summer visitors

We've finally reached the end of our month chock full o' visitors, and boy, was it a good time. It started with my college friends Megan and Claire visiting for a week with their significant others. We rented a "van" (I use that term loosely - it was basically a glorified hatchback that was far too small for 6.5 people) and travelled to Maastricht...

...took our second trip to Amsterdam (you can see a recap of the first one here), where we ate pancakes (a must!), visited Rembrandt's House and the Rijksmuseum, tried Indonesian food, took a canal cruise, and finally toured the Anne Frank House...

...and took a day trip to Burg Eltz - our first visit to a German castle! ...

...before they headed back to the good old U.S.A. One week simply wasn't long enough.

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Next up were our pals Jas and Jennie from the U.K. We visited them in London last summer, and they came to Aachen the first weekend of this month. We partook of wine fest, endured the scorching heat, and enjoyed some good food and even better company, before they boarded the train to spend time in Bruges.

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Last but not least was my dad's visit. This was super exciting because, a. he's my dad and 2. it was his first trip to Europe. It was so much fun showing him around. 

We also took him to Maastricht...

Then, I got brave and kept the car for a couple of days and drove on the Autobahn (my first time without following Josh). Things I learned: I have the need for speed; a highway is a highway pretty much anywhere you go; people in Germany are MUCH better drivers than in America (they actually use the left lane only for passing... WHAT A NOVEL IDEA!)

Driving through wine country en route to Koblenz.

We drove to Koblenz to meet up with my dad's friend John, from our hometown of Laurel, Mississippi, as he's currently stationed in Germany as a chaplain in the military. We enjoyed a nice leisurely lunch and a walk along the river...

The next day, we went to Monschau, where we walked about the town, partook of a delicious lunch, and picked up some more of their infamous mustard.

Josh took off from work on Thursday, and we took a trip to Bastogne, Belgium. I'll do an entire post on this one since I actually took a decent camera with me and got lots of photos. For now, I'll just say that it was an incredible experience. Hubs got this great shot of the U.S. memorial...

And on dad's last day in town, we hung out in Aachen, lingered over a delicious breakfast spread, and took Miles on his first trip to a zoo. His favorites seemed to be the goats, ducks, and the ostrich!

Aachener Cafe is one of our favorites for breakfast and a great cup of coffee.

Dad and I on his last day.

We're so thankful to have friends and family that are willing to travel far and wide to join us on our adventures! We don't have any more visitors planned until the beginning of next year, so we'll be exploring on our own over the next few weeks before we return to Nashville and High Point for Thanksgiving!

five ways to combat homesickness when living abroad

It's been about 10 months since we first began our journey living in a foreign country and boy, has it been a whirlwind. (Well, technically, I guess I've only actually lived in Germany for about six of those months since I spent a few back in the U.S. throughout the end of my pregnancy and in the first couple of months after having Miles.) Almost a year in, I finally - FINALLY - feel like I've adjusted to our new home after a roller coaster of excitement, anxiety, and feeling all the feels. I tell ya - moving to a new place - whether it be a different state or a different country - is not for the faint of heart. Now that I feel like I'm on the other side of it, here are a few things that I believe have helped ease the transition...

iPhone photo from Mother's Day weekend - Miles was obviously NOT into it.

Find your people. It's so hard moving to a new place as an adult. Up until the post-college years, you've had built in systems for developing friends, but once you're in the real world, it can prove more difficult. This difficulty is magnified when you move to a place where you don't even speak the primary language. The best way to find new friends, through my experience, is to search for expat groups online. Even our city, Aachen, which isn't huge, has several English-speaking groups that get together on a monthly basis. My favorites have been the ones I found on Facebook - the folks there have been extremely helpful in answering any questions we've had about how things work over here, and it's also a great resource for buying/selling things like bikes and furniture. We enjoy meeting new people at the monthly gatherings at different restaurants and bars around town, and we've even made a few friends through the group. You're always guaranteed to have something in common as you commiserate over the woes and small joys of living abroad :)

Get outside. Last summer, when we moved here, and if I'm honest, I was probably somewhat depressed, I wanted to do nothing but mope around our apartment all day. It was intimidating to go outside and know that I might have to interact with people whom I didn't speak their language (an utterly frustrating experience) or thinking I might get lost (at the time, my phone only worked on wifi). I came up with all kinds of excuses for staying inside - it's too rainy or I'm too tired or I just didn't get the chance today. Let me tell you, sunshine and fresh air can really make all the difference in your mood. Especially now that we have Miles, if he's feeling cranky, I load him in the stroller or Ergo, and we go for a walk. It almost always makes us both feel better!

