Repatriation Day

On By StevenIn International Travel - Europe, Life In Germany, The U.S.

Bayern

Today is the day that I leave Germany. I’m not leaving forever, because I have friends here. After today, though, I won’t be a resident of Deutschland. I’m heading back to Florida.  My plane out of Frankfurt is actually scheduled to depart at the exact minute this post is scheduled to go up.

While this is a travel day for me, I thought it might be fun to give my friends an idea of what my Floridian  life will be like, geographically speaking, courtesty of http://overlapmaps.com/.  I’ve noticed that Europeans who have never been to the United States seldom have any real idea of just how expansive the US really is.  Americans who haven’t traveled here are similarly bereft of clue when it comes to scale, which is part of what makes these maps so much fun.

Here’s an example to illustrate that point.  This conversation actually happened between me and a colleague back in the US:

Colleague:  Hey, can you go to the data center to look at this server?
Me: The data center is in Frankfurt.  That’s three hours away.  I might be able to get there by tomorrow, if I leave now, go home, pack a bag, and manage to catch the next train out.
Colleague:  …so that’s a no, then?

First up in our map fun:  South Florida, overlayed onto the region of Bavaria I currently live in.   While these distances are not exact, I can say that Munich roughly overlays where Miami is, and Regensburg roughly overlays where I will be living.

overlay01

These next two are just fun:  Germany overlaid onto Florida, and Florida overlaid onto Germany.

overlay02 overlay03

…and just for giggles, the United States overlayed across all of Europe.  The US is a big place.  I lived in the US for my entire life before 2011, and I still haven’t seen nearly as much of it as I have seen of Europe.   I’ve gotta get on that.

overlay04

Which is bigger?  Your home town, or the place you live now?

24 thoughts on “Repatriation Day”

  1. bunny42

    Strictly speaking, my home town is Heidelberg, and I live in Boca Raton. You’d have to tell me which is bigger. I grew up in Kent, Ohio, though, and I’m pretty sure Boca is bigger.

    Have a safe trip home!

    Like

  2. Axel

    Thanks for your really cool blog and what a pitty that you are already leaving! – As a German it was a very great pleasure to read about your thoughts and impressions (and even how an American sees the art of living in Germany) and I enjoyed it a lot. – Thanks a lot and have a safe trip home!

    Like

  5. jennnanigans

    Oh man! It seems like you just got over there! And yet I think about all the stuff you’ve done and places you’ve visited and yeah, you’ve definitely gotten some traveling done!
    My parents just did a HUGE road trip out West. They basically DID ALL THE THINGS, everything from New Orleans to Chinatown in San Francisco to Graceland and just about everything in between. It took them 5 weeks of driving in their little Chevy Equinox but they did it!
    Safe travels! Welcome back! 😀

    Like

  6. Doug

    Thanks for sharing your travels and experiences in Germany. I discovered your blog the other year while searching on information about the flooding in Regensburg. I have been there twice, and plan on visiting again in June. I will miss your blog about your experiences in Germany. I wish you the best on your “new” life in Florida.

    Like

  7. Those maps are great! I grew up in the Midwest, and remember a German being flabbergasted that I’d never been to San Francisco – he was quite surprised when I told him that would involve a 3-day car trip.

    I’ve loved reading about your travels, and seeing your beautiful photos! May your next American adventures be just as interesting!

    Like

  8. I have to say, I’m a little sad. Hoping you continue to blog about your shennanigans, musical adventures, and quirky hometown haunts. I know you will be enjoying the glorious foods of re-entry. Enjoy Publix, shopping at Target on a Sunday, and all the delicious fusion foods of South of the border. ‘Merica!

    Like

    1. I still have things to write about here for sure, but I may need to change the tagline and title at the top of the page… there’s also a chance that I’ll decide to change this from the .de domain to the .com domain since I no longer have a German address for the domain, but those decisions are all Future Steven’s problem.

      Liked by 1 person

  9. What a shame you’ve left – but a great leaving post – I always think it’s crazy how few Americans have ever left their home state, but when you look at America covering most of Europe… well… so big! I’m looking forward to hearing all about Florida 🙂

    Like

  10. I love this! So much fun.

    Karlsruhe is definitely bigger than my home town (and also bigger than the town I was born in, which I don’t consider my home town).

    Like

Comments are closed.