Public Transportation

Inside a train

The one thing that I absolutely love about living in Germany is the public transportation. Now, since I previously lived in Pittsburgh, PA,I have had my share of using the public transportation.  I knew that Germany had a better system (just by what I have heard) but I had no idea how easy and tourist friendly it is (at least in Jena, I cannot speak for all towns).  In Jena, the city where I am living, there are at least 2 train stations (bahnhof) (this is unusual because German cities usually have one train station that is a hub for all connecting trains but because  the two main lines were built by two different private companies there are two stations), 5 different tram routes during the day and three later at night, and many bus routes that connect the places further from the city. 

Tram Ride 

The train station: There are trains that connect you across the whole country of Germany.  I have taken these trains a few times and plan on taking them a lot more.  Not only do the trains take you across Germany but they also take you to other countries and other big cities in Europe.  One thing to know with trains especially is that if you buy your ticket ahead of time and not on the train you must validate it at the train station or on the train when you get there to take the train.  The easiest way is to find a validation station at the train station.  Some of the older trains do not have these stations on the train so I make sure to be safe and do it ahead of time.  If you do not have a ticket or the ticket is not validated you will then be fined and if you get a fine on a train that will then become a criminal record in Germany. 

One of the many trains in Germany

The trams: A little information from Wikipedia about Jena's Tramway. The Jena tramway network (German: Straßenbahnnetz Jena) forms part of the public transport system in Jena, in the federal state of Thuringia,Germany. Opened in 1901, the network is currently operated by Jenaer Nahverkehrsgesellschaft; it has five lines in operation during the day, and three lines operating in the evening and/or overnight. 
The trams are local and connect you around the city or town that you are living or visiting. I take the tram everyday to work so I buy a monthly pass each month that is good for the busses and the trams.  If you are new to a city and do not know how the tickets or trams work I suggest buying a ticket in advance at the tram stop( if the have one ) because it will be in English (that is if you are a Native English Speaker or if your English is better than your German) and you can better see what you are choosing. You can buy booklets for trips as well as weekly, monthly or single tickets.  If you buy the ticket at the tram station again make sure that you validate it on the tram when you get on.  If you do not validate the ticket or if you do not have a ticket you will then be fined.  (My fine was 40 Euros but I did not get a criminal record because I had ID (my passport) and I was able to pay right then and there. I am not sure what would have happened if I was not able to pay then.)  

The buses: The buses are very similar to the tram.  I have not taken the buses too many times but the times that I have, I have noticed many similarities to the tram.  The bus lines just go a little further from the city and in the less popular areas of the city.

A bad picture but it is one of my monthly tram passes

How I have seen Jena's public transportation as being tourist/ foreigner(not sure if this is the correct word) friendly:

• The major stations in the city are announced in German as well as English.  Whether is is the major train station or the major tram and bus hubs they are announced in both languages. I have also seen that the last station is also announced in English as well as Germany so that all passengers know and understand. 
• The ticket stations have an English option.  Now, for the trams and buses, I have only seen this option at the ticket stations that are not on the trams or buses.  The trains, however, I have seen an English option for all of the ticket machines on and off the trains (but not all trains have ticket machines on them). 
• I hate to say this but, yes I got my first ticket for riding the tram without a ticket (long story but it was not a purposeful action).  Okay so I got a ticket and I was nervous because I don't speak German.  I wasn't sure what was going to happen.  Luckily one  of the people checking tickets was able to speak English very well and it made the process a lot easier and not as stressful. 

Differences between Pittsburgh and Jena:

• The major tram and bus stops in Jena have an electronic schedule that tells you if the tram or bus is on time and how far away it is.  In Pittsburgh the busses were always late or early and there was no way of knowing. 
• In Pittsburgh you pay or show your bus pass when you get on the bus (or sometimes when you get off) to the driver (this way you never forget to pay).  In Jena/Germany you only have to show your ticket, whether is it bought then or a weekly/monthly pass, when/if the authority gets on the bus/tram to see it.  You are not always checked for a ticket on the busses and trams.  On the trains, however, you are always checked. 
• The trams in Jena stop at every stop where the busses in Jena as well as the busses in Pittsburgh only stop if there is someone waiting or if someone has pushed the stop button. 
• In Pittsburgh you will only get kicked off the bus or not allowed on the bus if you do not have a ticket in Jena/Germany you WILL get a fine and possibly a criminal record.  

