A hassle hustling to Stuttgart

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On SATURDAY I answered a housing ad on a German website; on SUNDAY we Skyped and on MONDAY I was "Stuttgart Or Bust". And I came close to busting.

slept through my connection [and] was nearly to Switzerland by the time I awoke!

I contacted no less than eight rideshares and no less than eight ignored my calls. Assholes. Checked out of the hotel and tried my luck at the train station at Zoologischer Garten, hoping some drivers might be heading my way. There was one -- but his car was already full. Then I hopped on the subway and went to the bus terminal in West Berlin to snag the 3.30 - and last - bus to Stuttgart. It would cost more than carpooling but, hey, it was uber wichtig - very important - that I get there by morning as homeboy was leaving on Wednesday. My German is crap but I did not know it was so crappy: totally misread the bus signs. Instead of sitting by the "Aus Stuttgart" Stop my ass ought to have stood in line at "Tubigen" as Tubigen is the south route which passes through Stuttgart whereas the former "Aus" means from. (Shit I thought that was von meant that.) Doh!

Having completely missed the bus right under my nose I had one sure option remaining: the train. It was the most costly option -- right behind flying (yeah, I even hustled to Tegel Airport out of desperation). By the way, did I mention it was raining? Talk about a Monday morning! After waiting 40 minutes for my number to be called I finally paid 115 euros - Jesusfuckinchrist! - for a seat on the night train.

I reminded myself: But after the day I would have an apartment.

waiting at train station: nothing to do but cool my jets

 

The night train was very comfortable and cozy. So comfortable, in fact, that I slept clean through my 0540 stop and missed my connection. I was nearly to Switzerland by the time I awoke! Evidently, train conductors don't wake up passengers. I set the alarm feature on my mobile but the damn phone alarm didn't do shit. (Before the new day was done said mobile would be a heap of plastic and electronic smithereens on the hot pavement.) At this point I hopped off the train in a panic and was obliged to buy another ticket to get me back on track to my missed connection in Karlsruhe -- oh and wait an hour until then.

 Stuttgart-Or-Bust

When I reached my destination it was 10 o'clock TUESDAY morning (instead of 7am of the initial ticket). First thing I did was to eat a big ice cream sundae with whipped cream topping and chocolate sauce. Priorities. Then I contacted the renter. At noon I visited the apartment and we shook on it. On WEDNESDAY I moved in. 

What.A.Trip!