Escape to the Country
It’s been a little over 1 year since we moved out of the city.
Don’t get me wrong, Berlin has been good to us when we moved from the US in late 2019. We chose Berlin specifically for its internationality. The idea was to find connection quickly because I was the only one in the family speaking fluent German then.
During the lockdown period of Covid it became really clear to me - I miss the countryside. I miss the openness, the greenery, lush trees. We lived on a plot of farmland, surrounded by forests, in Ann Arbor prior to moving to Germany.
So in 2022 we decided to look around.
We had heard horror stories of some families viewing 20, 30 or even 50 houses and not finding anything that fits the requirements in terms of size, location, budget etc.
So when we started looking, our own expectations were low. “Let’s just see what’s there and take it easy”
The first house we viewed was beautiful from the outside. Built in the late 90s, beautifully landscaped, a sizeable garden, they even had solar panels on the roof and an electric car charger outside the garage!
The inside looked pretty good too, however it was built in classic old-school German Minecraft style - every room is a little box, not much openness. Then we viewed the garden area. It was pretty, there was a little shed, an apple tree. That’s when we noticed it: “sssshhhhh … sshhhhhh.. sh … shh., sshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh” So we asked the owners -what’s that sound!? “Ohh, don’t worry about it, it’s the Autobahn right behind those trees there, sometimes when the wind is wrong you’ll hear it a bit..”
We immediately knew that it wasn’t for us.
So with slightly dampened spirits we drove back to our flat in Berlin and started looking at other places online. There was really not much there. It was either wayyy to far away or too small or too old or too expensive. When we were about to throw in the towel and just renew the rental contract for the flat for another year, we saw it.
It was an old house, built in the 1930s, lots of character, a bit of a backyard and right outside the Berlin city limits.
When we viewed it, we could both feel it immediately, this is it. This feels right. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s perfect for now. So we started talking to banks, notaries, agents, the government, neighbours etc and 3 months after that first viewing we took possession of our little house outside the city.
Now we’re still in a city. In fact it’s one of the fastest growing little cities in Germany. The population here grew from 20k in the late 90s to 45k now. However it’s not major metro type of vibe.
What we only realized later, our new house was exactly 7 min walking from the train station which could bring us to Berlin center within a 20min train ride. That’s actually quicker than from our previous flat in Berlin. Boom!
Since moving here in August last year, there has not been a single day that I regretted leaving the city. Of course there is more work to do. There are leaves to rake, grass to cut, rubbish bins to move around, things to paint, things to fix, stuff to worry about. Still, I wold not trade this life back for the life in the city.
This experience has taught me a few lessons:
My requirements may change, I need to be flexible. While a city was the perfect place to be 4 years ago, it’s not any longer and that’s OK.
Things move at their own pace, when something isn’t meant to be, it’s won’t be and vice versa.
Nature and greenery is a vital part of my own wellbeing. I need it on a daily basis to feel fulfilled.
Often, when making a big decision, there is no way to know the outcome for sure. Sometimes we just have to do something with a feeling that it might be the right choice and then see what happens. Most decisions are also reversible.
As I am standing here writing this post, I look out the window with a smile and feel grateful.