The things that I love most about German public transportation:

Example of a German tram schedule

• The public transportation in Jena/Germany seems perfected and is almost always on time! If it is not on time it usually tells you with the electronic schedule. 
• All of the tram schedule and I think bus schedules will tell you how long it takes to get the a particular stop.  You can see it on the left side of the schedule. 
• The trams, busses, and trains seem to always be clean. 
• I do not have to worry about needing to travel somewhere for work.  There is always a tram, bus, or train that will get me to where I need to be.  
• I do not need any form of transportation other than public (and walking of course) and I do not have to worry about the things that come with buying a vehicle. 

There is so much more but I know this isn't a very interesting topic just something that is nice to know and you may need to know. 

I Just Arrived, Now What?

So I arrived late Tuesday night in Jena after a long plane ride as well as another 3 hour car ride. But I made it, I am "home" hmm...will I ever get used to calling Jena home? I am not sure. For Almost 23 years I have called Pennsylvania home and now I am living in a new country that will be my home.  Well it was too late for thought for that so I did what any traveler would do at night... I slept, not long but I slept.  I slept just long enough to wake up and start work.  Wow, not even in Germany 24 hours (heck it was barely 12 hours) and I already had to start work.  (Not a bright decision on my part but like I said before it was the best one for me).

So I was on the tram to work on my first day.  I was so nervous, not really meeting anyone that was there yet.  I had briefly talked to the principal and one of the other English teachers on skype but that was over a month ago.  I was to say the least freaking out!  Well I got there, I was so tired but excited, and I met about a dozen new faces.  Some of my co-workers did not speak English but the majority do so it was a big relief to find this out.

The first thing on the agenda was a fire safety meeting.... in German.... Yeah, so like I said before, I don't speak German.  This was the most boring thing I could ever sit through with less than 5 hours of sleep under my belt.  After that was over we had a little celebration for the beginning of the new school year as well as for some other reasons (some of which I had no idea).  But we had cake, sparkling wine (of course there were no kids at school), and orange juice.  Yes wine at school... One of the biggest differences from America.  In no way, shape, or form could we ever have alcohol inside a school even if the kids were not there!

After that I had a run down on the curriculum.  Not much time today to look at it but I would have some time the next two days to get familiar with it before teaching...I still at this point could not believe that I would be teaching little ones English! We can't communicate to each other. I had no idea how I was going to do this.  And because I am kinda naive this is probably the first time I put too much thought into this "issue".

So I got my schedule for the year,  I found out I would be teaching English to 1st grade and 3rd grade.  This would be the first year that both have taken English.  I was very excited! This first day I also signed my contract, got my "desk" and learned about my duties. The duties were a lot more than I was expecting so I was happy that I wasn't going to have much down time.  I don't know if anyone else is like this but if I have to much down time I tend to over think and I had a feeling that would make me homesick even more... I rather be busy.

A step closer to my dream

So I have now been in Germany for a little more than 24 hours, I have made it through my first week of work, and I was so ready to finally make my dream of becoming a teach a reality.  At this moment I knew that this year was going to be hard (hell, the first year of teaching is hard enough but now I am teaching 20 students at a time who have no idea what I am saying, and I am over 4,000 miles  away from my biggest support system).

Keep Calm and Teach On!
This was my new motto for this upcoming year!
These were our senior class t-shirts 

                      Bring on the adventure!

