august: cleveland county: europe

The Most Decent Society in Human History

"The Europeans have shown us that peace and unity can be brought to a region with

a history of violence, and in the process they have created perhaps the most decent societies in

human history, combining democracy and human rights with a level of individual economic

security that America comes nowhere close to matching. "

I've had this quote on my desktop for over a year. It's from an article by Paul Krugman called "Can Europe Be Saved?". This article was written over five years ago, when the financial crisis looked like it might just break up the European experiment. I've been thinking about it a lot lately as the Brexit campaign came to a close and the fallout begins to land. It's undeniable that the EU, beginning with the European Coal and Steel Community after World War II, marked the end of armed conflict between the major European powers. Germany and France don't fight wars anymore. However, the Brexit vote in the UK has resulted in a rise in hate crimes. Right-wing nationalism has been on the rise in Europe as well as in the US, with UKIP leader Nigel Farage getting his Leave vote, Poland's restrictions on media freedom, and the number of votes that Austria's Nobert Hofer got in the most recent presidential elections.* So things are pretty odd in Europe right now. But, as S.E. Hinton says in The Outsiders, "things are rough all over."

The idea of the EU as a perfect island of human decency without economic uncertainty is definitely injured. But the real lives of many Europeans have been greatly improved by the EU, and Europe remains a wonderful place to live. Even though there is reason to despair, the effort that the 27 remaining member-states as well as some within the British government are showing demonstrate that the EU will not die without a fight.

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Photo source: Flickr user mpd01605

*These elections were declared invalid this morning, so new elections will be held later this year - the Austrian far-right is getting a second chance.

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Things to Take to Germany

If you can find Alexanderplatz, you can find a drugstore because that area has two.

Pinterest always tries to recommend posts to me about packing tips for a trip to Europe. However, most of these posts seem to be under the impression that Europe is a third world continent without drugstores. Germany, for example, has two successful drugstore chains called DM and Rossmann. Both carry very similar (if not the precise same) products as American drugstores, and the prices are usually quite reasonable.

There are also a few large grocery/superstores in Germany where they carry drugstore-type items as well - I usually got my stuff from Kaufland. The most important thing to know is that pharmacies and drugstores are different types of stores in Germany, so you won't be able to purchase toiletries at a pharmacy. (Or if you can, they'll be more expensive.) Rossmann and DM are even in some larger train stations, so you should have no trouble finding most toiletry items. Most stores are closed on Sunday, but if you go to a train station, you should be able to find a shop that's open.

It's been a few years since I've been abroad, but based on my past experiences, these are the things I would take with me if I were to go back.

1) Tampons. German ones are different, and most are ob brand.

2) Sunscreen. They sell sunscreen in Germany, but I found that the types sold there were a bit confusing, especially if you don't speak the language. Also I like a high SPF due to my kreideweiss-ness.

3) Contact solution. For some reason contact solution is sub-par in Germany unless you go to the eye doctor for some Bausch and Lomb.

4) Over the counter medicines. These things can be difficult to obtain in Germany, especially if you don't speak German.
5) Anything you're super picky about. If you only like one certain type of a product at home, bring it with you.
6) Brown sugar, if you're staying for a while and like to bake. Brauner Zucker is just sugar that is brown in color - it doesn't contain molasses. I think it's easier to find up north, but I was in the eastern part, where brown sugar hasn't really caught on.