Arriving in Tübingen

I'm sitting in my friend Claire's apartment in Tübingen, Germany after traveling for almost 24 hours straight.

I packed heavy - I'm planning to be over here at least a year, after all, so I felt like I should take a lot of stuff. This was Problem 1. Also, I sprained my foot playing basketball with the family a few days ago and can't walk very well. This was Problem 2.


The airport was no problem - I had a nice two-hour flight to Washington D.C. and after a four hour layover another eight hours to Frankfurt. My carry-on luggage was excessively heavy, but I managed to get around the airport. It was when I picked up my checked luggage that the problems began - I was hobbling around on a hurt foot with a 30 pound carry-on, 10 pound laptop case, and two 40+ pound suitcases.

I got out of the airport okay - customs involved a quick stamp and head nod and nothing else - and the train station was in the airport. I made it to my train to Stuttgart - one of these high speed ICE trains, and I managed to get in at the complete opposite side. So I was hobbling the whole distance of the train while it was moving and I was carrying 120 lbs of shit and I was being stared at by judgmental Germans and the staff was absolutely unhelpful. I finally gave up and sat down on my luggage at the end of a car. My foot was throbbing something fierce at this point, and I was unreasonably frustrated and dripping in sweat.

When the train reached Stuttgart, I got out with all my bags and went quickly to my gate to get on the train to Tübingen. Then I realized that I left my ticket on the ICE train. I looked up, looked at all my bags, looked and my foot, and sighed. It might be okay - sometimes they don't check for tickets, and maybe if I tell them very nicely what happened they'll let me get on the train anyway. Speaking of this train to Tübingen, where is this thing? I'm at the gate and nobody's here, and it's supposed to leave in two minutes... I look at the sign and saw a message in German that appeared to be telling me the gate had changed. Sure enough, I look over to Gate 2 where they're boarding my train to Tübingen. I run - as fast as I can with all my luggage, which isn't so much a run as an awkward frenzied hobble. Just as I reach Gate 2, my train pulls away without me.


My luggage falls down, which looked like a sign of frustration but actually my arms had just given out. I can't find any DB employees around, so I go to the closest ticket machine and buy another ticket to Tübingen. At this point, I just want to be home and resting.

This train ride is slightly more successful, and I arrive in my new town, which would have been a triumphant moment if I felt less like death. After hauling everything I'm carrying up three flights of stairs, I manage to get a taxi. The driver speaks no English but tells me in German that my address would be closer for a taxi on the other side of the train station. Yeah, that's not happening. I pretend not to understand, so he gives me a ride (which was like two minutes, so give me a break, dude).

I use my friend Claire's key to unlock the door to her place, unbandage my poor foot, and collapse on the couch. Here's what the poor guy underneath my brace and layers of medical tape:





















After waking up from a nap to the sound of children laughing and church bells with the window to my room blowing in a gentle breeze, it seems as though the day of travel was a bad dream.

There's so much I want to do, but I have to rest now. I'll meet my roommates tomorrow, and Claire will get back on Sunday night.

And thus begins the adventure.