We're Moving Back to The USA!
After 4 years of living in Europe, we decided to move back home to Charlotte, NC…and, I’m feeling all kinds of emotions!
Honestly, we didn’t know when (or if) we would ever be ready to move back to the US. Living abroad has been the best decision for us for numerous reasons. I’m incredibly grateful for the experience and memories JD and I have been able to create over here, and especially during the first 4 years of our marriage. We’ve had to depend on and communicate with each other in different ways than if we were at home, we’ve shared similar feelings of excitement, nervousness and loneliness when moving and registering to each country, and not to get too mushy, but our marriage, our friendship and our personal development has grown so much while on this journey. From this experience, we’ve been able to travel to 15 countries and 41 cities while living here - something I always dreamed of being able to do! And, of course, there will be so much I’ll miss too. For starters, I’ll miss the European lifestyle in general (the work-life balance is the best), the ability to walk anywhere for anything, hearing the church bells every hour, the Christmas markets, being surrounded by different languages, meeting new friends from around the world and the convenience to travel to a different country in a short amount of time.
So how did this decision come about? Well, while we had options to continue living over here, we made the decision in August when JD was offered a new position that would allow us to move back to Charlotte - the city we knew we wanted to return to. I’m not going to lie - we were a little hesitant and we took some time to think it all through. BUT, deep down we knew it was the right time because we had been more aware of how much we miss being with our family and friends. Over the past 4 years we’ve been absent from (most) holiday gatherings and birthdays, we haven’t been spending weekends with our best friends and we’ve missed out on moments of the many new babies that have been born since we left. And, yes, part of me is sad to leave Europe, the life we’ve created here and the amazing friends we’ve met. It will be another big change for us, but I’m excited to get back home to our family and friends, settle into our new place (hello Target and HomeGoods!) and see what all will come next!
And hey, it’s not to say we won’t move back to Europe in the future… until then, here is a peek into the places we’ve lived these past 4 unforgettable years!
LIFE IN HAMBURG
If you’ve been following me, then you know the first place we moved in Europe was to Hamburg, Germany, a beautiful international city we called home for 2 years!
Our First Home
HAMBURG, GERMANY
Measuring at 55 meters sq. (592 sqf), our first apartment was a cozy little space on the third floor in Uhlenhorst (one of the many areas in Hamburg). I mentioned this in another post, but when you rent an apartment in Germany, it’s not uncommon that you will need to buy your lighting and appliances. Once we moved in, we had to buy a washer/dryer combo that lived in our kitchen, a dishwasher, a new fridge that most (Americans) would find the size appropriate for a camper, and we took many trips to IKEA to buy light fixtures for each room.
We loved this apartment and Winston especially loved the Juliet balcony where he watched the red squirrels play along the tree next to our oversized windows in the den.
our neighborhood
I loved our neighborhood! Uhlenhorst was perfectly located near the city center making it easy to get to either by train or foot while having plenty of charm and nature mixed throughout the area. We were only 2 blocks from the Alster (the lakes) where we would sit to have drinks or just enjoy the sun (when it decided to shine :) ) . There were also a few parks we would take Winston for him to play or have him off-leash…Germany is incredibly dog friendly!
My favorite memory of our neighborhood is going to The Morgenstund, a cafe that was on the corner of our street. For the first few months when I was in Hamburg and jobless, I would go here everyday and have a cappuccino and rührei mit schinken (scrambled eggs with ham). I also love remembering the many Saturday mornings JD would quickly go there to pick up fresh brot (bread) and coffee for us. The manager there, Valentino, was the most friendly person and made us feel so welcomed by anticipating our “usual” orders. We also had the EDEKA, a grocery store about a block away from our apartment. It was a very small grocery store with a fresh little butcher shop but had everything you needed. And, one of the best things about Germany is how cheap the wine is (and the fact that liquor, beer and wine is all in one place!).
pictured below left to right: our apartment building, the EDEKA and The Morgenstund
CITY LIFE
Hamburg is a beautiful harbor city with pockets of old and modern architecture mixed throughout the city. From city tour guides to museums, high-end fashion designer boutiques to TK Maxx (that’s what they call TJ Maxx!), rooftop bars to döner cafes (so good!), the variety of things to do and see in Hamburg was endless.
LIFE IN AALBORG
our second home
AALBORG, DENMARK
In the northern part of Denmark sits little Aalborg, a charming city on the fjord and the 4th largest city in Denmark where we have also called home for 2 years. Living the Danish life hasn’t been too different from our lifestyle in Germany, but I would say Aalborg is more laid back and the people are very friendly. I was nervous Aalborg would be too small in comparison to Hamburg, and at times, it is in the sense of having a variety of shops, restaurants or things to do - however, Aalborg has so much character and history (the first mention of Aalborg was in year 1040), and there are tons of (very) small cities to visit in the countryside and on the coast. Denmark’s nature is beyond beautiful with sheep, ponies and Icelandic horses grazing everywhere, blue sea water and white sandy beaches (not without some gusty winds though ;) ).
Apartment searching in Denmark was just as challenging as in Hamburg, and maybe even more so due to the fact they aren’t as pet friendly. Luckily, we found a spacious apartment situated in the heart of the city that allowed Winston to be there and unlike in Hamburg, the apartment came with appliances and lighting - so that was a big plus for us! With me not having a car or a European license (I haven’t driven in basically 4 years…besides the few times I’ve gone home!), living in the middle of the city has been a lifesaver because I can walk to the grocery store, all the restaurants, cafes and shops…just steps out our front door.
pictures above left to right: our apartment building, Winston staring at the neighbor’s cat and our living room
Our Neighborhood + City Life
Because our apartment is in the center city, the city is our neighborhood. And even though it’s small, I never get tired of walking through the cobbled stone streets and passing the cute colorful homes that are within the city. This is the way I walk to the grocery store, and it’s always so pleasant to pass these cozy homes.
When we were visiting Hamburg the other week, I actually surprised myself when I got choked up leaving the city for the last time (I literally had to look out the window away from the city to stop myself from crying). It was such a surreal feeling to know I wouldn’t be returning anytime soon. And just like with Hamburg, it’s not going to be easy to leave Aalborg knowing my next flight is not a return. We have been so blessed with this experience and from the sweet friendships we have made and these will be some of our most cherished memories.
“You will never be completely at home again because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place.”