On Monday, I took the train to Berlin for my orientation to finding work.
Matt took me to the train station and I marked down the subway line, directions and stops along the way as I would have to get back to the apartment on Tuesday, by myself. I find figuring out the metro to be complicated and stressful. I think I took the Toronto metro by myself twice in my entire life.
I spend most of my time deciding to go places I can walk to so I can avoid the metro, at least if I am by myself. Sooner or later, I am going to have to get over this. just not quite yet.
Sadly, I did not see much of Berlin. After my orientation, which was all of 1.5 hours I had the afternoon and evening to explore. It poured rain the entire time and only get windier as the night went on.
The orientation itself was okay. I learned a number of valuable tips but job search tips did not all apply to Nürnberg and I am struggling to find the Nürnberg equivalents.
Travellers Cheques and Visa
After spending almost all of my cash the Friday I moved into my apartment on rent and the kaution, I needed to find a place to cash my travellers cheques. I spent 3 and a half days with $30 in my wallet and no place to cash the cheques. The banks didnt open until Monday and I spent most of Monday on the train. I was able to use my Visa card at the Walmart equiv when I wanted to get a clothes dry rack and laundry basket...but not at the grocery store. We had to rely on what cash Matt had to tie us over. When I finally got to a bank, the teller told me that regular banks will not cash travellers cheques in Germany. This meant I had to wait until Tuesday to go to a travel bank (at the train stations) to finally cash them.
So when travelling, be mindful of this. Get your travellers cheques cashed at the train station and make sure you always have cash on you...because your Visa card which is suppose to be so international, may be useless.
Wednesday, 19 October 2011
We moved in!
We moved into our apartment in Nürnberg about a week and a half ago.
Our land lady provided us with almost everything we could possibly need.
Dishes, pots and pans, serving bowls, and linens. On top of the necessities, there were tones of chocolates, juice, sparkling wine, coffee and tea and a bowl of fresh fruit.
There are 4 grocery stores within walking distance so we were able to get everything else we needed.
The apartment has a ton of closest space, we dont even need the second one. The kitchen is spacious as well. For the most part there is a lot of space in the dressing area and around the bed. Its a bit tight to get around the couch, but thats just something well have to get use to.
Day two: the search for internet.
Finding an internet cafe without internet to look it up is quite challenging. We walked around town for hours only spotting banks, restaurants and lotto retailers. We grew hungry and it bagan to rain so we decided to head back. When we were 5 minutes from our apartment, we found the internet cafe. Somehow we had managed to miss that corner. Within minutes, we located the closest mall, another 5 minute walk down the road where we could buy internet and just about anything else we wanted. Unfortunately, we could not order internet or purchase an internet stick until at least one of us had registered our address with the city and opened a bank account. Matt did that on the Monday (two days later).
Our land lady provided us with almost everything we could possibly need.
Dishes, pots and pans, serving bowls, and linens. On top of the necessities, there were tones of chocolates, juice, sparkling wine, coffee and tea and a bowl of fresh fruit.
There are 4 grocery stores within walking distance so we were able to get everything else we needed.
The apartment has a ton of closest space, we dont even need the second one. The kitchen is spacious as well. For the most part there is a lot of space in the dressing area and around the bed. Its a bit tight to get around the couch, but thats just something well have to get use to.
Day two: the search for internet.
Finding an internet cafe without internet to look it up is quite challenging. We walked around town for hours only spotting banks, restaurants and lotto retailers. We grew hungry and it bagan to rain so we decided to head back. When we were 5 minutes from our apartment, we found the internet cafe. Somehow we had managed to miss that corner. Within minutes, we located the closest mall, another 5 minute walk down the road where we could buy internet and just about anything else we wanted. Unfortunately, we could not order internet or purchase an internet stick until at least one of us had registered our address with the city and opened a bank account. Matt did that on the Monday (two days later).
