Initial Insights

The first thing that seemed strange to me upon arrival was the fact that I didn’t have to go through customs after picking up my baggage (yes it all arrived right away). Perhaps because it was an inter-Europe flight, they considered my passport check in Switzerland sufficient? Or maybe I’m an international fugitive? But honestly, I don’t know. The terminal design in Zurich was such that all flights arriving from Terminal E (must be all international flights) had to first pass a security checkpoint and then proceed through Swiss Passport Control, where the nice older lady was happy to welcome me to Europe….but anyway, all of this happened logically as part of getting from gate to gate, and must have been designed intentionally. This wasn’t the case in Hannover though, after getting out of the gate and following the signs to Gepäckausgabe (baggage claim), and then out the door…and you’re in the parkenhaus (parking garage, very clever germans….I see what you did there). One would think that to break an international law and not pass through immigration or customs, you would at least have to walk past an agent or something, but none of that. I walked out the door to see two girls holding signs, one with my name, and one of another student in the program….which was a large relief, because of the next thing.


When we landed in Zurich, I like nearly everyone else who has ever ridden on an airplane turned on my cell phone to see if I had service, I didn’t. Now, yes, I was somewhat concerned when it initially didn’t appear, but that has happened randomly in the US before, so I didn’t really think of it much more. However, when I got to Hannover and the same “No Service” icon showed…it began to matter a little more to me. With having no way of contacting my family to let them know I had arrived, I felt a little out of place, but nothing overwhelming….so continued the journey. 

My dorm room is small, but sufficient. Has a bed, desk area, and sink.

When we arrived at the place I’d be staying, the girls dropping me off showed me around and said to submit the W-LAN internet connection form to the caretaker tomorrow morning, and asked if I was sure that I wasn’t hungry as I’d already told them….because nothing is open on Sunday’s in Germany. They take commitment to family very seriously. This was apparent as I took a walk around my neighborhood after I had time to get settled into my room. Not a single store appeared to be open…which I had previously read about as something to expect, but  didn’t actually expect it to be the case. The two markets nearby were both closed all day, but there was a Shell gas station a block away open for anyone who didn’t have the foresight to prepare their Sunday meal in advance. I for one wasn’t hungry, perhaps due to the 6 hour time difference, so I survived day 1 in Germany without Wifi, Cell Phone coverage, or food with only a few hours of sleep under my belt from the night before. This however, made adjusting to the time difference VERY EASY. As I write this, I feel perfectly aligned with the new time zone…but time will tell in the next day or so.