Absence makes the heart grow fonder

I think this saying is somehow very true. Only when you realise that something will not be at the tips of your fingers whenever you want it to be you start missing it and appreciating it more than ever. I am not saying that you will not appreciate those things while they are around but that feeling will grow so much stronger once they are gone.

The past week was havoc. I only had one week to clear out my room, pack my bags and run all the little errands that were left. So I was busy all the time.

While my mind was racing and I was trying to think of all the things I would need to do before leaving Germany I was also trying to get ready and preparing for the trip that lays ahead. My room got emptier every day as all my belongings were stacked in boxes and the boxes started piling up. But I got it all done in the end. It was strange to see that my room was so empty and to know that I would not be coming back from work or uni any time soon to cuddle up on my sofa or to chill out in the kitchen talking to my flat mates. My safe place would not be available for some time now.

Saying goodbye to all my friends and families was really hard, too. No matter whether these are friends I had not seen in years or friends that are around me on a daily basis, I would not see them for a while. And even though there are plenty of promises to keep in touch, being away for so long and at that distance might change the way a friendship works. So I know things might change while I am away but it is very scary thinking about what these changes will be like.

But despite of all these worries and a few tears I embarked on this huge journey.

I know I called this blog “Katie on an adventure” but the adventure started early this time. Just two days before my departure to Toronto it was announced that there was a massive bomb in Frankfurt that was dropped in World War II which needed to be taken care of. And unfortunately the plan was to do so on Sunday: the day of my flight. Apparently this bomb was the biggest they found since the war and because it was located near the city centre thousands of people had to be evacuated. Trains and buses were cancelled and the whole area shut down.

I had to make a decision quick because I did not want to risk running late catching my flight and getting caught in this chaos. Therefore I booked a hotel near the airport in Frankfurt and stayed there for the night. Mummy came as well, she wanted to accompany me to the airport and say goodbye.

Apart from this little incident the rest of the journey went smoothly. The films were crap on the flight and the food was even worse. I had a shepherd´s pie which was more of a “mashed-potato-beef-mixture” straight out of the microwave. Disgusting!

After eleven hours on the plane I had a stop-over in Philadelphia for another six hours. I spent the time getting some decent food and watching some good series on Netflix. By the time I got to Toronto I was dead tired. I sleep-walked through immigration and got myself a taxi that brought me to a hotel located on Keele Campus at York University. I got a suite-style room with beautiful furniture and huge windows. I was even able to spot the skyline of Toronto!!

The mattress was so thick that my feet were dangling when I sat on the edge of the bed and there was a huge pile of pillows. The perfect place to be after a long journey like this.

I got up reasonably early the next morning as I did not wanted to miss breakfast and I still had to pick up the keys for my residence. So I shouldered my great big backpack and grabbed my cabin trolley and made my way across campus not knowing where I was actually going. I must have looked pretty lost because some guy went by on a golf caddy (the campus is so big there are a lot of golf caddies cruising around) asking me whether I wanted to get a ride. I told him where I was heading and off he went full speed. So, I turned up at my residence classy as usual...

After staying the night in a huge hotel room with an en suite bathroom my residence room came a bit of a shock: bare brick walls, a bed with only a mattress, a wonky desk and some horrible high built-in wardrobes. Okay.... so this is were I was going to stay for the next four month. But I told myself that this was not too bad. I mean I stayed in places that were far worse than this and at least it was clean I could definitely do something with this room. So I quickly unpacked my bags and went to see whether I could get hold of bedding. The “don” at my residence (who is the contact person for the students in residence) told me that I would have to buy my own bedding. Now, it did say online that you had to bring your own linen but I thought they only meant sheets and pillow slips, not the actual bedding!

I decided to worry about the bedding later and explore campus instead. Here are a few crucial things that I have noticed so far that differ from home:

1. this campus is huuuuuge!

I know this university has 52 000 students and compared to the population of some small towns this is a great number of people. But I did not realise that this campus is an actual city of its own. The campus is so big and has so many buildings you literally get lost if you do not know where you are going. And there is everything you could possibly wish for. Several libraries, a book store, a whole shopping mall, a gym (with swimming facilities and all sorts) and even a “ZenZone” to meditate, relax and draw! The mall is like a real mall, it is not just one or two shops run by the university. There are coffee shops like Starbucks and burger shops like Popeye´s and a stationary and a doctor and a bank and an optician and so many other things. This campus is like a little bubble for York students to spend their time.

1. doors open the other way around

In Germany most doors open to the inside. Only pub doors or restaurant doors swing outside. Here, every door swings open to the outside. So I smashed into a lot of doors on my first few days as I was trying to walk straight into a building and trying to push the door open. I even caused minor “traffic jams” as I was too stupid to work out how to open the door. But I am getting there...

1. people like my accent

It all started in Philadelphia when I went to a bakery to buy a tomato sandwich. I ordered a to-ma-to sandwich. Somehow the lady behind the counter could not understand me. Only when she asked whether I meant a to-may-doh sandwich it was obvious that my accent was the cause of this problem. And even here at York I start talking to people and they immediately burst out that they “just love my accent”. Even on the elevator I was simply saying good morning to some neighbours and they were asking me whether I was from England or something. But I do not mind because it is a good way to get talking and meeting new people. Normally the first thing people tell me is: “oh gosh, you are so little” (or something along these line) and at last I have overcome that. Now it is: “oh, I love your accent” instead.

1. the food is really unhealthy

As I said there are plenty of food places here on campus. And although you can get a Thai curry or some sushi or whatever you want even the more healthier stuff seems to be so unhealthy. I do not want to just get some fatty burger with extra dripping cheese and what not but eat healthy instead. But whatever you buy there is always bacon that comes with it. For example, I ordered a chicken cesar wrap with fresh salad yesterday. When I got the wrap there were all bits of bacon in there. Even my stomach is having difficulty digesting this kind of food, it is even worse than when I went to Africa! So I guess I will stick to soup for a couple of days and make sure the waitresses keep away from sneaking anything unhealthy into my meal.

1. The people are incredibly friendly

The people here are so talkative and open-minded! Whenever I walk across campus and I get lost (and this happens really often) random people approach me and ask me whether I need help. Also, it is a normal thing to hold the door open for the people behind you so that the door will not slam in their faces. Whenever you enter an elevator or sit down next to a person you talk. In Germany and even England people are so ignorant. They simply ignore others and if you dare to speak to them they just grumble rudely or stare at you incredulous. It is really nice to get the feeling that there is still a sense of community and caring for each other here!