Thursday, 6 October 2011
Köln (and an important point about the ISIC card)
We are one day away from going to Nürnberg and moving into our apartment! Tomorrow will be the last train ride with the BIG suitcases, at least for a while anyway. But of course, life stuck us with two transfers, just to mock me and watch me try and carry that stupid suitcase.
Anyways, Matt and I both went to Köln for 3 days, Matt to complete his job orientation and me to tour around by myself.
Overall, it was a good experience.
I learned how to not only read and follow a map, but to plan my own excursions as well based on their location on the map. Fortunately for me, everything I wanted to see in Köln was within walking distance and I did not need to attempt the metro on my own.
I noticed that the German drivers are much kinder than those in Canada. Traffic always yield to pedestrians. You step out a crosswalk only indicated by the lines on the street, the cars stop. You're on a green traffic light/ cross walk, traffic turning in your direction will always pause mid turn so you can walk across.
I learned my student card (valid until 2014) is also valid in Germany, at least for museums and the like so I managed to grab a few discounts, which brings me to an important point, the ISIC: International Student Identity Card. If you are still a student when you intend on going abroad..and by still I mean even in your last semester as long as you are full time, get an ISIC card. You need to provide your tuition receipt as proof to get it. I missed out on getting this, but Matt was able to get one before he left and he is able to by a half price card in order to get 50 percent off all train tickets! Still with me? Yes he had to purchase a card to get 50 percent off, but if I want a 50 percent off train card...I have to pay double what he did. Think about it.
I learned that I need to practice speaking and listening to German much much more. When the menu was in German or I wanted something simple like coffee with milk, I could attempt to speak proper German, but when the menu is in English and the cashier only speaks German, how do you go about translating those items for them? All I wanted was a mcflurry..
Köln has probably the coolest museums ever, or at least that I have come across so far. They don't just have art museums and history museums which I could personally do without, but a chocolate, a wine, and an olympic museum! Very cool and worth every penny. The chocolate museum also held the Lindt factory and sold Lindt products. I also did the triangle tower to get a panoramic view of the city, a cable car ride across the rhein, the zoo and some cool sight seeing, but many cities will offer things like those.
Anyways, Matt and I both went to Köln for 3 days, Matt to complete his job orientation and me to tour around by myself.
Overall, it was a good experience.
I learned how to not only read and follow a map, but to plan my own excursions as well based on their location on the map. Fortunately for me, everything I wanted to see in Köln was within walking distance and I did not need to attempt the metro on my own.
I noticed that the German drivers are much kinder than those in Canada. Traffic always yield to pedestrians. You step out a crosswalk only indicated by the lines on the street, the cars stop. You're on a green traffic light/ cross walk, traffic turning in your direction will always pause mid turn so you can walk across.
I learned my student card (valid until 2014) is also valid in Germany, at least for museums and the like so I managed to grab a few discounts, which brings me to an important point, the ISIC: International Student Identity Card. If you are still a student when you intend on going abroad..and by still I mean even in your last semester as long as you are full time, get an ISIC card. You need to provide your tuition receipt as proof to get it. I missed out on getting this, but Matt was able to get one before he left and he is able to by a half price card in order to get 50 percent off all train tickets! Still with me? Yes he had to purchase a card to get 50 percent off, but if I want a 50 percent off train card...I have to pay double what he did. Think about it.
I learned that I need to practice speaking and listening to German much much more. When the menu was in German or I wanted something simple like coffee with milk, I could attempt to speak proper German, but when the menu is in English and the cashier only speaks German, how do you go about translating those items for them? All I wanted was a mcflurry..
Köln has probably the coolest museums ever, or at least that I have come across so far. They don't just have art museums and history museums which I could personally do without, but a chocolate, a wine, and an olympic museum! Very cool and worth every penny. The chocolate museum also held the Lindt factory and sold Lindt products. I also did the triangle tower to get a panoramic view of the city, a cable car ride across the rhein, the zoo and some cool sight seeing, but many cities will offer things like those.
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Düsseldorf !
