This post is my contribution to the Traveling Brown Girls Blog Carnival organized by Tracey Friley of One Brown Girl. Many of us bloggers often share the up sides of traveling to amazing destinations but the inaugural topic  gives us an opportunity to sound off and have a proper rant.  I love to travel but  many of my frustrations while in transit come from my fellow travelers.

Here are my Top 5 Travel Pet Peeves….as committed by other travelers. ugh!

*WARNING – This post may come off as negative but if you are discovering my brand of writing through the carnival for the first time you should know a) I love to complain and b) I’m quite cynical.

I am not angry, just…passionate. I promise.

So now let’s get into my Top 5 Travel Pet Peeves. DRUMROLL Please!

1) People who don’t prepare while waiting in line

Why, Lord? Why on earth do people wait for the last minute to get their ticket, boarding pass, and identification out?

I mean, what else have you got to do?

You know who you are. You arrive in front of the ticket agent and start rummaging through your hand luggage, purse, cleavage and or pockets to find your required documentation. Why is this not prepared in your hands to give to the person at the counter/gate?

Be prepared, folks. This also goes for the security line. You know you have liquids, a laptop, metal plated shoes, baby formula and a belt on.  Take off your belt, throw your jacket over your shoulder, unzip your bag so you can access your laptop, AND make sure you have a baggie for your liquids.  It’s so simple  yet every time I fly I am delayed behind some clown who “forgot” he had three pairs of keys, a butterfly knife and 30 euros worth of coins in his pocket.

2) People who get “lost “on the way to their seat and delay boarding

What’s wrong boo, you can’t count? Here you come, confused,  looking at your boarding pass… taking two baby steps forward…looking up at the seat plague…looking down at the boarding pass..taking two more steps. Do you forget the seat assignment between looking at the piece of paper in your hand and taking a few steps? The look of utter bewilderment on some of these people’s faces; you would think they were navigating a labyrinth and translating hieroglyphics.

Here’s a hint, the seats are in numerical order. Chances are if the number is high you have a bit of walking to do, and if the number is low, you guessed it, it’s towards the front of the plane. Thank me later.

And please, once you discover the lost City of Atlantis that is your seat, enter the row and move out the main aisle. You aren’t as thin as you think you are, you are blocking the way for other passengers. We have places to be people!

3) Want-to-be Seat Swappers

We’ve all encountered a want-to-be seat swapper. They are usually part of a traveling duo that can’t bare to be apart from from their companion for the length of the flight. Their life altering dilemma has somehow become your problem. They didn’t want to pay the extra booking fee to guarantee seats next to one another and they also weren’t smart enough to check in early  to increase their chances of better seats.

The seat swapping hopeful sitting in the middle politely taps you on the shoulder with a nervous smile and gives you their best proposition. The pitch goes something like this:

“My friend is sitting all the way in middle earth and I was wondering if you would be so kind to switch seats with her so we can both sit up here closer to the exit and inconvenience you. I should note that her seat is in the middle of  the last row, right in front of the bathrooms that will smell ripe in about 3 hours times. Whattaya say?”

Wait, what?

What kind of trade off is that? I’m just suppose to give up my not-totally-horrible seat because I’m a good person?

Ain’t love no love in coach!

If you were willing to sit next to your bestie above all cost, you would offer the person sitting in middle earth the chance to move up here. You have to offer an incentive, duh. Goodwill died a long time ago with leg room, I need to get something out of the deal.

4)Overhead luggage bin whores!

These perpetrators are  usually a male business traveler or some overly perfumed  man with luxury luggage. (no shade towards luggage baggage owners, just ones that act that this way)

I know how they roll. They arrive at their seat. Put their bag in the overhead bin, lay their sports coat down nice and neatly so it doesn’t get wrinkled and then gently closes the bin.

Don’t close that overhead bin, you don’t work here. ::sideeye::

Let me get this straight, your GQ magazine and hair pomade get an entire bin? You claimed it, huh? That’s yours? Okay.

Slowly the other travelers in his row trickle in. They are struck with the reality of closed bins, understandably assuming that the doors were closed by the cabin crew because they are all full.