Picnicking with the boys in Aachen's Stadspark on a beautiful, spring day.

Stretch your comfort zone. Part of this is the whole finding new people thing, but there are lots of other things about living in a foreign country that take you out of your comfort zone. For me, even going into a grocery store by myself was challenging at first. Force yourself to learn at least some of the language (greetings are a good place to start... for example, when checking out at the grocery store here in Germany, it's customary to greet the cashier with "hallo" and say "danke" (thanks) and "schuss" (bye) when you've finished the transaction and bagging your items). Explore new places. Go sit and have coffee at a local cafe. Little by little, you'll find you start to feel more comfortable in your new environment.

Develop a routine. Especially not having a job over here (while I've pretty much been working and/or in school forever), I've found that it's essential to have some sort of routine. It provides me with a sense of normalcy. It's not the exact same every day, but usually looks something like this for me - wake up around 8 or so, feed and play with baby while having breakfast and coffee, get a shower/straighten up the house/pay bills/work on the few projects I still have going while Miles takes his (typically) long morning nap, eat lunch, and then we'll usually go out for a walk and run errands in the afternoon before Josh gets home, and tag-team making dinner and taking care of baby. Recently, Miles has gotten himself into an even more predictable routine - eating dinner with us, followed by a bath, and bed between 9 and 10. Having even a little bit of consistency and knowing what to expect from my day goes a long way.

Those precious, precious nap times that I use to do ALL THE THINGS. Thank you sweet Jesus.

Take time to do the things you love. There's no reason you need to give up all the comforts of home. Continue to do the things you love while you're living abroad. For me, those include writing (like here on this blog), travel (not only is this fun and exciting, but it also gives me something to look forward to - sort of landmarks in my time abroad), taking photos (even though most of mine these days are iPhone), and cooking (which I've just recently gotten back in the swing of). Find other people who love to do the same things - it's a great way to make new friends!

If you're struggling to adjust to a new place or in the preparation stages of moving and feeling a bit anxious, just know that some days will be better than others, but eventually, hopefully someday soon, you'll feel the fog lift. I hope that you'll, like me, learn to appreciate the adventure and seize this new chapter! 

36 hours in amsterdam

Amsterdam / Canal / Fuji X100

Before I dive into our weekend adventures, I'd like to say thank you to Organic Mama for featuring me on her blog on Saturday. If you haven't already seen it, head on over to read Confessions of an Expat Mama: Pregnancy and Parenting in Germany.

On Friday, we headed up to Amsterdam by car for our first long weekend away with baby. Contrary to popular belief, this charming city isn't all sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Not only is it absolutely BEAUTIFUL, but it's easy to walk, has such a rich history, and all of the people were incredibly nice. Not to mention that it's actually a pretty kid-friendly culture. I was nervous about taking a five month old on our trip and how well he might do with our usual pace of sightseeing. He got fussy and/or excited (both of which require alot of our attention) during nearly every meal we ate and both nights, didn't go to sleep until 2 a.m. or later (which I'm pretty sure was due to all the sleeping during the day in the car, carrier, or stroller), but overall, I'd call the trip a success!

Our first stop was Keukenhof to see the tulips in bloom, and they did not disappoint. Thankfully, the rain stopped just as we arrived, and it turned out to be really nice weather the rest of the weekend, albeit just a bit on the chilly side. The amount of work that must go into prepping and tending these gardens that are only open for two months out of the year is impressive.

