Guest Post: Alex @ If, Ands, and Butts

Aug 30, 2012

Alrighty guys, today I get to introduce ya'll to one of the coolest Texans I know.
Alex is currently an au pair in Germany (ya know, just doin the coolest job, ever) and shares my love for beer, good food, and great music! 
I hope you love her as much as I do! 

Well hello friends, family, stalkers, etc. of Emily! She's out of town for a bit so I'm stepping in as a desperate attempt to keep y'all entertained. Y'all, see what I said there? I'm from Texas, aka the greatest state around and where Em is moving before ya know it.

But right now I am living in Germany. I was initially supposed to stay for a year, but here I am about to begin round 2 as an au pair while also doing a marketing position. Enough about me though, I am ready to tell you my favorite things about life in Germany (in no particular order).

1) Beer Festivals
Lemme tell y'all, Oktoberfest is talked up for a reason. This is the ultimate German party and you need to be a part of it someday. Imagine tons of happy go lucky people from all over the world united to sing, dance and drink freshly brewed German beer all. day. long. If you can't make it for Oktoberfest (which actually starts in September), check out one of the 100s of other beer fests that happen throughout the year. I highly suggest Frühlingsfest in Stuttgart or Munich, too.
Oktoberfest Munich, Hofbräu tent, September 2011
Frühlingsfest Munich, Hippodrom Tent, April 2012


2) Hofbräuhaus München

Not the beer, sorry Hofbrau, but I'm an Augusteiner girl. I am talking about the haus part of the world famous Hofbräuhaus. If you want to be assured a good time, include Munich (my favorite city ever) in your next Eurotrip and make sure to have dinner here. My best advice: grab a Maß and share a table with some wild Germans.
birthday dinner 2012


3) Acculturating

I can safely say I had never watched a soccer game in full until I moved to Germany. I can now say I have seen several, and own a jersey and was far too into Germany's journey Eurocup 2012 than I ever imagined. It is so fun to be abroad and join in cheering for a cause people are passionate about. Acculturating to me also means hanging out and making with natives and learning the language. German is tough, but I feel so rewarded when I realize mine is improving.

4) Parks & Gardens
When I think of Germany, I think of the color green. We get our fair share of rain, but it ensures that the countryside stays lush and beautiful. On nice days, locals pack the parks, bringing blankets, friends, booze and sometimes even grills to bask in the sometimes rare German sunshine.
Schlossgarten in my town of Karlsruhe - we spend every free moment here when the weather permits
Beer garden in the Englischergarten in Munich



You can literally get anywhere on a train, surpassing traffic and enjoying the view. I'm always still amazed by the complete lack of need for a car in Germany. Oh, and you can BYOB drink on the trains - now that's my kind of travel.
overnight train from Berlin to Copenhagen

Did I mildly entertain you? Missing Em blogging as much as I do? Stop by the 'ole bloggy and say hi, or 'Hallo' as me say in Deutschland.

1 comment:

Cocalores said...

What a fun post - it really sounds like you're having a blast! I spent so much time in the Schlossgarten as a teenager!

Two beer-related tips from a native: a) Try Hoepfner Grape (I can see that you've already discovered that the local beer is the best *g*) - it's mixed with grapefruit lemonade and tastes really good in summer! b) Make sure you visit the Vogel Bräu in Durlach, just a tram ride away - you'll thank me for it if you haven't discovered it yet! ;-)

xo Anja

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