The worst part about traveling, is the traveling itself. While I can pull suitcases on wheels all at once, I cannot lift them up and down the stairs in the subways. On Friday, Matt and I got up really early and took our small suitcases to the train station and put them in a locker. We came back to the hotel, checked out and went to the train station with our big suitcases. Almost all downstairs which was managable. There was one set of stairs heading up, no elevator. I am really not sure I could have managed this on my own. Fortunately, a random noticed I was struggling and came and lift the back end of my suitcase and we walked it up together. He never looked up or said anything. He read his newspaper as we walked up the stairs. I thanked him but I'm not sure he noticed, I felt like this was a normal habit for him. The train attendant helped me lift it onto the train and Matt lifted it on and off the luggage rack. His friends came to pick us up in their car :)
They toured us around Düsseldorf and we went to the Düsseldorf Oktoberfest! The average age was around 50 years old! But a good time was definitely had! It was different then the one in Kitchener-Waterloo. No one was selling bavarian hats...no one was really wearing bavarian hats. People wore traditional dirndl's and lederhosen and there was not a lot of polka music, instead a band that played both German and English songs. Also, people smoke IN the arena, instead of going outside to a smoking section.
Tomorrow we move onto Köln (Cologne) and Matt and I will separate. Matt will attend a 4 day orientation for his job and I will stay in a hotel and do some sight seeing. Looking forward to it for the most part, just not the traveling part.
They toured us around Düsseldorf and we went to the Düsseldorf Oktoberfest! The average age was around 50 years old! But a good time was definitely had! It was different then the one in Kitchener-Waterloo. No one was selling bavarian hats...no one was really wearing bavarian hats. People wore traditional dirndl's and lederhosen and there was not a lot of polka music, instead a band that played both German and English songs. Also, people smoke IN the arena, instead of going outside to a smoking section.
Tomorrow we move onto Köln (Cologne) and Matt and I will separate. Matt will attend a 4 day orientation for his job and I will stay in a hotel and do some sight seeing. Looking forward to it for the most part, just not the traveling part.
Thursday, 29 September 2011
Arrived in Paris
I arrived in Paris on Tuesday afternoon. Its ridiculously hot right now, hotter than when I was last here in July, 8 years ago. Ive had to dig out my summer clothes that I had packed for next year. Successfully used the subway and toured around Paris without getting lost yet but Matt gets full credit for that. I have yet to plan a route or follow the map. Tomorrow we move onto Dusseldorf; Germany. I am excited to see new things but I am dreading transporting my very large suitcase on and off the subway and up and down the stairs. Tip, if you are planning to travel around like I did, maybe take a smaller suitcase. The medium of a luggage set, not the largest.
Sunday, 25 September 2011
Packing for the year
Packing for an entire year with 4 seasons in 55 ibs checked and 22 ibs carry on is not an easy task, especially when you have no idea what kind of job you will have to dress for once you get over there.
I’ve packed items that can be worn with a variety of things and left those things I rarely wear out and this is where I’m at…
Round 1: the majority of the clothes fit, but there were still a number of other important items that were not able to fit. And ive definitely compromised on pretty shoes.
Round 2: Removed a few more clothing items and tried to re-arrange the suitcases, not having much luck.
Round 3: Purchased more vacuum seal bags (can be found in the storage solutions aisle at Walmart) to compress my clothes, but it was still pretty tight.
Round 4: Eliminated a few more tops, a light hoodie and two wool sweaters which consumed a fair amount of space. Finally managed to fit almost everything in the suitcase except for the makeup case, a journal and a few other products and documents. While I had left some space for them to slide in, I weighed the suitcase at this point…only 6 more pounds of free weight left. I agonized over what I could possibly do without for another hour and sat on the contents of my suitcase for a while hoping they would compress. They didn’t.
