We moved to the lovely city of Heidelberg in Germany this summer and have been here almost one month (will be on the 20th). My fiancée's work is going smoothly and soon I hope to progress in my own career.
After some very long web searches, translations and overall failed attempts we managed to become tenants of a lovely lady in a beautiful apartment in Leiman, with much appreciated and necessary help from my friend Tanja.
After some negotiating we will move in as soon as September and will begin the age old tradition of having little money left and close to nothing furniture in exchange of a place to call our own. At the same time we will own our first kitchen as we will buy it upon entering the new place.
So many things in my life lead to all of this coming together in a smooth transition:
1) My work contract ended in April soon after Pedro landed the job at EMBL.
2) I have a long time online friend, Tanja, that (even though our WoW adventures are now few close to none we kept in touch through Facebook and Skype and remained friends for many years) happens to live close to Heidelberg and was able to help us out whenever needed.
3) Pedro landed the job (that would financially sustain us both) just in time for us to convince his parents that getting married (at all) within the next year was a good idea (after much debate, crying and lunacy which one day in the far future I might forgive).
4) Life gave us what we wanted. A chance at a life together without financial hardship, a wedding and feasible plans to have children. Also in Germany we got away from having to raise the kids catholic (baptism, first communion, etc.) which was going to fuel many future discussions.
5) One of our best friends is here doing her PhD.
So was it hard to pack up, leave friends and family behind and move to an entirely different* country?
No. When you have to choose between having nothing and having something there is no real choice and Friends and Family are always as close as you want them to be.
*even though we are still in Europe, Portugal and Germany are extremely different culturally.
After some very long web searches, translations and overall failed attempts we managed to become tenants of a lovely lady in a beautiful apartment in Leiman, with much appreciated and necessary help from my friend Tanja.
After some negotiating we will move in as soon as September and will begin the age old tradition of having little money left and close to nothing furniture in exchange of a place to call our own. At the same time we will own our first kitchen as we will buy it upon entering the new place.
So many things in my life lead to all of this coming together in a smooth transition:
1) My work contract ended in April soon after Pedro landed the job at EMBL.
2) I have a long time online friend, Tanja, that (even though our WoW adventures are now few close to none we kept in touch through Facebook and Skype and remained friends for many years) happens to live close to Heidelberg and was able to help us out whenever needed.
3) Pedro landed the job (that would financially sustain us both) just in time for us to convince his parents that getting married (at all) within the next year was a good idea (after much debate, crying and lunacy which one day in the far future I might forgive).
4) Life gave us what we wanted. A chance at a life together without financial hardship, a wedding and feasible plans to have children. Also in Germany we got away from having to raise the kids catholic (baptism, first communion, etc.) which was going to fuel many future discussions.
5) One of our best friends is here doing her PhD.
So was it hard to pack up, leave friends and family behind and move to an entirely different* country?
No. When you have to choose between having nothing and having something there is no real choice and Friends and Family are always as close as you want them to be.
*even though we are still in Europe, Portugal and Germany are extremely different culturally.
