Germany is a nice place. It is a beautiful country full of resilient people who work hard on everything they do. They don’t have a lot of poverty, they concentrate (big time) on alternate energy, they are efficient and their homes are beautiful.

Germany doesn’t hold a candle to America.

No, it’s true. I have never lived by any rules aside from those that exist in “the land of the free”. Really, people bitch and moan about this and that in America, but even this place is suffocating compared to our country. Stores here are mandated by law to close every Sunday and all 50 or so German holidays. They close every day between 12 and 2 for “siesta” time. Lastly, they close between 6 and 7 at night because of German law. Why? It doesn’t matter—it’s the way it is. Gas here costs about $6 or $7 per gallon because they are taxed 60% for research into alternate energy. The people get no say in this. Grocery items and goods are taxed at 19%. The women generally don’t have children until their mid to late 30s (and sometimes well into their 50s) because they are totally career driven. There is so much more, but I’ll stop there.

Some would say their way is the best. Sure, it works for them, but you know what? I miss 24 hour Walmarts and fat juicy steaks (don’t get me started on greasy diner food. . . yum!). I miss a place where gruff indifference is considered to be rude. I miss a place where the children aren’t schooled in a way that’s one step from a caste system. I miss America so much.

I would gladly live here for a year to pick up on the culture, travel around a bit, visit the cathedral in Cologne, etc. But three years? Not so much. This is why Miles and I decided that he’s putting in his packet for Flight Warrant. That would be flying helicopters. It’s something he has really wanted to do and it would put us in Alabama for a year while he went through training. The process of getting accepted is long, but if he puts a hustle on it, we may be out of here in a year. So yay. Germany is spectacular, but it’s not HOME.