Americans in Germany Drinking Whiskey

Last week, Alex had some good childhood friends visit him for the first time in Berlin. It provided him not only the opportunity to plan the best first impression of his favorite city, but also a chance to see Germany through the eyes of a newcomer. During this episode, we'll discuss his experience showing his guests throughout the German capital and what he learned about his adopted home along th...

Listeners of the podcast will notice that we were on a short break last week. The reason being Alex was out of town on a road trip vacation throughout northern Italy. While the vacation featured wine drinking, vineyard visiting and treks up into the mountains, there was more to this trip than meets the eye. He was also visiting the Italian side of his family for the first time! During this week's...

Man, we do love a good sequel! Recently, we were reading an article about the "Do's & Don'ts of Living in Germany" and felt some of the advice we were seeing didn't quite line up with our experiences living abroad. We thought, we should review some of these online postings, which lead to the birth of a new series of episodes. This week, in part two, we react to more online advice blogs about movin...

When traveling around Germany on a budget, what's one of the best ways to save money? The answer is swapping out an expensive hotel for an affordable hostel! In past episodes we've briefly mentioned hostels and how they differ from a standard accommodation, but we have yet to do a deep dive. This week, we'll do just that by thoroughly describing the pros and cons of staying in a hostel. Plus, we'l...

We've spent a few episodes in the past describing the many options for late night fun in Berlin and Germany in general. This includes a classic German beerhall, the famous techno clubs of Berlin and the coziness of a German kneipe (pub). However, this time, things are going to get a little personal. This week, we discuss what OUR nightlife actually looks like. What do the two of us do for fun on a...

Recently, we were reading an article about the "Do's & Don'ts of Living in Germany" and felt some of the advice we were seeing didn't quite line up with our experiences living abroad. It made us wonder how accurate travel blogs are in general about Germany. This week we react to several different online advice blogs about moving to or living in Germany and discuss whether or not, in our opinion, t...

Berlin's "Ringbahn" (circle railway) is a circular public train route that surrounds Berlin's inner city area. It helps to connect the vast network of subway and above ground train lines that criss-cross the city, making transfers from one part of the city to the other much quick. However, beyond being a helpful public transit feature, it also acts as a dividing line for two different versions of...

Well folks, we're back, again! Unfortunately, Geoff got sick as soon as we returned from our vacation, which necessitated another short pause. However, we're back with a really fun episode about tourist destinations in Berlin and around Germany. Anytime we all travel abroad and search for what we should do during our visit, we always see the same lists online of top tourist locations within that c...

The boys are back in town! Having recently returned from our summer vacation, we knew we had so much to share with all of you about the experience of visiting small German villages. This episode will be a discussion about our trip to Swiss Saxony in Eastern Germany along with our time spent in a small village in North-West Brandenburg. We'll cover the nature, the differences in the people vs. thos...

It's time for another shuffle...the “German Shuffle. ” This is a series of episodes in which we don’t focus on only one topic, but instead several unrelated topics about life in Germany. It’s a good ol’ fashioned variety show! This week’s episode will cover: the difference between German and American weddings, American breakfast foods that in Europe are considered desserts, self check-out and why...

You still have questions and we still have answers. That's right, another "Q & "A episode! This week we tackle more listener queries about living in Germany, traveling around Europe and the podcast production. In the end, it all adds up to a lot of great information and advice that will hopefully interest everyone. For example, how "German" is Berlin? Do we prefer American or German houses? Which...

Welcome to our first instalment of “Questions For a German." These are the questions we’ve all wanted to ask about Germany, and more specifically. why Germans are the way they are. Of course, to do this properly, we need an actual German to speak with! Who's better than Felicia from the popular YouTube channel "Feli From Germany." During her 3rd appearance on the podcast, we ask her about how it f...

It looks like the questions keep on coming. That's alright with us since it means the return of our favorite kind of episode - questions and answers! This week we answer more listener queries about living in Germany, traveling around Europe and the podcast production. In the end, it all adds up to a lot of great information and advice that will hopefully interest everyone. For example, how do you...

Looks like someone pulled their dusty iPod out of the drawer! It's time for another "Shuffle." The “German Shuffle” is a series of episodes in which we don’t focus on only one topic, but instead several unrelated topics. It’s a good ol’ fashioned variety show! This week’s episode will cover: German train etiquette, Judgemental dance club policies, why some Germans break plates for good luck and mo...

One of the perks of living abroad in a big international city like Berlin is that it gives your friends and family an extra reason to come visit you! Having visitors from back home can be extremely fun, but in certain ways also nerve racking, especially if it's their first time visiting the new city or country you now call home. This week, we'll talk about how important we feel it is to show off B...

No one ever said moving to a new country would be easy. You deal with the visa application process, attempt to find a job, and encounter culture shock on a daily basis. However, many people might not be aware of the many every day trivial tasks that give expats anxiety and stress. These might be things that in your home country you would do without thinking twice, yet suddenly, they require a lot...

Lager, Pilsner, Weißbier and more! You can not discuss Germany without mentioning beer. It's been 90 episodes since we talked with you about the history of German beer and the part it plays in daily life living in Deutschland. However, this week we dive deeper into the different types of places it is consumed, such as beer gardens, spätis (late night convenience stores), public parks, and beyond....

This week, we once again are asking each other questions! Alex and I cross-examine one another about our time living in Germany and traveling abroad in general. In order to give real, off the cuff answers, neither of us will know what the other person will ask beforehand. Our answers will hopefully provide useful information to all of you listeners! 

Anyone who has lived abroad knows that while it can be quite a fun adventure, it also has its dark side. This comes in the forms of several roadblocks put in your way, which normally you wouldn't have to deal with when living in your home country. This week, we discuss the biggest obstacles we have both encountered living abroad as expats and how we eventually overcame them. These include: fightin...

Yes, we're super slow making sequels to episodes. However, we always eventually get it done! As Americans living in Germany for many years, there is of course plenty we love about our new home. Throughout the run of the podcast, we have spoken at length about what makes Germany so great. However, we’re the first to admit Germany is not perfect (who is?). This week we present to you part three in o...

The German Shuffle...again...number 10. It's like an itch that keeps coming back! The “German Shuffle” is a series of episodes in which we don’t focus on only one topic, but instead several unrelated topics. It’s a good ol’ fashioned variety show! This week’s episode will cover: being legally required to open your apartment windows, the consequences of pretending you're fluent in German, how child...

A few weeks ago we came across an article that detailed the growing problem of "begpacking" and after reading further we became very intrigued. The term begpacking is defined as backpackers busking or begging to fund their travels. Whilst this may sound innocent enough, the past few years has seen a steep rise in privileged travellers from wealthy western countries standing on street corners in po...

This episode will be a far reaching discussion about the driving cultures of the USA and Germany. The focus won't be about large American pick up trucks vs. miniature European hatchbacks or even the quality of German cars. Instead, we will talk about the differences between the role of cars in the USA vs. Germany and how this has affected the look and layout of cities in each country. As we "drive...

We finally reached our 100th episode and we couldn't be more excited! This is a one-off special edition episode in which we will detail the behind the scenes of making the AGDW podcast. We'll divulge secrets about the production, including funny stories about times when we made huge mistakes, explain the history of the show and also answer listener questions live! 

No country is perfect - even the largest economy in Europe. This week we are discussing what all of you would change about Germany - assuming you could do so with the snap of your fingers. To do this, we asked our listeners what was important to them and had everyone send us their answers. We'll both be reacting to what you believe would change Germany for the better and debate whether we agree an...