Arrival in Berlin

After 24 hours of traveling I've arrived in Germany's capital. Some crazy events have transpired over the last day:

• I ran into a friend at the airport in NYC. As I was sitting there attempting to steal internet, I heard a "heyyyy!" and thought it was just a bum. Then "Let's go Mountaineers," and i knew I had to look up. It was my Turkish friend Cengiz, who was on his way back to Istanbul! What are the chances of running into him, or anyone else I know, at that exact time and place in Terminal 4?? We had a great conversation about his time in American and all the trips he took. He told me of the things he appreciated from America and those which he didn't. He told me never to go to Miami, and that LA isn't what it's hyped up to be.
• I lost several items along the way at security checkpoints. First, I had to pay $80 to Delta because my bag was 20 pounds overweight. Why would an airline limit each bag to 50 pounds? And to top it off, I'd have to pick up my bags in NY and recheck them. I'll never fly Delta again unless there are no alternatives. First, I lost my shampoo and shaving cream because they were over the limit. I then lost the toothpaste. It seems that the rules for that stuff are so arbitrary. I learned, though, that those things are just possessions. They can always be replaced - I shouldn't ever let a lost possession upset me.
• Upon arrival in Berlin, I had my first conversation in German as I searched for a bus ticket. I asked the man in the window how much it would cost to get to my stop, and he responded and told me that it would be 2,10 Euro. (they use commas for periods and periods for commas) After missing my stop on the bus and taking it to the end of the route, the drive told me I'd have to get out. Great. Lost in Berlin with 200 pounds of baggage. After wondering around for a bit, I asked which train I should take. It took me a little closer, but I finally gave up and hailed a taxi. The taxis over here are all Mercedes!! He dropped me off at the front door.

All I wanted to do was sleep, but I was glad to finally meet my host mother, Anna. She showed me around and had some breakfast waiting. I was glad to be in a home after flying for so long. After sleeping for 7 hours (it's a staple for me that I must sleep with no alarm after a trans-atlantic flight), the other girl living here showed me around the neighborhood. She showed me the nearest train station and all the shops. Then we walked to the palace of Sophie Charlotte, the first Queen of Prussia (Kelsey told me this.) There were some nice gardens - I think I'll go running here, or even just relax and read a book.