Our First Day Date

This past year and few months has been utter crap. We were basically stuck indoors as a family for a good chunk of it with little physical or actual face to face contact with friends and family. While things in the US have been open for some time, it felt a bit daring to go out to restaurants and what not as not everyone was following the same rules. That meant making the best decision for our family and keeping Calvin safe which translated to very few family outings to public places. We also were living in Atlanta, far from family and given where the pandemic seemed to be for so long, weren't really comfortable leaving Cal with a babysitter while we went out to dinner and exposed ourselves. I think we had maybe 2-3 outings without Cal the entire past year!

We seemed to arrive in Germany at the perfect time. Germany had been closed and locked down for months before we arrived. Literally only having apotheke's (pharmacies) and grocery stores open to the public. You could order from some restaurants to go but a lot of those were completely closed down. Things really started to open up here about 2 weeks after we arrived. Restaurants opened back up for outdoor dining and shortly after that indoor dining followed. You still need to present a negative Covid test at most restaurants if you would like to be seated indoors. Very early after arrival we knew we needed to get some help with Cal if I ever wanted to be able to get out and explore the city, plus we have a lot of little errands and meetings we need to accomplish in these first few months to obtain residency and get our Visa's etc. All the things you really don't want to bring a crazy toddler to. We were lucky enough to find a nanny through Hannah, our mobility specialist.

We immediately contacted Johanna, Calvin's now part time nanny who came to meet him a few days later. She has graduated high school and is waiting to get her living assignment for college. Johanna is certified in childcare in Germany having completed an in depth course as well as spending several hundred hours in German kita's. She is absolutely wonderful with Calvin who took to her immediately. He is already picking up some German words and he gets tired out from playing on the playgrounds with her. Jo comes 3 days a week for 4 hours each time and then we can use her for one off needs like this past Saturday when Aaron and I decided to go out to brunch...alone!

Let me tell you it was one of the best days I have had in a long time. I don't think I stopped smiling the entire time. Aaron and I left Cal in Johanna's care around 9:30am and headed downtown. We went to the shopping district and I was in absolute heaven. It is a beautiful area with every store you can imagine. We made out way through the Alsterhaus which is a huge department store in a breathtaking building that is just full of high end shopping. We are talking Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Chanel and on and on and on! It was heaven. I can't wait to go back there. After that we walked around the canal and found a place to eat called Vlet Kitchen and Bar. You go down these stairs and into a beautiful restaurant which was decorated to perfection. It gets better though. They are right on the water and there is a floating dock on the canal that serves as their patio. We were able to get a spot outside on the dock eating a wonderful brunch spread right on the water. Ducks would swim right up to the dock and it was such a beautiful day. I managed to snag a picture of it below when we left so you can see where we were sitting.

The typical brunch spread in Germany is basically a meat, cheese, bread and smoked fish board accompanied with dips and spreads. This one was delicious and the coffee here is fantastic. We took our time and just sat, talked and ate until we were full. I can't tell you how nice it felt to get out and have a relaxed meal without chasing a crazy baby around or constantly entertaining him just so he will sit at the table. We decided then and there this would be at least a twice a month thing. It was great for my mental well being but also our marriage. We needed that connection away from a baby that needs constant attention. I think that after finding Johanna and having someone we really like and trust with Calvin has opened up the door to us finally being able to live normal lives and getting out alone every now and then. It was what we always had intended but Covid changed those plans when our boy was only 6 months old. Who knew we had to move all the way to Germany to figure out we could still have a life separate from being mom and dad 24/7!?! All in all it was a great day getting out, exploring the city, and enjoying each other's company. I can't wait for the next one!