I got to Hamburg on Thursday the 16th and spent the first night in a hotel so that I wouldn't have to worry about making the trek out to my apartment while jet-lagged. And I hired a cab. All good ideas. Luckily, the Helmholtz-Zentrum (my employer) has a transportation service, which prevented me having to take the bus at any point. I just walked across the street from my hotel to the central train station, and took one train out to the burbs. I wish I had taken a picture of my set-up, because even that one train wasn't an easy feat. I had two large suitcases, each weighing 50 lbs, and a carry-on strapped to the top of one of the larger ones via bungee-cords. I have no idea how much that one weighed, but it was at least 20 lbs.
Anyway, here are some pictures of my apartment: it's actually really nice and big. I'm currently here alone, but I'm not the type of person who gets lonely very easily so for the first couple of weeks while I get adjusted, that suits me just fine.
Living Room
Living Room
Bathroom
My room
My room
(not pictured, because photo quality was bad: Kitchen, another half bath, and the second room)
In the past week I have:
1. Bought a German SIM card for my phone
2. Signed my rental agreement for my current apartment
3. Registered my address with the local city hall
4. Opened a bank account
5. Signed up for a year's worth of monthly transit passes
6. E-mailed roughly 30 people regarding potential rooms for rent in the center city
7. Viewed 5 apartments
Oh and I did all of this in German, with the exception of two questions that I asked the bank teller in English to be absolutely sure that I understood. A bank account is a very important thing, and I wanted to be sure I knew what I was getting.
So I'm feeling pretty proud of myself: I'm a big girl!
I'm searching really hard for a furnished room in the city, because, as good as Hamburg's public transit is, Geesthacht is still about an hour outside of the city center. That doesn't really allow for spontaneous exploring.
"A" is the center of the city, and Geesthacht is in the Southeast
But I have done exploring around Geesthacht, mostly on my runs. I've actually learned that running in the cold is kind of a rush, and as long as I'm dressed properly, I much prefer it to running in hot weather. For one thing, I run faster, and I keep a better pace because you don't ever ever want to stop when the temperature is in the teens. Also, considering my job hasn't started yet, I have plenty of time and can go in the middle of the day.
Last Saturday, our last day of sunshine before the snow came.
The beginning of the snow.
A pathway I sometimes run along (when it's not icy); it's also the way to get to the institute from the front entrance.
And finally, one of the toughest things to adjust to in a new place is food. Every day I'm grateful that I've already been to Germany several times and that I speak German. It makes daily tasks so much easier, such as asking for help to find something in the grocery store and clarifying a ticket price with the bus driver. When I got here, I already knew how the public transportation works, that you always have to pay for public bathrooms, and that you have to weigh your own produce in the grocery store and print out the bar code from a machine. I remember the first time I came to Germany in 2008, I was fascinated by bathroom stalls that go all the way to the ceiling and sidewalks that are made of stone rather than cement, and the minimalist style of most homes. But now, those things are all familiar, and it's comforting to see them when I first walk into the arrivals terminal.
Still, anyone who knows me knows I have a pretty particular diet: I'm lactose intolerant and avoid eating beef and pork whenever possible, meaning I rely on nuts, beans, lentils, greek yogurt, and chicken as my sources of protein. I was really good at eating a balanced diet through my beloved Trader Joe's, but some things that are only a couple of bucks there are unfortunately the most expensive items in a German grocery store. Quinoa and and any sort of nuts are expensive, and sadly, cilantro and black beans are simply not to be had. I saw a bag of almonds for 2.50 that was probably only enough for about two snack's worth, and when I saw the origin I realized they came from California haha.
But one thing that can be said for German groceries? Overall they are cheap. I bought all of the following for about 20 euros.
And of course, every grocery store also has a fresh bakery, which I need to NOT visit every single day.
So, in conclusion: "I'm adjusted. I eat four food groups and look both ways before crossing the street. I take long naps and get... disciplined?"
PS - Peanut butter! If you ever want to know what to send me in a care package, some all-natural peanut butter (i.e. Trader Joe's or Lara Schirrmacher). The stuff here all has partially-hydrogenated oils and comes with an American flag on the front. No joke.
PS - Peanut butter! If you ever want to know what to send me in a care package, some all-natural peanut butter (i.e. Trader Joe's or Lara Schirrmacher). The stuff here all has partially-hydrogenated oils and comes with an American flag on the front. No joke.