Now a short shuffle commences, the opening and closing of overhead compartments all throughout the cabin. Eventually the privileged sports coat is discovered. The cabin crew member really wants to ask “What jackass-clown did this?” but they refrain and find a home for everyone’s bag. This entitlement business really bothers me.

5) Frequent Bathroom Visitors..that sit in the window seat

This is self explanatory. You know you have the bladder the size of a chickpea. Obviously you value clouds more than the opinion of your fellow travelers. Every time you ask us to move so you can “tinkle” we hope you get trapped in the toilet.

So now that the world knows I am a horrible person, what are some of your travel pet peeves?

Related posts:

1. The ABC’s of Travel: nicole is the new black edition

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I learned a few things about myself and traveling while attending the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona. Although the festival is centered around bull fighting (a tradition many people deem cruel), it was one of the most amazing trips of my life and I don’t regret it.  It took a few days after my return to process the entire experience because it was so intense. One minute I was having fun and the next I was scared for my life. There would be other times when I would feel uncomfortable with what I was witnessing and in the following moment feel enlightened. Travel, for me, is an active learning session about yourself and the world around you. Here are 4 things I discovered during the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona.

1) I can pretty much do anything I put my mind to

This  was not so much learned but reconfirmed on my recent trip to Spain. I would have never imagined in a million years that I would participate in something so reckless as running with the bulls. I am not a runner, thrill seeker or an adrenaline junkie, my addictions usually teeter along the lines of crafts and a variety of chocolate products. I love to travel and thrive on new adventures but I don’t do danger very well. I am the most cowardly brave person you would ever meet. I participated in the Girls Running With Bulls project because I had my eyes on the bigger picture, the empowerment of women. So what, I am fat, so what I am not the fastest runner, so what no one else out there looked like me. Where others see barriers I see opportunity to excel and inspire.  I ran smart and I completed the run unscathed with the help of my friends and my fine tuned flight response. I DID IT!

2) Traveling with friends isn’t so bad after all

Believe it or not, the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona was my very first group trip! I pride myself on being a solo female traveler. I’ve mentioned it a few times on the blog, I enjoy the freedom of deciding my own pace/ itinerary, setting my own budget and socializing with locals. Considering all the benefits to traveling solo, I still would never attempt to tackle San Fermin on my own.  For starters there is a ton of alcohol involved and I would fear for my personal safety as a lone female traveler. Secondly, there would be no way in hell I could psych myself up to run alone. The support of friends is a mandatory ingredient for doing dumb shit. Thirdly, who would call my mom and tell her I screwed up if I were to get hurt while risking my life?

I went to the San Fermin festival with three other female travel bloggers and I didn’t absolutely hate it! In fact, I loved it. I still miss those girls. They were an amazing support group and tons of fun. It was bare jokes! Since they were travel bloggers they also appreciated the need for wifi, tweeting and instagraming LOL. Something,I am sure would totally irritate travelers not in our line of work. I also can’t forget the greatest benefit to traveling with someone other than yourself: picture taking!!

Running with the bulls will forever connect us. I see each of my fellow runners as my sister. (Aww I feel like Gordie Lachance )

3) I am not completely okay with how the animals are treated

It’s obvious if you participate in the San Fermin Festival that you have to turn a certain blind eye to the treatment of the bulls. The bulls are bred to be slaughtered for the entertainment of people. The bulls that run in the morning are killed later that evening by a matador during the bullfight which is witnessed by a cheering crowd. It’s not a quick death. Even as I write the words, I am not that fussed. Maybe my moral compass is broken or my heart is made of shards of glass but the tradition of bullfighting is not something that gets me up in arms. I eat meat and I own leather products, both those industries are guilty of the mistreatment of far more livestock than a week long, annual festival in Pamplona. If I was going to huff and puff about animal welfare I would target the primary offenders first.

My moral compass received a jolt immediately after my run. I had unintentionally ended up inside the bullring. I wanted to avoid this place because of large amount of injuries that usually happen as the bulls and people flood the ring. Luckily I found my fellow running mates along the perimeter, all unharmed. I took the time to catch my breath and check that all my important bits were still intact, I was relieved. Suddenly people were cheering and the crowd in the center of the ring began to recoil from the gates.  The stands erupted in a loud roar and then I saw it, a small cow with horns charging in my general direction. “Umm, what is going on?”

