Going back to Germany is always an adventure: meeting old friends, exploring old places with a new perspective (as a now-birder), and enjoying the local drinks and foods. In this post, I will show you what’s in my suitcase and provide a bit of my reasoning.
Adventure of the Month
Ever wondered where to get the most authentic German food in Metro Detroit? Come with me to Lagerhaus No5 and Deutschtroit to find out.
Dressing for the Unpredictable: April in Germany
In Germany, we say, “Der April macht, was er will,” which means April weather is unpredictable. Therefore, I will bring everything from summer clothing to my winter coat. I will not bring my gloves, though—I am an optimist, after all. Worth mentioning are my cowboy hat, hiking boots, and hiking pants. Not to forget, some comfy clothes for the flight and while hanging out at my German home!
Through a New Lens: My Must-Have Birding Gear
I cannot go without a whole lot of birding gear. This includes my binoculars and my camera with a big lens. Unfortunately, I only discovered my passion for birding while already living in the US. But that makes coming back even more exciting. I can explore the places I’ve known since my childhood through completely new lenses (I do not mean my binoculars or camera). April/May is peak migration in Southern Germany as well!
The Tech Kit: Staying Connected Abroad
This is the boring part of the luggage: work laptop, tablet (with preloaded movies), earbuds, power bank, power adapters, extra batteries for the camera, and a lot of cables and chargers. All are necessary and not always fun to carry around.
A Taste of the US: Bringing American Favorites to Germany
A lot of friends always request that I bring candy. Unfortunately, most candy is not quite as good as what we have in Germany already—or we even have a better version of the same thing. This limits my choices. I usually buy a lot of the theater box candies. Favorites are Milk Duds, Nerds Gummy Clusters, Whoppers, and Butterfingers. All of them are unavailable in Germany. And as a little local special, I like to bring some Sanders Salted Caramels.
Summertime means Shorebirds. Come visit the Pointe Mouillee State Game Area and get greeted by the Black-necked Stilt’s distinctive call.
In addition, I will bring a bottle of Fireball Apple. While the original Fireball whiskey found its way into German stores and bars, the Apple version is a novelty. Also, some refrigerator magnets have to find new homes! 🥨🦉
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