¡Gracias Juan Pérez!

If you’re reading this post for the first time you might want to refer to the past one. This is the second half (ending) of the story of my arrival to Germany. Where were we? Oh yes…Juan Pérez. What would I have done without his help?

Frankfurt Main Central Station (where my train left from to go to Hanover)
Picture taken from: anthidote.com

As I mentioned, I sat next to him once I got inside the train and he quickly realized my first language was Spanish because I was speaking with my mom on the phone. Once he recognized this he started speaking to me in Spanish as well. Don’t ask me why but I felt so relieved to find someone who spoke my first language. I had been so tired of trying to explain the same thing over and over and still no one could understand me that it was refreshing to be able to say it all in Spanish. Although I had been speaking to my parents it had been kind of hectic so far so sitting down and talking to Juan certainly calmed me down. I told him everything that had happened and he was just looking at me in awe and he said, “I understand you completely because three years ago I was in your same position.” He started to explain his story about how he moved from Guatemala with his family to Spain to look for better academic opportunities.

He had ended up in Germany every summer for the past three years working for Volkswagen as an engineer. Pretty amazing stuff. He had to learn German and didn’t know enough English to understand some of the terminology Germans used. However, he got by and bit by bit adapted to all the changes. He started explaining a little bit about how the culture in Germany was and he even taught me a few words that would certainly be useful to know when getting off the train (like right, left, stop, etc.; this was necessary because when they announced each stop it was only in German). He helped me get wi-fi so I could contact Sarah (the student co-oping with me in Leibniz as well) and tell her I was on my way to Hanover.  Everything was in German so I would have probably never been able to get wi-fi without his help. He was getting off the train a few stops before Hanover so he showed me an online map to know when approximately I should be ready to take my bags and get off the train (it stopped only for a minute and then continued; it was very easy to miss your stop which would have been awful). Once this was settled he asked me, “Have you eaten anything today?” I responded and said, “Early in the airport but with everything that’s happened it’s been hard to think about food.” He reached for his bag and gave me his sandwich and water bottle. I couldn’t accept them but he insisted and said he was about to go to his apartment anyways. I proceeded to devour that sandwich. It felt so good to eat after the day I had had. I could only think of how lucky I was I had encountered him on the train. Not only did he help me understand what was going on and why everything had gone the way it had, but he also made me feel more calm and at peace with the situation.

 I realized there was not a whole lot I could do at that point but get on that plane to Italy and enjoy my time with Kathrin (my roommate from Northeastern University who was going to meet me in Hanover). Juan and I continued sharing stories of what we studied, our families and what we wanted to do as the train ride went on until we had to say goodbye. I gave him a big hug and said thank you. We exchanged numbers and that was that. He even texted me once he got to his apartment saying the approximate time I should be getting to Hanover (I had about another hour and a half to go). I was lucky and definitely felt grateful I met Juan.

Although I was already feeling better about the situation and the day I had had I still didn’t have any of my clothes because my bags were probably still somewhere in Frankfurt. We had to wait till the next morning to call and see where they were but my plane left at 6am for Milan so it was a little bit complicated (besides the fact that I didn’t have a German phone nor knew any German to talk to the people at the Frankfurt airport). Merlin, Sarah’s boyfriend, will be working with me at the lab. He is German and so Sarah offered me help to try to figure out where my bags where at while I was in Italy. I gave them all the information I had and promised to definitely keep them updated as I already filed claims (my parents did as well) for the missing bags. I was feeling more calm because Kathrin had a lot of clothes I could just borrow and I knew the bags had to appear at some point (I was hoping before I left for Amsterdam in a couple days).

