May 2022 Update

Hello friends and hello summer!

May was a fun and busy month, it went by so fast! We can hardly believe that summer is nearly here.

Quick Visa Update: Our YL admin finally got a hold of what Chase calls the "laundromat" (the Landratsamt), and we should hear something in the next 14 days. Hoping that all gets resolved before our trip to the States or we might have an exciting time in customs on our return.

May Highlights:

- Camp planning in Austria! We are in charge of the fun and games for the German Wyldlife camp. We had a great time with the team, including play-testing a few ideas. We love camp and are so glad we get to help create the space for kids to have the best week of their lives.

- A visit from Chase’s family! We love showing off our new home and we had a great time showing Bob and Donna around. Chase took his dad on a bike tour through the city...and they lived to tell the story!

- Regional Staff weekend in Würzburg! Complete with endless policies (everyone’s favorite), karaoke (which we discovered Germans do with gusto), and sweet time with staff from across German-speaking Europe. We love being a part of this crew.

-On our way back from Würzburg we detoured along the “Romantic Road” and stayed the night in the medieval town of Rottenburg (you’ve probably seen it on a screen saver or puzzle!) It was too cute.

-Celebrating our seniors! We had a picnic in the park to celebrate the graduates as they head off around the world (they are headed to “uni” in Canada, the Netherlands, and the UK...but first they are traveling sans-chaperones to Ibiza, Greece and Thailand--really hard for us to imagine US graduates doing that!)

-Other fun things included: Chase learning to river surf from a local YL staff, an international potluck with our church (we brought pulled pork sliders and pumpkin spice muffins and rocked our PNW gear), a hike through the Partnachklamm in Garmisch, and a date night to see Top Gun (Munich is full of boutique movie theaters--they are so fun!).

We are growing and learning so much and trying to celebrate all the small wins (like successful German communication or exchanging the propane tank). It is wild we are now repeating days and getting a better grasp on weather patterns (turns out last May really was just abnormally cold). We know this place better now: we know where to buy things, how to get places, the best places to park, and all those little things that make life easier. Navigating life still takes extra energy, but it is encouraging to feel we are settling in. Thanks for following along! We love having you on this journey.