Surprising things about life in Germany, according to the American expat

• The first time I visited Germany was when I moved there with my husband two years ago.
• I couldn’t believe how easily accessible and convenient the public transportation system was.
• I was shocked to find that most shops, including grocery stores, were closed on Sundays.

In July 2022, I fulfilled my lifelong dream of moving to Europe.

When my husband and I got married in January of that year, we didn’t go for the typical wedding registry. Instead, I sold, donated, or threw away almost everything I owned. Even our cars – which we sold two days before we left the US – had to go.

We headed to Germany, a country we had never visited before, with just a few suitcases and our two cats. As soon as I arrived, I noticed a lot of cultural differences.