Leaving America: The Flight Over

So maybe this post should have been one of the first posts but it is kind of a sore subject so I talk about it as little as I can.  While I am having a good time and an experience of my life, I never thought I would travel this far from home for this long. For anyone who knows me, I think it is safe to say that I am a very family oriented person and it is hard for me to go two weeks without seeing my family.  (Side note: I think it is very fitting that a song about America just came on my iTunes).  So needless to say the decision to leave my home was a very emotional and tough decision.  It included many sleepless nights, many tears, and a lot of reassurance from friends and family (and of course myself) that this was an experience of a lifetime and while it might hurt some days it will be worth it and I would have an amazing time (which is turning out to be true like I expected)

I think most people when I first told them I was planning this experience, they were truly amazed and I am pretty sure their first reaction was to look at my mom to see if it was true.  While it was an emotional time it was all so very exciting.  I had a lot to do in one month.  I had 22 years of life to fit in just a few suitcases.  Needless to say, space bags were my best friend.  Deciding what to pack was very difficult.  I packed a lot of clothes (space bags helped), a lot of pictures, and a few personal, sentimental items.  This is was I am going to live with for a year.  The decision was a big one.

I was very lucky I was able to choose when I got to Germany and I decided to stay for one extra weekend because it was the weekend of our annual motorcycle party.  This was nice because while it was a separate party it also felt like one of the biggest going away parties ever!   I got to see so many friends and family and I was able to enjoy my last few days in The States.   It truly was amazing to feel the love and excitement from these people.  It made me forget for a moment about how scared, nervous, and truly sad I was about leaving.

Cake from my last day at work from my co-workers

Two days before I left. Party with my closest friends and some family.

I was in great company and it gave me a chance to be truly excited before the big day. However, by the end of the weekend, I was not ready to say goodbye to everyone and it seemed to make something harder.  After a lot of things that had happened this past year a lot of ups and downs made me really afraid to be leaving for a year.  Yes I was planning coming home to visit at least once but of course that does not guarantee that I will see everyone in that time. 

Getting a pass before I head out of the city. Sure am missing Steelers season.

So it is the big day...  Luckily Mom and Denny were able to both take me to the airport which made it easier.  We had most of the day so Mom and I did some last minute errands.  We got one last huge American meal (yeah it wasn't American is was Italian but it was American size).  So we get to the airport early.  This is always the part I hate, having to be there so early then going through customs and then being by myself for at least 2 hours before my flights and layovers that takes all together around 24 hours.  Luckily, being as persuading as they are, Mom and Denny scored to gate passes.  Okay so these passes are usually for children traveling alone so that they are not running around the airport by themselves.  They usually do not give them out to just anyone but because it was an unusual time, United was not busy at all, and like I said Mom and Denny can be very persuading!  I could either feel like a child and be mad and embarrassed or I can be so relieved that I didn't have to say goodbye quite yet.  Of course I was so relieved that it wasn't goodbye yet. So we get through customs, all three of us, and start looking for my gate as well as taking some fun pictures with Pittsburgh icons. With a few hours left we of course take the edge and anxiety off with a beer or two before I left. 

So we relaxed for a few hours not thinking about what was to come next.  

Did I mention I was so relieved that I did not have to spend that time by myself before leaving for a whole year! I could not even imagine how much of a mess I would have been waiting by myself.  Sometimes it pays off to be the baby of the family, okay so maybe most of the time it pays off but this was one big instance where I was so glad that it worked out!

Saying goodbye is by far the hardest thing to ever do!

Boarding the plane from Pittsburgh to Chicago

Let the journey begin!

So I have made this trip a few times before and it is absolutely horrible in my opinion.  Especially this time.  It was the first time I had been in Chicago's airport and let me tell you at 8:30 (not sure of the exact time but it was at night) at night I was not a fan of the craziness!  So if this trip isn't bad enough I had two layovers.  One in Chicago and one in Poland. Then finally I arrived in München (Munich) where I met Markus.  I was happy to have another familiar face to help with the stress.  I then had another 2-3 hour car ride to where I would then be living just to get up early the next day and start work... talk about horrible planning on my part.  It was hard to not have time to relax before starting work but in my case was so worth it to stay home for the family party.  But for anyone else I would advise getting there at least a week in advance! 

