PARSBURG

Todd has to gets going for work everyday around 5 AM and my first couple days I was so tired I didn't wake up until noon. I finally caught up on my sleep though and got use to the time difference. The first morning I woke up to some noises in the apartment. I am such a wimp about staying alone so I convinced myself that I was just hearing things. So i put my glasses on and walked out of the room and the front door was wide open. I freaked! I walked towards the door and heard someone in the kitchen area. At this point I would rather run out the door than walk into the kitchen because lets be honest I don't think I can scare off someone. So I peak around the corner to the kitchen and see a man holding a wrench- he must have seem my eyes bulge out of my head so he started smiling and apologizing. He was speaking only German so I am not really sure what he said but something along the lines of he is here to fix something and that the landlord said it would be alright for him to come it. I find out later that Todd told them they could do that but forgot to tell me! Everything was fine, just a little scare!

Basically my week consist of going to the grocery store almost daily, studying, unpacking and organizing and doing laundry. Nothing too exciting but it is very fun to take little trips here and there while Todd is working and just get use to the culture here. The grocery store is very different. The first time I went it was a disaster but since then I am good to go. First of all, I walked up and tried to get a cart and they were all chained up. I stood there for awhile and saw people putting money in the cart to get the chain off. Well I had no change at the moment and I wasn't sure I wanted to pay for a cart anyways. I could carry the stuff! So I walked around the store while people were all looking at me and tried to read the German labels. The fruits and veggies were easy but it was the meat and cheeses that totally through me. Most of the meat looked the same and the cheese had some crazy long names. I finally collected some things I could cook for dinner and some lunch items for me. I balanced as much in my hands that I could. No wonder everyone was looking at me. Then I got to the isle to pay and they just start throwing my things down the isle. I read that you have to bring your own bags and also bag them up yourself. No bag boy here! And forget having someone ask you if you want their help to get you to your car. So I start shoving my groceries in my book bag that I brought and then she told me how much I owed in German which had absolutely no meaning to me. I finally looked at the screen where it had it in writing and I gave her the money. Later I find out when you take a cart you put a euro in the cable and it unlocks and then when you return the cart you get your euro back! So that is why everyone was looking at me. Now I make sure I have a euro with me to borrow the cart with so I don't have to look like I am trying out for the circus balancing act while grocery shopping.

My first trip alone was to Regansburg. Todd told me that there was a train station down the hill and to the right so I wondered there one day. I tried to figure out the train ticket and I thought I had to I bought a ticket to get me to zone 1 where Regansburg was. I wanted to make sure that I had done this right so I went to ask a few people but they didn't speak English. So I found a little store there and the lady spoke some English. She told me I had done it wrong and did the ticket for me. Good thing I asked. On the trains they sometimes check  your ticket and sometimes don't but if you get caught without one it is a huge fine. This first time they checked my ticket on the way there and back but ever since then I have never been checked. I saw a group of Americans getting on the train and I just followed them. They were also going to Regansburg. I made it there safely and just walked around. It was the cutest little city. Shops and restaurants and of course ice cream places everywhere! I made an appointment at the bank so I could open up an account. I have to come back here in 3 days and then they will meet with me. I had some pizza and some ice cream and just walked around and did a little shopping. It was a fun day!

Todds town is very little and cute. It looks like a little country from the movies. Cute colored houses with perfect little window baskets filled with flowers that look fake because they are so pretty, bakeries and cafes down the cobble stone streets- just the cutest little place. I really like it here.