It’s hard to imagine that we have now been in Berlin for 3 whole months. In some ways, it feels like we’ve always been here and don’t know how we never managed to live anywhere else. And in other ways, it’s strange to think that we were so settled into a far more rural life just a few short months ago in which we were also really happy (but seriously struggling to maintain.)

Over the last few months, I have been asked a whole lot of questions by people that either just couldn’t fathom what we were doing or why. Many of them were even people that were looking at the farm while it was on the market — which quite honestly was a rather wild experience at times. If ever you think about selling your own home, just know that the Realtors are right and you are better off saving yourself the headaches…especially if you live in a state like Hessen.

But with that being said, I wanted to take a few moments now to talk about a few of the questions we have received over and over again to set a few minds at ease…

Isn’t it tough leaving behind such a beautiful farm where you have invested so much time and energy to make it pretty?

I guess the fact of the matter is that we had already opened ourselves up to a great change mentally and although we had plans to make some final renovations to the farm, we did intend to leave it at some point in the not too distant future. I think when we first bought the place, we knew we were in it for some sort of long haul, but the time frame was always indefinite. Neither of us ever envisioned that it would be the last place we ever lived. With Stefan being a bit of a child of the world and me being open to all sorts of possibilities, our hearts (and businesses) do still lie in the US in many ways. Maybe that’s the American in us. Germans often seem to rent or buy a place with the intent of living there forever while Americans get a place with the thought that one day they’re probably upgrade for one reason or another (family expansion, better job, etc) or even downgrade (empty nesters, etc) — but rarely think of their new home as a place where the next time they move out will be with their feet first on a stretcher.

But to be honest, I was kinda being stifled there. I rarely had interactions with other adults (outside of the internet) and while I’m ok with that, it’s probably not all that healthy. And if I’m a hermit, how can I expect my daughter to be open to hanging out with other people either, right?

Now for those that are concerned, no, we still have not sold the house. And although we’d like to, we firmly believe that there’s a reason for most things that happen in this life. So in the meantime, we’re very thankful to have a very solid home insurance policy (www.yourcoverinsurance.co.uk). And when the time is right, the right people come along, and it will all fall into place.

The main farmhouse

Are you going to change the name of the blog now that you won’t be living on a farm in the countryside?

No. Although the name was created shortly after we bought the farm (literally) I don’t have any intentions of changing the name. I hope that wherever life takes us, we will be able to maintain the same values and principles about our lives…supporting local vendors, living a sustainable lifestyle as best as we can in the city, and learning new ways to be more self-reliant. Sure, it’s not the ideal situation for homesteading, but there are millions upon millions of people living in cities across the globe and we certainly all need to do our best to live more sustainably. And I doubt that anyone will argue that an apartment in Berlin if far from your usual homestead. 😉

How are you dealing with the change from country living to big city living?

While I thought it might be a little difficult to transition and that I would really miss a lot of things about the farm, I am also willing to admit that being the (almost) sole caretaker of a home and garden while also trying to raise a daughter and run successful businesses is overwhelming and damn near impossible. There were always things falling through the cracks, not enough hours in the day and it was all rather exhausting. At this point, I still have a lot on my plate and I’m not as productive as I want to be — but hopefully (all fingers and toes crossed), Mack will be starting preschool in mid-November at the latest, which means that some semblance of a normal daytime working schedule will be able to resume by the beginning of 2013 (once she’s integrated and comfortable in the school).

The area of Berlin we live in is absolutely awesome, with tons of bars and restaurants close enough to walk to, as well as the Berlin Zoo and aquarium. Plus the biggest farmers’ market in Berlin and I can literally go to a market within walking distance 5 days a week. We can go from one side of Berlin to the other by subway in about 20 minutes which is also a darn good thing. And our apartment is a total dream, even with having to walk up 60 stairs a day at least twice (nope, no elevator). Oh yeah, and did I mention we’re living a lot healthier and exercising way more in Berlin too?

So yes, I definitely had my apprehensions about moving here, but after just a short while, this city felt like home. And I really don’t miss feeling like I’m not doing enough every day of the week just because I never could have gotten it all done in a million years anyway.

This is just down the street from us. We can actually almost see her from the end of our block. | photo credit: Sprengben [why not get a friend] via photopin cc

How is Mackenzie liking the changes?

Well she definitely loves that we live closer to really fun things like the zoo and a few museums. And she actually has a really good sense of direction when we’re out and about and can tell us how to get to and from places we go frequently. The preschool that she is about to start at is going to be worlds better for her than her old one, not only because it’s a lot smaller, but because the teachers in there actually seem to care. If I had visited a place like that before enrolling her at her old preschool, I probably would have moved her into a different class or school earlier. It was just not a place to stimulate growth at all. I’m sure she misses playing in the courtyard but we drive Bobby Cars in the house sometimes and she still gets outdoor play time…which will increase when school starts. All around, there’s just a lot more opportunities for her also and a lot more room for growth and development.

How is Ayla handling the switch to the city?

You may not know this about Ayla, but she’s kinda always been a city dog. We took her to Italy and especially Venice with us a few times as a puppy and she LOVED it. She craves attention from people, which is part of the reason we got the “Free Hugs” signs for her harness. If she goes a whole day without loving on the street from a random stranger, she will mope in the evening. I’m not even kidding. She’s a therapy dog without even having the training. And honestly, judging from the smiles on people’s faces, I think she sometimes makes someone’s day just by being there on the street. She is the silliest, happiest dog I’ve ever met. And while we were concerned about all the walking more and having to climb the stairs, she’s actually lost a little bit of weight (which is a good thing), she’s more agile and energetic than ever before, and she actually “asks” us to go for longer walks some days by pulling in the opposite direction.

So in summary, we’re all enjoying ourselves and loving life. We’re still able to escape to the quiet solitude of the Tiergarten within 15 minutes walk (and that’s where we now run on a regular basis) and we have less traffic noise at our apartment than we actually did in our farmhouse. We’re making new friends, we’re fully enjoying life, falling in love again and are thankful to have the opportunity to take on these new adventures with each other.

photo credit: gari.baldi via photopin cc