On the plane ready to start this new journey!

A nice sunset has to mean good things will come right?

The Unexpected Expenses

The unexpected expenses that I had mentioned before were:

• Traveling
• T.V. taxes
• Health Insurance
• The flat
• Dreaded Kitchen

The first was traveling... You always hear about the stereotypical Euro-Trip but it is so true.  Once you are in Europe it is so easy and somewhat inexpensive to travel to all of these different places.  (Sadly work has kept me from traveling too much yet).  We have taken the occasional weekend trips to Markus's hometown (which is a nice break and very stress free) so that has taken out of my traveling fund a bit by taking the train. 

Next T.V. taxes.. So I had learned about this during my travels to Ireland but I completely forgot about them.  In our case as long as we had a T.V. we were able to have "free" cable with the rent that we pay.  BUT, as soon as I registered living in Jena, I got a letter in the mail saying I owed money for my T.V. service.  Per month it is 17,98 € which isn't a lot (especially split between two people) but none the less I completely forgot about it and was not ready to pay it.  Then I learned something new.  In Germany if you are going to school part of what you pay goes towards T.V. taxes so because Markus pays the taxes for school I was "paid for". 

Then there is health insurance... Living in Germany, as many people know, there is a universal law that everyone must have health insurance.  Of course I knew this and I knew I needed health insurance, but in the U.S. I am still covered under my mom's health insurance and was told that it would cover my overseas   While this was true I came to find out that it would be more of a hassle (not to mention less coverage) to keep my mom's insurance. So I quickly decided to get my own health insurance through work. Some of the factors that helped me to decide:

• I would be able to have more options when picking a doctor.
• I did not have to worry about paperwork and money issues (especially if I became very ill).
• If I needed to call off work I would not have to worry about not getting paid or having to pay more.  I am not exactly sure how this works but I was told that you need health insurance for this because if you call off the health insurance pays your employer for you missing work.
• I knew I could afford it after I found out that they would only be taking out 10% taxes. 

Also, my employer made it so easy with the health insurance company for me to get set up and to get my health insurance. They also had great deals for new members.  These deals included giving money back if you decided to take care of yourself. 

Next was the flat.  This is where most of my money went to.  I knew before I moved in that the flat would be completely unfurnished but it was still surprising when it finally came time to fill it. I guess I just didn't put much thought into how much we would actually have to spend to make our flat look  as nice as we wanted.  Moving into a new apartment is hard enough even when you have things handed down through the family, but when you have nothing to go start with... I was overwhelmed at first (especially when I know I have enough to furnish three apartments sitting in my mom's basement).  I then came to find out that Markus's family were able to give us a lot of things so we were lucky.  After a moving truck from his parents house and many trips to the local furnishing store we finally have a furnished apartment.  Trips to the furniture store also become difficult when we don't have a car and are relying on the help of others to get our things.  This also means a lot of waiting for opportunities to get these things.

The dreaded kitchen... ( I know I already posted about this but the kitchen still was not finished at that point!) After buying the kitchen I thought we had a lot of it done but than if you recall we then needed a fridge which we also got right away.  Then we realized we did not have enough storage, light, and we didn't have garbage cans. So the search continued. We soon got some lighting that was not being used by Markus's family (that was easy).  We then found trash cans (yes multiple in Germany they have four separate trash cans; paper, plastic kinda like recycling but includes a lot more than just plastic), bio (which is for food scraps and things that will decompose), and the regular trash for everything else. That doesn't include all glass products that have to go somewhere else if it does not have a deposit on it. So finally we were looking at more storage so that I finally could get my mini oven that I so desperately needed (for my sanity, I love to bake). So after (hopefully) our last trip to the furniture store we found this beauty.  We bought it, brought it home (with some help obviously), and built it immediately! After many hours of pulling our hair out and one thing that we had to fix (of course at the very end we realized this) it was built, cleaned, and we started filling it up!   So next was the oven. Yay!!!! 

