Post Office Pilgrimage

My objective: To mail our housing contract back to the landlord.

Sounds simple enough, right? I left the house around noon (remember this) armed with the address and the contract. Jesse had just been to the post office and said that I would be able to purchase an envelope there (the contract was too thick to be folded so it needed a full sized envelope). I googled the location before I left so when I lost WiFi it would already have the location on the map. According to Google Maps it looked like it was located inside of the train station, easy enough.

On my way to the train station, I had to walk through a main part of downtown currently being decorated for the Christmas Markets. Germany starts setting up for their famous Christmas Markets in mid October and this is November so the set up is in full swing and so exciting to see it all come together. There are temporary fences and cute little stands/houses everywhere that are being lifted off trucks and placed all around the square. Also, every lamp post was being given its own full sized Christmas tree! It was like a forest popped up in the city overnight!

Now, the train station has a few different levels and entrances because of the local and regional rails that intersect here, so when I didn’t immediately find the post office, I wasn’t too concerned. I decided to ask someone to point me in the correct direction. I have been told that most people under the age of 40 typically grew up learning English in school so even if they weren't fluent or comfortable speaking back, they would be able to understand my question for the most part. I found a lovely young woman looking through a book at a shop and asked where the post office was. She said she thinks it's up one level and to the left. I follow her directions and the elderly lady running a, very clearly not post office, store points me back to the store downstairs I came from. I thanked her and walked to the counter of the original store. The gentleman there was young but did not speak English well. I explained I wanted to mail the packet in my hand. He said ok but I would have to buy an envelope from another store.

---

I'm putting a "Covid" note in here to remind you that all of these interactions are happening through masks and with number limitations and rules in each store.

---

I am easily able to find the envelope store, McPaper, and no, no relation to McDonalds. I buy the smallest amount of large envelopes I can, a 10 pack, open them up and insert my contract. I walk back to the store and hand him the envelope with the contract and say I want to mail it to this address in my hand. He says he can't mail it without a stamp and he doesn’t sell stamps…

I now realized my mistake.

This store was essentially just a mailbox location and I really did need to be at the actual post office. I ask where to find the post office and he says across the street. I head out of the train station and once through the cross walk look around. I am now utterly confused.

I finally duck into a little kiosk, exhausted and frustrated, and ask if anyone speaks English. One of the customers pipes up and luckily, he speaks wonderful English! When I ask where to find the post office he smiles, looks slightly puzzled and points out the window to the, I kid you not, BRIGHT YELLOW sign that says Deutsche Post! I laughed, shook my head, and thanked him. Why did I not see this before? Well, remember all the Christmas market set up in the square? It was happening right in front of the post office! I was too distracted and excited by the little Christmas houses to see past them to the building right in front of my face.

Kiosk is in the building on the very right of this picture, the post office is directly across the way behind the stand with the red roof on the far left.

Once I get to the post office, Covid really slowed me down. There was a long line to wait in outside in order to wait in the line inside. I finally got up the courage to ask the guy in front of me if he spoke English and if he could answer some of my questions before I got to the counter. He was super kind and explained that I would need to fill out a sticker and that he was happy to help and translate for me also. Together we got the sticker filled out and I got back in line. When my turn came, I walked up to the counter, said "I want to mail this" in my memorized German phrase. He took my package, I paid, and left.

I got home at 2:45pm (almost 3 hours later) and promptly took a nap, ha!

Since my first adventure, I have become a self proclaimed pro at the post office. I sent a package internationally home for Christmas (although, as I'm writing this mid January it still has yet to arrive, but I'm going to chalk that up to the slowed US mail system right now and no fault of mine). I have also sent cards domestically and picked up multiple packages from the post office and satellite locations.

There are the obvious and anticipated large challenges to face when moving to a new country, but the little unanticipated ones are sometimes just as challenging. Even so, all challenges provide opportunities for growth and humility. Who would have thought that a simple trip to the post office could mean so much?

---

Shout out to @mariaann132 for the encouragement to share this story with you all. :)