Germany
Chapter One

Getting here was a long process: 37 hours. after 4 hours sleep following the wedding I took a 30 minute taxi, then spent two 2 hours waiting to board in Mactan Cebu International Airport, 30 minutes boarded, 3 hours flying to Hong Kong, 13 hours filling time in Hong Kong - buying sunglasses, watching a movie in the IMAX, chatting on Facebook for the last time in 3 months, eating, the time passed slowly - 13 hours flying to Frankfurt - watching more movies, sleeping, not finishing The Hobbit, 1 hour getting through gates and busses and terminals and boarding the flight to Dresden, 1 hour flying to Dresden, 1 hour til I was on the train to Meißen, 30 minutes on the train, 2 hours in Meißen waiting for the infrequent bus to Krögis I’d missed by 10 minutes, where I realised I’d spent 6€ more than I needed to on trains and busses, 30 minutes on that bus, then 10 minutes walking when I stumbled across Steiger Krögis.

As I was taking the final trains and busses in I was surprised how nervous I was. I didn’t know what to expect, I was a day late because of the wedding, It was my first time in a country where the signage isn’t at least mostly in English, and I wasn’t confident in my phrasebook prowess - I knew as I went further away from the city I’d be further away from strong English speakers, and I only had a map of the train and bus route that didn’t even have Krögis on it (it’s too small).

Very quickly after I arrived the nervousness vanished. We’re already a family - friends were made in just a few days.
I am meant to be here.

I don’t know how to write about what this week has been like - but I will try soon.