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My First Week In Germany Changed The Way I Saw The World

The differences in culture opened my eyes to what‘s possible

Mike Goldberg
6 min readDec 8, 2021
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“Get ready!” I shouted to my wife as I guided our 5 Series rental car onto the A8.

The Autobahn is an experience that will leave an impression on any American. Having just come from Hawaii, where no one ever dared drive above 55 mph, the experience was all the more exhilarating. 120 km/h felt like 120 mph to me, and cars would pass us like we were standing still.

We’d just landed earlier that morning, entering our new life. I accepted a job as a DOD contractor at a US Army base in Stuttgart, Germany. After living in Hawaii for the past six years, I was ready for the change of pace.

It couldn’t be any more different than the world I just left. It was early May, and I was cold!

Everything I encountered was a new experience. Everything.

Built on trust

First order of business: Get the cats to the kennel.

Made our way through gorgeous valleys up to the little town of Markgröningen. We got off the autobahn and navigated through narrow streets until we found the parking lot.

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Mike Goldberg
Mike Goldberg

Written by Mike Goldberg

3x Top Writer | Traveler | Real estate investor | Storyteller | Occasional columnist | I talk about personal growth and seizing opportunities.

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