I met Julia in March of 2006. I would love to say it was love at first sight (I could claim that it was, but I could say that about every pretty girl I first laid eyes on), but love came later. She was the German nanny that had come to America for three months to practice the language and experience a new culture. I was the new guy from the East Coast, having just sold my business and had come West to work with the old man. She walked into my Stepmom's kitchen the second night I was in Cali during a party. My life was never the same after.
Cordial greetings and small talk were not something that was done in her native country, so it was tough to get her to talk to me. That certainly did not stop me from trying. Dad and I were renovating an old house down the street and Julia used walk by every day with the kids. I always tried to say hello, but was lucky to get a smile from her. I'm not sure when I figured out that she came back from the gym each morning at 730ish. But once I did, you could find me out on the front porch every morning at 7:27am sweeping the porch and steps. I guess you could say I was stalking her, but I like to think that I just put myself in her line of sight and hoped she would notice me. One morning, she walked by and smiled at me. That's probably when I fell for her. Smiles turned to waves, waves turned to hello's and eventually she started to stop and talk. Then she started bringing me coffee each day.
(I would later find out she felt sorry for me; she saw a guy who was always working hard so early in the morning and always sweeping the front porch. Well played, I must say.)
The work men used to tease me, "Is it 7:30 yet? Isn't your girlfriend coming by?" "Hey, you're gonna miss your girlfriend! Its 7:25!" One morning my Dad found me on the front porch, sweeping away and was in mid-sentence, praising me for keeping the house appearance so neat and tidy. He told how it would keep the neighbors happy, keep us on good terms with them and make it less likely they would complain about noise, or trucks parked on the street or whatever. Then Julia walked by and waved.
"Does she walk by everyday at 7:30?" he asked, a smile twinkling in his eyes.
"Yup," I grinned.
"Smart man," he laughed. "No wonder you are never late to work."
So, what ever happened to the hot German nanny? I married her two years later. Last week, we packed up everything we owned and moved to Germany. Between culture shock, different traditions, distinctive attitudes, and just plan goofy shit that only someone who has moved to a different country where they can barely speak the language could understand...I imagine I will have quite a few insights and stories about the challenges and tribulations of living in a foreign country. As I attempt to make it work in the land of Alpine meadows, cow pastures and quaint mountain towns here in the Algãu of southern Germany, I hope you, dear reader, will be entertained and enlightened as I bumbled through my new life.
Welcome!
