Home at last

Posted by Jul on 5 January 2008

After two months of wandering the US, it’s nice to be in a city I currently can call home: Munich. We arrived a couple days ago and have been sleeping on an air mattress in our new apartment since then. I sure am looking forward to seeing all our furniture and stuff next week! Until then, we are keeping ourselves busy mopping (a few rooms have brand new flooring – covered with a couple centimeters of sawdust) and shopping for odds and ends.

One of the big exciting discoveries thus far has been a gigantic Kmart-like store just a short walk from our new place. This type of store was sorely missed in Zurich (and Milan, for that matter). It’s great for (1) when you don’t know where to go to find something (because they sell pretty much everything… I mean everything) and (2) when you don’t want to pay a fortune for said thing. Quality and service are great and all, but sometimes you just want to pick out something yourself and pay hardly any money for it, you know? It must be the American in me… but the best part is that I don’t even have to go to a strip mall to find this stuff in Munich!

Another bit of fabulousness: the tram stop near our place has one of those live signs that tells you exactly how long until the next several trams arrive. This makes it super-easy to decide whether you want to wait around or just give up and walk. Efficient laziness!

Alas, it’s not all sunshine and flowers here in Munich: it’s going to take 2 TO 4 WEEKS to get our home internet access set up. What in the world am I supposed to do until then? I’m already wearing out my welcome at the one and only free internet cafe I know of. Anyway, if I owe you an email or something, um, I hope you’re breathing normally until it arrives.

Despite all the hassles that a move brings with it, it’s so worth it for all the fun I have getting to know a new place. Now if you’ll excuse me, we’re off to get acquainted with the world’s largest Feuerzangenbowle. I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Tags: international relocation fun

Comments (7)

• 
  bethmorrissey

  January 5th, 2008

  I love those first few weeks in a new place. Enjoy them!

• 
  Jul

  January 7th, 2008

  Thanks, Beth.

• 
  Chuck

  January 8th, 2008

  Do they have internet beer halls in Munich?

• 
  Jul

  January 9th, 2008

  Well, I’ll put it this way: good beer has been plentiful at all of the free internet locations we’ve come across so far.

  *sipping Weissbier*

• 
  EuroTrippen

  January 10th, 2008

  Love the live signs with tram arrival times posted… they’re worth every euro I’m taxed!

  I’m jealous about the Kmart-like store though, we’ve got nothing like that here in Dresden, and you never know when you’ll need a decent tombstone cleaner.

• 
  Meika

  January 10th, 2008

  Sounds like a great place!

  I’ve been wondering, with your many moves, how (or if) you experiece culture shock. Is moving from one non-home country to another easier than moving directly from your home country, or is it about the same? You seem to be someone who adapts to change well, so maybe it’s not an issue for you at all.

• 
  Jul

  January 11th, 2008

  Eurotrippen – I’ll be traveling to Dresden pretty soon, actually. Shall I pick you up some grave cleaner, then?

  Meika – Interesting question. Can’t say I’ve experienced much in the way of culture shock yet this time around, but then again I’ve lived in Germany before. I think I tend to experience it in small ways here and there (such as frustration with a particular difference that is making my life difficult) rather than as an overwhelming experience. It was probably worse the first time I moved to Europe (over 10 years ago), and I’m just not remembering it that well.

  The cultural differences between Europe and the US are probably quite minor compared with trying to adjust to life in Japan as an American. I hope to get the chance to experience that level of culture shock one day.