Heza

-Where were you born?
Tampa, Florida, USA

-In which country and city are you living now?
Munich, Germany

-Are you living alone or with your family?
I live with my German boyfriend.

-How long have you been living in Germany?
A little under two years, since July 19, 2005.

-What is your age?
29

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Germany?
At the time I was working as an engineer in Florida and contemplated going back to Grad school when I met my boyfriend. We corresponded and made visits between Florida and Germany for about 2 years. During that time we decided we wanted to be closer and it would be financially feasible for me to move to Germany and return to school for my Masters. My boyfriend had already spent some time in the States, so it was also very important for me to learn his culture and language.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
I didn’t get accepted into a German University right away. I had to pass a language proficiency exam before my admission could be accepted and when I arrived my understanding of German was just above beginner level. My first three months in Germany were on a tourist visa. Luckily, I could switch my visa status without having to leave the country. I was allowed 9 months on a Residency for the Purpose of Studying visa and passed the German proficiency exam. Now I have a student visa. Having a German boyfriend made the process so much smoother. There was no way I could have jumped through all the bureaucratic hoops alone.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
For the first 8 months, I had tourist insurance through my language school, which was somewhat expensive and only covered emergency situations. But as a student, I now have public insurance which was not too difficult to get after I proved I was accepted into the University. However, after my 30th birthday I will no longer be eligible for public insurance through my student status, which may cause some difficulties down the road.

-How do you make your living in Germany? Do you have any type of income generated?
As a student I’m eligible to work 90 full days or 180 half days per year. However, all of my available time is dedicated to learning my course material, which is taught in German. But I do generate a little bit of income through my weblog.

-Do you speak German and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
My boyfriend and I now speak 80% German and 20% English to each other, but I would still say I’m semi-fluent. However, I don’t speak or understand Bayerisch, which sometimes presents a challenge when wrangling with the locals. Living in a large city like Munich, it is definitely possible to live here without learning German. Unfortunately, those people stay locked in an English-speaking sub-culture and lose out on being exposed to the German perspective, which can only be reached by having some grasp of the language.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
I get asked this question most often as an expat, especially from those who have yet to stray far from home for a length of time. Most seasoned expats I’ve encountered, including myself, don’t consider this a negative aspect of expat life. This is simply the reality of it all, a part of a choice made before the big leap to a foreign land. Along the way, compromises must always be made. And of course there are ways to combat homesickness, like starting a blog to stay in touch with friends and family, phone calls, card sending, instant messaging.

What I miss most about Florida is kayaking in the Gulf of Mexico or South Florida river systems; there is really no substitute in Munich.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
One of the perks about living in Germany is the magnitude of free time one has in comparison to the U.S. This year, my boyfriend and I plan to visit Berlin, Cologne, Prague, Rome, Southern France, and Northern Italy. After graduation, I will search for a job working with renewable energy technology.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We rent a flat just 12 minutes outside of the Munich city center and a few minutes from the Isar River. Rent for our 60 square meter, 1 bedroom, 1 bath, living room, kitchen, balcony, and underground parking space cost 850 Euro, cold (which doesn’t include the cost of heating, etc.). Buying a home in Munich city center is extremely expensive.

-What is the cost of living in Germany?
There are ways to stretch the wallet but overall, Munich is fairly expensive compared to other large cities in Germany. A half liter of beer typically costs about 3.50 Euro if you buy it in a restaurant. At the grocery store it cost 68 cents. We try to go out to eat only on special occasions. But with the plethora of culinary choices here, it is hard to resist.

-What do you think about the Germans?
Munich is very much an international scene so I think how locals treat foreigners varies day-to-day and from person-to-person. I’ve run across people who have been genuinely nice and patient with me and others who have pretty much ignored me. Because so many tourists filter through this city, it is very easy to run into people who just don’t care about respecting others. You might say that people here aren’t immediately friendly and open as those in my home country, but with a little time, I’ve been able to develop reliable and cordial relationships with most of the locals I’ve encountered.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Germany?
Positive:
So far education and health care are dirt cheap compared to the U.S. But this will most likely change in the coming years and hopefully for the better. I also respect most German perspectives on environmental and humanitarian issues. There are always discussions on how to improve the health and well-being of those living in Germany and the planet.

Negative:
In my experience, Germans like to make some things way more complicated than they need to be. If something could be done in two steps, they would do it in 10.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Germany?
Just expect every day to be filled with new adventures. As you live here, even the most mundane of familiar experiences will have their own twist, like where to buy contact lens solution or how to use the library.

If possible, try to build a network of friends that are both German natives and expats from your own country. Speak as much German as you can with your native friends no matter how painful and regardless if the native starts speaking in English, they’ll get the hint and your German will improve faster. Friends from your home country obviously help when you need to vent or reminisce.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Germany?
Lucid in Deutschland is my expat blog, where I write about my experiences in Munich, my travels, and other odd things that interest me.
Toytown Germany: For information on restaurants, cafés, bars in Berlin, NRW, Frankfurt, Munich.
Letters Home to You: A Canadian in Hamburg writes letters home, something that is definitely not the daily news, and an advice column.
An American Expat in Deutschland: An American expat living near Regensburg writing her thoughts on life, Germany, and whatever else pops into her head.