Once it was planned for a year. Now it's three and I'm about to start my fourth year in London. So yeah, what can I say, I really like it here so far. Of course, there have been a few lows, but every low is followed by a high. I have moved again (but that was eight months ago) and I feel really at home in my new flatshare and get along well with my flatmates. You can always tell how important it is to have a good living environment. So many little things that are a thousand times better than before. Occasionally having dinner together, outings in the area or to the theater, or just short conversations when you meet in the kitchen.
But after such a long time abroad, there are a few things that I miss from Germany. And I thought that would be the topic of my blog today.
Starting with the most important thing: my family and friends. That is sometimes not easy. This 'Today I'll just drive to visit my family or friends over the weekend' is not so easy anymore. It always takes at least ten hours (from door to door). So you actually have to plan two days for traveling. But nowadays it is fortunately easier to stay in touch. Thanks to the phone and plenty of video call options, you no longer have to wait for several days for a letter. It is possible to have online game nights, plan a wedding together, or simply catch up. And when it comes to visiting, I can't complain. Many friends and family have visited me and seen how I live here, and I usually come back about three times a year.
The first big difference between Magdeburg and London is the cost of living. In that regard, you are much better off in Magdeburg, but also in many other cities in Germany. Cheaper rent, cheaper prices when shopping (especially toiletries), and one must not forget that transportation options to Germany are often more expensive, but well, it's your own fault for moving abroad.
A second big point is food. Let's start by looking into the supermarket. For some reason, there is no vanilla sugar here. Only the liquid version in the form of vanilla extract. Well, that means taking one or two packets back to London every time.
The selection of savory spreads is almost nonexistent here. The vegetarian or vegan spreads are unfortunately only available once a year at Lidl. Then you have to stock up on the three flavors for the rest of the year, or occasionally bring some from Germany. Otherwise, you can find various types of hummus or pesto here.
The same goes for the cheese selection. There are many different types of cheddar, but unfortunately that has never been my favorite cheese. It's not easy to find a good sliced cheese, and you almost never find something with herbs for a change.
In addition, you can't find applesauce anywhere here. It's not a big problem for me, but every now and then you need it and then you definitely have to plan the time to cook it yourself.
Then there are seasonal things like asparagus. I love asparagus, but unfortunately you can only get it very rarely here, and if you're lucky enough to find some, it's super expensive. But there is green asparagus available all year round. And I must not forget dumplings. You could make them yourself from potatoes, but well I can probably say that I'm too lazy for that.
If you look into the corner of the bakeries, you open up a familiar topic for Germans. England is known for its floppy bread, although I have to say that it has improved significantly. There are many small different bakeries that offer 'proper' sourdough bread, but even that is too light for most Germans. But what I miss most of all are the many different types of rolls. You can find a large selection in every smallest supermarket in Germany.
Driving a car is also something I miss a bit. In London, it is definitely not worth owning a car. The public transport is too good and a bicycle is always the best and cheapest option. Nevertheless, I try to take every opportunity to drive a car in Germany, so as not to forget it.
One thing that everyone here can sing a song about is poorly insulated houses. Especially in my last flatshare, I got to experience that firsthand, but we also notice the different seasons very well in our kindergarten. Winter is a challenging time, especially for people like me who get frostbite easily.
The healthcare system is definitely an important point as well. It's a bad sign when you can get faster access to a doctor in Germany than here. Of course, I'm clearly at an advantage with so many different doctors in my family. But in order to get an appointment with a general practitioner here, you have to call at eight in the morning, otherwise you won't get anything for the day or you have to go to the emergency room. Otherwise, you may have to wait up to two weeks for an appointment. You do have health insurance here, but unfortunately it is not as good as in Germany or rather it is quite privatized. Just look in the direction of dentists. There are very few NHS dentists, it is super difficult to get in. Unfortunately, that means in the end that when it comes to dental hygiene, you have to pay for everything yourself.
But aside from that, I'm doing very well here and the last three years haven't felt like three years at all. Of course, there are also things that are better here than in Germany or things that I don't miss at all, but that's a topic for another post.
