Things Are Looking Up!

Greetings readers – I’m pleased to report that I’m in a much better mental place than when I last checked in. And there’s been lots going on that I want to catch you up on, so, like it or not, this is going to be a very random, update-filled post that jumps all over the place. Apologies in advance!

The Gym

The gym continues to work absolute wonders for my mental health. I’m still sampling a variety of classes and with five visits a week, it’s providing some much-needed structure for my days. I also completed the complimentary trainer session that was included with my membership. During our 85 minutes together, the trainer had me step onto the fancy biometric scale that measures fat, muscle, bone mass, and a whole laundry list of stats. The verdict? I was officially pronounced “Fit,” with a metabolic age clocking in a year younger than my real age. (I’ll take the win!)

Taking that information in combination with my health goals, we determined that my main focus right now should be on building muscle. To assist with that, she loaded a routine straight into the gym app with specific reps and starting weights for six different machines. Many of you might be used to this tech, but it’s been ages since I worked with a trainer, and I was genuinely impressed by the tracking setup. The biggest shocker? She didn’t try to upsell me on personal training packages even once. Seriously, what kind of magical alternate universe is this place?

The Air Freight

I’ve tried my best to banish our delayed air freight from my mind, mostly because stewing over it changes nothing. Turns out they found even more batteries, including a few rogue lithium ones. I am mortified, but in our defense: on the morning of our pack-out, we learned we had an extra 250 pounds of air freight allowance rolled over from Baghdad.

In a last-minute scramble, we feverishly dragged boxes from the sea shipment pile over to the air freight pile, and a few prohibited items slipped right past us. It also didn’t help that our local movers were totally green when it came to State Department air-shipment regulations, so they weren’t catching banned items like the eagle-eyed DC packers do. Still, we own it—it’s 100% on us. It just stinks.

You know what made it better, though? Having a new friend here offer to loan us anything we need until our stuff arrives. I came away from her place with three bags bursting with coats, jeans, sweaters, shoes and pillows. The relief was immediate. It’s hard to articulate how much those acts of kindness—both big and small— make the disorientation of moving feel doable, especially on the rough days.

Better yet, we woke up to fantastic news: Our air freight should be in country by early next week, so with a week or two of clearances, we should have it by mid-October!! Our car is also due to arrive any day now, leaving only our slow-boat sea freight in limbo. With any luck, our home will be fully furnished and cozy-feeling by Thanksgiving—just in time for our very first overseas guest.

Our First Visitor

That’s right: our guest room already has its inaugural booking! It’s none other than my dear friend Lindsey from Bend. Lindsey and I first connected at the gym when we were paired up on a weight lifting circuit. We knew right away we were kindred spirits, so our friendship naturally spilled over into life outside the gym. We’ve talked for years about wanting to travel together, so, in addition to seeing Berlin, we’ll also be embarking on a road trip—not sure yet if by car or train—to see several of Europe’s best Christmas markets!

My top priority? Buying an authentic German Christmas pyramid—one of those traditional wooden carousel towers that spins from the heat of little candles. We had one growing up and I could watch it for hours. I’ve always wanted to have one of my own—excited to get it right from the source!

Travel

We actually have a whirlwind lineup of travel on the horizon. In addition to Lindsey’s visit, Nia and I are embarking on a mother-daughter train adventure across Germany during her upcoming fall break. We threw darts at a map and picked an eclectic route: Wernigerode, Kassel, Cologne, and Essen. Our itinerary is overflowing with everything that sits firmly at the bottom of Nick’s vacation wishlist—fairytale castles, amusement parks, and zoos. Because Nick won’t be there to gently enforce sanity breaks, Nia and I will inevitably run ourselves ragged trying to do ALL THE THINGS.

In Essen, I’ll be checking off a genuine bucket-list dream: attending the world-famous Spiel Essen board game convention. It started 43 years ago as a humble gathering and has ballooned into an absolute behemoth with 220,000 attendees and over 900 board game publishers from 50 countries. It is the place to test-drive brand-new releases, hunt down rare gems, and geek out with fellow tabletop enthusiasts. I am beyond thrilled. We scored two-day passes, and I just pray that reality lives up to the glorious, nerdy fantasy I’ve built up in my head! Full report to follow, naturally.

Nick gets his own well-earned downtime in December, so we’re taking the advice of seasoned Berlin expats and fleeing south to escape the gloomy gray chill of a Berlin winter. We’ve booked a getaway to the Canary Islands and crossing our fingers for plenty of sunshine and a few 70-degree days.

Nia’s Updates

Nia is still in the adjustment phase but has thrown herself into school life with inspiring energy. In very Sarah-like fashion, she seems to have over-committed on the activity front for Fall. Activities run either during her lunch hour or after school, and she’s juggling Choir, Fashion Club (where they thrift clothes and upcycle them into something new), Book Club (something similar to the Oregon Battle of the Books she did), Student Council (she’s a 9^th grade rep), Varsity Badminton, and Model United Nations.

We were thrilled to learn that out of thirty applicants in grades 9 through 12, Nia earned one of the eight slots to represent BBIS at the Berlin Model U.N. Conference in November! I have no doubt her incredible experience with Model U.N. in Bend gave her a leg up on getting a spot. We’re so proud to see her casting a wide net, making new connections, and diving in headfirst. Go Nia!

The Most Random Things We’ve Seen in Berlin

To wrap things up, here are the most eyebrow-raising sights our family logged around town in September:

Sarah: A commuter casually downing a 16 oz bottle of Pilzner on the U-Bahn at 10:30 on a Thursday morning.
Nick: Complimentary flutes of champagne being poured for shoppers in a furniture store on a Saturday afternoon.
Nia: A man sitting completely naked on a bus stop bench. (She noted, for the record, that his private parts were strategically covered, but everything else was out for the world to see!)

Never a dull moment here in Berlin…