I met very nice locals, and German people who have moved to the area, and we have lots of lovely local acquaintances. But my best friends are the ones who speak English. I have become lazy and apathetic about improving my language skills and have taken the easier road of having a proper conversation without being misunderstood or not being able to find the right words or tone. I have started to veer away from the locals in favour of those who speak the English language, although that was never my intention. Many towns in this area are home to expats from all over the world, especially from the US, the UK and Korea. People come and go. The locals have to deal with all that. You are one of a number in the turnover of thousands arriving and leaving. It is very hard to become "local". Being foreign is not considered exotic. You are more likely to face apathy or preconceptions. In retrospect, should I have embraced the expat community more? Would I have felt more secure? Would I have made deeper friendships? Now it is nearly time to move on. This time, we are moving to the US, which is possibly more foreign than this European neighbour that has been my home for almost eight years. I wonder if once there, I'll do things any differently?