Final Solution: Ive come to the conclusion that what still has to go in, should only put me over by a couple of pounds. My mom and my aunt couldn’t watch this any longer and have told me straight out that for an entire year, if I have to pay $30 extra for my bag, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
…. It seemed like the end of the world. They agreed to cover the costs if it would get me out of sitting in my suitcase. It did. Now I just have to figure out the carry on suitcase and my backpack and getting all of the electronics in.
Tips for anyone travelling: The vacuum sealed bags help save a lot of room in the suitcase. The only problem is that they do not reduce weight and you may need to ensure that coming home, you’ll have access to a vacuum to reseal the bags. Matt and I don’t have carpet in our apartment so I’m hoping maybe a neighbor will own a vacuum cleaner. And my fingers are crossed that immigration doesn’t try and open the bags, because I am fairly positive…they will not be lending me a vacuum cleaner.
As for determining what to take and what to leave……….
I’ve already advised you about the hair straightener, but as for the rest…I am clearly not the right person to be advising. And Matt…he met the free weight restrictions, but he forgot some clothes at my house, and his laptop power cord…didn’t make the trip either (<3 ) Fortunately, its not that expensive to ship something like that and his parents are able to do so.
Where would we be, without them? Up the creek probably.
Round 1: the majority of the clothes fit, but there were still a number of other important items that were not able to fit. And ive definitely compromised on pretty shoes.
Round 2: Removed a few more clothing items and tried to re-arrange the suitcases, not having much luck.
Round 3: Purchased more vacuum seal bags (can be found in the storage solutions aisle at Walmart) to compress my clothes, but it was still pretty tight.
Round 4: Eliminated a few more tops, a light hoodie and two wool sweaters which consumed a fair amount of space. Finally managed to fit almost everything in the suitcase except for the makeup case, a journal and a few other products and documents. While I had left some space for them to slide in, I weighed the suitcase at this point…only 6 more pounds of free weight left. I agonized over what I could possibly do without for another hour and sat on the contents of my suitcase for a while hoping they would compress. They didn’t.
Final Solution: Ive come to the conclusion that what still has to go in, should only put me over by a couple of pounds. My mom and my aunt couldn’t watch this any longer and have told me straight out that for an entire year, if I have to pay $30 extra for my bag, it wouldn’t be the end of the world.
…. It seemed like the end of the world. They agreed to cover the costs if it would get me out of sitting in my suitcase. It did. Now I just have to figure out the carry on suitcase and my backpack and getting all of the electronics in.
Tips for anyone travelling: The vacuum sealed bags help save a lot of room in the suitcase. The only problem is that they do not reduce weight and you may need to ensure that coming home, you’ll have access to a vacuum to reseal the bags. Matt and I don’t have carpet in our apartment so I’m hoping maybe a neighbor will own a vacuum cleaner. And my fingers are crossed that immigration doesn’t try and open the bags, because I am fairly positive…they will not be lending me a vacuum cleaner.
As for determining what to take and what to leave……….
I’ve already advised you about the hair straightener, but as for the rest…I am clearly not the right person to be advising. And Matt…he met the free weight restrictions, but he forgot some clothes at my house, and his laptop power cord…didn’t make the trip either (<3 ) Fortunately, its not that expensive to ship something like that and his parents are able to do so.
Where would we be, without them? Up the creek probably.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Tips for travelling abroad, for longer periods of time
For any SWAPPERS (or people travelling abroad) reading this blog:
My advice and recommendations for you:
- Read through the welcome package very carefully. Do everything it suggests you do or look into. For example, you must notify your government health office if you will be out of the country for longer than 6 months and sign a form to this extent.
- If something is very unclear to you, ask. Ask either your travel counselor or write to college council with the e-mail address provided. I wrote to them a couple times and always had prompt and helpful responses within a day or two.
