A Home Base

We are sitting in a coffee shop in Vienna, enjoying perfectly brewed cups of coffee with tiny milk leaves on them. We are watching locals study, chat, walk and enjoy their daily life. Oh how I (Stephanie) miss the daily life of Charlottesville ! Waking up to enjoy a cup of coffee while watching Kelly & Michael...walk around the familiar city, familiar shops, and speak ENGLISH!

Searching for a home base will be hard when we return to the US. We initially said this trip was meant to help us find a home  base - even if that was in Europe. But after a month, a many nights of secretly wanting my own bed, we realized we love the good ol' USA. How close it is to our family and friends...but why is the ocean so big!? Its so far away from Europe. Where we have explored, loved and hated cities, where we have fallen in love over and over, where we have walked hand in hand listening to Rick Steve's self guided walking tours! But finally, where we want to return so many times.

But how? How can we have a balance of a cozy, comfortable home base (Charleston? Charlottesville?) and also fulfill our love of travel? How can I be a nurse, a job I love and adore, while continuing my passion of travel? How can Shane finish his paramedic degree? Become a police officer? And continue his passion for travel?

Well- I don't care how. Buy it will happen, with as many prayers that have been answered this trip my faith is stronger than it has been in a while and I wholeheartedly believe we will end up where we are supposed to.

The Differences

We're trying to think of all the differences we see in Europe compared to the US! We will keep updating it; so stay tuned!

-The light switches are big,flat and square..more like buttons

-Ceiling fans aren't common

-AC is non existent..too expensive

-Germany is taxed for the rain water they collect. The square footage of the roof and the cement on the ground is converted into a tax percentage

-No open container law

-Being naked is OK

-Weed is stronger

-England's water is so expensive washing dishes in one bucket of water and then not rinsing them is common

-Iceland's water is delicious

-Public transportation is awesome

- No one likes to drink tap water

-Kids start learning a second language at a younger age

-Biking to work is very popular

-Diesel is cheaper than petrol

- Windows don't have screens and can open from the top for ventilation

-Its common to have a towel warmer in a bathroom

-Its common to combine beer and lemonade

-Their toilets are shaped differently, the hole is further back so there's a "shelf" your poo falls onto. Well post a link later with an explanation and pictures. Don't worry.

-The days are longer (this is geographical,yes, but still)

-There are no school nurses in European schools (of the countries we've been to) The administration calls the parents, or in an emergency an ambulance

-Germans wear their wedding rings on their right hands

-Cigarette advertisements are allowed. We've mainly seen them in Germany. There's also cigarette dispenser machines on every corner!