The hectic week leading up to my departure was punctuated by wonderful moments like when my architecture friends, Olga and Jenna, surprised me by sending me chocolate strawberries.
The international flight was about as nice as it could be. I had a window seat and the aisle to myself.
The airbnb was very nice and spacious. Here you can see the living room where I spent most of my time working.
The kitchen was well stocked and served me well. My cooking time helped break up the monotony of quarantine.
Here is another view of the kitchen.
I am very excited to be returning to European streetscapes! I couldn’t complain about the view out of my window.
Although not a traditional German meal, I ordered Pad Thai and Wonton Soup for delivery for my first meal in Germany.
Although jet lag affected my appetite, I was able to eat Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked Ice Cream without issue!
I enjoyed watching German coverage of the Presidential Inauguration. This image captures an interview with Heiko Maas, who serves as Germany’s Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Another architecture friend, MaryGrace, gifted me this cut-out of my architecture friends so that I can take them with me to notable locations and take pictures with them! I was already fortunate enough to travel the world with my friends and the pandemic won’t (completely) change that.

And so the next adventure begins.

The days leading up to my departure were a hectic combination of running errands, filling out paperwork, checking for updates on Coronavirus policies, packing, and somehow trying to find and enjoy quality time with family. As I’m sure you can imagine, moving abroad by yourself during a pandemic is not easy. I have to give a huge shoutout to my mom, dad, brother, and sister-in-law for always being ready to help me figure out problems that seemed to appear out of nowhere. I’d also like to share my thanks for my architecture school friends, Jenna and Olga, who sent me chocolate-covered strawberries to celebrate and remind me of how many people are cheering me on. 

After some tear-filled goodbyes, I entered an airport for the first time during the pandemic. It was also the first, and second, time getting a Covid test, both of which were negative. Aside from showing my thick stack of paperwork at every leg of the journey, I fortunately had no issues. I arrived in a snowy Munich around 1:00 P.M. on Monday, January 18, and I have been quarantining in an Airbnb since. 

Quarantining doesn’t lend itself to many exciting updates. Plus, Germany is still locked-down, so only essential businesses are open. On my first night I ordered dinner for delivery. The restaurant from which I ordered also had pints of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream on the menu, so I figured I should probably order one to celebrate my arrival. The next day I successfully ordered groceries for delivery. On Saturday I went for a nice walk around the neighborhood and along the Isar River. I spent a large portion of my Sunday trying to order bedding and towels so that they arrive in time for my move into the dorm that will be my “permanent” home here. 

Aside from those “notable” events, my days have been filled with sending emails, filling out paperwork, scheduling bureaucratic appointments, communicating with family and friends, and starting to digitally meet some of the other American Fulbright Students throughout Germany. The Airbnb is nice and spacious so I can move around freely.

I can’t promise that my next few posts will be any more exciting. As of now, Germany is locked-down until at least February 14.

This site is not an official site of the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State. The views expressed on this site are entirely those of its author, Stephanie Kubus, and do not represent the views of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State, or any of its partner organizations.