- Check the expiry dates on your: Debit Card, Visa Card, Health Card, and Driver’s License. SWAP does not list this as something to do and I fortunately (or unfortunately) decided to check 6 weeks before my departure date. My debit, health, and driver’s license ALL expire on my birthday while I am away. The debit card was easy to replace, the health card required I go into the OHIP office and ask for an extension, they sent me a card with a new expiry 5 weeks later. The driver’s license is a bit trickier. If it expires within 6 months, you can have it renewed. But if you are leaving 7 months before it expires, you have to write them a letter, explaining where you are and why you are away and when you will be returning to Canada. Provide a copy of your license and they will issue a one-time temporary 6 month extension and mail it to you in whichever country you are now currently living. What a pain!
- Get an International Driver’s Permit (IDP) issued by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA). They are valid for up to a year and provide a translation of what your class of driver’s license means in their country. Also, your driver’s license is only valid in their country for up to 6 months without it.
-Notify your bank and visa company that you will be away and where you are going. The last thing you need is for them to put a hold on your card while you’re away due to “foreign charges”.
- Consider how you will be travelling and the things you personally need to take on your trip before following others packing guides. The large backpack isn’t for everyone. I personally have one and have gone on a few backpacking trips. While it does leave your hands free, it’s also a lot of weight on your back. The last time I wore it, I was on the subway in Paris when I was 15. The subway charged ahead and the weight caused me to fall over onto an older lady!! For this trip, I’m lending the backpack to my cousin and taking my suitcase on wheels, leaving my back free for a normal sized backpack.
-Only ONE nice outfit for interviews??: my thoughts?: what happens after you get the job? While you may not be getting glamorous jobs, even pubs and stores require some level of dress and often want employees to wear black dress pants. Why not bring a couple? After meeting with friends and family members who have previously or currently LIVE in Europe, many will tell you that clothes over there are much more expensive than here. And then if you have to get them tailored.... So, when you are deciding what to pack and someone tells you that you can just get it over there, consider at what cost can you get it once you’re over there?
-When deciding what to pack, ask everyone you know who has already lived abroad what you need to take (and leave behind) and tread lightly on the advice from those who have only vacationed for a short period of time…and always over pack..
…and here’s a tip you can throw out the window..
-“Wear your winter coat on the plane (in September), people always say you should pack the lightest and wear the heaviest” While the latter part might be true, for example wearing your hiking boots instead of light shoes, on what universe would it be a good idea to wear your winter jacket, while travelling, in September?!?! It’s still warm enough that I am not even wearing a thin BENCH jacket on a consistent basis so why would I put on my winter coat? “Because once you check your luggage, you can just carry it over your arm”. Yes but, what happens after you pick up your luggage, have to commute by trains, buses and subways and because you are carrying your luggage, you have to wear your winter coat...you sweat, overheat and then pass out from heat exhaustion, that’s what the lifeguard in me is sure will happen. Maybe you will open your suitcase in the middle of the airport and pack your winter coat once you’re off the plane and have cleared the weight restriction, or maybe not. But you count the number of people who make this recommendation to you in the summer or early fall...
-Invest in a luggage scale. You can pack and unpack a million times to get it right. This way, you won’t have to unpack your suitcase in the middle of the airport or risk paying the extra weight fee.
-Bring a set of sheets. This goes back to my comment, at what cost are you willing to get it for over there. I’ve talked to many friends and my boyfriend who has already spent a year abroad about this and they’ve all commented that trying to find sheets on a low budget is not an easy task. If you do find sheets that aren’t too expensive, the quality is quite crappy, so consider pricing out sheets before you leave and watch for the deals here.
-Talk to your financial advisor about ALL of the ways you can get money while overseas. Your advisor will know which banks your bank is affiliated with and whether that means you get a discounted rate to withdraw money, they can also advise you of other ways to obtain cash if needed.
-Make a packing list. Don’t just say toiletries, list everything you want to take with you, that way, you can check it off as you pack it and don’t risk forgetting something that might have been important.