My amazing new mini oven! I can't wait to start baking!

The first thing I baked! Chocolate Chip Muffins!

Happy Sunday!

Finding a Flat

So I had an advantage here because of the fact that my boyfriend already lived in Germany.  He was able to look around at apartments, take pictures, and to compare them to each other in person.  I however, only got the photo version of all the apartments and helped make the decision without even seeing the apartment. These are the few pictures I made my decision with.

A few things you need to know about apartments in Germany.  When it tells you that it has two rooms, that doesn't mean it has two bedrooms that means it has one bedroom and one other room to use as a living room or whatever you would like to do with it.  The bathroom, kitchen, and in our case storage room are also in this two room apartment.  Another thing about flats or apartments in Germany are that there are two different kinds of rent, warm rent and cold rent.  Warm rent includes all utilities such as water, heat, and electric.  Cold rent obviously does not include anything.  One final thing about the rent and the usual deposit, is that in Germany it is very common to have a brokerage fee for the realtor. For our brokerage fee it cost us two months cold rent.  Unlike a deposit this is a fee we will not get back in the end.  This was a shock to me because I have never heard of this unless you were buying a house (this also could be because of my lack of experience in renting apartments).

Most apartments in Germany (probably like apartment buildings in The U.S.) offer storage.  They must either offer you a storage room in your apartment or a storage unit in the basement. You can also rent more storage in the basement if needed.  Something else different about the U.S. and Germany when deciding what floor you want to live on.  The first floor is not the ground floor.   The ground floor is usually called E.G. or I have seen in elevators the button is 0.  So if you choose to be on the first floor you are actually on the second floor (based on American thinking).

The final and biggest shock to me was the kitchen... After we decided on the apartment I came to find out that our apartment doesn't include a kitchen.  Nothing!   So I found out that we can buy a kitchen from the realtor for an added fee. So we decided that would probably be the easiest and cheapest thing for us so we signed up for it only to find out that it did not include a fridge or an oven... So while we were buying a kitchen this is what we bought.

A stovetop, a sink, one drawer, two cupboards, and a little shelf. 

So our next assignment was to find a used fridge, an oven, and maybe some more storage.  So far we have found a fridge.... We are looking for some storage and back a mini oven that looks like a toaster oven. Sooooo! Make sure you know what you are getting (or not getting in this case).  Do not assume.  I talked to some of my colleagues who also had this issue when they moved here but fortunately I found out before I moved in.

Taxes in Germany

Hmmm... This was one of the hardest things to find out.  I was trying to find out how much in taxes would be taken out each month but in the end I had to make my decision solely on the fact that it was somewhere between 10%-40% which DOESN'T help AT ALL!!!

So if you are planning on moving to Germany this is the biggest question you want to ask upfront with your employer.  Although, I was not told before hand what mine would be I was guessing on the high end around 30% to get an idea of how much money I had.  Luckily when I got here and signed my contract I found out that my taxes (because I was not a citizen was only around the 10% mark).  I am thinking that maybe once you live here longer they may go up...but that is only a thought I have in my head and may be completely false!

A list of taxes that are usually taken out in Germany:

• Income tax and social security taxes 
• Health insurance
• Old age care
• Unemployment
• Pension
• Church tax - this was a very unusual one for me
• Also a few others that I probably missed

I hope this helps and if anyone else has any information on taxes in Germany or a comparison with other countries please be sure to leave comments below!

Living Expenses

A huge part of my big decision was figuring out what I would need to buy while I was there along with my monthly expenses. Here is a list of things I came up with:

• Rent for the flat
• Food
• Cell phone
• Taxes that will be taken out of my paycheck
• Internet
• Public transportation
• The gym
• Savings

These were the first things that came into my head.  Little did I know I would experience a few more expenses and some one time expenses as well. 

