Wilkommen!

We made it! The travel arrangements went so smoothly it was hard to believe! Baggage check and security at DTW was quick and pretty painless and our gate was right up front, so we passed the time by having a nice dinner at Max and Ermas, which was nicely located directly next to our gate. With perfect timing, we finished dinner just in time to board our plane, which was about a half hour late due to connecting passengers and last minute bags. However, all things considered, the plane ride wasn't too terrible. I sat next to Nick and we fell asleep after about 2 hours (due to some extra help from a little Benadryl) but I woke up after only an hour and a half or so, to remember that I was in the smallest airplane known to man and about one square foot of area to myself. My back, hips, and knees were quick to let me know that the 8 hours in a confined space was a little too long (and so did the screaming baby in front of us- not bad, he only cried a few times). Once we landed at 10am in Germany (4am in Michigan) exiting the plane, customs, and baggage claim were quick and easy. Nick and I found our way to the shuttle that took us to the airport train station, where we figured out (in german!) how to print our tickets and find our platform. We got on our train and made it to our connection and made it to Heidelberg around 1pm, where we found a taxi who took us to our hostel. We were two hours early to the hostel so we went and walked around the main street and found a cell phone store where we bought cheap phones and some minutes just so that we weren't quite as helpless. After lunch, our room that we share with 5 other people was ready so we went in and took a 2.5 hr nap (we were exhausted after all our traveling and not so much sleeping). The other people in our room seem nice- 3 guys about our age from California and 2 girls from Germany visiting the University. Now we are at a coffee shop with free wireless internet- this place might be our new favorite spot in town!

I've been trying to speak German to people but it's hard, everyone talks so fast and they don't enunciate (my mom would call this Karma) but so far we're managing. Nick and I are making a pretty good team!

So far all is well (besides the humidity which isn't agreeing with my hair) and we are enjoying ourselves! Hopefully we can contact the other students from Albion in Heidelberg. As for tomorrow- sightseeing! Gotta be the American tourists while we can!