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so i was at starbucks, tap-tapping on my laptop, trying to wrap up a dreadfully tedious project for work. i tried to infuse some fun by adding a vanilla latte and a change of scenery, and while the latte was perfect, the work was still … work. regardless …
as i was typing i suddenly heard a familiar sound … 2 girls … speaking english. it’s funny – living in a foreign country, my ears are now fine-tuned to pick up on any english-speakers. until they sat down all i heard was the low hum of quiet german conversations (people speak SO quietly here!), and then out of the blue i started to catch snippets of a conversation about going to the gym and children and schools and such. i looked up and saw 2 cute gals, sipping coffee, one with a darling little girl on her lap. i thought to myself, hey, i go to the gym! i have children! i speak english! and without warning i suddenly walked over, interrupted their conversation, and boldly introduced myself.
i’m honestly not sure what came over me.
it’s funny to be in a position in life where i want / need to meet new people, and find new friends. i will say that i consider myself INCREDIBLY blessed to have already made some amazing, lovely, funny and fun friends. my circle of support here is way beyond what i expected or anticipated. that said, the expat life can be similar to college – people come, and go, and everything feels a bit temporary and unstable. unlike my portland life where the foundation of friendship was set years ago, everything here is new and can feel slightly fleeting. there’s also just the normal challenges of finding people who 1 – you connect with. which is made all the more difficult considering i 2 – don’t speak the language. so the “candidate pool for friends” is all the more narrow. which i guess is what propelled me over to that table. english + gym + children + lattes = potential friendship?
so, at the ripe old age of 36, for the first time ever, i gave out my digits to a complete stranger (well, 2 complete strangers). now i guess we just wait and see. stay tuned …
Paul - You should really try to take advantage of your stay and try to learn a little German. I know that most people you meet speak English but those people are not your typical Germans. Learning CONVERSATIONAL German is doable as long as you don’t get sucked into grammar – which is impossible even for Germans. I honestly think you would get more out of your visit if you could go to your local shops and speak their language. his is just a suggestion.
Paul