When I finally got to Hanover around 2am in the morning Sarah and Merlin were waiting for me at the station. They took me to my new apartment and gave me a brief overview of how everything worked and where I was in Hanover. Kathrin was already waiting for me at my apartment and from there we would leave to go to the Hanover Airport. A lot of traveling, I know. I sort of questioned whether traveling back to back was a good idea after all but I hadn’t seen Kathrin in a long time and was excited to explore Italy with her. Especially because I hadn’t gone to Milan or Venice before. I got to my apartment and smiled. I had an apartment. In Germany. Crazy. I thought, “I can’t believe I’m living here now.” I am rooming with two guys and one girl. I didn’t meet them that same night but Kathrin had met them. I’m excited to get to know them once I get back. It was a pretty spacious apartment for four people and it was also decorated so it felt very cozy and nice. Sarah and Merlin had bought me a few things so I could shower and eat before my flight. I know, they are the best. They have been so helpful throughout all this process I didn’t even know how to express my gratitude. So I just hugged them a lot. Once they left, I got ready and put some of the things I did have on my bag to take with me to Italy and left my cozy apartment behind to head to the airport. In a few hours I would be arriving in ITALY! I have a few stories about that so look forward to my next post where I will be talking about what we did around Italy and even some tips in case you visit the same cities I did (you can also look forward to some funny stories about our stay in Milan). Ciao Hanover! 

Kathrin and I waiting for our taxi to go to the Hanover airport. 

Herzlich Willkommen

I already have a couple interesting stories I can share with you all about my experience in Europe so far and it hasn’t even been a week since I arrived in Germany. Let’s start with the whole dilemma regarding my arrival in Germany…prepare to gasp a few times.

Leaving San Juan, Puerto Rico (original)

My dad and I checking in the bags.  (original)

The day was finally here. August 20^th. As I mentioned in the other post I was very excited but at the same time a little bit sad to leave all of my friends and family behind. Like I mentioned, I guess it’s all part of the process. Most of all, I was scared. I had a to-do list for all the things that needed to get done before I left for Germany and as always there are some things that you leave for the last minute that should have been done first. In my case the whole dilemma was about having some sort of communication once I got to Germany because I hadn’t properly researched international plans that I could use abroad. By the time I knew about one, it was too late and I needed to leave so my parents decided to call my phone company and put me on an international plan that had unlimited text messages and limited data (at least until I figured out what I would do once I got to Hanover) so I could communicate to get to my new apartment. This issue was resolved and it sounds like it wasn’t too complicated but trust me I was sort of freaking out when I realized I had no way of contacting the person who was picking me up at the airport (and I was arriving almost at midnight) nor I knew where I lived so I wouldn’t have any idea of where to go from the airport. So my first advice if you’re traveling for a long time guys, DO EVERYTHING WITH TIME. Even if you think you have everything down (trust me, I thought I had it all). Check again. Make sure you’re 100% ready to take that plane and if you are, you should be set. It was definitely stressful for me and my parents to try to figure some of these things out a couple days before the trip (considering I’m going away for a year). It seems like a very general and obvious piece of advice, but trust me it isn’t. We sometimes keep putting things off until we NEED to do it. Don’t. It would’ve been the worse if I didn’t have any sort of plan at all. You’ll soon find out why…

Going back to the day of my departure. I was checking my bags at the airport back home in Puerto Rico and I had chosen to pay a bit more so I could have two heavier bags (one with winter clothes and the other with summer clothes) sent to Hanover. It seemed like the most convenient thing to do since I was going to be away for so long. So two of the bags with basically all of my clothes were checked in and the lady said they would be sent directly to Hanover (even though I stopped in Frankfurt before flying to Hanover). Everything seemed to be going the way it was supposed to and as I said goodbye to my parents and my best friends I boarded the plane and went to Frankfurt. It was about a 6-7-hour flight from San Juan directly to Germany (which was great). Then I had a layover of what seemed to be more than 10 hours in Frankfurt. I was supposed to board my next plane to Hanover at 10pm and I got to Frankfurt around 9am. This is where everything starts to get interesting.

I was hospitalized 3 days before leaving for Germany. I have asthma and so I had an allergic reaction in which my trachea got completely blocked. I ended up in the emergency room and thank God everything was okay. It was definitely a wake-up call as to something that COULD happen while I was abroad. I was lucky to be with my family and friends and in someplace as small as Puerto Rico because everything relied upon getting to the hospital in time to be treated and given oxygen. I realized that now I am on my own and that I need to pay attention to the location of the hospitals and need to take better care of myself because there won’t be anyone doing these things for me. I always carry my Epi-pen and my inhaler from now on with me and I am sure to say in every restaurant before eating that I am extremely allergic to seafood (cross-contamination was the reason I had my asthma attack). This being said, I was on a lot of medications after this happened so nothing would trigger my allergies again. I was still feeling a little bit tired and out of it if you could say and having a 6-7-hour flight did not help me feel any better.

