After a long time traveling......

So - I am currently in the lobby of my hostel in hamburg, Germany writing this post (with a .5l local brew to keep me company).... my summer has finally begun! But lets backtrack a few days....

Night before I fly to London - My friend randomly messages me and tell me that she needs rice to put her cell phone in to save it from water damage.... wierd.... but it gets better. When she gets to my apt for the rice, I casually ask if she wants to help me pack. She responds with enthusiasm, claiming the title of a "master packer," well, shes never had to deal with me... She sees the backpack i was originally planing on taking for the summer and bursts out laughing - I replied that I wanted to "rough it." She laughed some more. After a some persuasion and a slight reality check, I realized the backpack thing (as in the actual physical backpack, opposed to the process) really isint possible considering I am going to have a job in the same spot for 10 weeks.... "roughing it" wont be a very good excused when i show up to lab wearing the same 3 outfits for a month.... Anyways, she helps me properly pack while Ogy looks on with amusement and I suffer her insufferable tirades against my hole-y, history ridden t-shirts... after enough group effort, we finish.

Next day - Ogy was kind enough to drive me to the airport (which made life a ton easier) and fly to london! I made the mistake of putting my trust in pharmaceuticals - I took tylenol PMs and instead of putting me to sleep just made me feel like i was clobbered with a club for the next 12 hours. On the flight I sat next to a U Texas student who, along with 7 others, is on her way to Kosovo to film some sort of documentary for some company. She told me what it was about and what the company was all about, but backtrack to the club clobbering....

Upon landing in London, I had a lengthy and informative conversation with the immigration control guy about my tier 5 visa (Him: what, the GOVERMENT is sponsoring YOU? ME: Yup.) I then went off and stored my suitcase at the airport and went into london to pass my 9 hour layover to germany. This haphazard tour of the City of Westminster (part of london where buckingham palace, westminster abbey and parliament are) in the rain, combined with my not sleeping for many hours led me to cut the trip short and head back to the airport to try to relax.

Finally upon landing in Hamburg, Germany, i headed to the train station with absolutely no idea of where the hostel was or how i was going to get there. as it turned out, a nice young couple that i met was going to the same place, so i followed them to the hostel. Upon arriving, i got myself settled down and headed down to the lobby, bought internet and wrote this blog. along the way i met a Morrocan dude who i helped edit his cv he is writing for a program in the states.