Ellis Islanding it in Strasbourg

January 8-14

Strasbourg, France

I drained a year off of my life trying to get from DFW to Strasbourg. I had very little faith in myself, if any, that I could do my plane, train, train, taxi, and keep to schedule. Spoiler alert: I made it to Strasbourg. Honestly, I was impressed by how well I was navigating the DFW and Frankfurt airport. It kinda got my hopes up that I was going to make it there no problem. So naturally, I missed my first train shortly after. Not my fault though. There was a “train area” in the airport that I assumed trains left out of. You could buy tickets there, they had an information booth- everything. So I bought a ticket and asked for assistance on where the train leaves from. He assured me that all of them leave from this one area and all head to the same place. I was a little confused, but then again when am I not when it comes to directions and traveling. So the “train” comes right around when it should so I go on. And it looks like a subway…. After being on it for 30 minutes, I then realized that I was on a subway (without a ticket), missed my first train, and now have to find my way to the train station in Frankfurt. At this point I had reached the end of the line so I got out and caught the one heading back. I then realized that the train station was a stop on the subway. After that, I thankfully got another ticket and was able to take my 2 trains and then a taxi to my apartment all on time. Oh, and this whole time I couldn't find my charger so I had to power it off most of the time. I arrived in Strasbourg with 3%. And my stupid suitcase that’s the size of a baby elephant bruised my knee, cut my finger, and scraped the skin off of my knuckles trying to maneuver it around. 

Cathedral

View from my Window

My apartment is super cute!! My bed is so comfortable that on the first night, I accidentally slept 21 hours (a new personal record). From my window, I look out to the river that runs through most of the city. It looks fake when you see the swans swimming in it. I am about a 5-minute walk to this giant Cathedral. The four other A&M students who are studying here too had not arrived yet, so I was Ellis Islanding* it. I got to explore the city by myself and get to adjust for the first few days. The three A&M girls arrived Friday (I got there Monday) and after that, we’ve been hanging out since. We met up at a bar with some other foreign exchange students and for the first time ever I was told that my name was the easiest to pronounce (compared to Lauren, Sophia, and Sanjana). European name coming in clutch! The exchange students seem eager to meet people and hang out which is exciting. 

Strasbourg doesn’t seem French most of the time, just standard European, then I’ll see people eating a whole baguette and think again. The architecture here looks out of a storybook. I've been getting everywhere on foot, so I get to enjoy it all. It has been in the 20s, so I leave my apartment bundled every day for my walks. It won't really warm up till April so I'll have to get used to the weather. It snowed today and I don’t know what was more of a culture shock, the fact that I am now living in France, or the fact that it was snowing. 

Nothing too crazy has happened but I start class on Wednesday and will travel someplace this weekend so I’ll have more updates for later.

Au revoir!

*Ellis Islanding: a word I just made up meaning you are figuring it out in a foreign/different situation ex: I am all alone in a foreign country where I don’t speak the language. Looks like I’m Ellis Islanding it for now.