Bonjour! Wait. Wrong country. Erm.. I ashamed to say that I have safely landed in Germany, yet still have no idea how to say hello in German. This is my ultimate travel fail. 

Shrug. I regret nothing. 

I am in Germany! Cara is still en route and I will pick her up from the airport in a bit, but for now it's just me and Frankfurt. And by me and Frankfurt I mean the apartment we rented and the shower/couch where I intend to take the ultimate nap momentarily. 

Travel today was quite uneventful. I would say that the most mentionable moments were as follows:

-When I got felt up by security because I left my headphones in my tshirt pocket. Let's just say it was a thorough security check. My sternum in particular was very happy once the lady with the heavy Boston accent was finished making sure I was travel ready from the waist up. Oye. 

-When I got on the wrong transit bus as the Boston airport and wandered aimlessly for half an hour before finding proper direction to my correct terminal. 

-I was given snacks from the delightful pair of older ladies next to me on my flight it of Boston. This was also the flight where the attendants wore Krispy Kreme hats, but in purple/pink. 

This is Helga.

And in case I was confused, everything was labeled. 

So that was fun. I think the winning part for me though was waiting in the walkway to board and seeing the woman in front of me just toting around her back pack with a rogue banana sticking out like it was sightseeing as well. 

About half an hour after getting off of this flight while sitting in the middle of the airport I pulled the banana picture up and was looking at it again because I found it so entertaining and just as I was doing so, I look up briefly and I see the banana pass right in front of me and all I could think was- SHE KNOWS. 

German transportation takes the cake for today though. I don't know if it's the 24 hours I have been traveling, or if it really is that difficult to understand. Either way it took me two hours to get from the airport to the apartment. Only a half hour of that time was spent actually in transit. Sigh. Directions are hard sometimes and when it is 28 degrees outside, they become that much more difficult. 

But for real. let's discuss this, Germany. WHY DO YOU NEED 43 S-BAHN ROUTES THAT ALL STOP AT THE SAME DAMN PLACES. Okay. I just had to get that out. First you have to decide if you need a regional train or a long distance train because the tracks are separated on opposite sides of the earth. The catch is that the only maps you encounter are down at the actual tracks. In what version of this life does that make any sense? So you think it'd be regional, I'm not leaving the city yet. BUT NO. It's long distance. Why? I have no idea. So I go the mile and a half across the network of mythical transit tunnels and steps and escalators and moving sidewalks. Then I was on the S9 and then the S8 and then something was green and then magenta and then I wound up on a street and walk the wrong direction for a few blocks, then there was a bank vestibule and then I think I rage blacked out and appeared in front of the apartment. 

It's been an emotionally trying 24 hours to say the least and just as I suspected, when I am finally somewhere with a bed and can take a nap until I have to go meet Cara- I can't fall asleep. So here I sit, writing to all 3 of you reading this while I listen to a German cooking show on the tv in the background. The only word of which I have understood in the past half hour has been sauerkraut- and you know what? I'm calling that a win, damnit. Because I can.

Big sigh. Alright. I like it here so far. I think. Despite the colder than expected temperatures and the derpy struggles thus far- I think I like Frankfurt. I am, however, still concerned about the fact that I didn't interact with a single customs agent once I got off my plane. I literally walked off the plane, through baggage claim and then onto the streets of Frankfurt. Casual. Maybe I'm German and don't know it. THERE'S SOMETHING THEY AREN'T TELLING US. 

I did get a stamp during my layover in Iceland though! 

All the more reason to actually go back and explore. 

I believe that is all for now. I must bundle back up now and set out to the airport once again to retrieve my fearless travel companion. From there we shall secure food and then more than likely call it a night and settle into the apartment for some catching up time since it has been a year since we have seen one another. But hey, the plan could completely change. I mean, that's how it goes 99% of the time anyway and at this point I couldn't care less. I saw a banana riding in a backpack today- the day is already a success. 

Go and do and be. My self imposed goal before the next post is to learn 3 German words that I do not already know. And yes, hello will be one of them. Hopefully. 

I'm off! Wish me luck.