A grocery store is a grocery store, whether it is located in the United States or Germany. Yes, grocery stores in both countries sell fresh produce, bread, milk and other essentials. However, there are small differences to keep in mind before you start your shopping trip. The most convenient feature, to me is that the price that is on the tag is the final price you pay. It already includes the tax, so if you see a package of strawberries for €3.00, this will be the price you will pay at the register. Here are more helpful hints for your grocery store trip in Germany:

Why are Eggs Not Chilled?
In Germany, eggs are stored on ordinary shelves, while they are refrigerated in the United States. The simple reason: freshly laid eggs in the United States are washed for hygienic reasons before they arrive at grocery stores for sale. It is forbidden to sell eggs, that have not been washed with hot water and odorless soap in order to be germ free. In Germany it is exactly the other way round: Washed eggs are prohibited to be sold. During the washing process the natural protective layer is lost. This layer prevents bacteria and salmonella from getting into the interior of the egg. Once the protection has been washed off, eggs have to be kept in coolers.

Bring Your Own Bags
Before you head out to the store, know this: there are usually no free bags given out by German grocery stores. Germans tend to bring their own bags or folding crates (like these at The Container Store), and even pack their items themselves. If you forget your bags, you can purchase bags at the checkout register. Also, there are no packers at the end of the conveyor belt. Wal-Mart failed when they tried to introduce bagging groceries for customers in the 1990s Germany. (For more on Wal-marts in Germany, check out this article from the Huffington Post).

Store Hours & Sundays
Most grocery stores in Germany are open from 7am until 8pm. Some larger chains stay open longer, but all of them have one thing in common: closed on Sundays. This day of the week is reserved for relaxing, dining together with your family, or heading to a museum. For emergency runs on a Sunday, look for gas stations or supermarkets in a train station or at an airport. If that is too far for you, check if you can borrow some milk for your Sunday morning cereal from your neighbor.

Grocery Cart Deposits
It is very common to drive onto a grocery store parking lot in the United States and see carts scattered from customers being too lazy to return the cart to a corral. Germans came up with their own way of dealing with this. To get a grocery cart in Germany, you have to insert a €0.50 cent or €1 coin into the handle in order to release the cart. Use it for shopping in the store and later return it the same place you received it. Insert the metal plug into the back of the handle and get your coin back. This saves grocery store employees from having to collect carts and gives you some exercise.

Why is the Milk Not Being Refrigerated?
The United States had fresh milk deliveries by a milkman for decades. The milkman stopped by several days a week, took the empty milk bottles and left fresh bottles of milk at the doorstep. This milk has to be refrigerated, since it is “only” pasteurized, meaning it is heated up to about 160 degrees Fahrenheit and will be good for about 2 to 3 weeks in the fridge. Contrary to that, more than 65% of the milk in Germany is treated with Ultra-high temperature processing at 275 degrees Fahrenheit, which basically sterilizes the milk. This kind of milk can be sold non-refrigerated and has a shelf life of 6 to 9 months. You can also buy some milk from the refrigerated section in a Germany supermarket in case you want to do a taste test and compare a pasteurized and a ultra-high heated milk.

Pfand Deposits on Cans & Bottles
To promote recycling, in 2003 the ever-clever, thrifty Germans implemented a container deposit legislation, also known as Pfand [pronounced pf‿ant]. If you buy a single-use container in form of a can of soda or a water in a plastic bottle, you will pay a €0.25 deposit, which will be refunded when you bring the container back to a supermarket or shop. Sometimes a real person will refund your deposit, sometimes you have to push your bottle or can into one of these deposit return machine and get a voucher printed. Either use the voucher in the store or go to the cash register to have the amount paid out to you in cash. When you throw that bottle away, you're also throwing away your €0.25. The deposit legislation does not cover containers for juice, milk-products, wine, spirits, or liquors.

Did we forget other differences that you have noticed? Let us know in the comments!

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With the rise of streaming services like Netflix or Amazon Video, it is much easier to watch foreign movies from wherever you are in the world. Years ago a list like this would have been useless, because a German DVD or videocassette would have to be mailed over the Atlantic and subtitles would have not been included. You simply had to understand the language in order to follow the movies. Today it is a simple click to activate the subtitles and immerse yourself into a movie that shows you a completely different world, with actors you might have never seen before, speaking an unknown language. Not all of the movies will be on your favorite streaming platform, due to contract expirations and renewals and most of them will be in German with English subtitles. If the movie of your choice is not streaming currently, check out Amazon or eBay for a used DVD copy.

Lastly: This is by no means a critically-acclaimed list, but rather a list of movies I have enjoyed and re-watched. The films on this list are in chronological order, sorted by the year of release from oldest to newest. I purposely did not rank them because, to me, they are impossible to rank, since each has its own subject matter and contemporary feel.

Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997)
This so-called "Roadmovie" was the most successful German movie of the year 1997. The movie is about two deathly ill men, Rudi Wurlitzer (Jan Josef Liefers) and Martin Brest (Til Schweiger), who share a hospital room and neither have much time to live. Their last wish is to drive to see the sun set on the ocean. Since neither have a car, they decide to steal a Mercedes from the hospital's parking lot. What the two do not know is that a large amount of money is hidden in the trunk of the car and the money belongs to some criminals, who are now chasing them.

This movie is very entertaining with its action scenes, even though it has some very serious moments, when the two doomed actors face their deadly disease. What makes Knockin' on Heaven's Door worth seeing after all these years is the entire cast of great actors, and the fact that you see the world differently if there is nothing else to lose. Click here to see the trailer on YouTube.

Lola Rennt (1998) English Title, Run Lola Run
This fast and dynamic thriller captures the vitality of Germany in the 1990’s in an outstanding way. It starts out capturing a normal day in Berlin showing Manni (Moritz Bleibtreu), who moves cash for an organized car theft gang. The simple task becomes a problem, when he leaves a bag full of cash behind, unable to retrieve it himself. He calls his girlfriend Lola (Franka Potente), who will start running in order to retrieve the bag and deliver it before the deadline, which is 20 minutes away. The movie combines elements of slow motion, split-screen technology and 360 degree rotating camera angles, resulting in a firework of technical possibilities. Overall a fast-paced film with an unusual, innovative and visually capturing concept, keeping the viewers guessing, if Lola makes the right or wrong choices while she is running. Click here to see the trailer on YouTube.

Good Bye, Lenin! (2003)
On the day of the 40th anniversary of the GDR, convinced socialist Christiane Kerner (Katrin Sass) falls into a coma after a heart attack. It overshadows the fall of the German Wall and the entry of capitalism into the socialist state, which now no longer exists. When she unexpectedly awakens from the coma, her son and daughter try to spare her weak heart by concealing their bedridden mother from the world-moving events of the last few months. They create the illusion that the GDR, at least on a small scale, survived and is still active. This, of course, involves some difficulties, from the procurement of Spreewald brand cucumbers to the songwriting of old songs. Watching the trailer might make you think that this is a comedy, which it does have jokes and funny elements to it. However, it is more of a tragicomedy, with the main focus on the changes that turn the everyday life of a young adult son Alex (Daniel Bruehl) completely upside down within a few months. In addition, the film combines a lot of archival material from the time of the German Reunion and lets the viewer feel the importance, but above all also the emotionality of this event. Click here to see the trailer on YouTube.

Das Leben der Anderen (2006) English Title, The Lives Of Others
That life in the GDR was not only fun & games, should be well-known by now. The movie “Das Leben der Anderen” describes the political regime of the former GDR as a highly paranoid spy and control system, where the state stalks down into the smallest detail of the private life of its citizens, ensuring the “safety” of all its citizens. Major Gerd Wiesler (Ulrich Mühe) is set to spy on the popular playwright Georg Dreymann (Sebastian Koch). However, Dreymann is not subject to regular ideological scrutiny, but should be brought to his downfall in order to boost the career of a politician. What Major Wiesler did not expect, was that the observation would drastically change his point of view. Diving into “the lives of other” - their love, thoughts and daily routines - makes Wiesler aware of the poverty of his own existence and opens up a never-before-seen world. This movie is a drama with thriller qualities, which even received an Oscar as best foreign film - well deserved in my opinion. Click here to see the trailer on YouTube.

Die Welle (2008) English Title, The Wave
How was it possible that a whole country simply accept Nazi rule? Why did no one resist? One possible answer was an experiment conducted by the history teacher Ron Jones in 1967 in a school in Palo Alto, California. In order to demonstrate to his students the fascination of Fascism, the teacher creates a movement, whose principles are based on discipline, community, and action. Strict rules are introduced, such as a dress code for the "members" and group emblems surface all over the school, non-wave members are harassed and the whole experiment spirals out of control. This movie, based on a true story, is an exciting and serious movie about the creeping poison of extremism and intolerance. However, some scenes can be a bit graphic and violent for young viewers in your family. Click here to see the trailer on YouTube.

Fack Ju Göhte (2013) English Title, Suck Me Shakespeer
The last movie on this list is a goofy comedy and was the most successful German movie of 2013. The movie starts out with Zeki Mueller (Elyas M'Barek), who, after his prison release, learns that his buried heist money on a school ground was covered up by a new high school gymnasium. His solution to get to the loot: get hired as an auxiliary teacher and drill a tunnel underneath the gymnasium. Easier said than done. The students use their cell phones in the classroom, chew gum, and lack any respect for the teacher. The movie is, of course, a bit predictable and not realistic (what teacher shoots his students with a paintball gun?), but also very amusing, universally comprehensible, colorful and yet distinctively German. Click here to see the trailer on YouTube.

