MAD ABOUT MUNICH

The Munich Diaries

Hello Mad About Manhattanites!

My last few weeks in Munich have been a roller coaster! I had an enjoyable flight with Lufthansa Airlines and was pleasantly surprised at the delicious dinner, desert and breakfast during the 9 hour flight from Pittsburgh, PA to Munich, Germany. The flight attendants were very helpful and generous. I had planned for this trip for weeks and weeks. Having tested every outfit packed and prepared for all possible Blog shoots. The travel was not that bad, except for the delayed plane to DC, where I almost missed the connecting flight to Frankfurt! I am glad I took the risk to make the 15 minute or less connecting flight boarding, or else, I would have been in a serious pickle!

I will be completely transparent and say that the first week on my own was very tough. Jumping head first into a new country, city and entering a very foreign language was extremely difficult. I very much sympathize with people learning a new language, as it can seem absolutely daunting. I arrived to Munich on a weekend, and had a fabulous time with my boyfriend exploring and visiting his city. Once Monday arrived, it proved to be super scary! I had not prepared for the culture shock. Having traveled extensively for much of my life and studying in different countries, I thought this month abroad was going to be an easy transition! Boy, was I wrong. Even the most independent, well traveled, secure person would feel spooked in this situation.

While I adore my partner, spending time in a foreign place for a long period of time on my own was a challenge. To be honest with you, the first week was just plain hard. Almost impossible. I had a day or two where I was too worried and anxious to leave the apartment. I could barely cajole myself to ask for a cup of coffee at a nearby cafe. I felt embarrassed. I did not have the language perfectly down, and, being a perfectionist and Type A personality, I hated to admit defeat.

After many heart warming talks with my mom, Curtis’s mom and a best friend from NYU, I realized I am not helpless, I can make the best out of this situation and push myself. I am lucky to have such a wonderful support system no matter where I am. My girlfriend recommended that I reach out to Facebook and MeetUp groups to connect with other Americans and English speakers abroad and in Munich. Through this, I managed to find a job offer, multiple new friends and tons of insight being a foreigner abroad!

What I suggest to anyone in a similar situation is to not lose hope or give up. There are COUNTLESS other people in your exact situation wondering the same things! Sure, a pity party is fun to throw for a day or two, but picking yourself up and going out of your comfort zone will be ten times more rewarding. After I gathered my thoughts and braced the outside world, I found little things I loved about the city. The main squares, the history, the little markets filled with specialized food, products and kind people. You will find things to love, I promise. It is all about the mind set.

I got a terrific recommendation to go on a free walking tour of Munich, many popular cities do this, and it is the perfect way to meet other English or native speakers while also learning about your new city. I had a fabulous tour guide share the intriguing history of Munich, WWII and all, and met a super cool woman from Canada! We went to Hofbräuhaus together and talked about our trip so far. What I learned was, when you make the effort, you will meet really great people, learn amazing new things and start to feel comfortable.

Now that I am entering my third week in Munich, I have found a new sense of comfort and confidence. Sure, I do not have the language down yet, and people still look at me like I am crazy on the street for smiling so much, but I have grounded myself in this country, place and reality. Curtis has been so warm and helpful throughout the process and we have had once in a life time trips on the weekends: Rothenburg, Schloss Nymphenburg and Neuschwanstein Castle to name a few. It has been a tremendous trip, and I have learned so much about myself through countless enriching experiences.

Some places I recommend going to when visiting Munich are:

Brown’s Tea Bar - For delicious tea, a warm cozy space and scones to DIE for.

Schloss Nymphenburg - Extremely close to Munich, worth the visit and very dreamy.

Restaurant 181 - A perfect date night spot or place to treat yourself. It offers a 360 view of Munich while slowly rotating. The food was phenomenal.

Free Walking Tours - You gain so much more than knowledge on these tours, even some new friends!

The original Hofbräuhaus - Tons of fun to enjoy a drink, food and meet other foreigners but is also deep in history! Be sure to check out my recent blog post about this place.

Do not forget to visit the City Center, Marienplatz and my personal all time favorite, Viktualienmarkt.

There is a sense of community any where you go, if you wish to find it. By joining these online communities and reaching out to people who are in similar situations made me feel less alone and gain strength to tackle the outside world.

Staying in a different country or unfamiliar place for a long period of time is night and day from taking a vacation with people with similar backgrounds. Taking a leap of faith for any reason requires ambition, strength and a positive mindset. My biggest takeaway that I learned was: to be gentle with myself. Continuing to challenge myself while trying to understand that things do take time. I hope this post reaches someone feeling similar emotions that I have been recently. Know you are not alone, take life by the horns and go out, explore, and have FUN!

Xo, A