Home from our trip and I'm bursting with stories and experiences. There are so many things I want to share that I will post about our trip again and again! Some experiences defy words but I will do my best!
I want to start with the ways this trip has changed me. I am forever changed! Some of the influences are due to being completely impressed. Others are just really cool or nice that I want to hang on to.
Let me begin with the environmental and conservation consciousness in Europe. I'm completely blown away! America could learn a ton from this way of life and could benefit from this way of thinking. Germans don't use their clothes dryers. They wouldn't dream of wasting that kind of energy. Most have lines and drying racks outside for nice days but virtually all have them indoors for everyday use. As I type this post I have about 4 loads of laundry strewn in my back yard. I'm researching online for just the right style of drying rack for my needs. Think of all the energy and money we will save! It's way better for the clothes as well!!
Another example is the smart toilets. You have a half flush option for #1 or a full flush in the case of #2. This is not simply in some homes, it's everywhere. Imagine the water they conserve! One of the homes we stayed in uses rain water for both the toilets and the laundry. Another home we stayed in had a large rain barrel installed with a complicated valve attached to the gutter down spout.
The German's have the leading edge on wind energy. We saw turbines on every route we took. Wind power produces more then 7% of the country's power and it's ever increasing. Not insignificant it employers more then 100,000 people. The overall percentage of Germany's power that comes from renewable resources is almost 20% and employs over 400,000 people. I felt inspired and motivated by these numbers although I'm skeptical that America will adopt this mentality anytime soon. That makes me sad.
One thing I found peculiar was that there are not very many garbage cans around towns. Especially in Berlin, it is dirty as hell. This is so juxtaposed to the rest of the culture. In malls or public places where you do find a garbage, you can recycle whatever you have as well. It's just to bad they aren't more frequent.
As I've seen before in Europe every single employee from Doctors to Grocery Baggers get 6 weeks off every year for vacation. What on earth is wrong with America that we can't figure that one out?! The quality of life is just better. The German people go to great lengths to embrace traditions and celebrate every detail in life. From special glasses for schnapps to candles lit everywhere in the home before dinner. It's more work but it's so cozy, comfortable and special. It's a mentality that prioritizes quality over quantity. Hmmmmm....how many ways can I use this information to transform my life forever!
Finally, let's talk about transportation. I'll post about driving on the autobahn another day (OMG, So fun!!!). I want to talk about trains. Have you ever looked at a train map of Berlin? It looks like a spider web. You can go anywhere in the city on a train. In Seattle we don't have squat. The B.A.R.T. in the Bay Area of California is extremely handy but you can only get to a general vicinity not to exactly where you want to go. Once we took 3 different trains in a matter of 10 minutes, walked up the stairs and poof we were right where we wanted to be. Most times we were within a few blocks of what we were looking for. Again, America could learn from the Europeans.
Pictures and more stories and impressions to come. Thank you for sharing this wonderful adventure with me.
1 comment:
Loove it mama!!
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