Keukenhof Gardens / Tulip Path / Fuji X100

Keukenhof Gardens / Delft Garden / Fuji X100

Keukenhof Gardens / Tulips / Fuji X100

After we finished up our afternoon at the gardens, we headed into the city to check in to our airbnb. It was the cutest modern flat with the most generous host, who left us an extensive list of things to do and places to eat. We have a long history of overestimating what exactly is a reasonable walking distance - we once walked 13 miles in one day in San Francisco - so we set off on foot toward the city center, stopping along the way for the most delightful frozen treat at Ijsmanschap, a homemade popsicle shop.

IJmanschap Popsicles / Amsterdam / iPhone 6

I amsterdam sign / Meseumplein / Amsterdam / iPhone 6

We saw a few sights, including the I amsterdam sign at Museumplein and had the best burgers from The Butcher at Foodhallen - a cool industrial building filled with cute shops and great food - very similar to Borough Market in London. Good burgers are hard to come by in Germany, so I was super pumped about this find. Josh had the Truffle Burger, and I had the more traditional Butcher with Cheese. We ate them so fast, we forgot to take a picture... this became a theme throughout the trip. We Glessners LOVE food.

Foodhallen / Amsterdam / iPhone 6

Despite the fact that we had already eaten dinner, we stumbled upon the most adorable little Dim Sum restaurant and just couldn't resist... what can I say, I'm a sucker for some steamed pork buns. It was perfectly scrumptious, and Josh and I wholeheartedly agreed that indulgences like two dinners are completely acceptable on vacation. This is why we're married. Unfortunately, the experience ended with me opening the (non-spring) door too hard as we were leaving and smashing my poor finger horribly. Was it worth it, you ask? Absolutely.

After nearly an hour walk each way on Friday and the crippled feet to prove it, we finally learned our lesson and took an Uber the rest of our time in the city. Best investment ever, and you can get your first ride free using this link. I always love not having to deal with the cash and tip situation of a regular taxi :)

Jordaan, Amsterdam / Fuji x100

On day two, we hit the ground running early-ish (ish because we now have a baby who always takes longer to get out of the house than I anticipate) and headed to the Jordaan district to see the Anne Frank House and Museum. We knew we'd have to wait, but this line was 2+ hours long and we had a sleeping baby, so I became disenchanted with the idea of wasting this precious time in line. (Note: all of the websites say to get to Anne Frank House early to skip the line, but I'm pretty sure everyone heeds that advice. Anytime we could see the area throughout the rest of the day, the line was never as long as it was in the morning.) 

We quickly decided to hop out and head to The Pancake Bakery for breakfast. Wanting an authentic Dutch experience, we ordered the poffertjes - the most delightful bite-sized pancakes drowning in butter and dusted with powdered sugar - and a traditional Dutch pancake with apple and bacon cooked in it. 

The Pancake Bakery / Poffertjes / Jordaan, Amsterdam / iPhone 6

The Pancake Bakery / Dutch Pancake with Apple and Bacon / Jordaan, Amsterdam / iPhone 6

I had spent all of the previous day nursing Miles in the parked car or trying to find a place to sit to feed him, and honestly, it was so exhausting and stressful for both of us. Determined that there MUST be a better way, I lowered the straps of the Ergo carrier - our vehicle of choice for toting a small child around the city, made sure we were covered with a scarf, and nursed him while we walked from one destination to the next. I made Josh take this picture so I could celebrate this small mommy victory :) It was such a timesaver and a much more enjoyable experience for everyone!

Nursing on the go in the Ergo carrier / Amsterdam Canal / iPhone

After filling up on pancakes, we headed to The Nine Streets -  a shopping and food area that spans three canals and is filled with the most adorable boutiques and delicious eateries. I picked up some new earrings, and we stopped into a sweet shop (that unfortunately, I can't remember the name of) for a coffee-hazelnut macaron and a piece of Mud Cake - butter cake filled with a fluffy caramel creme and dipped in chocolate. UPDATE: The credit card statement revealed that the location is Urban Cacao - GO THERE! 

Then, we stumbled upon the Amsterdam Cheese Company, which I'm pretty sure is my own personal version of heaven. We sampled nearly everything in the store and left with 40 euro worth of gouda and goat cheese. They even ship internationally!