When I got to Frankfurt I was feeling weak and not very well. It was definitely the lack of sleep, the change of time, the long flight and now I had to wait 10+ hours in the airport so I was definitely a bit frustrated but took a deep breath and realized I would be going to Italy in a few hours with one of my best friends from Northeastern so everything would be okay. I spent the entire day just sleeping in different corners of the airport, reading, writing, eating; anything I could do to keep myself distracted. I even watched a few movies. However, I was always paying attention to the screens so when they posted the gate my flight was at I could go there and just sit there until it was boarding time. Around 7pm, I still did not see anything on the screens. I was starting to get a bit worried because if you haven’t been to Frankfurt

Frankfurt International Airport 
Picture from: www.thelocal.de

International Airport let me be the first to tell you: it is not the type of place you want to get lost in. It is such a big airport that getting from one terminal to the next could take you forever. I am big on being on time for my flights so I can just relax at the gate. I decided I was going to ask more about the flight in the information desk and when it was my turn the lady saw my ticket and said, “You are not on any passenger list. You don’t have a flight what you have is a train.” I was so confused and so my first thought was, “Where are my bags then?” And my thought eventually translated into a sentence because I was still in shock of what was happening. She said my bags were supposed to be picked up in Frankfurt when my flight arrived (aka 9am in the morning), but in Puerto Rico they even gave me a ticket saying the bags were going directly to Hanover. It didn’t make any sense. The airline never told me explicitly that my flight was not a flight but a train ride and I had just spent all day waiting in the airport for the supposed flight I was in. In this type of situation, I tend to freak out for a second and then get to work and think of what I can do at the moment. So I had to take a train ride instead. No biggie. I just had to make it on time to Hanover so I wouldn’t miss my 6am flight to Milan. The problem now was: My bags. They clearly weren’t in Hanover if I wasn’t on any passenger list. I asked the lady where they could be and she had no idea. She kept feeling sorry for me because it was hard for me to understand everything. She called the representative of the airline I flew in with from San Juan and the lady just basically screamed at me saying how she couldn’t do anything but give me a train ticket “pick-up number” to go to Hanover whenever I wanted to. So I took the information and ran outside of the gates to see if anyone in baggage claim could tell me or had any idea where my luggage was at. *It was 9pm as of now by the way.* 

As I start asking around where lost and found is everyone is pointing to different directions and are not really wanting to help me which was frustrating for me. When I finally get to lost and found, they had just closed. There was nothing I could do.

In the midst of all this chaos, I was in contact with Sarah (another NEU student that’s co-oping in Hanover as well). This was her second year coming back to co-op in Leibniz University and she was also the one picking me up at the airport (now train station apparently) so I had to keep her updated of everything that was happening. This is where I was so grateful my parents decided to put me on an international plan because I was able to communicate with them and Sarah while all of this was happening. Sarah told me there was a train leaving from Frankfurt Main Station at 10:22 pm. It was 9:30pm. I had to take a taxi and go there, pick up the supposed ticket Condor had for me and then take the train. I ran outside of the airport and got a taxi. Told him to take me to the station as fast as he could. And he did. He definitely did (he drove so fast). When I got to the station everything was in German (let’s remember I know nothing) and even though most people in Germany speak English for some reason it was getting hard to explain to people where I was headed or what I needed to do. The station was certainly overwhelming after the day I had had so I wanted to get my ticket and get on a train as fast as I could. When going to the office to pick up my ticket, it was closed. Of course. It had to be closed. So I had to buy a 90-euro ticket to Hanover (something I was certainly not counting on). Now the next part was figuring out which train was going to Hanover and how to know in which stop I should get down. I was able to talk to Sarah for a bit through Whats App messaging and she definitely helped me out but I had limited data so I had to be turning on and off my data in order to talk to her. When I got on the train apparently I was in first class so I got kicked out of there and had to run to the available carriage praying the train wouldn’t leave. At this point you can imagine me, sweating, panting, with my carry on and my backpack just sort of looking like I had the worst day ever. I guess this image was what made Juan Pérez talk to me and take pity of my situation. You must be wondering, “Juan Pérez? Who is she talking about?” I know. I know. Confusing. I guess you’ll have to read the next blog post to find out the rest of the story and what ended up happening…