-The hair straightener, to pack or not to pack. Unfortunately, I’ve come to the conclusion that my expensive straightener, will be staying at home. The reason? It’s NOT dual voltage. The sales associate at the Source pointed out on the converter packaging that it specifically notes NOT to use with hair straighteners, why? Because the unit itself will overheat in just 5 minutes. And if I’ve learned anything from watching Jersey Shore, it’s to leave it at home. In the second episode, season 4, Deena comments that the straightener smells like it’s burning, but continues using it..a few minutes later, it literally burned the strand of hair off of her head. I will not be losing my hair in Germany. I’ll take my mini straightener that is one, dual voltage and two, was free anyways and use on my bangs, we’ll see if it lasts.
-Budget for an extra week’s worth of travelling. After booking my flight and determining my orientation date in Berlin, I e-mailed college council to advise them of my arrival date and which orientation session I intended to attend. Two days later, I found out this orientation session had been moved 5 days later!! Luckily I had not yet booked my flight into Berlin from Düsseldorf. Instead I will have an extra day of travelling and site seeing, will move to my apartment with Matt before even attending the orientation session and then fly to Berlin. This will cost me an extra flight or train and set me back 2 or 3 days in my search for work. Be prepared for the unexpected.
-SWAP with 2 night’s accommodation option.. don’t plan to fly into your country of choice 2 days ahead of the scheduled orientation and expect to be accommodated by SWAP. I found out when I booked my flight that SWAPs accommodation does not begin until the day OF your orientation. Not that is concerned me, but it might be helpful for you to know ahead of time. Plan for this.
-Wear a money belt. I am dreading putting this on, but it’s a safe place to keep your passport or other cash. After hearing about two acquaintances who had their hotel room broken into, their passports stolen, and then had to pay $300 each to have their passports expedited from Canada..I will not be taking that chance.
My next challenge..is to actually pack my own suitcases, using the valuable advice I have received so far.
My advice and recommendations for you:
- Read through the welcome package very carefully. Do everything it suggests you do or look into. For example, you must notify your government health office if you will be out of the country for longer than 6 months and sign a form to this extent.
- If something is very unclear to you, ask. Ask either your travel counselor or write to college council with the e-mail address provided. I wrote to them a couple times and always had prompt and helpful responses within a day or two.
- Check the expiry dates on your: Debit Card, Visa Card, Health Card, and Driver’s License. SWAP does not list this as something to do and I fortunately (or unfortunately) decided to check 6 weeks before my departure date. My debit, health, and driver’s license ALL expire on my birthday while I am away. The debit card was easy to replace, the health card required I go into the OHIP office and ask for an extension, they sent me a card with a new expiry 5 weeks later. The driver’s license is a bit trickier. If it expires within 6 months, you can have it renewed. But if you are leaving 7 months before it expires, you have to write them a letter, explaining where you are and why you are away and when you will be returning to Canada. Provide a copy of your license and they will issue a one-time temporary 6 month extension and mail it to you in whichever country you are now currently living. What a pain!
- Get an International Driver’s Permit (IDP) issued by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA). They are valid for up to a year and provide a translation of what your class of driver’s license means in their country. Also, your driver’s license is only valid in their country for up to 6 months without it.
-Notify your bank and visa company that you will be away and where you are going. The last thing you need is for them to put a hold on your card while you’re away due to “foreign charges”.
- Consider how you will be travelling and the things you personally need to take on your trip before following others packing guides. The large backpack isn’t for everyone. I personally have one and have gone on a few backpacking trips. While it does leave your hands free, it’s also a lot of weight on your back. The last time I wore it, I was on the subway in Paris when I was 15. The subway charged ahead and the weight caused me to fall over onto an older lady!! For this trip, I’m lending the backpack to my cousin and taking my suitcase on wheels, leaving my back free for a normal sized backpack.
-Only ONE nice outfit for interviews??: my thoughts?: what happens after you get the job? While you may not be getting glamorous jobs, even pubs and stores require some level of dress and often want employees to wear black dress pants. Why not bring a couple? After meeting with friends and family members who have previously or currently LIVE in Europe, many will tell you that clothes over there are much more expensive than here. And then if you have to get them tailored.... So, when you are deciding what to pack and someone tells you that you can just get it over there, consider at what cost can you get it once you’re over there?