The cows were released into the crowd one by one so people could taunt them.  Dozens of people would surround these scared animal,  provoking the cow to charge at them so they could pin its horns. Men and women were trampled, kicked, poked, and tossed into the air because these were all badges of honor. It was so unnecessary and cruel. The whole scene reminded me of child being bullied on the playground. I looked for an escape from the bullring because I didn’t want to  watch anymore but we were barricaded in. As I watched I thought “What are these people doing?” This doesn’t require any skill, this isn’t tradition, these are were all idiotic tourist abusing a cow plain and simple.  In my mind I drew a hard line at this, I could somehow accept a matador, doing an intricate dance of death with a dangerous bull but I strongly objected to a stadium full of people tormenting an animal for a laugh. I’m strange, I know. ne judge pas!

4) I am so over partying and drinking until I can’t feel my limbs

I think that is pretty self explanatory. The dark side of the San Fermin festival is a 24 hour booze fest that leaves the quaint town of Pamplona smelling like abandoned hopes and dreams. People party all night drinking sangria and miscellaneous spirits then wait for the run the following morning to either participate or watch. After the run is complete they usually crash in parks or their hotel room until the festivities start again that evening. It’s like a huge frat party that completely devours the soul of the entire town. The streets were flooded with drunk people. The element is disturbing, you can’t make one step without landing in a stream of urine  or vomit. You dodge piles of trash and human excrement as if they are landmines. It was disgusting and I was over it as soon as it began. Man, I sound like a judgemental prude but these folks were acting like they had no home training.

Once you breech the old town area immediately surround the path of the bull run, the atmosphere changes.  The San Fermin Festival had another side that celebrated culture, family, and community. Children from seven weeks old were out on the streets in their red and white. Families sat eating potatoes and calamari in the sun. Older people dressed in traditional clothing and sang songs of legend, giving tribute to San Fermin. There were markets, parades and live music. I felt the most comfortable in this element.  I am grateful that I got experience what I consider the true essence of San Fermin.

What are some lessons you have learned while you travel? Would you ever go to the San Fermin Festival?

Related posts:

1. Snapshots from Pamplona and the San Fermin Festival
2. Mi Casa Es Su Casa: Roomorama and Pamplona

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In the meantime, while I recover from my San Fermin-enduced coma take a look at some of my favorite Instagram shots from Pamplona!

Distintive Kukuxumusa bull designs can be found all over the city

Nomadic Chick toasts to a safe and fun San Fermin Festival

During the first day of San Fermin people throw water, sangria, wine, coca cola and whatever they want from balconies

A group of innovative Brits partake in a sangria funnel. He almost drowned

Reflection of Pamplona in my compact mirror

One thing I won't miss from San Fermin is the rubbish and the smell of the city

The sky of Pamplona at 7:00 am before a bullrun

Runners flood Estafeta to line up for the bullrun

Everyone of every age wears red and white in Pamplona during San FerminEncierro

Encierro Bullrun Scuplture in the Heart of Pamplona

I am addicted to Instagram after using it during my trip to Japan earlier this year. Check me out if you enjoyed these photos @nicolenewblack

Related posts:

1. Mi Casa Es Su Casa: Roomorama and Pamplona

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It was approaching 6:30 in the evening and my rooftop tour guide was late. We were suppose to meet at 6:00,  far from the touristy part of Saint Petersburg on the square of the Sennaya Metro station.  I was considering backing out.

I first heard about rooftop tours while  investigating things to do in Saint Petersburg.  A guide takes you to the tops of buildings for breathtaking views and a different perspective of the city.  Blinded by the desire for a unique travel experience and seduced by the pictures I’d seen online, the tour sounded romantic, adventurous and magical. Who could resist climbing dozens of stairs to emerge on top of the world? I signed up!

The hesitation starting to sink in during the 28 minute wait for my guide – it was just enough time to ignite the left side of my cerebrum (the bit responsible for logic and rationale). My idle mind transformed my potential rooftop experience  into something  reckless, not exactly legal and most importantly,  really stupid. What was I thinking? Did I come to Saint Petersburg to die?

I decided, if homegirl didn’t show up in five minutes I would head back to my hotel.

Guess who showed up as soon as I finished that thought?

