Arriving in Rosenheim

During the 4 hour train ride (seen in the last post), I could have sworn I heard an announcement made over the train loudspeaker, saying, "Dieser Zug wird jetzt geteilet". Translation: This train will now be split in half. This happens sometimes. You have to listen for the announcement (which isn't made in English) and then make sure you're on the right half of the train or else you'll get left in the station. I looked around the compartment and there was only one other person. He looked my age... he was wearing skinnies, a flannel shirt, combat boots, over-sized headphones - in other words, totally hipster. I thought to myself, "Oh, he should be nice to me if he's a hipster. And if not, I'll just show him all the Sufjan Stevens and Devendra Banhart on my ipod and convince him that I'm cool enough for him to talk to". I asked him, "Entschuldigung, weisst du ob dieser Zug geteilet wird oder nicht?" since I wasn't sure if I had heard the announcement correctly. He told me (in German), "Um...I hope not." and went back to listening to his headphones. I said under my breath, "Oooooooookay. That did not help me even just a little bit" and I walked through the compartment doors to see if I could ask someone else. Thankfully, one of the DB employees passed by and before I could ask him he told me to hurry up and move to the other part of the train before it left. Just another time when I literally thank God for not getting stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time! But at this point I am wondering if I can ever have a train ride where something doesn't almost go horribly wrong?

My sister once told me something that I think about all the time. Before Kaitlyn and I left to go on our European adventure all by ourselves, Jessica said to me, "No matter how much you plan and how careful you are, things will go wrong. Traveling is unpredictable and unexpected things will happen. You just have to be flexible and don't stress out". I think about this piece of advice almost daily. My dad told me on the phone this summer that I need to be more organized because "things always seem to go wrong with you when you're traveling". I said, "I'm spontaneous. I have to be". And he said, "Well, I don't believe in being spontaneous". That conversation flashed through my mind as I was running from one train car to another, hoping it wouldn't leave and thinking, "Dad, no amount of organization could have prevented this from happening to me!!!!"

When I finally got to the train station, I stepped off the train and saw Kayla waiting on the platform. I was starving. I noticed there was a McDonald's connected the train station, so I asked her, "Hey, can we stop at McDonald's?". She said, "The funny thing is: When I envisioned picking you up at the train station, I envisioned us eating at McDonald's directly after."  

We walked home to the house where Kayla nannies and I met the mom of the family she works for. She is from Spain (her husband is German) and, though I only just met her last weekend, I think she is so incredibly sweet. Watching her interact with Kayla, I truly felt like she thinks of Kayla as a daughter/friend and it made me so happy to know that Kayla is being taken care of so well. Kayla nannies for 2 little girls. I was, of course, instantly obsessed with them. They speak Spanish and German (because of their parents) and Kayla is doing a really great job teaching them English (the main reason why the family hired her to live with them). I, unfortunately, did not get a photo of the older girl - only the 2 year old. Is she not the most precious child you've ever seen!? Here is another picture of her from Kayla's blog. I think she is such a doll!!

Just look at her!!! I could have stayed there all week. I got to speak German and Spanish with the older daughter (and a little bit with the little one, pictured above) and there is just something about little kids speaking other languages that melts my heart!!