Day 29: A Whole New World
Hotel Check-out - Check
This morning, I was up at about 6:00AM to start packing up my things. I had a meeting at 8:00AM, so I wanted to pack-up my gear into the car, so I could directly go from the hotel to the office, and then from the office to the Airbnb. As I was packing, I realized that I really need to do laundry as soon as possible, because it’s coming to that point. Enough said. Throwing everything into my suitcases or trash bags, I loaded up my car, had my call remotely from the hotel lobby, checked-out officially, and then drove into the office for the remainder of the day. Today was long. The döner I had for lunch in the cafeteria was delicious (unfortunately, no photos inside the main campus).
Airbnb Move-In - Check
Finishing work at around 7:00, I made my way to Marienplatz. I finally made it into town after being stuck in traffic for nearly 45 minutes. That was brutal. Even more painful was trying to find parking on a Friday evening. I circled the block for 20 minutes, before I gave up and drove to a nearby paid parking garage. I don’t want to pay for the parking each night, but the time spent unsuccessfully finding a public spot can potentially be unbounded, and I really don’t have the time to think about that. I think it’s time to finally buy a bike this weekend, drop the rental car, and commute to work via the S-bahn (more on that later).
Unpack - Check
After making it to my Airbnb, I quickly unpacked all of my gear and jumped into the shower. I’ll share more photos of the interior over the next few weeks. I am really pleasantly surprised at how nice this apartment is for the cost. It’s spacious, quiet, and in a central part of town, which is really convenient for accessing the night life.
Consume Beers - Check
Speaking of beers, after unpacking and taking a shower, I decided to go for a walk to a nearby watering hole to have a beer to finish up this long week. There’s always a special place in my heart for a Hefeweizen, or two. This was a serious watering hole. Technically, it was a bar where smoking and slot machines were legal, which was an interesting experience. Sitting in my bed, I can smell the lingering scents of smoke.
As I sipped my beer(s) and watched the game between Dortmund vs. Vfl Bochum ending in a 1-1 draw, two gents asked to sit in the free seats next to me. Responding in English, I said sure. As they sat down, I could hear from their conversation in German that they were talking about the NFL Draft currently happening. From the names they were saying, I could piece together what they were talking about. Sensing a natural pause in the discussion, I interjected.
From there, we had a great conversation about the NFL, the growing popularity in Germany, and also the prospect of one day seeing their favorite teams (Steelers and Dolphins) in person. In addition, we talked about my experience in Germany so far, my favorite part(s) about Germany compared to my favorite part(s) of the US, and what cities I would recommend to visit in the US (in this order: NYC, LA, SF, Miami). After a solid 1.5 hours of unplanned conversation, I decided it was time for me to head home. Saying my goodbyes to them, I paid and made it back to my Airbnb.
This officially marks 1 month down and 2 months left to go!
Frieden und Liebe ❤️ (translation: peace and love)