“Germans are like coconuts”

“Germans are like coconuts,” my friend told me. “Hard to get to know inside, but worth the effort.” 🥥 🇩🇪

Beyond their veil of “Yes, but..” and their reluctance to offer praise (“Not too bad, actually” is a high compliment), the people I get to know in Germany are almost universally warm and generous and … soulful.

In 3 cities in 3 days—Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg—I met dozens of such people, most of them for the first time. Informal coffee meetups sparked by nothing more than a post on LinkedIn and an address for where to meet.

We talked about WOL of course but also of the world and shared ideas and experiences and life stories. We laughed a LOT! And some of us ordered cheesecake at 9:30am and cajoled others into sharing it. 🙋‍♂️ 😊 🍰 ☕️

Perhaps people everywhere are like coconuts. Hard to really know what’s inside before you’re curious enough to look. But time and time again I find: they’re worth the effort.

Herzlichen Dank meine deutschen Freunde! 🥰🥰🥰