One day ago, I arrived in Germany, and somehow the jet lag has not caught up to me yet. Maybe it is because I’ve been counting down the days until I get to fly to Munich, or that I’ve been mentally preparing for my upcoming internship and time abroad for months now. I only know that I’m here now, and I’m ready to embark on this new adventure.
My internship starts in about a week, but even now I have some adjustments to make. As a girl from a small city (who embarrassingly has difficulty orienting herself without a GPS!) it is a big change to live in Munich. I find myself both in a state of awe and confusion at the bus and rail system here. There are so many possible routes to take and multiple transfer opportunities, which is so different from my way of life at home, or even in Claremont, where it is more convenient to travel by car. It will take me a while before I’ll feel like I am able to ride public transit as confidently as the locals – a skill I’ll need to master to get to my job.
Besides the impressive transportation network, the sheer amount of people has been a little overwhelming. Last night, I went out with my boyfriend and some other Germans to watch a major soccer game between Dortmund and Munich. Munich won (yay!), and afterwards the streets were crowded with millions of people celebrating. Among loud cries and cheers, fireworks were lit and people danced and jumped around. While I know that last night may have been an exception in terms of overcrowding, I learned my first lesson in how to deal with it on the subway (or the U-Bahn).
After celebrating the game, my boyfriend and I went to the U-Bahn station to ride home. The U-Bahn arrived, and as the doors opened, we were forced to push our way in. Behind us were more people who wanted to enter, and I was suddenly sandwiched between multiple strangers, feeling more squished than I had ever been in my entire life. The pushing from behind me didn’t stop, and I even felt my feet lift off the ground a little. I felt panic overcome me as it became more difficult to breathe. I needed to get out of the small space; I needed to get free. Seeing me in distress, my boyfriend was eventually able to pull me through the mob of people.
After entering the spacier area, I felt embarrassed that I had panicked so much – the people around me seemed to think it was normal to have so little space. And my boyfriend explained to me that it was, and that it could get even worse during peak hours when everyone rides to work. He suggested I cross my arms over my body in the future, to protect myself.
What did I learn?
Don’t panic when things get tight. I know these past two days in Munich are only the beginning of a throng of new experiences, and some of them will be uncomfortable. The next time I find myself in a situation I’m not sure how to get out of, or feel stressed, I will remind myself that this is all part of the process. Instead of getting upset, I need to look around me and accept that change has become a regular part of my environment. As I write this, I am also traveling on a rail jet. I know I need to keep moving forward, and I am interested to see where my time abroad will bring me. For now, the next stop is Vienna.