-When deciding what to pack, ask everyone you know who has already lived abroad what you need to take (and leave behind) and tread lightly on the advice from those who have only vacationed for a short period of time…and always over pack..
…and here’s a tip you can throw out the window..
-“Wear your winter coat on the plane (in September), people always say you should pack the lightest and wear the heaviest” While the latter part might be true, for example wearing your hiking boots instead of light shoes, on what universe would it be a good idea to wear your winter jacket, while travelling, in September?!?! It’s still warm enough that I am not even wearing a thin BENCH jacket on a consistent basis so why would I put on my winter coat? “Because once you check your luggage, you can just carry it over your arm”. Yes but, what happens after you pick up your luggage, have to commute by trains, buses and subways and because you are carrying your luggage, you have to wear your winter coat...you sweat, overheat and then pass out from heat exhaustion, that’s what the lifeguard in me is sure will happen. Maybe you will open your suitcase in the middle of the airport and pack your winter coat once you’re off the plane and have cleared the weight restriction, or maybe not. But you count the number of people who make this recommendation to you in the summer or early fall...
-Invest in a luggage scale. You can pack and unpack a million times to get it right. This way, you won’t have to unpack your suitcase in the middle of the airport or risk paying the extra weight fee.
-Bring a set of sheets. This goes back to my comment, at what cost are you willing to get it for over there. I’ve talked to many friends and my boyfriend who has already spent a year abroad about this and they’ve all commented that trying to find sheets on a low budget is not an easy task. If you do find sheets that aren’t too expensive, the quality is quite crappy, so consider pricing out sheets before you leave and watch for the deals here.
-Talk to your financial advisor about ALL of the ways you can get money while overseas. Your advisor will know which banks your bank is affiliated with and whether that means you get a discounted rate to withdraw money, they can also advise you of other ways to obtain cash if needed.
-Make a packing list. Don’t just say toiletries, list everything you want to take with you, that way, you can check it off as you pack it and don’t risk forgetting something that might have been important.
-The hair straightener, to pack or not to pack. Unfortunately, I’ve come to the conclusion that my expensive straightener, will be staying at home. The reason? It’s NOT dual voltage. The sales associate at the Source pointed out on the converter packaging that it specifically notes NOT to use with hair straighteners, why? Because the unit itself will overheat in just 5 minutes. And if I’ve learned anything from watching Jersey Shore, it’s to leave it at home. In the second episode, season 4, Deena comments that the straightener smells like it’s burning, but continues using it..a few minutes later, it literally burned the strand of hair off of her head. I will not be losing my hair in Germany. I’ll take my mini straightener that is one, dual voltage and two, was free anyways and use on my bangs, we’ll see if it lasts.
-Budget for an extra week’s worth of travelling. After booking my flight and determining my orientation date in Berlin, I e-mailed college council to advise them of my arrival date and which orientation session I intended to attend. Two days later, I found out this orientation session had been moved 5 days later!! Luckily I had not yet booked my flight into Berlin from Düsseldorf. Instead I will have an extra day of travelling and site seeing, will move to my apartment with Matt before even attending the orientation session and then fly to Berlin. This will cost me an extra flight or train and set me back 2 or 3 days in my search for work. Be prepared for the unexpected.
-SWAP with 2 night’s accommodation option.. don’t plan to fly into your country of choice 2 days ahead of the scheduled orientation and expect to be accommodated by SWAP. I found out when I booked my flight that SWAPs accommodation does not begin until the day OF your orientation. Not that is concerned me, but it might be helpful for you to know ahead of time. Plan for this.
-Wear a money belt. I am dreading putting this on, but it’s a safe place to keep your passport or other cash. After hearing about two acquaintances who had their hotel room broken into, their passports stolen, and then had to pay $300 each to have their passports expedited from Canada..I will not be taking that chance.
My next challenge..is to actually pack my own suitcases, using the valuable advice I have received so far.
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