After identifying the other members of my rooftop tour we made our way to a six story yellow apartment building. The guide gathered us together and took a deep breath before delivering some super serious news. In our group huddle she informed us that:

• We were basically about to break  into this building and it’s attic
• The residents, annoyed by people invading their home,  can sometimes be unpredictable and scary
• If we bump into a resident asking questions let her do the talking
• If we heard the Russian word for “police”, RUN

Let me get this straight? Breaking and entering? Cops? Running? In Russia ?

My rationale was wrong! I wasn’t going to die, I was going to live a long life rotting away in a Russian prison! I wasn’t sure if her warnings were meant to add a sense of adventure to the tour but I was scared and proceeded with caution.

One of the windows leading out onto the roof

After walking up the stairs in complete silence we arrived at a locked metal door. Our guide produced a key and ushered us inside. Using the light from our phones we made our way through a pitch black maze, making sure not to hit our heads on the low ceiling. We eventually arrived at a window which our guide told us to crawl through. There was no ladder at THIS window, just some sort of floating insulated pipe halfway between the ground and the window. She kinda hopped up there like a cat and motioned with her hand for me to come on up as well.

Um what? From the casualness of her hand gesture I figured she didn’t fully appreciate the magnitude of what she was asking me to do. ‘Come on, just through here’  – like I wasn’t about to take a dive towards the unknown. “Is there a ladder or a chair or something that I can use to gradually lead me to the end of my life ?”  How did she expect ALL of me to get ALL the way up there? I let my fellow tourist head out the window first to study their technics  and when no one was looking I literally pulled my big ass through the window and onto the sloped roof. It wasn’t pretty but I made it up there.

Sh*t had just gotten real. The roof was very steep and I couldn’t get a steady footing. I was sliding towards the safety railings we were reminded were not-so- safe after the ‘Run-from-the-Russian-police’ speech. Now what? I began to panick, all I remember is someone saying, ‘Here, here, here, lean on this!’ The same window that I pulled myself through served as my anchor to the roof. I was slightly relieved as I sat there looking around, searching for clarity. Clarity hadn’t arrived yet, all I could think was, ‘Sweet Baby Jesus, please dont make me die today, my mother would kill me!’ WIVGS

Eventually the majority of my fear subsided long enough for me to take in what I was actually doing. I was in Saint Petersburg, high above the streets, on a lovely summer day with a view that most people would never get. The air was clean, the sky was clear and I was high above the hustle and bustle below. In that moment felt truly blessed. Nicole, from Newark, New Jersey was sitting on a rooftop in fricken Saint Petersburg !!! (How you like me now, son?) I literally climbed, crawled and pushed myself to be up there, on the top of the world. It was unbelievable!

I wasn’t brave enough to walk around the roof but my hands did stop shaking long enough for me to take a few photos. On our next roof I was lucky enough to catch some newlyweds taking photos. (ignore that man’s white socks, OMG) My evening on the roof tops of Saint Petersburg was indeed a magical experience. I can’t say I would do it again but the experience is something that will be with me for a while.

Thanks to Dasha (my nimble tour guide) and Alexander from sptnik.com, a site that connects travelers with real locals. This was the highlight of my trip!

So you know I’m gonna ask…would you take a roof top tour? If I can do it, anyone can do it. LOL

Share it like you mean it with the buttons on the side, I appreciate the support!

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1. My Amazing Day In The Hermitage Museum

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The Hermitage Museum is one of the largest and oldest museums in the entire world.  Officially called the State Hermitage, it’s collection includes more than 3 million pieces of art. To demonstrate it’s size, people say that if you spent one minute looking at each piece of art in the Hermitage museum it would take you eight years to get through the whole thing. ::gulps::

I honestly, didn’t have that kind of time.

To make sure I saw the highlights of the museum and didn’t get lost in the overwhelming 10 building complex, I signed up for a private tour through Excursiopedia. Excursiopedia  is a marketplace where travelers can find individual travel experiences offered by  tour guides/activity providers.  They have over 5,000 listings and pretty much cover all major travel destinations. My  guide made sure the tour was catered to my interest and it went at my pace.I spent hours going from room to room discovering the museum’s secrets and  learning all about the woman who used to live there, Empress Catherine the Great.   A woman after my own heart, Cathy, as I affectionately call her, loved the pretty. Rooms, doors, floors and ceilings throughout the Hermitage museum were made (and eventually restored) of the finest materials, from gold to rare tortoise shell.