Amsterdam Cheese Company / Nine Streets, Jordaan / iPhone

Bocca Coffee / Amsterdam / iPhone

Since my coffee snob hubby was along, I did my research and found this Esquire-voted Best Coffee in the Netherlands cafe ... not to be confused with an Amsterdam coffee shop ;) It didn't disappoint, and we headed out with a bag of beans to enjoy at home, as well.

Our next stop was the Heineken Brewery for a tour and tasting. The history was really interesting and the factory itself was gorgeous, but it turned into a real bro-fest after the educational stuff. We're talking a 4D ride, techno beats, Xbox stations, and a rooftop bar filled with frat boys. Nothing makes you feel old like being in a place like that with a baby strapped to you :)

Heineken Brewery Tour / The Heineken Experience / Amsterdam / iPhone

Heineken Brewery Tour / The Heineken Experience / Amsterdam / iPhone

After the brewery and seeing as we're well-rounded people, we decided to head over to the Van Gogh Museum to take in some fine art. We were able to purchase tickets on Josh's phone for about an hour later, allowing us to bypass the long lines. We were thrilled to find that the museum was super family friendly - a nice clean family restroom, relaxed atmosphere, and free strollers available at the coat check. You know you're adulting FOR REAL when this is one of the highlights of your vacation. Miles loved his first ride in a big boy stroller - he spent half of the time just looking around and smiling at people and then, quietly passed out. 

Van Gogh has always been one of my favorite artists, and the museum definitely did his life and work justice - I highly recommend visiting it if you're going to Amsterdam!

Trees outside of Van Gogh Museum / Museumplein / Amsterdam / iPhone 6

Due to the kid that , as I mentioned earlier, liked to get rowdy during our mealtimes, we decided to go back to Foodhallen for dinner. We knew the casual (and noisy) environment would work for a loud baby, and the food was just that good. We started out with the bitterballen flight from De Ballen Bar. These little croquettes, which are another Dutch specialty, are a deep fried delight! 

De Ballen Bar / Foodhallen / Amsterdam / iPhone 6

Then, Josh grabbed a yummy Vietnamese caramelized pork belly Bahn Mi from Viet View, while I headed to Caulils KAAS to order this cheese and spicy salami tosti. Yes - it is, in fact, as good as it looks.

Caulils KAAS / Tosti / Foodhallen / Amsterdam / iPhone 6

We knew the Anne Frank House was open late, so we decided to trek back to see if the line was any shorter. It was, in fact, much shorter, but by the time we got inside, we were only going to have about 30 minutes to go through. We decided to put it on our itinerary for next time, along with a canal cruise, more museums, and taking in more neighborhoods around the city.

Just as we were about to get in a cab, I spotted a fresh, hot stroopwafel sign across the street and shouted to Josh that we had to go get one. Two thin wafer-like waffles with warm caramel sandwiched in between... divine!

Stroopwafel / Jordaan, Amsterdam / Fuji x100

Seeing as we're only a two and a half hour drive away, we'll definitely be heading back to Amsterdam at least once, if not more, before we leave Europe! Josh and I both agreed that it is, by far, one of our favorite cities that we've visited. If you're interested in adding some of these spots to your itinerary, here's the list of places we went:

EAT

• Poffertjes and pancakes at The Pancake Bakery
• IJmanschap Handcrafted Popsicles
• Anything at Foodhallen - we tried The Butcher, De Ballen Bar, Caulils KAAS, and Viet View
• Dim Sum Now for delicious (and healthy!) chinese food
• Mud Cake and Macarons at Urban Cacao
• Amsterdam Cheese Company
• Bocca for a killer cup o' joe
• Fresh stroopwafel from any local shop or vendor

DO

• the tulip gardens at Keukenhof - only open April through May
• shopping and snacking in The Nine Streets
• Anne Frank House - don't go first thing in the morning and even better, plan your trip far enough in advance to reserve a ticketed time slot
• The Heineken Experience - I honestly would probably skip this next time - especially since Heineken beer isn't exactly my style - but it was fun for a one time deal
• Van Gogh Museum - definitely go and definitely reserve your ticket online! You can even do this, like us, on the day of your visit.