Moving to Germany from the U.S.

Well, we're coming to Munich. We have a few months here in the states (New York then Minnesota) before heading on over.
~What should I make sure to enjoy while I'm here?
~What might I not realize I should be thinking about as far as what to pack, how to prepare for the move, the culture...? If you had had a second chance at your move what would you have done differently? What advice would you have given yourself?

I've poked around this site a lot, but I'm worried that there might be things that are so off my radar that I don't think to search for them. Thanks!

If you don't have jobs then start looking for work and lining up interviews now. The Germans, on the whole, are much more thorough when it comes to hiring people, so it is not unusual for application processes to take at least a month before the company even decides on interviewing. Make sure you have the advance documentation in place to register as a resident (you'll need your rental contract as well as soon as you have that), which you will have to do when you arrive. Errrr... bring me some US salsa please? Good luck with your move.

Hamburgers and steaks! Eat them till you want to pop and never want to see one again because you won't (not real ones anyway) while you are here.
Same with TexMex and Philly Cheesesteaks and NY or Chicago pizza and bagels and Krispy Kreme donuts.

And dill pickles.

I second the bagels and donuts and good muffins.

Plus if you like chocolate chip cookies, bring your own chocolate chips because you can't get them here (unless you are connected with someone with access to the PX).

Save as many Dollars as you can, because you will need it considering the pathetic exchange rate.

How about just reading this:

Americans in Munich - what do you miss from home?

More similar threads here: http://www.toytowngermany.com/search/?q=miss+home

My partner has a job all lined up, so we're all set for money. We'll be glad to be earning in euros for the next few years!
You guys are getting me all hungry! What about just logistical aspects of the move, not just food?

You should probably look into booking a plane ticket. You can do it by sea and land but it takes quite a while.

Reading some of these threads would be a huge benefit to you also.

3 months...I only had 2 weeks, and this was when the internet was still in its infancy - Yahoo Mail hadn't even existed at this point.
Not that I would have done it any differently.

Advice would be to be open and tolerant and try to make as many German friends as possible. I guess I found it easy because I always had a German friend to ask for for advice.

Be wary of culture shock (if you have never been an expat before). The first 3 to 6 months will be like being on holiday. All new and interesting.
After that you may become frustrated even at simple things like shopping or generally feel alienated. But it will soon pass.

My holiday feeling lasted about two years and I never did feel alienated (except for the fact that Germans wouldn't speak German with me). However, I have hit a 10 year bump where I have the feelings sometimes that I just want to go home.

Logistics? Don't trying reducing your life to 13 suitcases like I did. Get a container and ship some stuff over with you, they are much cheaper these days. Minimum container space cost 6k when I looked way back when and I just didn't have that amount of need then. If you have a newer car, consider bringing it. Bringing my car was the best decision that I made and it only cost $800 to do it.

Also to bear in mind: civilisation is alive & well in most of Europe - we don't live in caves & igloos (at least most of us don't).

We live pretty well - just be open to fact that there is over 5000 Nautical miles of water separating US from Europe and a few things are just different...

Just a thought - seeing as you are not married you could well run into obstacles being able to stay here for more than 90 days. Better peruse the threads.

erg. HEM -have you been talking to my parents? :)
Yeah, that's definitely something we need to figure out. It's on my very long to do list!

No - but I'm probably old enough to be one of them

Your very long to do list just got shortened to the next three months plus a 90 day Visa!

Lara, the most important thing to remember is that you don't need to figure absolutely everything out before you both get here. Many, many people came here to Germany from the US and other parts long before there was so much info available on the internet. Many before there was an internet. Part of the experience should be finding stuff out as you go along. That's what makes it an adventure. Also remember, and this is a pearl so pay attention, far more is written on the internet about problems people have than is written about their good experiences. Most companies don't have a "Customer Compliments" department.

If you have questions that you'd like answers to, and you will, try to use the Search function where possible. There's a very good chance that others have asked, and received comprehensive answers to, the same questions before you.

I'd start preparing your wedding too.. cause getting your visa, especially if you want to work, could be tough. Your relationship to your boyfriend means nothing over here unless you're married, so you'd have to apply for all this stuff as if you were on your own.

*sigh* yeah, I'm coming to that conclusion, too. Oh well, after ten years I guess it might be time to admit defeat. You all are downers! How about more food suggestions? :?

If you're going to get married, do it there, way less bureaucracy. You get tax benefits for marriage too. Plus you're allowed to visit your hubby in the hospital and make certain decisions, should they become necessary. *aiy!*

Read about the food in the thread I linked further up.

Yes, I second the not marrying in Germany. A Canadian friend of mine here said it took nearly a year to get all the necessary paperwork just in order to marry her German fiancee -- birth certificate and university diploma translated into German, for example.

We -- my husband and two kids -- moved here in Nov. so it's alll still fresh in our heads. When it comes to moving I regret throwing out so much stuff to keep the moving bill down because it's so expensive to replace everything. We brought our bed and thought we'd get a new mattress here. Well the bed sizes are different and nothing fit right on our queen frame so we had to ditch the frame and just get a German bed frame and mattreess-- dito for all our sheets, although we've been squeezing them on there anyway.

We brought our older--not digital TV. Mistake.
We brought our vaccume cleaner and promptly burnt it out on a transformer that wasn't powerfull enough -- same for the blender. (We found a more powerful transformer.)
We didn't bring our step ladder and soon really needed one for painting and such and here they're 69 Erors, cheap. Same with the ironing board.
We brought our cats. Had to ethically and emotionally, but they hate it here, oddly enough.

We bought a lot of drugs ... Tylenol, Immodium, Vicks, AlkaSalser, TheraFlu, and a lot of good vitamins. Good move. They're not over the counter here. You have to go to the pharmacy, which, like everything else is only open 9-5, or sometimes 3 or sometimes 6.

Bring lots of Mac n Cheese.

Hey would you mind telling me where you bought your transformers? I just moved here from Chicago as well, and I have over 15 things I need to get transformers for. What a daunting task.

I got the transformers from an American family whose company – Addias I believe – was shipping them back to the U.S. They posted a bunch of stuff for sale on their corporate relocation company’s website

http://www.easy-entry.de/

look under News—SalesLists

A friend also said transformers are sold on U.S. army bases. How I was to gain access to said army base, however, was not explained to me.

Excellent. Thanks for the link!