Everyone is moving to Berlin – The British singer-songwriter Lail Arad already used this phrase in her lyrics in 2010. This is also the song that Cheryl Howard from cherylhoward.com connects to Berlin. She knows all about the appeal of the vibrant city, the best spots in hidden corners and she is THE expert on expat life in Berlin. Coming from Canada, where people are actually really friendly 😉 she tells Berlin-newcomers how to deal with the sometimes harsh German attitude, language barriers, bureaucracy, but also the more fun stuff (soaking up arts, culture, nightlife!). Her blog cherylhoward.com is an excellent how-to guide for everyone coming from abroad (not necessarily though) who wants to know all about Berlin and the German lifestyle.

We had the honor to enjoy a little talk with Cheryl in our studio and she answered us even the hardest questions, giving us a little insight into her life. From working in a stable job and owning a house to traveling and falling in love with Europe and ending up in Berlin – her life has definitely been one crazy adventure. This is also what Cheryl’s autobiography would be called if she had one. Cheryl definitely has experienced a lot and that is why we love her and her blog.

Since we couldn’t get enough, we also asked Cheryl to write a blog post for us, which you can find here: She tells us even more detailed information about moving to Berlin & the struggles that come with it,  what this crazy adventure taught here and a little how-to guide for wannabe-Berliners. You should definitely check it out! Read the article here.

Check out the full video interview below and obviously her blog cherylhoward.com.

Cheryl, what’s your favorite weird word in German?

I don’t remember the exact word but there was something that one of the German accounts posted (they do like a word a day or something) and I forgot the exact word but it was a translation for a lower back tattoo and that it literally translates into like “ass-antlers” or something. So I thought that was really funny!

(That’s true, by the way – the word is “Arschgeweih” ;).

Have you ever experienced a culture shock?

Yeah, in lots of places. But probably because I’ve been in Germany the longest, Germany was the biggest culture shock so doing things like going to the German sauna for the first time and I grew up in a pretty conservative household so going to the sauna as like a North American person and having to be naked in front of other people was definitely a really interesting experience but a very freeing and positive one.

P.S. Have you got what it takes to be the next MyPostcard Blogger of the Month? Or do you want us to interview your favorite blogger? Then let us know in the comments or send us an email at social@mypostcard.com!

Author

Hiya, I’m Maud. I’m an English girl who's moved to Berlin - because who wouldn’t fall in love with a country which has words like ‘Kummerspeck’ hidden around every corner... I love traveling and finding out the quirks of each country - and what better way to remember them than on a postcard?

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