our best to look like we knew what we were doing.

2. STAY IN A FRENCH CHATEAU FOR A NIGHT

We only had one night in this gorgeous town - so this was the night we decided to splurge with our hotel stay. Since we travel quite a bit while living in Europe, we always try to keep our hotel stays to around 100-150 euros a night to save wherever we can. But since we had only one night in St-Émilion, why not splurge?! And luckily.. because I book practically everything through Expedia, I had quite a nice chunk of 'Expedia money' that I put towards this hotel. (even with that it was still quite a bit over our budget!)

The Chateau Grand Barrail Hotel & Spa is a 19th Century property built on 7 acres. Its gorgeous, isn't it? We took some time enjoying our beautiful little balcony & explored the grounds. Since we don't splurge often, we were taking advantage of every aspect of this hotel!

3. TAKE A BIKE RIDE THROUGH THE VINEYARDS

Luckily with our hotel stay, we were able to easily rent two bikes, and the medieval town was only a 20 minute bike ride away. We had the option to take the fast way on the main road, or the slightly longer way (about 30 minutes) and ride through the local vineyards. umm... of course I want to ride through vineyards!

4. GET LOST IN THE BEAUTIFUL STREETS OF SAINT-ÉMILION

Saint-Émilion is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site, every street you turn onto is more gorgeous than the next. Some of its churches in the old town center date back to the 12th century.

5. TASTE ALL THE FRENCH FOOD & DRINK ALL THE FRENCH WINE!

French food is by far one of my favorites in the world. The escargot, the steak tartare, the cheese, the bread, the wine ?! I could eat it every day!

We found a beautiful little restaurant in the center of a square, which also happened to have live music!

This was our appetizer... two thick slices of pate with a brioche bun & jam. it was AMAZING. (with a bottle of red wine of course)

WHAT I WISH WE HAD TIME TO DO IN SAINT-ÉMILION:

As we only had less than 24 hours in Saint-Émilion, there was so much more I wish we could have done! Here is a list of things that I wished we could have fit in:

A day trip to Bordeaux
Spend more time exploring the village, unfortunately by the time we had gotten there most of the stores were closed.
Visit the monolithic church in the village
Book a spa treatment and swim in the pool at our hotel, Chateau Grand Barrail
Stop by Maison du Vin - part visitors center / history museum, but also a wine shop which has a huge selection of the regions best vintages.
Try any of these restaurants:
- Les Giron'dines: Mid-priced french food which looked amazing.
- Chateau Troplong Mondot : Eat an amazing dinner at this michelin starred restaurant in the middle of a vineyard. (but quite pricey)

But alas... we had to get on the road and make our way to Biarritz!!

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5 Reasons Why French Weddings are better than American Weddings

Michelle Newby — Sun, 24 Sep 2017 15:27:05 +0000

I am a bit behind on my blog writing, so I am now hopping back in time to August 2016 when we traveled to France for a friends wedding.

Le Croisic, France, is where the lucky Groom's family has a summer house. Imagine - a beautiful little french fishing town on the western coast of France. We were in love. And it wasn't too difficult to get to from Nuremberg, Germany. A quick layover in Paris and then we landed in Nantes, France. From there we picked up our rental car and it was just over an hour drive to Le Croisic! (with a quick stop for some fresh seafood)

The other wonderful thing about this wedding was - it brought together some of my closest friends who I have missed terribly while living in Germany.

On our first night we got together for a nice long dinner filled with several bottles of wine, cheese, foie gras, french bread, and basically everything else on the menu!

THE WORKOUT + BREAKFAST

The next morning Andrew and I woke up nice and early for a run around the beautiful medieval walls protecting the old town of Guérande. After we thoroughly worked up an appetite, we walked through the old town on a hunt for some breakfast. There happened to be a cute little town festival going on (or maybe this is what it looks like every weekend??). As you know if you read this blog, I LOVE a local food market.

We found a perfect little outdoor table for our breakfast (I think everyone thought we were crazy as we were sweaty & dressed in running gear).

