Ah moving day. I just did this a week ago and it was horrible. I hate moving. This post won’t be very fun or informative, but I feel like I am obligated to document the first day. 

Mes Trupiano was so so kind to drive me to JFK after spending the week with them on Long Island whoo! I’ve had my mind on a MILLION different things- work, EWB, moving, saying goodbye to all my friends forever (graduation), starting an 8-week online senior-level engineering course... I have not thought about Germany. This is SUPER anti-me and I hate myself for going to a country where I don’t know any single thing. I think it’s so disrespectful. But I know it happens all the time so whatever I guess this is my time. 

The long plane was bumpy and tough to sleep through; they never make you feel good. Sat next to a cute Norwegian boy (oops that’s where our phone call happened to drop @Ann). Landed in Oslo, booked it right out of the airport (after dropping my backpack at a locker) and got on my way to Lillestrøm. Super great, super fun high speed rail for $20 RT not bad. Walked around, ate some pizza and had some weak local beer and called my mom. Whoo wifi. I like Scandinavia for their love of hygge- all the chairs still had fur on them, even though it was so hot. Got back to the airport, got on the Berlin plane, then things started to get real... a bit. Got off the plane, tripped and landed on my dace with all my bags everywhere (also good move on my part to change into a dress once in Norway :/ ) bummer. No one seemed at all concerned for the 12-year old looking girl in a sundress with a huge backpack that just wiped out. I was intimidated anyways but it was fine. I knew this is what Germany would be like. 

Rolling along, got in the taxi, the man was very nice to help me with my bags. Got to the apartment, the door was broken or something for some reason, so poor Gabi (my landlord/roommate) had to come down and get me. She’s kinda funny and very German, but mostly only funny because she’s so German. Rules and instructions and hard work. Totally fine. She told me she couldn’t help me carry my bags up the four floors to her apartment (not even a handbag). No problemo. Totally fine. I hiked one suitcase up with a ton of difficulty, and luckily I ran into the apparent nicest guy in the building who carried my last bag up. It made me super thankful for our friend Joel in France who carried both Gina’s and my bags up four flights. LOVE IT. 

The apartment is great - OH YA I needed to pay Gabi the rest of my rent (~250€) and my debit card pin didn’t work of course!! I’ve reset that thing so many times I don’t think it’s worked in years and that’s an ongoing battle I’ve been having with US Bank. Again, no problemo!!! Really hoping every single thing takes credit card, including my landlord who barely knows how to work email. Luckily she didn’t ask for the money right off the bat, but I asked if I could transfer and she said she wanted cash so GREAT. Oh well I gotta get a bank here anyways. Really frustrated with that whole situation... 

Gabi took me around the neighborhood, great area, also the literal gayest area of Europe so that’s a fun dimension. Next to Tiergarten and a great subway though so can’t complain. But really it’s a great area. Gabi was nice to show me around and tell me the ins and outs of everything. We came home and then Claudia (the other roommate) came home and i got to meet her and she is amazing I want her to be my best friend. She’s 30 from Brazil and does Portuguese data organization here in Berlin and works on secret projects. I’m looking forward to hanging out with her and learning from her. She’s so so nice and willing to help since she went through the same thing a year and a half ago. 

I spent the rest of the night unpacking when I really should have been figuring out this cash situation or starting my homework that’s due tomorrow or turning in the EWB paperwork but any option is good!! Gabi was gracious and let me take a shower after 10pm (she also noted earlier how Americans take so many showers, like every day, and how we can’t do that cuz we gotta save water. I’m listening to this after hauling up 100+ pounds of stuff, stinking from the plane and sweating cuz no A/C (which I love) and I’m thinking well I guess I’m not showering tonight!) Butttt yes very thankful I was granted this exception. 

Um ya that’s pretty much it. Thought this was gonna be a lot shorter. I can’t believe I’m in Europe. Not in an awe-struck way, but in a how-did-this-happen kind of way. I truly just followed the day’s itinerary: planes, apartment, sleep. I don’t know how I’m going to do the next day or the day after that or the months after that. I just haven’t really accepted that I’m here I guess. I didn’t do any research on this city/country/culture/language in the past month and it all just happened so soon. I feel very chill, just like I’m going to another city, I just feel bad about the language. I’m gonna enroll in a language course, probably Wednesday cuz tomorrow is full of money (or lack thereof) and homework). It would also hopefully help me make friends. Ya I also know NO ONE here truly my roommates are the only ones and they’re in way different stages of their lives than I am. Do I just wander around? I love wandering around solo but like do I approach people and say “hey wanna be friends?” It’s not preschool. Starting work will be good and I have too-high hopes for Sunday church. I just want a bank account, EWB paperwork to be sent in, homework to be done, and another apartment found and moved into (I’m only here through June). Then I feel like I can relax and take in the fact that I’m in Berlin. Weird.