September 8, 2008

Hallo! This is my first attempt at having a blog, so hopefully besides just as a means of personally journaling my experiences here in Germany, it can be somewhat entertaining and informative to all my fans out there... haha hopefully SOMEone will read this.
Mom and I got to the Frankfurt airport at 7AM Monday (11PM Sunday MST) German time after an 8 hour flight. Despite our eye-masks, ear-plugs, and sleeping pills :) Mom only could sleep a couple hours, while I can't claim more than an hour of sleep. I think I was just too darn excited (or maybe the fact that I had slept a collective amount of 13 hours the day before...). But thankfully, everything went very smoothly upon arriving at the airport. We found our luggage immediately, and waited only 5 minutes before finding Dad and the driver from Max-Planck. We then were on our way, after a slight game of "fit our ridiculous amount of luggage in the European car Tetris," to our apartment in Gottingen.
While at first trying to get myself up-to-date on American politics by finishing the article on Sarah Palin in the copy of Newsweek that Mom and I had bought at the Atlanta airport using the last of our U.S. money (and a 20 cents financial backing from the vendor) during the 2 1/2 hour drive through the hilly German countryside, the gorgeous green trees and charming towns, each with houses all surrounding a central church, demanded my eyes to be glued to the window (along with the feeling of carsickness that trying to read in the car over hills and fast curves on the Autobahn caused...) until I fell asleep. Next thing I knew was driving up to the handsome apartment building we were to call home for the next four months. The willow tree and green green grass in the courtyard caught my eye and I knew it was going to be... magical. Ahem. Sorry, cutting the dramatics.
Anyway, Pika welcomed us with open arms and joyous laughter-- oops sorry again, wait no, that was really what it was like. No uberstridung (over-exagerration) there. She helped us get unpacked, and then Kara got home from school around 11:30AM and there was much rejoicing, once again.
Since then, Mom and I took a nap, and then Kara and Pika and I went to the grocery store (just a block or two away) while Dad and Mom hit a floral shop and bakery. We reconvened for a delicious Austrian dinner (Quark-knuddel) served by the amazing Pika, and now I am writing on here, while Kara does her homework. I guess that's enough for today. Probably too much... but essentially, it is beautiful here and it is so good to be reunited with Dad and Pika and Kara again, though I miss you all at home terribly.
Mit viele liebe grusse!
Emily