Life in Germany - Day 1

Those who have read my last post, know that I work as an IT Professional and currently I am residing in Germany on a work contract. As anybody else, I was immensely nervous and petrified about the decision to leave India and stay on a foreign land for such a long time!

But, for the brighter future and also to grow professionally, I took the decision and hence, there was no looking back! When I first landed in Bonn International Airport, my heart literally skipped a beat!

Foreign Land, Foreign Language, Foreign Culture! So many thoughts were gushing in my mind and it took me a good amount of time to come to my senses and think straight!

Post completing the immigration check, I went to collect my baggage. As I was going to be in Bonn for a long time, my family had ensured to pack as many things as possible to ensure I do not miss anything from India. It was their way of ensuring that I do not feel home sick! Needless to say, my suitcases were heavy! Being of a lean built, it was really a big task for me to carry those 2 suitcases from the belt to the trolley! By the way, I didn’t even have a trolley with me!

So, there I was – nervous, sad, a bit lost! But, as they say, when you are in dire need, God comes to the rescue in some form! There was this gentleman, who not only picked up my luggage but also offered his trolley to me! He didn’t know English and I didn’t know German. Yet, our conversation that included our smiles and broken attempts to understand each other, still is one of the most treasured memories I have, here in Germany.

A piece of advice to anyone planning to stay in Germany for a long time – learn the language before you land. Target to acquire at least A1 competence. Not that you cannot survive without knowing Deutsch, but you can cherish this place ten folds more if you know the language.

I had done an AirBnB reservation for my initial few weeks of stay as I couldn’t find a long term accommodation before moving to Bonn. Out of the Airport and into the Taxi was a doable task and fortunately I didn’t mess that up! During the short journey, I had mixed feelings. Abundant sorrow of being away from my family, yet equal amount of hope and expectations from this new phase of my life!

When my destination arrived, I was again in a soup! It was in the middle of the market, full of people! In spite of being in crowd, I felt so lonely and lost! I called up my AirBnb host. She didn’t pick up the phone in the first few attempts! Never have I ever felt so panic-stricken than in this very moment when my calls went unanswered!

I “tried” to talk to a few people from the crowd. I intentionally added the double quotes – because I could only “try” to talk to them; they understood “zilch”! Hence, the request to know some German prior to landing!

Nevertheless, my dear hostess finally called me back and I was able to find the accommodation! When I entered the place, I was a delighted! The theme of the interiors of the house was Indian. Wall decorations of cities of India, sculptures of Indian deities; even the kitchen had a separate shelf of Indian spices!

I was so darn exhilarated! It felt like a divine signal from the Almighty that things are going to be just fine! I was miles away from my motherland, yet I could see her right in front of me – in every corner of the house! This filled me with immense positivity. There was a new vigor in me. The aura of the house cheered me up! Sometimes, you find happiness in the most inanimate thing imaginable! For me – it was that house! The loneliness of being away from my family took a back seat. For the first time in the entire day, the decision to come to Germany didn’t feel wrong!

But this cheerfulness, happiness, excitement, positivity was short-lived! Next few days/weeks tested my patience, will-power and endurance!

...and this is where I conclude my post.

I will write back soon about what happened next!

Until then, stay happy and stay safe! Always remember - God made us all to be strong individuals! Strength comes from hardships – both physical and emotional! One has to withstand the tornedo of strenuous situations that Life puts you in.

That’s how we learn – learn to fight, learn to survive, and learn to live!