Stumbling Along the Way

There are so many ways one can start an adventure. Personally, stumbling seems the be the most effective. For this adventure to Berlin, I purchased a guide book with all the popular cities in the country and a very detailed map and so far, only the map has been used, but only to get me out of bad situations.

I arrived to Berlin four days before the program started. At the time, I thought I was the only one from the group here. After my very long trip through the familiar Indy Airport, to the shit-hole known as Newark Airport (Where I missed a flight and had to find someone who could help me), to the organized London Airport, and finally the Tegel in Berlin, I had finally made it to the country of my dreams. Now to find my hotel...

Come to think of it, I could have gone about this in a way that was more organized, but why do that? I don't want to look like a tourist. I also REFUSED to take a taxi. Too much money. Next option was the public transportation. I found that really easily, BUT the tickets were the issue. I didn't have single euros and change, so I went to buy a coffee, which ended up on my shirt. After the ticket purchasing, I got on a bus that looked like a good choice. WRONG!!! I got terribly lost doing this. At first I started trying to find where I was by bus-hopping, but that made it worse. So I started walking. With everything I packed. I believe after about two hours of walking, I FOUND THE STREET! But which way did I need to go to get the the hotel? Someone knew, but I didn't. So to make a long story short, I found it after another hour. I checked in and got to the room and fell into bed.

Day 2: I had to move hotels. So after a rude awakening by the staff of the hotel, I check out and went to the U-Bahn down the street. After almost blacking out from lack of food in my system, I got on a train. Going the wrong direction. I figured it out sooner this time, but still had some stumbling around. I got out at the planned station and again, eventually found the hotel.

Day 3: People were arriving today! After getting up at the crack of dawn to eat breakfast, and second breakfast, Portia and Maia showed up. We were all sharing a two person hotel room. So I reorganized the room by moving a bed to open up the floor and TADA! Then we all went exploring. After several hours, the three of us were falling asleep standing and went back to the hotel for the night, me getting the floor.

Day 4: More people! It's the first time we all were together so we went out to eat down the street. We had some good introductory conversation and had a good laugh. Not to mention that we got told to be quiet by another group at the restaurant... whoops. Later, we had dinner with Britta and Professor Chaouli and the program officially started.

Day 5: Bright and early in the morning, we all had to go to orientation and class later on. Later that day, around 21:45, I decided that I REALLY needed a razor. I had become the Berliner Bear just because of my hairy legs. I ended up dragging Ben to Alezanderplatz to the DM to get one. Come to find out that there's a DM right down the road from the hotel. BUT on our way back to the hotel, we get off at Nordbahnhof Station and get turned around there. Trying to find our way, we almost, quite literally, ran into part of the Berlin Wall and spent a while taking dark pictures of this memorial. And again, eventually found our way back to the hotel for the night. (And we found Waldo!!!)

Although adventuring is enjoyable, getting lost is not. At the time of being lost, you feel helpless and like you've been thrown into a very deep hole and can't get out. Then you find the stair case, in some cases being a map of the city, to get you out that hole. It's all part of the adventure.