30 Thankful Days in Photos: Day 21

If I hadn't moved to Germany, I may have never realized how thankful I am for a washing machine! Yes, I'm thankful for my washing machine.
When we first got here, we had to go to the laundromat. There are pros and cons to the laundromat. Pro: can use multiple washers and dryers at once. Cons: must lug all dirty clothing, detergent, and fabric softener up and down 3 flights of stairs and can't leave it to run errands (or do anything else).
When we moved into our first house, we had a German washing machine. German washing machines are really small. Each is 1/2 the size of a standard American washer, and takes over twice as long to wash. That equals four times as long to wash what I deem is a normal load. German washers also have a spin cycle that sounds like carnival ride spinning out of control. While doing laundry at our first house, when the noise stopped, I frequently fell for its deceptive silence and made my way downstairs only to find it was just starting the rinse cycle. The whole process of washing took over 3 hours. It was really annoying.
When I called my mom to talk about it, she told me her laundry experience while living in Germany in the 1970s (my dad was also in the Air Force): They used to have a hand-crank machine that would only fit a couple of items of clothing. I think her laundry experiences trump mine. It sounds dreadful!
I have an American washer in the house we live in now. However, one of the outlets in the laundry area is broken, so we share 1 outlet between both the washer and dryer. That means one load of laundry washed then dried before another load can go in. Also, there are no hot water hookups--cold only. Part of the reason German washing machines take so long is because they heat their own water. But I still can't figure out why it took so long when I washed on cold.
I did an American-sized load of laundry today. I can stay in my own house to do it. I can leave while it's washing and it doesn't matter what time I get back home. The funny thing about it is that if I were still in the US, I would have a harder time with this situation. But moving here has really made me learn to adapt to things that are different. It is just a part of life here. And life is good.