Over a year an a half ago, The Wife and I experienced a hyper stressful time in which I was pulling the plug on my life in America and moving to Germany, and how she was simultaneously starting her new career in Hannover while trying to find us a place to live and get everything moved-in prior to my arrival. She was a real trooper about it, but — like I’ve said before — Germans are downers.
My wife searched through countless listings and talked to a wide variety of contact people in the hopes of finding an apartment in Hannover. She was so desperate she even considered hiring an ‘Immobilienmakler;’ a ridiculously expensive apartment broker agency which charges the equivalent of two month’s rent plus fees. We didn’t need to do so, thank Christ, but we did need to know exactly what our budget was, and in which part of the city we wanted to live; no small task for a clueless American and a jet lagged German. So we were talking on the phone late one night, discussing our options, when a fundamental difference between our two cultures revealed itself in a moment of perfect clarity:
ME: “What? Everything will be fiiiiiiine. No worries, yo. I mean, why don’t you think we’ll find something under €800 euros? Is it because we don’t know the neighborhoods? Or like, because of the competition or something?”
THE WIFE: “Because I’m a pessimist.”
Oh God, My Wife Is German. 
My wife tends to be a pessimist, while I’m an optimist. Of course, she’s an American, so she doesn’t have an excuse. :) Good luck apartment hunting. I don’t envy you.
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Hi David!
Oh, the apartment hunting ended a year and a half ago, thankfully. That post was in reference to the time just before moving.
It all worked out, but it was very stressful for a while there. How are you doing?
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That’s true, I should have realized you’d been there for a while. We’re actually planning to move from Korea to the US this year which should be pretty stressful, though hopefully not too much.
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Oh nice! Whereabouts in the US are you moving?
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I guess wherever I can find a job, but hopefully somewhere near the northeast, near family. You’re from the Pacific northwest, I think I remember(?).
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Nice. I hope you find something awesome.
Yes, I’m from Portland, Oregon.
Have a great day!
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You got a point on it that many germans are downers, but this is not the complete truth.
While we like to complain too much we are also good in realizing problems which need to be solved. This focus on problems could lead to paralysis and every now and then we need a little kick in the back…e.g. by a positive American.
Well, Americans like to ride too fast in direction of a cliff, sometimes even don’t realize that there is a cliff! Germans have a tendency not to ride at all, in fear of a crash: ”Oh, look at all these problems!”
Like so often the best way is somewhere in the middle.
“Because I’m a pessimist.”
Reminded me very much to a talk of our parents (both germans).
Mother:
“You’re so pessimistic you make everybody miserable!”
Father:
“Yes, I expect the worst but I’m an optimistic pessimist!
Everybody will be happy cause it will become better than expected!”
Good luck with your Apartment Hunting!
For sure it will become better than expected! ☺☺☺
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Hi Marlies! Thank you for the great comment! The apartment hunting was a while ago, but it was very trying.
Thank you for reading and commenting!
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