It is hard to express what all happened in the last two weeks. The easiest is to give a quick overview of the main events. It has been quiet of a ride.
23.02.2017 – Last day at work, saying good-bye is always a mix of feelings. In my case it was saying good-bye to many gifted and respectful colleagues, to a great company, and an outstanding working environment. On the other finally a dream came true, an exchange semester, a different city, and a different culture – Vienna. To make this transition more pleasant I was very happy to organise a good-bye Apéro (yes, there are a lot of Apéro in Switzerland) at work before leaving to Berne the same evening. (To be noted here, thank you everyone who dropped by and found time to enjoy a Märzen with me). Arriving in Berne I was very fortune to be greeted by all my Bernese people, with whom we went along some places in Berne. Merci zäme!
24.02.2017 – During the course of February I had the pleasure to live in Berne at my friends apartment (ou hie, merci!). As it comes I had to move my stuff to my parents place, whereas I enjoyed a last supper with my family. This was the evening it became very real that I was soon to departure. There is a difference between packing a suitcase for two weeks or four month. Things you normally leave at home suddenly become more valuable or more import.
25.02.2017 (Saturday) – Headphones – check, laptop – check, passport – check, suitcase – check, ready to rumble! Having the privilege to be driven to the bus, which leaves to Munich, makes life easier and I was able to spend some more minutes with my sister and mother. There bus ride to Munich consisted mostly of traffic jams. Interestingly during the previous two months I made a tone of plans what I should do during the bus ride to Munich, but being in the bus I was lost thoughts and suddenly my life was played fast-forward in my head. Despite the traffic jam and the missing conversations with others I arrived around 8 PM in Munich and went to my grand mothers place. Arriving at the lovely place I was fed with 8 Weisswürste, 4 Bretzels, and liters of good Bavarian beer (Andechs). Andechs, it is my favourite monastery which brews beer, if you are around Munich and have half a day to spare, go to Herrsching, then walk to Andechs, and reward yourself with a fresh drink.
26.02.2017 (Sunday) – After a good nights sleep I enjoyed the day with my grand mother. I can not recall all the things we did during the day. One highlight was walking around a lake with her and having these long conversations about life. The few times I am able to spend time with the generations ahead of me, are very enriching. Before dinner we went by my aunts & uncles place, where I was finally able to speak to my cousin. He is on the verge to become an adult person. During the last year he was looking for an apprenticeships and found a well suited job last summer, of which he already could tell about his first success stories in software engineering. This was a very rewarding talk, because we spent multiple hours on skype last year in which we went through reasoning tests, how to behave in an interview, and finding out what he really wants to do in life.
27.02.2017 (Monday) – The big day, leaving my grand mothers place, heading to the ZOB (central buss station in Munich), I was about to board the bus to Vienna.
To be continued…