How has your life changed in Germany

Has your life changed since you moved to Germany? If so, in what way?
No more Wisconsin (USA) winters!!! I feel like I'm in heaven! Germans complain about German winters, but I never will.

Tell us more about all the changes in your life regarding your family, job, or friends. What about your frame of mind? How would you define your mood?
For the first 6 years my husband and I were married, we lived on separate continents. Now I am far away from my adult children and my parents. We've all learned how to carry on a healthy relationship despite physical distance, and technology makes it easy. I don't hear much from the few friends I had in the U.S., but I've made new ones here. My mood is great! I am very, very happy here in southern Germany and could never again live anywhere else.

Leisure activities improve our health and social interactions. How much time do you dedicate to leisure activities and networking nowadays?
My husband and I aren't very social people, so we enjoy our quiet evenings at home. I don't miss social interactions, and I know where to find them here when I do want to be social – such as the local weekly international café where refugees and locals get together for coffee, cake, and conversation. I enjoy reading and photography in my free time.

Would you say that your standard of living has improved in Germany? What income differences have you noticed?
Marrying a hard-working German man improved my standard of living, so the actual move here didn't change that.

On a scale of 0 to 10, tell us how much your expatriation to Germany has transformed your life (0 = no change, 10 = dramatic change).
(8.5)  I don't know about transformation, but living in Germany has fed my passion for culture and history. History is all around us here, and I love visiting unfamiliar towns, castles, and churches, and learning about their history. I miss that when I visit the U.S. There's history there too, but it's the Middle Ages, the Reformation, and ancient history that interests me more than recent history. And the language! I love being surrounded by the challenge of the German language every single day.