Zweite Heimat

June 3rd, 2017

From the coziness of this bungalow, I call Heim, Luftschloss was born, watered and fed.

Throughout the summer I have had the pleasure of learning many firsts as I ventured out of the comfort of the USA to live on my own but stumbled around getting to know a foreign community with the hope of soon recomposing myself as an Arheilger.

Just weeks before my departure, Merck’s Wohnungsservice had contacted local landlords in the area and before I knew it I was dragging around my hopes, dreams, and 32kg through the dirt and gravel that Google Maps convincingly lead me along. Besides putting these wheels through oblivion, I felt sure nobody was oblivious to the fact I was no Deutscher.

Envious of my pen doing all the talking, I was relieved to discover my Vermieter had a superior grip on his English and was able to clear up the bureaucracy between the lines. Nevertheless, I soon found myself bursting with excitement, angst and all the other feelings imaginable as the reality started to settle in. Despite all the uncertainty in my emotions, I felt certain that I would grow near to this attic, although I sometimes bump my head on the ceiling in the early AM.

From a natural laundry evaporator to a glimpse of heaven’s gates, this Wohnung came equipped with a handful of adjustable skyline windows making any sizzling hot day an instant oasis and source of quick relief.

However, as Marvel’s Uncle Ben once said, with great power comes great responsibility, this mirage had made me delusional to Hessen’s very unpredictable weather forecast. Thankfully, I was able to find much comfort resting on an abnormally sized pillow that the Germans call a Kopfkissen, coming to the conclusion that German ingenuity requires the shoulders to be supported at night too.

All jokes aside as the days roll by trusting my intuition, Cribweg has certainly become a Wohlfühl place where I can creatively express myself, celebrate with others and find peace in preparing for the adventures that stand ahead.