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Every year the hardest part of our trip is leaving behind our two cats, Katze and Jayla. They’ve seen the suitcases load up and wheel out, and when you try to say goodbye they’ll hide under the bed, as if that will change the impending situation. Most vacations, I leave the house in tears. My worst fear is that something happens to us on our trip, and as a result, Katze and Jayla will forever think they did something wrong and we abandoned them. This is what I do to manage their anxiety and mine, when vacation time comes.

Comfort Zone® with Feliway® Diffuser Kit
One year, when we returned from vacation, Katze had been so stressed over us leaving she gave herself a urinary tract infection. No fun! I didn’t know this was possible, and we did everything as we had normally done. My Mom came by in the evenings to give them dinner and spend time with them. The litter box was spotless. The vet said it was definitely anxiety-related. Since then, whenever we go out of town on vacation, we plug in a (associate link) Comfort Zone® Feliway® diffuser into the outlet next to her favorite sleeping spot. That was four years ago, and we've used it for every vacation since. Katze hasn't had a UTI since.

We had heard about Feliway® from my Mother-in-law, who had issues with her cat marking their suitcases while they tried to pack. When that was plugged in, he stopped marking. My Mom has a crazy cat who has a diffuser plugged in all the time. The Feliway® diffuser alleviated the confrontations she had with my Mom’s other, more mentally-balanced cats. Its well loved by our feline family, and I hope it brings your family relief too!

Nest Cam Indoor
This is definitely relief more for my own anxiety than the cats’. They have no idea what (associate link) Nest Cam Indoor is. For me, the benefit is that at any time of day, I can open the app on my phone, and I can see that the house is ok, possibly see Katze and Jayla, and even hear my ticking clock in the background. It's a visual relief that arrests my anxiety in it's place. One time I caught Jayla and my Mom watching a NASCAR race together. I knew because I could see Jayla’s face and eyes following the cars on the screen. When I was feeling homesick and missing them, that was priceless. We have one that we bought several years back, and is still supported by the current app. Its something that while its expensive at first, it will last a while. We position it by our TV in the living room, and it covers most of the hallways and the couch they love.

Securing Pet Sitters
If you have family or friends around that you trust to check on the cats every day, great. Maybe they’d even be game to send photos and/or video from time to time too. Spend time before the trip to make sure they understand any feeding quirks. That’s often how cats will show they’re upset, is by eating less or turning down treats that they’d normally never miss. Jayla has had several teeth removed because of bad genetics, and she needs higher food bowls that work with her, not against her, when she’s trying to eat her wet food. We make sure the caretaker knows about that, and that it's ok if Katze eats Jayla’s leftovers. Typically the first few days we’re gone, Jayla will turn down wet food in protest of the situation. Katze has turned down her wet food if it's not chopped up like she normally has it. They’re our furry divas, and we love them.

If you don’t have family or friends nearby that can watch them, it's time to bring in the professionals! Visit the website for the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) to begin your search. It will help locate nearby licensed and insured pet sitters. It's a good indication that who you are hiring is responsible and takes their profession serious if they’ve become members of the NAPPS. If no one is registered in your area, ask your veterinarian for a referral.

Blankets
Normally our couch throw blankets are folded up on the arms of the couch, but when we’re away from home, I spread them out flat in a few places, one where Jayla lays a lot, and another on our bed. Two reasons, one, if the girls have anxiety-caused upset stomach episodes, or their well-meaning-family-member-turned-pet-sitter has given them too many treats, the blankets protect the furniture and are easier to wash. The second reason being it's an additional comfort source for them that they can burrow into if they wish.

Pack in Another Room
Our cats definitely understand what a suitcase signifies. One time Sebastian got down our biggest suitcase from the attic, and set it out in the hallway overnight. Jayla left us a smelly present inches away from the suitcase for us to discover the next morning. Since then, we try to sneak the suitcases through the house into the guest bedroom where we can close the door. This isn’t usually too hard, when the cats are out in the catio it's easy to get things tucked away out of sight. Since Sebastian likes to start putting things away for the trip sometimes a month ahead of time, it's better that the cats don’t even know it's vacation time. I would hate for them to be anxiously anticipating our trip for that long. We typically will bring out the suitcases from the guest bedroom for final packing the day before we leave.

Pet Trust
At the first sign of turbulence on the flight, my panicked thought is “Oh No! What will happen to the cats!” This is something we’ve been talking about doing forever, and plan to do. You can legally make plans for your pets in the event something happens, and even set aside a trust fund for their care if you’re not quite sure that your possible caretaker would have enough funds to support them. If you’ve never considered this before, here’s a Pet Trust Primer from the ASPCA I recommend looking at to get you started.

How Do You Manage?
Do you have other tricks up your sleeve for managing travel anxiety for your cats and you? Do share! Comment below, or reply via email. Every little bit helps!

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