In the end, it was surprisingly simple to get to Stuttgart. Dad surprised me by generously buying my way there with his miles, and got me a flight with one short layover in New Jersey.
Dad took the morning off and he, Neri, and Tay took me to the airport and saw me off at the security checkpoint. I was really touched by the gesture actually, although I was surprisingly emotional the whole trip. The combination of anxieties, excitement, and sadness had just been flooding my system.
I forgot how close Newark is to Manhattan until I saw the spectacular sea of skyscrapers out the window on the approach, including a glimpse of the new Freedom Tower, a project that needs a corporate renaming as soon as possible.
I had skipped breakfast so I was ravenous, and for my last meal in the US for awhile, I opted for a chili dog with fries. I'd actually wanted to take a photo of the door marked "Stuttgart" but I wasn't sure if it was a tasering offense.
The flight was not that full and the middle seat was open, so I could stretch out a bit. The woman with the window seat was a German language professor from university of Chicago, who regularly takes students over to Stuttgart for exchange programs.
I couldn't sleep, although a few times I drifted close to it. Watched the silly and slightly subversive Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. German immigration was a breeze. The lines moved very quickly, and the agent asked me why I was here and I told him I was going to take a job.
I was expecting a grilling, and I had printed out a lot of material including the contract, but he simply asked what the company was and that was it. Bags came out right away, and although I got pulled aside by customs officials for questioning about the contents of my bags, they were not that interested in Mezcal and salsa. They let me go and I walked through the sliding glass doors into Stuttgart.
Dad took the morning off and he, Neri, and Tay took me to the airport and saw me off at the security checkpoint. I was really touched by the gesture actually, although I was surprisingly emotional the whole trip. The combination of anxieties, excitement, and sadness had just been flooding my system.
I forgot how close Newark is to Manhattan until I saw the spectacular sea of skyscrapers out the window on the approach, including a glimpse of the new Freedom Tower, a project that needs a corporate renaming as soon as possible.
I had skipped breakfast so I was ravenous, and for my last meal in the US for awhile, I opted for a chili dog with fries. I'd actually wanted to take a photo of the door marked "Stuttgart" but I wasn't sure if it was a tasering offense.
The flight was not that full and the middle seat was open, so I could stretch out a bit. The woman with the window seat was a German language professor from university of Chicago, who regularly takes students over to Stuttgart for exchange programs.
I couldn't sleep, although a few times I drifted close to it. Watched the silly and slightly subversive Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. German immigration was a breeze. The lines moved very quickly, and the agent asked me why I was here and I told him I was going to take a job.
I was expecting a grilling, and I had printed out a lot of material including the contract, but he simply asked what the company was and that was it. Bags came out right away, and although I got pulled aside by customs officials for questioning about the contents of my bags, they were not that interested in Mezcal and salsa. They let me go and I walked through the sliding glass doors into Stuttgart.
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