-Ana Gabriela 

Goodbye

The day is finally here. At 6pm on Saturday, August 20^th I will be leaving for Germany to get settled and start building what will be my life for the next four months. This past few days have definitely been busy. Getting ready to spend an entire year abroad is no easy task. Thankfully, this is something I have been planning for months now so even if one small detail was forgotten it is not something that doesn't have a solution. Another important (and incredibly hard) part of the process has been saying goodbye. This is never easy. I have to say goodbye to my loved ones, my friends and goodbye to the island where I was raised. The island I won't come back to for an entire year. I have to say goodbye to the subtle yet endearing “coquí, coquí” sound produced by the small frog native to Puerto Rico. I am definitely going to miss it. I mean who wouldn’t?

Playa Caracas, Vieques, Puerto Rico (Original)

However, in the midst of this process a question people always asked me was, “Why are you doing this? Why did you decide to spend an entire year abroad?” To be honest, it is a tough question to answer. I have always had a passion for traveling and for getting to know other cultures. My father and grandmother have always talked about their year abroad when they were young and I always looked at them with my eyes glowing wondering when I would ever have the chance to do the same. Northeastern has been recognized for the support they give their students when these opportunities arise and I have certainly had the chance to make the most out of these experiences thanks to that support and intend to continue to do so. 

I remember when I got the e-mail for the co-op offer in Germany. It was something I really had not considered. My plan was to stay in Boston and do a domestic co-op first. However, when the opportunity presented itself I couldn’t say no. I just thought of how amazing it would be to work in another country and see up-close how the dynamic is there. Especially that of a country with another language and that I had never been to. So I took it. I didn’t think twice about it and bought my airplane ticket. One way to Hanover, Germany. Today I go back to that moment and think, “Why did I do it?” And I guess I don’t really have an answer. I just did. I felt some sort of gravity pulling me towards making this decision and it felt right to do so at this time in my life. It still does. It has inspired me to continue planning and dreaming of more and more. I can only feel grateful to have this opportunity and be able to share with you everything about it.

My co-op does not officially start until September 1^st. I will be working at Leibniz Universität Hannover as a research assistant in a lab on campus. More to come as to why I chose to do this co-op.

 Leibniz Universität Hannover, Hanover Germany
From https://upload.wikimedia.org

 However, I will be spending some time in Italy and Amsterdam before I start working and I will share my adventures in both countries. When I get to Germany I will only spend six hours there and then I will take another plane to Milan. I will spend about a week in Italy where I will go to Milan, Venice and Rome. I will fly back to Germany and then take a bus to Amsterdam. I will be there for two days. This will give me a taste of what awaits me the rest of the semester and what awaits you all when you read my blog. Stay tuned for more!

-Ana Gabriela 

On my way

I am scared. It sounds kind of weird. Maybe not what anyone was expecting. Not even myself. I have traveled quite a bit throughout my years and have learned a lot about other cultures and languages. I have lived with an Italian and French family. However, the idea of living an entire year abroad (starting co-op in Germany) is scary. Plain and simple. I am originally from a little island called San Juan, Puerto Rico. I have spent most of my summer just working in Indiana. I got to my home country a couple days ago and I am still internalizing the fact that I will continue to leave my little island behind. This weekend I had my farewell and all of my friends are still in awe of the opportunity I have had the chance to have. Working in Germany. It is kind of crazy. I know deep down that this was just a decision I wanted to make. And although I am still not in Germany and cannot share anything just yet, please stay in tune to know what I will do. I think one of the most important parts of traveling is sharing those experiences with people that are thinking of doing the same. I was still unsure of going abroad for a long time but this type of post where I can feel the fear and understand that it is normal and part of the experience makes me realize it is all a process. A process I am still going through. One can never be ready for such an experience and I cannot wait to share with all of you what happens.