EuropeWritten
From the Inside.
A different perspective. A thousand ideas for living it.
Part travel inspiration, part local know-how, all shaped from eight years of living, exploring, and building a life in Europe.
Discover the places, experiences, and little moments that make it extraordinary.
Whether you’re living here, planning your next trip, or keeping Europe close from afar, never miss a window with insider tips delivered for free to your inbox.
When Everyone Clocks In,
The Trees Clock Out
Fall in Germany doesn’t creep in. It arrives overnight, right there in the air. I moved around a lot and even spent a few autumns in the Northeast USA, but I never felt the season turn the way I do here.
I spend most of my fall in the forest with friends. Walking is a national pastime in Germany, and the woods have become a place I deeply respect. You can almost hear the trees whispering to each other that it’s time to shed and get ready. We do the same at home.
You don’t skip autumn cleanup here: clip the trees, cut back the flowers, and tuck the garden in so it can rest through winter and bloom bigger in spring. Wait too long, and the cold turns the yard into a mess. I never appreciated any of this before, and now I look forward to it as a ritual.
Then Halloween comes, and it’s the easiest way I know to meet the neighbors. The kids love the American candy, doors open, and the street gets a little friendlier each week. After a summer of vacation, everyone starts turning back toward home.
November is the harder part. Expat life far from home can get lonely, and Thanksgiving brings a homesickness that sneaks up every year. So I bookend it: Herbst on one side, the glow of the Christmas markets on the other, and the friends I found in the middle. Somewhere along the way they became family. We cook pot after pot of homemade soup, breathe in the cold forest air, and then head out together to the Christmas market streets. This is the life I found, and Herbst is still my favorite time of the year.
Auf das Leben,
Marni
Germany built 150 themed roads. We're driving them.
The Castle Road runs east from Mannheim, threading 70 castles to Prague. The Fairytale Road wanders through Brothers Grimm country. The Clock Road traces Black Forest timekeepers. We started on the one we live on, the Deutsche Weinstraße, because it’s near home. Now we’re following the rest, with Kobe in the passenger seat and the most complete English-language guide to the Ferienstraßen taking shape behind us.
Hi, I'm Marni.
I live here.
Eight years ago, we moved to Germany. People told me it would be the hardest thing I’d ever do. They were right. For about six months. Then doors opened. Worlds unfolded. And living here became something I never want to give up.
After 25 years in corporate life, I was ready to meet a purposeful life. I left to start euroLYF and share the practical tips, local secrets, and hidden gems we took years to uncover.
To help others love Europe as much as I do. This is the lived-in version. You can absolutely create the life you want.
Auf das Leben,
Marni
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