a stroll in nanzdietschweiler.

Well, Wrigley and I have called Germany our home for over a month now; though, it really isn't home yet.  It has been a wild ride so far and I am very excited for the things to come.  When we first arrived, our #1 priority was to find a house.  You see, the house hunting here is crazy and quite stressful, especially in July during the peak PCS season (Permanent Change of Station).  Most "good" places are taken within a day or two of being listed.  In fact, we tried to rent a couple of places before we even arrived and were beat to the punch by hours each time.  That prepared me to be ready to sign a contract the minute I found a place I liked.  Within a week of arrival, I saw 7 places and found our new home---and I am stoked about it!  Out of all the houses we saw, this one was by far had everything we were looking for--and the name of the village is fun to say: Nanzdietschweiler!

After living in a hotel for a month waiting for the old tenants to leave, Wrigley and I moved in to our empty house this weekend (our household goods won't arrive for another month and a half, unfortunatley, so we have some loaner furniture from the Air Force).  My first impressions of Germany have been very good.  Here are some of the reasons I think we'll enjoy it here:

1) Rules: The Germans love their rules.  While some people despise rules, I actual love rules (well, I only love rules that make sense and that people follow).  Here, their rules make sense and everyone does follow them (or incur a hefty fine).  One of the rules I love the most is their quiet hours.  Everyday, from 1-3 pm and 10 pm-6am; and all day Sunday, it's quiet hours.  No mowing the lawn, no washing cars, no loud music, etc.  If you are caught mowing your yard, for instance, I heard the fine was like 200 Euros.  Instead of doing these things, the Germans get out and go for a walk, or ride a bike.  Sundays are truly days of rest, relaxation, and family time.  I love that!  Also, no trucks on the road on Sundays..also great!

::this is the street we live on::

2) Cars: I'm not a huge car guy, but I do enjoy them.  Here, every other car is either a BMW, Audi, or Mercedes...and well taken care of.  I found myself an old 1996 BMW with low miles on it for a great price, so I'm in the club.

::my ride and a sneak peak at our house::

3) The Villages: In the States, I have no desire whatsoever to live in a small town.  But here, living in a small village is the cool thing to do.  Within 30 miles of base, there are over 300 villages...some small, some quite large.  Almost every village has a bakery, pub, bank, restaurants, church, school, playground, soccer field, etc.  And they all take pride in their village.  While I am extremely bummed that our village's bakery shut down a few years, there is still a bakery truck that comes by the house everyday and sells fresh bread and pastries!  

::just one of the many beautiful views around our village::

4) Beer: The beer here is cheap, plentiful, and really good!  When you go out to a restaurant and order water, it will literally be more expensive than beer (they don't provide tap water--something I don't like---and the bottled water is typically a little more than the beer).  And they mix their beer with a lot of different beverages, like Coke and lemonade, which is fun and actually tasty!  They also love their pizza and ice cream, which is great!

::a park near our home for the girls!::