I have had quite the past month transitioning to life in Germany. So many changes have occurred, I had to make note of them in a journal as to not forget the daily challenges and adventures encountered. Looking back in the journal there are several topics which I wish to share with you in the coming articles about the similarities and the differences in the German culture. Living it up My living accommodations have changed since I last wrote. Upon arriving, I lived out of a military hotel room for three weeks before renting a duplex in the village of Ramstein. Single officers in this area are not given the option of living on the military installation. Instead, the Army reimburses soldiers for renting living space in the surrounding communities. Finding a place to live and paying bills are daunting tasks when you do not speak or understand the language. It took a lot of German-English dictionary work. I also had to ask a couple of people for their translating assistance before renting was finalized. My ongoing challenge proves to be interacting with local businesses. Paying bills in the United States is not fun and many times people do not understand their bills. Now, imagine trying to understand a funny looking new bill that is in a language you have never seen. Oh, I forgot to mention … they do not accept cash, checks or credit cards either. Companies only provide the name of their bank with the routing and account number. Customers are simply expected to transfer funds into this account in order to pay their bills. The village of Ramstein and surrounding area reminds me a lot of the Kimball area. To the north there are flat areas of land with many farm fields, and to the south are rolling hills filled with bright, beautiful fall colors. One of the biggest differences about the area is that there are not scenic views of family farms scattered across the countryside like the Kimball area. The zoning rules here ensure nearly everyone lives in a village, in an effort to preserve as much land as possible for farming. The weather in the Pfalz region of Germany is also similar to the weather in central Minnesota. The two biggest weather differences are that this area does not get quite as cold, and there seems to be a little more rain here than Minnesota. Lately, I have been “pleasantly” greeted in the mornings to 35-degree weather and rain. I am told from others who have been here a couple of years that in the winter the temperature rarely drops below zero. Getting around The army shipped my Chevy Cavalier to Germany which took about a month and a half to arrive. It is one of the only Chevrolets in a sea of German-made vehicles. At first I was feeling pretty special and thought it was great to be unique by having a different vehicle than many of the locals. Then, I starting driving the autobahn to work. On most days while I am driving to work at about 70mph, I get passed as if I were peddling a bicycle. I quickly realized why many of the locals are not driving a Cavalier like mine. European Vacation Living in Europe presents some great travel opportunities. On the weekends I have been seeking out new places and new experiences. One of the first weekends after arriving in Germany, I attended the opening day of Oktoberfest in Munich. This festival is the largest beer festival in the world, and millions of people attend every year. Other adventures I have been able to experience and hope to write about in future articles include: spending a night at a German dairy farm, traveling to the former East Germany, spending a week in the Alps, traveling to France, and staying in a 900-year-old castle for a weekend. Captain Daniel Kersten is a 1995 Kimball graduate who is serving the United States abroad. He is currently a resident dentist in the Army’s advanced general dentistry program in Germany.