After purchasing a collection of painting from a Berlin artist  in 1764, Cathy founded the Hermitage museum, transforming rooms of her home to a place to relish in the arts. Years later the collection has grown to include works from Van Gogh, Matisse, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Monet, Picasso and many more!

Here are pictures from my journey through the Hermitage museum:

I highly suggest any art lover to make their way to Saint Petersburg to visit the Hermitage. If you aren’t too keen on art but love ornate interiors, this is also the place for you. The physical structure is just as fascinating as the artwork that it holds.  My attention was immediately captured by the ceilings and decorations. Picasso, Monet, …OOOH! look at the shiny thing over there ::squeal::

Stay tuned because I have much more about Saint Petersburg, the Russian visa process, and what visiting Russia was actually like.

Are you a fan of museums? Would you hit up the Hermitage Museum? Let me know in the comments below.

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In previous years I had always attended the Karneval der Kulturen parade as a spectator. I admired the trucks and costumes, danced in the streets and reveled with a million other faces on the sidelines.

This year was totally different.

By some stroke of luck or fate, my family and I were roped into walking the parade route with the Jamaican truck. Naturally I took pictures, while my cousin, dressed up as a Jamaican bobsledder and led the procession through the streets of Berlin. We danced, we waved, we complained of aching feet but we had an unforgettable day. The festivities were exceptionally hype at this year’s Karneval der Kulturen because we were celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence!!

My family visiting from Stuttgart and Dallas, Texas has no idea they would feel so at home in Berlin, Germany!! To feel so much acceptance and love so far from Jamaica made their visit all the more rememorable.

I would like to thank Barbara from Ya-Man restaurant in Moabit for inviting us to join the procession, it was a blast! To check out the hipster perspective on the Karneval der Kulturen check out this post from Travels of Adam.

More pictures from this year’s Karneval der Kulturen can be found on my facebook fan page!

Related posts:

1. About Berlin: Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures)
2. Photo Essay: Myfest 2012 and the First of May in Berlin
3. Waking Up In Berlin: A Photo Essay

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Revelers run next to Cebada Gago ranch fighting bulls during the running of the bulls at the San Fermin fiestas on Friday, July 8, 2011. (Ivan Aguinaga/Associated Press)

In a little more than a month’s time I will be traveling to Pamplona, Spain with four amazing female travel bloggers to run with the bulls.  This is isn’t a surprise to those of you who follow me on facebook and twitter, we have been planning this trip to Pamplona for a while now and officially announced the Girls Running with Bulls project at the beginning of May.

Accommodations proved to be one of the biggest hurdles; we were visiting Pamplona during the busiest time of year. During the San Fermin festival, people from all over the world descend upon the city, ballooning the modest population of 300,000 to over a million. Every cot, couch or make shift bed would be claimed. Hostels and hotels were booked out months in advance and if anything was available it would cost us our first born.

Aside from the cost, how would we find a place in Pamplona to accommodate all five female travelers?  We wanted to stay together in a comfortable setting close enough to the action. Roomorama was the ideal solution, offering short let apartments at an affordable price. Roomorama hooked us up with a large private flat in a central location in Pamplona, making them our official accomodations provider for the San Fermin festival!!!!

A reveler is tossed in the air during the start of the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona July 6, 2011. (Susana Vera/Reuters)

You might remember my wonderful experience with Roomorama in Harajuku where I got to live like a local. I suspect the Pamplona flat will be an even better because I will be sharing a flat with my fearless girls. We will be able to cook, relax and escape the hustle and bustle of the festival if we so desire.

To learn more about our accommodations provider check out Roomorama here.

Stay tuned for pictures and stories from my time in Pamplona and check out the official site for              Girls Running With Bulls!

