Feeling weighed down by the pandemic, and making the trip back home (Beth from the USA)

How are foreigners in Germany feeling right now? Do they feel like they want to pack up and return to their home countries? And what is it like to make the trip back home? These are all questions we look at in this episode.

Back in 2020, Germany was doing great with its handling of the pandemic: cases were down in summer, and there was even a degree of normality creeping back into every day life. The rest of the world envied Germany. However, in winter of 2020, things took a drastic turn. Since then, Germany has endured seemingly never-ending lockdowns, a failed vaccination roll-out, and inconsistent government response to the pandemic. Meanwhile, some countries – like the USA, the UK, Australia and New Zealand – are all doing better than Germany and life is beginning to get back to "normal". 

Coping with the current situation in Germany, seeing  things improve in other countries, and not having seen family back home for an unusually long period of time have all led foreigners here to feeling frustrated, depressed, and many other emotions. And the thought of making the trip back to their home country is now a realistic option. 

Beth, who is from the USA, understands these feelings all too well, and has in fact just made the trip back home. We discuss the current mindset of foreigners in Germany, with the help of audio clips from several YouTubers, podcasters, and past guests. We also consider whether the current situation in Germany makes foreigners want to pack up and leave for good. And finally, I find out from Beth what making that difficult trip back home is like. 

Featuring audio contributions from: 

• Antoinette Emily, taken from her YouTube video, "THE TRUTH ABOUT MY LIFE IN GERMANY RIGHT NOW"
• Jenna, who hosts the YouTube channel, Life In Germany
• Fiona (@volbeat_flo) 
• Raphael (@rpwerner)
• Nicole of The Expat Cast
• Lawin of the Pop Your Cultural Cherry podcast

The previous episode Beth was on: The 5 phases of cultural shock

THANK YOU to all those who sent in their feedback and recorded audio clips for this episode!

OTHER SHOW NOTES: 

• My guest appearance on Jenna's Life In Germany channel: BUT CAN A FOREIGNER REALLY LIVE IN A SMALL GERMAN VILLAGE?!
• The episode of my other podcast, Die Deutsche und der Ausländer, that Beth references (it's German): Urlaub in Coronazeiten und was Deutsche im Urlaub so tun

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Official podcast website: https://thegermanyexperience.de
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Podcast Intro Music by: Adrian Bran