Leaving Europe | Amie McCracken

Sitting in a Berliner currywurst shop, the rain pouring outside, thinking that I have to catch a train at 8 the next morning, I had the strongest urge to cry. This was the last time I’d see Berlin for who knows how long. I’m leaving Europe. I had this impulse even as I wrote this to throw myself to the floor and pound it with my fists. “I don’t wanna go!”

Ironically the Berliner currywurst shop has a picture of New York on the wall…

This has truly been an incredible experience. I would never have thought I would get to spend five years in Europe. Originally I planned to leave college and go into the Peace Corps, but life happened and I got married instead. So when my husband was offered a job in Germany, I was definitely more excited than he was. Now that we’ve lived here (and in Belgium), had our minds opened to a new culture and so many possibilities, he is just as in love with traveling as I am. We’ve both got the bug, and we have high hopes for moving back (maybe to the UK, maybe to Scandinavia, maybe Germany again). Either way, we know we definitely want our children to grow up bilingual; we know we will forever hold part of Germany in our hearts; and we will never regret having made the decision to move here and stay here as long as we did. We will miss it, oh how my heart hurts right now, but it’s time for the next adventure.

Hello Detroit!

7 Comments

Lotta on August 5, 2014 at 1:54 pm

Oh Amie, I feel your pain. Leaving is so hard sometimes. Have a good trip back and a great start to your life in Detroit. Another adventure begins! Hope to see you back in Europe a couple of years down the line.

Amie McCracken on August 5, 2014 at 7:37 pm

Thanks Lotta. I’m so glad my travels brought me to meet you. 🙂

Helen Bishop on August 5, 2014 at 5:51 pm

You don’t know me but your in-laws do. I’ve been there and so has my sister (who still would like to live in Germany and goes back often). This is so hard, but I am 74 years old and you will find that you will have many such adventures and they will all be hard, BUT you are going to have such memories and you will share them with your children and they will be better for it. Detroit will be like another foreign country (I’m not sure where you grew up) but if it was Colorado it will be quite different. You will gather these memories and when you are old they will be your comfort and a wonderful thing to share.

Helen Bishop on August 5, 2014 at 5:53 pm

You can also be grateful that you live in a time when you can fly, skype etc. AND that you will be able to find good German restaurants in almost any big city.

Amie McCracken on August 5, 2014 at 7:39 pm

Thanks so much Helen! I definitely love every adventure that comes along. I live in the moment, so each change is a blessing. And I can’t wait to be able to share every step I took with my kids. I am very grateful for skype and other technologies that make this much easier. My nieces still know who I am because of that!

Jule on August 5, 2014 at 10:09 pm

I will miss you a lot! So bilingual means at lebst scandinavia or Germany 🙂
Luv ya! ❤️

Amie McCracken on August 5, 2014 at 10:21 pm

Will miss you too, Jule. But we will make sure and get together no matter what, no matter where. 🙂

Lotta on August 5, 2014 at 1:54 pm

Oh Amie, I feel your pain. Leaving is so hard sometimes. Have a good trip back and a great start to your life in Detroit. Another adventure begins! Hope to see you back in Europe a couple of years down the line.
- Amie McCracken on August 5, 2014 at 7:37 pm
  
  Thanks Lotta. I’m so glad my travels brought me to meet you. 🙂
Helen Bishop on August 5, 2014 at 5:51 pm

You don’t know me but your in-laws do. I’ve been there and so has my sister (who still would like to live in Germany and goes back often). This is so hard, but I am 74 years old and you will find that you will have many such adventures and they will all be hard, BUT you are going to have such memories and you will share them with your children and they will be better for it. Detroit will be like another foreign country (I’m not sure where you grew up) but if it was Colorado it will be quite different. You will gather these memories and when you are old they will be your comfort and a wonderful thing to share.
Helen Bishop on August 5, 2014 at 5:53 pm

You can also be grateful that you live in a time when you can fly, skype etc. AND that you will be able to find good German restaurants in almost any big city.
- Amie McCracken on August 5, 2014 at 7:39 pm
  
  Thanks so much Helen! I definitely love every adventure that comes along. I live in the moment, so each change is a blessing. And I can’t wait to be able to share every step I took with my kids. I am very grateful for skype and other technologies that make this much easier. My nieces still know who I am because of that!
Jule on August 5, 2014 at 10:09 pm

I will miss you a lot! So bilingual means at lebst scandinavia or Germany 🙂
Luv ya! ❤️
- Amie McCracken on August 5, 2014 at 10:21 pm
  
  Will miss you too, Jule. But we will make sure and get together no matter what, no matter where. 🙂