I am a country mouse in the big city.
After a day of roaming the city and running errands (like this), I’m exhausted by all the people and all the great interactions. I’m very much in silent mode. Nod instead of speak. Smile in acceptance instead of verbally respond.
Hello, hello!
I wanted to start off saying hi to all of you with a “good morning!” or “good evening”. But I have no idea which is right. Right now, the goal is to just stay awake for a few more hours.
Hello jetlag!
How have you all been doing these past few days? Did we miss anything amazing?
I thought we’d talk a little about pocketbooks today. You don’t have to be rich to get an apartment in two different countries. In fact, you and your partner could be a start-up business owner and student. (Not that you know of any two people with this combo!) ;)
It really all comes down to the numbers, patience, and certainly some luck.
First off, here’s our number one secret:
Sometimes I forget how much it costs to live in most cities. Take New York City for example. A reader named Anita directed me to this woman lives in a 90 square foot (8.36 square meter) apartment. She pays $700 a month:
(on youtube)
All I could think as I heard her story was, “She doesn’t know about Berlin.”
I have a confession. After I snapped this picture, I went running back into the house for warmer clothes.
Most of the mountains around here look about like this:
No. I’m lying.
That’s actually a picture I took last June when Martin and I got back to the United States.
Yes – that is a normal June 20th photo around here.
Here’s what it actually looks like today with the “midget” mountains as opposed to the ones in the June picture:
I am a fan of simplicity.
You all know that. I think that at some level, you kind of are, too. ;)
The thing that I do not know is how much of a simplifier I am. There are days when I see all the beautiful things people are buying or that I could be buying. I start thinking, “I want that. And that. And that.” Even more often, I want to know how we ended up with so much stuff. Where did all these papers come from? I could have sworn I stopped bringing home those free mini soaps from hotels years ago.
I’m an American splitting life between a 480 square foot apartment in Berlin, Germany and – get this – a house made of old tires in the Rocky Mtns.
This blog chronicles the journey of Making This Home.Meet Katie.
