XR

Sure, my International Political Economy class back at Emory taught me a little about currency exchange rates. But now that I'm living in Europe, I follow the exchange rate very closely. In fact, the XR is a favorite topic among "stranieri americani." The good news for Americans in Europe? Even though the economy is struggling back home, it's even worse over here (well, at least the expectations are worse over here). The Europeans have been scrambling to inject life into their economies by increasing the availability of cash. The true saviors of American budget travelers in Europe? The Bank of England and the European Central Bank. Thank you, London and Frankfurt!

That's why I was pleasantly surprised to find this article in the StarTribune.

When I left, the USD-Euro XR was 1.48. Now, it's 1.25.

:)