What brought you to Bonn? How long have you been here and how long do you plan to stay?
Five Questions “Bonn is full of hidden gems, but you have to look for them”
Bonn · In our GA-English series FIVE QUESTIONS, we catch up with Katy Scherer, who relocated to Bonn from the UK over 5 years ago. Katy owns and runs The Vinyasa People yoga studio on Kaiserstraße.
02.02.2020
, 10:12 Uhr
In this edition of the GA-English series, FIVE QUESTIONS, we talk to Katy Scherer who is originally from Scotland. She moved to her husband’s hometown in order for her family to experience living in Germany. Although she admits that establishing herself in Bonn has not been easy, she absolutely loves the lifestyle and immediately recognized the advantages of living here. Settling in as a new mum and navigating the German school system has proved a challenge, especially in another language, but Katy says she has learnt to be proactive and has reaped the benefits from pushing herself to make new friends and try new activities.
Katy has successfully turned her passion for yoga into a thriving local business. Initially providing free lessons from her home as a way of connecting with the community, she now owns and runs The Vinyasa People yoga studio in the city centre. We caught up with Katy to find out more about her life in Bonn, her yoga practice and her inspiring attitude to making life work in a new country.
My partner Philipp is from Bonn and was given the opportunity to relocate back to Germany by his UK-based company. He had at the time spent many years living away from Bonn and wanted to return so our son aged one could experience German life in his father's hometown. We have now been living in Bonn for over 5 years and although we have travel plans coming up, we will keep Bonn as our base for the foreseeable future. The lifestyle we have in Bonn is quite amazing. When I first moved to Bonn, I would often compare the life we had back in the UK to our new lives in Bonn and even then, I could not find a reason to return. Bonn offers the unique opportunity to live in an international city whilst maintaining the feeling and experience of living in a town.
What part of the lifestyle here has been easiest or most challenging to adapt to?
The easiest part of the Bonn lifestyle to adapt to is the love of being outside and the ability to combine hiking and wine drinking, genius! I have however struggled with mum life in Bonn and integrating into the German kindergarten and now the school system. It’s just a different system to what I grew up with and of course it’s all in a foreign language which I am trying hard to grasp!
What’s your best insider tip for people living in Bonn?
Town life can be tough if you are used to living in a metropolis but there are a few things I found helpful at the beginning. Regardless of you planning to stay in Bonn for 6 months or 6 years, learning at least the basics of German is a must! With the bare minimum to help you buy groceries, greet your neighbours and get around, your comfort level and confidence grows infinitely, making Bonn life that little bit sweeter. Be proactive. Making friends and finding activities to keep me busy had never been an issue until I moved to Bonn. I have had the fortune of living across the globe, but I learnt a good lesson in Bonn that if you want something, you need to be the one to go get it. Bonn is full of hidden gems but you have to look for them. Be prepared to put yourself out there and you will meet some pretty incredible friends. Lastly Cologne is less than half an hour away. I find when town life gets a little too mundane then it's time to go to Cologne for a day trip! This usually gives me my Big City feels until I begin to notice the noise, bustle and dirt and become very thankful that I get to return to Bonn town.
Which season of the year is your favourite in Bonn and why?
Spring is without a doubt my favourite season in Bonn. I struggle through the winter. In spite of my Scottish roots I hate the cold and dark. During the winter months I also begin to question my location choice and then spring arrives! When Bonn is in spring there are very few other places I would like to be. I love how the greenery of Bonn comes to life and all its residents take full advantage of being outside.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
In my spare time I like to do yoga here in Bonn. I am a little biased as I own and run a yoga studio here in Bonn, but this is what I love to do when I have time! For me the studio is not just a space for yoga practice but it's also my social space where I meet friends and have a bit of fun. The studio was built out of necessity when I first moved to Bonn. I found it very hard to meet people, so I started to teach from my living room (I was already a qualified teacher) for free just to try and connect. Over time this grew until we needed a dedicated space.
To find out more about The Vinyasa People visit: www.thevinyasapeople.com
