Day I – My flight from New York (JFK) to Berlin (TXL) connecting through Brussels.

So far I’ve been disappointed in who other—my fellow Americans.

It all started early this morning where I stepped literally one step out of the line (which happened to be 2-3 persons wide anyway) to fix my bags. Thus letting one family pass me. But then what happens? The rotten brat behind me accused me of cutting the line once it actually started to move and I returned to my position. She made a small scene, then shoved me when her boarding group was called. Absolutely ridiculous. I was seriously and literally one step out of the line but I blended right into it anyway.

Then what happens? I get off the plane, wait in a line at the border protection into the EU. It turned out that my line was extremely short so I hopped into another. One guy had accused me of cutting him there too, even though it was obvious he and his wife/gf/lover/friend was in the other line. How preposterous. At least this one didn’t make a scene! Maybe its because I let him cut me, grrr.

Why am I the victim? Yeah, sure this really isn’t a big deal, but I hate when people think they can just get away with small nonsensical things. Maybe it’s the fact that I just accept and predict the fact that people are rude and awful in NY so I don’t notice (I’m the same way when in NYC). OR its just that Americans are rotten, disgusting, obnoxious people when they are in other countries. Of course I responded in the utmost grace, only to be absolutely mad on the inside.

Normally I am very proud to be American. But of the polite and sweet sort—not the obnoxious, self-serving people I encountered today. Definitely by making me look bad they looked worse. But what is awful is that they were not rightfully accusing me. I hate when that happens, let alone TWICE.

The flight was great otherwise. Normally American Airlines manages to mess up any international to Europe flights I’ve been on except this one (remember, I spent 5 years of my life as AA Platnium because I used to fly a lot)! I was seated next to fellow study abroad students (small world) who were connecting from Brussels to Antwerp. They were uber friendly and just wanted to chit chat…I felt bad because eventually I put on my bose headphones. It is just much more relaxing than listening to the airplane engines!

My feelings towards study abroad? I feel a bit lost already and I haven’t even gotten there. I realize I have no idea where anything is, and by using my DK tour book so far I have yet to become more acquainted. Not like Paris or London where you could just give me a map and I would be fine. I’ve just never been to Berlin…and it’s really hard to memorize the street names when you have no idea how to pronounce them!

I also feel a bit out of place, like I’m not really sure what to expect, but I’m not anxious. Maybe its an OUT OF BODY experience ;). I really just feel nothing! Not really excited because the weather is so dreary in Brussels (and when there is no sun—nothing can be beautiful!!!!!). Not really scared because there will be other students with me. Not really happy because my family and friends are not here (including my cat).

Okay maybe all of that emo stuff is half a lie—I’m very excited to meet new friends and go out to explore nightlife, something that I haven’t really done except when I visited Priya last spring break and we went to Dublin for St. Patrick’s Day! Oh, and in Hong Kong’s Lan Kwai Fong, but mind you this has only been 5 weeks total of my life!

Anyhow, I need to find a way to backdate this because I wrote this while sitting in the Brussels airport. What good is it to get here early when they haven’t even posted the gate number? And yes—I was in a panic because I thought I was in the wrong terminal. I was looking for 8:45 instead of 9:45 as my departure time (8:45 is the boarding time!). Dummy me—lesson learned? Never let airports frazzle you and never let being in a different place make you lose your cool! Things always work out in the end.