• Traveling for weekend getaways
• T.V. taxes
• Health insurance 
• And more things for the flat!
• I had to buy a kitchen...yes a kitchen is not included in the flat (more on that in another post).

The biggest one-time expense of all was of course the flight over.  Because it was such a last minute thing it was going to be much more expensive.  However, luckily I got an email soon after my decision was made saying that the company I would be working for offered to pay for my flight! This was very exciting news.

  **Side note... I have now experienced myself and have seen other cases where if an employee really wants you to work for them they will usually pay for traveling expenses...hey it never hurts to ask, right?

It was hard to believe that I had one month to save up all this money just to get a job.... 

The Big Decision

So I got an email about a week later offering me the job. I would be working 75% (which means part time but it is almost full time).  I would be teaching English as well as a few other classes.  I was asked to teach a dance course, math in English, art in English and music in English.  The art and music classes were very different for me seeing as in The U.S.  usually there is a separate art teacher and music teacher.  I was a little nervous.  After receiving all of this information as well as how much I would be getting paid, I was told I only had a week to decide.

Needless to say I was excited but overwhelmed and immediately had to go to the gym and work off my anxious feelings about this quick decision.

A few things I needed to think about:

• Can I afford it? (the biggie)
• Is it worth it?
• Do I have enough time to get all of the paperwork finished?
• Will I be able to emotionally handle this huge life change?
• Am I ready to give up the "special" moments with my friends and family?
• When can I come home? (either to visit or to stay)

After thinking very hard and making many spreadsheets, talking to my "personal accountant" (I like to call her aunt ha), and talking to my therapist a.k.a Mom I decided the best thing for me was to do it! 

After I made the decision I then had much more to start thinking about.  The first day of school was only a month away.... 

Finding The Job

**I am going to apologize in advance for the fact that I am not a writer.  I am creating this blog for purposes of seeing my transformation in the year as well as for others who wish to try something new but do not know where to start.

For months I had be searching for teaching jobs in Germany, hoping to move there while my boyfriend finished his schooling. However, being a teacher in a different country is hard enough especially when I can't even speak German. I thought it was a lost cause but continued to look just in case. I searched the internet any free moment I had.  I applied to international schools all across the country hoping they could use an English speaking early childhood/special education teacher for something...  While my summer was quickly passing I was losing even more hope that I would be moving to Germany.  I did not hear anything from the schools I had applied to.  Most of the schools required prior teaching knowledge or German speaking abilities.  Since I have neither I kept looking.  Finally my boyfriend came across a link to an elementary school named DUALINGO that was looking for a part-time English Teacher.  It seemed perfect so I applied. 

After I sent the application I was pretty sure they had already filled the position, seeing as it was mid July and school started in late August.  As soon as I had lost hope I got an email asking if I was coming to Germany anytime soon and if I could interview with them.  Seeing as a plane ticket to Germany is not an easy purchase for someone who was then working part-time at a day care, I asked if there was anyway to hold an interview over skype.  I was excited but still skeptical, worried that they might not want a "fresh out of college" teacher.  So we scheduled a skype interview and we were off. Scheduling was the hardest part because of the fact that Germany is 6 hours ahead of The U.S. and I worked 8 hours a day. We decided on first thing in the morning for me and the end of the school day for them.  I was sure to dress my best (at least from the waist up) and I had a list of questions, my resume, and of course my cover letter I sent them.  

Because I did not speak German the principal made sure to have one of the other English teachers also on skype to make everything a bit easier. Before the interview, I tried to read up about German schooling but it was still so confusing to me so I also had a list of what may seem to be simple questions.  I made sure to ask about wages, cost of living, taxes, how many hours I would get (this was a big one for me), and what the job includes.  He was able to answer a few of my questions but the majority of the time was spent asking about the American education system and how I was taught to teach.  

By the end of the interview I was feeling excited but nervous as to whether or not I got the job. I soon pushed it to the back of my mind and I was off to my part time job.