this is my first post from berlin!!!! oh the excitement!!! i left the philly airport on friday at 3 pm. my flight to boston was insanely crowded and short but super late. in logan airport i had to jump on some shuttle to get to the international terminal, which was more stressful than i thought it would be. then, aer lingus did this funny trick which scared the crap out of me ... on the boarding pass it says "gates close" when the gate actually opens, so here i was in boston, with 10 minutes to get my boarding pass, get through security, and get on my flight. in reality, after i spazzed out and got to the gate "on time" all sweaty, that was when it was first opening for pre-boarding. i went to starbucks, got a smoothie and a gross chicken sandwich and ate it huffily, angry at myself for freaking out.

on my flight to dublin i sat next to these two HILARIOUS irish men. i couldn't sleep, so i watched pirates of the caribbean three. i probably slept for an hour toward the end of the flight, and then watched out the window once we were over ireland. the experience in the dublin airport was my least stressful by far, it was very tiny and clearly marked, and i sat and people watched until we boarded. it was the first time in my life that i got to actually walk out onto the tarmac and board the plane from stairs, which is something i always wanted to do, so i can check that off my life to-do list. it wasn't as kennedy-esque as i'd hope, but maybe if i ever land and walk onto the tarmac it'll be more satisfying.

baggage claim took forever, and of course, one of my suitcases didn't make it. i have to call the airport after this post to try to track it down, which is a little daunting on the phone auf deutsch, but i think i'll be able to do it. it is the suitcase with all my makeup/toiletries/shoes, so i really want it back. philipp the german picked me up at the airport, and seeing him standing there with a sign with my name on it was such an overwhelming feeling of relief. he went with me to the office for lost luggage, where they assured me it's most likely in dublin and should be here today (hopefully!). then we took the train to my apartment and chatted during the very long ride.

my apartment is absolutely STUNNING. once i have some free time to internet i'll upload pictures/get a flickr account i guess. my roommate is so nice and sweet and accomodating and she had my room totally set up with sheets and bed things and it was just adorable. i put up all my pictures and wall-things and it feels like mine. i then walked around my neighborhood, which is pretty wealthy and super nice. its on savignyplatz, which is an older area, and the apartments are beautiful. i can't wait to spend this week walking around and exploring the city and really getting my bearings. eventually tyler made his way over, and we hung out and talked about the city and our plans for a little while, and then we went to the park and ate currywurst mit pommes, which is a sausage with curry and loads of ketchup, and fries with mayo (yummmmm europe). then we went to a pub that is at the end of my block and drank some beer and just hung out and enjoyed berlin. the weather yesterday was GORGEOUS but today is cloudy and drizzly. it's making me want to stay in my snuggly bed, but i definitely need to get out and see things.

i'm feeling a little overwhelmed by the city and being so far from home. i'm also considering getting a german bank account, and not being able to call my mom easily to make plans about it is tough. the city seems huge, and i know i have a list of things to do but i'm feeling sort of confused by them. the good news is that my roommate has a cell phone that i just need to buy minutes for. that is a lot easier here than it is in the US. i'm going to go re-read some emails, make my plans for the day, shower and then head out. i'm feeling a little frustrated, especially since the internet magically won't work in my room so i'm sitting in my roommate's room right now. i think i'll feel better once i feel a little more in control.