On June 22, 2013, I along with 8 other classmates who I didn't really know anything about, hopped on a plane leaving from Houston, Texas anxious for a new adventure. While, yes, this seems like it was such an easy process, it was the complete opposite.
Preceding events towards my trip included 3 weeks of a two hour lecture class (my first 400 level class -- in other words, my first big kid class), constant arguing with my Mom because I felt like she had left me "alone" in preparing for this trip, and continuous support from my Dad and Sister despite the fact that none of us really knew what would happen on this trip. Having lived in France as a 16 year-old for two months, I felt pretty confident when it came to packing, the actual arrival to the airport and so forth -- yet I was extremely stressed and anxious.
My best-friend reminded me the morning of my trip to not worry about things that I couldn't control. To enjoy everything as it came and to freak out after my trip while looking back at all the stupid things I may or may not have done.
So now that you know my life crisis leading up before my trip, I will continue with the story.
After flying for 10 hours on what was an extremely technologically advanced plane, my group landed in Amsterdam where we literally ran through the air-port to make our connecting flight to take us to Munich, Germany.
My best-friend reminded me the morning of my trip to not worry about things that I couldn't control. To enjoy everything as it came and to freak out after my trip while looking back at all the stupid things I may or may not have done.
So now that you know my life crisis leading up before my trip, I will continue with the story.
After flying for 10 hours on what was an extremely technologically advanced plane, my group landed in Amsterdam where we literally ran through the air-port to make our connecting flight to take us to Munich, Germany.
Once we got to Munich after about and hour and a half of flying, we had the best surprise waiting for us at the airport. *Drum roll please
NO LUGGAGE
Haha, I found it ridiculous, absurd, and completely infuriating that all 11 of our bags (nine students, two professors) were still in Amsterdam. After filing our information in hopes of our luggage arriving within the next 48 hours, we boarded a bus to take us to our hotel.
As you can probably tell, there was a wide range of students on this trip. None completely alike and all sharing one thing in common: we all wanted to travel the world and succeed in the corporate world. How on earth could this possibly work right? Well after a 13ish hour flight and literally almost crying over our luggage, we were pretty well bonded.
What's a trip without malfunction? If everything had gone perfect, I would have honestly been pretty suspicious:
So we made it to the hotel, relaxed for about an hour before we had a walking tour throughout Munich. After being so used to the scorching Texas heat, Munich was holding a high of 65 degrees, and for the most part, all of our jackets were in our luggage....in Amsterdam.
Beginning our walking tour with a cute old lady started off pretty alright. I was your expert tourist, walking, taking pictures on my Nikon D5000 and on my phone, trying to keep up, you know the usual. Then BAM. Surprise number 2 came along. It started pouring down rain..
NO LUGGAGE
Haha, I found it ridiculous, absurd, and completely infuriating that all 11 of our bags (nine students, two professors) were still in Amsterdam. After filing our information in hopes of our luggage arriving within the next 48 hours, we boarded a bus to take us to our hotel.
As you can probably tell, there was a wide range of students on this trip. None completely alike and all sharing one thing in common: we all wanted to travel the world and succeed in the corporate world. How on earth could this possibly work right? Well after a 13ish hour flight and literally almost crying over our luggage, we were pretty well bonded.
What's a trip without malfunction? If everything had gone perfect, I would have honestly been pretty suspicious:
So we made it to the hotel, relaxed for about an hour before we had a walking tour throughout Munich. After being so used to the scorching Texas heat, Munich was holding a high of 65 degrees, and for the most part, all of our jackets were in our luggage....in Amsterdam.
Beginning our walking tour with a cute old lady started off pretty alright. I was your expert tourist, walking, taking pictures on my Nikon D5000 and on my phone, trying to keep up, you know the usual. Then BAM. Surprise number 2 came along. It started pouring down rain..
You know, as just a normal thought process you would think that after walking through the pouring rain and seeing that everybody was soaked our tour would be close to finished right? Haha well guess what? You and I were both wrong. Our tour CONTINUED for about another hour on foot, just walking through the rain like it was no big deal that we were probably going to get pneumonia, and have to dry our clothes over night, probably sleep naked and then re-wear the same clothes the next day because why? Yep, you're right, we still had no luggage. Well while this entire thought process is running through my head, I wasn't exactly paying attention to where I was walking, so basically you could say that I was walking aimlessly through a bunch of tourists and Germans who automatically knew I was with a group of Americans by the way we were dressed. As if enough things hadn't happened yet, everyone's humor was brought back when yours truly, missed a step up, and in slow motion fell and ate big old bite of concrete. Bravo, bravo. All in the pouring rain (just in case you forgot)
I was helped up and all I could do was laugh out of amusement and misery haha. The two best things right? Well as Gossip Girl would say, "Misery loves company, but it's the company you keep that makes you miserable."
Our walking tour was FINALLY over after two hours and we were welcomed at a restaurant for a traditional Bavarian meal where I had my first German beer, which was absolutely disgusting.
I was helped up and all I could do was laugh out of amusement and misery haha. The two best things right? Well as Gossip Girl would say, "Misery loves company, but it's the company you keep that makes you miserable."
Our walking tour was FINALLY over after two hours and we were welcomed at a restaurant for a traditional Bavarian meal where I had my first German beer, which was absolutely disgusting.
Our meal was hot, tasty, and had a completely different texture and flavor than I was used to. I enjoyed it, but I cannot say that it would be my meal of choice.
We left the restaurant and found our way back to our hotel in hopes of finally sleeping after being awake for about 24 hours.
Still, with no luggage, we slept peacefully, and dreamt of clean clothes and warm sunshine for the next day. Little did we know what was headed our way.....
Xoxo,
Ana
We left the restaurant and found our way back to our hotel in hopes of finally sleeping after being awake for about 24 hours.
Still, with no luggage, we slept peacefully, and dreamt of clean clothes and warm sunshine for the next day. Little did we know what was headed our way.....
Xoxo,
Ana