Here we go:

Nine hrs on the plane included one movie (Robot & Frank I highly recommend it), two meals (delicious as ever), and about 6 hrs of sleep. Those nine hrs trapped on the huge machine gave me the opportunity to give my body the rest it didn't get throughout the last two weeks I had in Leipzig.

As soon as my butt and I found a comfortable position on the Air Berlin aircraft I began to realize: this is it, there is no turning back. And as soon as this hit me, tears were running down my cheek. I haven't had the time to think about what was happening until that very moment. BAM! Augen zu und durch.

After the plane took off I pulled out the wishes, some of you guys wrote down for me on my good-bye-party. Someone wants me to have 'einen harten Euro' and cats... I was laughing and crying at the same time. No cats here but tons of squirrels, they are like rats only cuter (and also black). Aaand we also have racoons! As soon as I see one I'll catch it and domesticate it. And take tons of adorable pictures.

After the plane arrived in NYC at 4pm American time, I took a shared cab to Manhattan, Port Authority Busstation, took the next Greyhound to Binghamton, which took another 4hrs.

In Binghamton I took a cab to 127 Laurel Avenue. My new home. We share it with four American guys – also students at BU (Binghamton University). I haven't met them yet, but as far as I can tell, they like to party – concerning the amount of empty beer cans and red plastic cups that are lying around in our shared cellar.

Things that are very typical:

The weird bedsheets – three layers of thin cloth tangeld up in one. My bed consists of two matresses on top of each other. Prinzessin auf der Erbse.

The huge fridge. We are never ever going to run out of space in this one.

4 liter milk/juice bottles.

Walmart – wtf – they really do have everything. I know I will buy too much crap there.

A dream coming true – the walk-in closet.

No way of drying the washed clothes without using the tumble drier. Well, here we go wasting energy. (Oh, and no separating the trash.)

Fresh produce is very expensive here. Chips and Coke pretty cheap. Who would have thought?!

My flatmates are three very nice girls: Sina and Katharina, also from Leipzig, and Riva from Utrecht. We get along very well. All we need now is a pet, preferably a racoon. :D

I already have an American mobile phone number: (+1)-607-232-0920

Today (Tuesday) we are having this huge welcome dinner at BU, we'll meet tons of new people and find out about how everything's working on Campus. Freshmen style.

I really like my new place - the wooden floor, the front porch, the kitchen, the mailbox – you get the idea. I think I have to get used to the long walking distances. I will also not be able to ride the bike to Campus, since I'd have to use the highway (and there is no bike lane, of course). I'd have to take the bus to go shopping as well, since the all the shopping places are on the perimeter of the city. 

 

Also it is really, really cold here. I look out the window, and although we have clear blue sky the temperature is -12 degree Celsius (I also have to get used to miles, inches, pounds, ounces, and Fahrenheit. Damn it Americans, get over yourself and use the metric system already!) And it will get even colder throughout the week. We all hope the heating is not coming down and the cold won't last that long.

As soon as I have a better internet connection (I am using my phone as a portable hotspot right now) I'll upload some picture for you.

Bye - for now.