Related posts:

1. Living Like a Local in the Heart of Harajuka

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There are usually three types of drivers who opt to participate in rideshare:

• Environmentally conscience drivers who want to offset their impact on the environment
• Car renters who want to offset the cost of the rental and petrol by selling seats in the car
• Professional drivers who speed up and down the autobahn as a business

The key to rideshare success is reading the reviews and looking at driver feedback. Most drivers take the time to fill out their profiles, sharing useful details like if they are smokers and what type of vehicle they are driving. The peer reviews can also give you an indication if the driver is a speed demon or snail as well as their reliability. I really enjoy car travel but I am not too fond of driving. Instead of hunting for deals on a car hire comparison site, I hunt for my dream driver on a rideshare network.

Apart from convenience, it’s also affordable. Last year, my six hour drive to Swabia cost me 25€ on the leg down and 35€ on the way up. The price of 60€ round trip was a bargain considering flights for that weekend were over to 200€ and the trains were pushing 180€. As with anything there is some risk associated. Two different drivers canceled on me, so I had to rush and find replacements. My replacement driver on Friday evening had some issue with traffic on his way to Berlin and was two hours late. Judging from the fact that he was bringing people to Berlin from Stuttgart and then back again, I assumed this was his job. I prefer traveling with non-professionals (drivers), you tend to meet cooler people and aren’t crammed into a van or sedan. His vehicle was nice but my issue was his speed. On the parts of the autobahn that didn’t have a regulated speed limit he was going 220 km an hour. Yeepers!

Heading back to Berlin, my rideshare canceled on me early Sunday morning, grrr. I ended up with six other people in an old ass van that started smoking before we left the parking lot, I thought I was going to die from exhaust fumes. On the highway the van starting shaking as we approached 120 km. I just had bad luck that time around but arrived safely and without major incident

It was a very adventurous weekend in the land of rideshare but it hasn’t put me off from relying on it as a mode of transportation.

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I frequently get emails from my readers asking how they can find a job in Europe as an American.  Citizens of countries outside of the European Union have no legal right to live or work in Europe without a valid work/residence permit. If you want to find a job in Europe, you need the proper visa and the requirements vary from country to country. (Here’s a great post on how to get a visa for Germany from Travels of Adam) The unstable economy, potential language barriers and layers of red tape make  finding a job abroad difficult but not impossible.  Since I currently work in Germany and previously lived in London, it’s natural that people ask me how I did it. In this post I share and expand on my reply to a reader who has her eyes set on the UK. She wanted to know if I had any tips on how to find a job in Europe and approach potential employers. So here ya go!

My tips on how to find a job in Europe:

I ended up in London on an internal job transfer. I worked for an American company and they temporarily placed me in London. The job started with frequent business trips to London, eventually I was spending more time in London than in DC. After six months of living out of hotels I was granted a full scale move of my household belongings to England. When my three year contract was up,  there was the option to return back to the east coast. By this time I was in love with a Dane,  my life in London and the traveling possibilities living that close to mainland Europe awarded me. At least once a month I searched the internet for cheap all inclusive holidays that took me to places like Morocco, Spain, Australia and beyond. I was hooked on Europe and determined to spend the rest of my life here. I planned to stay within London and the UK but local salaries were a joke ( I could never survive) and the job market was tight. I decided to broaden my search to other major European cities and luckily found something in Berlin, Germany.

• My first tip is to look for companies that have an international presence that will give you the opportunity to travel. It’s not the same as moving abroad but if jobs open up overseas you might be the natural choice, this happened in my case. International travel and exposure is also a good sign to international employers, so if a job didn’t lead to a full transfer, international work experience is a good thing to have on your resume.

I’ve mentioned before that I found my current job in Germany via google searches. I researched companies in my field within Europe. When ever I discovered a place of interest I contacted the companies and frequently checked their website for openings. When  I found my job in Germany I had the advantage of already living in the EU. Companies see a move within the EU as not a big deal. Moving someone from London is much cheaper than moving them from Washington DC.

• Second tip: Use google. If you are a project manager who wants to look up jobs in Paris. Look up ‘Project Manager Paris’ or ‘English speaking careers in Paris’. Make sure to review all job requirements. Word to the wise, if the job description can not be found in English, they most likely are not looking to hire a foreigner. If a company website has the ability to switch into multiple languages it might be an indicator they are interested in an international workforce.

For a company to hire a non-EU citizen they have to prove to the government that the task is specialized and that no one in their country and within the entire EU can fulfill the job. This process is often called sponsorship and it can take a few weeks. When I got my job in Germany, before I was granted a residence permit, the job office posted my position on their website so other Germans could apply for it. No suitable candidates applied so then I was able to get…or better yet, keep my job.

