I Made It!

My first day in Germany has been great.  My flight here went really well.  I didn’t miss any planes or pass out, so that’s an improvement.  Unfortunately, I didn’t get any sleep on the plane (well, maybe 30 minutes), but I did sit next to a really nice lady who also couldn’t sleep so I had someone to talk to.  She was a woman from Russia who has been working in Washington DC for the past 15 years.  She was a diplomat headed to Saudi Arabia for 3 months.  I enjoyed talking to her for hours about travel, her 2 sons, the American school system, cheerleaders, etc.. It was great to not feel alone and I liked getting to know her.  I also helped a lady from Egypt spell out sentences in English such as “The handicap seat is a good idea” and “it is quiet”. So, the plane ride went well.

After collecting my suitcases, I found Leonie, Mareike, and Janet waiting for me outside of baggage claim. It was so good to see them.  They worked hard over the weekend to make me an adorable sign that read “Welcome Abby!” with stars, German and American flags, and horses (Mareike LOVES horses).  Mareike (the younger one) started talking to me right away.  She loves to talk and she’s funny and sweet.  The girls have the most adorable British accents. After leaving the airport, we rushed Leonie and Mareike to school. They go to an international school so it was kind of nice to go there and hear almost everyone speak English. 

After leaving the school, Janet took me to the house.  The house is beautiful.  The main level has large windows and a great view of the mountains. I got to sit in the living room and talk with Matthias (who unfortunately is sick right now). After chatting for a bit, I went downstairs to take a nap (since I hadn’t slept for about 24 hours).  After a long nap, I changed and then spent a couple hours playing with the girls. They are so sweet and really kind to me right now.  We played with puzzles and of course horses and Leonie showed me magic tricks.  After a dinner of pizza and toast, Janet and I read books with the girls and put them to bed. 

I enjoyed getting to talk to Janet.  She told me about all of her past jobs and adventures that she has had.  I told her that I am interested in event planning and plan to live overseas after I graduated so she started calling her friends and looking for internships for me right away. I was caught a bit off guard, I hadn’t planned on doing an internship while I was here. She said I could even go live with some of her friends in Munich or another part of the country for a week or so if I find a short internship that I want to do somewhere. I don’t know at this point if that is something that I’ll pursue, but I like how helpful she has been already.

Tomorrow, Janet is working in Mannheim, so she will take me with her so that I can explore the city on my own for a few hours.  I am really excited to see more of Germany.  I am excited to see what else will happen over the next 3 months.