We ordered what we thought was a crepe.. (or what we had thought of a typical 'crepe') and we were so happily surprised! Eggs, cheese... and a beautiful spiral-y ham?

I love France.

THE WEDDING

We hustled back to our hotel to take quick showers and get ready for our first French wedding.

As the bride is British & the groom is French the service in the gorgeous church was a mix of both. But since my two favorite things are romance & anything French... I was happily sitting there clueless to what they were saying and taking everything in.

After the service, we all transferred over to the reception.

THE RECEPTION @ CHATEAU DE VILLENEUVE

This was our first 'non-american' wedding, so i'll admit ... we were wondering - "Would this live up to the standards of an American style wedding". And I can definitely say - the French/British are PRO's at wedding!

Here are a few reasons why:

The location: a french chateau?! seriously?? I felt like I was in a Disney movie.
The "Cocktail Hour" was more like 3 hours. AND since the groom is French, the bride is British, but they were living in Barcelona at the time - they had 3 separate tables of amazing food which was for each of those three local flavors. I think the French table was our favorites as they had platters and platters of fresh oysters! heaven.
The speeches: In the US its typical that the best man / maid of honor and maybe the father of the bride will give a quick speech to the bride and groom. Well at this wedding, throughout the entire dinner service close friends & family members would come up and give very well thought out speeches... sometimes including videos & pictures they shared on the flat screen.
Dancing ALL night: In the US, you pay for a set numbers of hours at the venue, which means typically by 12am, everyone is pushing you out the door right as the dancing starts to get good. At this wedding (and we've heard other french/british weddings) the dancing went until no one was left on the dance floor. I believe we left around 3 or 4am, and there was STILL a large group that was no where near stopping!
The morning after brunch: See below for why it was AMAZING!

THE MORNING AFTER BRUNCH @ CHATEAU DE VILLENEUVE

After a long night of drinking & dancing, and very little hours of sleep... we slowly made our way to the brunch.

It was set in the same beautiful chateau as the wedding! And once again, the French know how to do a 'post wedding brunch' right! Freshly made breakfast crepes (with cheese, ham & eggs) ... they were literally still the best crepes i've ever had in my life. What is a great cure for a hangover? Fresh air and fresh crepes.

The brunch went for several hours where everyone felt welcome to come and go as they pleased. But, a great incentive to stay a bit longer? After a few hours the breakfast crepes switched over to dessert crepes with nutella and bananas!

EXPLORING LE CROISIC

After the brunch, we decided to spend the afternoon strolling through the beautiful seaside town of Le Croisic. A perfect afternoon of beers on the beach, some seaside snacks, and i'll admit... a little nap on the beach too!

I was so sad to leave all of my friends, but each of us had different road trips planned through France. Next - we drove down to St Emilion where we had less than 24 hours to explore this beautiful wine village! (blog post here)

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MINIMALISM

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HOLIDAYS! (aka Vacations)

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JOB SECURITY / WORK LIFE BALANCE

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Cons:

LOST IN TRANSLATION & STRICTER RULES

NO FAMILY SUPPORT

IT WAS ALL ON US

NO FAMILY IN GENERAL

VERY SLOW ROLLOUT OF THE VACCINE

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Allgau, Germany - 2 Nights

Location Details

COLMAR, FRANCE: 2 NIGHTS

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND: 2 NIGHTS

GORDES, FRANCE: 3 NIGHTS

AIX EN PROVENCE, FRANCE: 3 NIGHTS

NICE, FRANCE: 3 NIGHTS

LAKE MAGGIORE, ITALY: 2 NIGHTS

ALLGAU, GERMANY: 2 NIGHTS

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Create your own “mama tribe”:

Host a ‘baby brunch’ or playdate at your home”

Don’t let yourself fall into the “trap”

Get outside every day:

Facetime with family:

Oh, and of course, how could I forget: TRAVEL

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INGREDIENTS:

METHOD:

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MAPLE MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE:

METHOD