• Third tip: The more specialized your field the better. Previously being a native English speaker was enough to knock out other EU applicants but today more and more Europeans are speaking perfect business English. Knowing English does NOT hold the same weight especially if you compare this to educated Europeans who typically speak at least three different languages. To help your chances, speak more than one language or work in a niche field where employers need a very specific skill set. (of course, English language institutes still prefer native English speakers but I am talking about jobs outside of teaching English.)
• Fourth tip: Set you net wider than the UK and the rest of Europe. Everyone is trying to move to the UK. You are competing with millions of people who have a better chance of getting a job because they have the legal right to live there or there may be country agreements that give them preference over Americans. Look at different countries that still value native English speakers highly. South Korea for example has a huge American expat community. Think of any international opportunity as a building block to get to you to your end goal.

If you are determined to land in Europe, there are countries that allow you to come in as a tourist and convert your tourist visa to a freelance visa while in country (Germany for instance). If you can prove to the government that you can make a living or have a portfolio of freelance work they can give you a residence permit based on that. It’s a paperwork intensive process; bank statments, portfolios, client recommendations but it’s worth it. The freelance visa usually grants you one to two years.

If traditional employment is the avenue you wish to pursue you have give a compelling arguement as to why you, a non-EU citizen, is the best choice for the position. I won’t go into self promotion skills but you should know how to communicate to recruiters in Europe. Research the Curriculum Vitae (CV ) format and convert your resume to this widely accepted European format. Resumes are much different in the EU than they are in the US, especially when it comes to personal data. I was shocked to see people list their marital status, number of children and even a picture on their resume.

• Fifth and final tip: For jobs, try sites like Experteer which list positions for high paying jobs where the employer is more than willing to hire from outside their immediate area. The higher up the position and more specific the field the harder it is to find candidates so they know their search might have to go international. Try international networking sites like LinkedIn and Xing. I know a few people who have leveraged their skillset and networking skills to secure positions outside of their home country.

Are you interested in working in Europe? What are some observations or challenges you have experienced?

If you enjoy posts like these be sure to subscribe to my newletter. It will lauch this summer and be filled with tons of exclusive content about job searching, how to network, and  fine tuning your resume for European recruiters!! There will also be travel related features!

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A post from nicole is the new black

The great thing about Berlin is that there is always something to do. This Pentecost weekend is sure to be an amazing one, it’s time for the annual Karneval der Kulturen in Berlin!!! The carnival aims to celebrate and draw attention to the large international presence in Berlin, 30% of the 3.4 million Berliners are either first or second generation immigrants. Turkish immigrants make up the largest ethic minority in Germany but there are people from all over the world that live in the capital, including a sizable American population. Just one of the reasons why my German language skills are so poor.

The carnival is a 4 day street festival that takes place in the heart of Kreuzberg. (I’ve blogged a lot about Berlin and Kreuzberg recently, I know) There is music, vendors, arts and crafts and of course, tons of really great food. I am really excited to dance in the streets, there is a choice of 4 different stages with music from different regions. I might also join a salsa lesson or two. It’s so much fun!! I will be sure to report back. Here is a glimpse of my past experiences at the Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures).

Here is really short video from my first Karneval der Kulturen in 2010.

A few snapshots of my time at the Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures) from 2011:

Left: Me smiling but exhausted from partying in the sun Right: Girls dressed to partake in the parade

Some of my favorite people!! (Photo credit: Sindy)

'Dancing' in the streets (Photo credit: Sindy)

Left: Following a Reggae truck in the streets of Berlin Right: Admiring the various types of grilled pork products

More information about Berlin and the festival in English can be found here: Carnival of Culture.

This year I will be attending the festival with friends and family! I am expecting seven of my family members to invade visit Berlin for the long weekend. Pray for me!!

Are there any carnivals or festivals you are looking forward to this summer? Let me know in the comments below.

Related posts:

1. F.A.Q with a Black Expat In Germany
2. Berlin State of Mind: Berlin Photo Essay
3. Waking Up In Berlin: A Photo Essay

A post from nicole is the new black