{ the prindles are in berlin }

Dear Friends & Family,

We made it safely to Berlin!! I don't want to jinx us, but I think we will adapt to the time quickly. For all our friends & family on the West Coast, we are nine hours ahead of you. I know I'll have to adjust to the time difference. Right now it's after 11pm, and it's only after 2pm in California. I'm hoping to go to bed after this and start my birthday fresh with plenty of rest. I'm looking forward to the museums, and to be able to see the city during the day.

We arrived in Berlin when it was already dark out, so we were unable to really feel like we are in a strange country. Everything looks the same in the dark. At one turn away from the airport I felt like I was near the San Jose airport. It wasn't until we left our apartment and walked on the main road towards restaurants did it really hit me we were in another country. I really should have practiced and learned more German before we left! Nothing is in English. Luckily we went to an Italian restaurant for dinner and recognized the Italian words, but not their German descriptions. You're probably laughing that our first meal in Berlin was Italian, but it was spaghetti bolognese. You can't go wrong with that!

Our meal on the plane was a chicken and rice dish that had olives. If there's one thing (make that three things) John will not eat, it's olives, pickles, and mushrooms.

Overall our flight was not bad, and it never felt long. We watched two movies, played travel games, and slept for a few hours. Thank you mom and dad Prindle for getting us travel neck pillows. Makes a huge difference when you're trying to sleep comfortably in a tight spot. 

The most exciting part of our evening was arriving to our new apartment! And of course it wasn't easy. The cab driver was unfamiliar with the area. Everything was dark. We weren't sure we were at the right place until I saw this:

 

Even then, we still had a hard time. There was one main door that lead to a hallway of two doors that lead to more hallways, and nothing was numbered. Eventually we figured out our place was behind the locked hallway door that had to be opened by a neighbor after we buzzed his apartment to let us in. And luckily this gentleman spoke English. 

So that was day one, and we survived! We miss our friends & family terribly. It's going to be hard not seeing all our loved ones for eight months, but we are really excited for the adventure that lays ahead. 

Thank you again to everyone who sent us warm wishes and who went out of their way to see us during our busy schedule. We love you all!

xoxo,

The Prindles.