Attitude

I have been a very unpleasant person the last couple of days. I just walk around in a perpetual funk, with a feeling that everything possible that could go wrong, will. By doing that, I probably just think it in to existence. Nevertheless, life as Brianna Glenn has been one disappointment after another. Some examples:

On my train trip from France to Germany the lady took me to the wrong train station, causing me to miss my train. Of course, I had bought the completely non-refundable version in order to save myself $3 DOLLARS!!! and so the first part of my journey had to be re-bought. Then, when I arrived in Paris, I realized I had to switch train stations. No worries, they are close by. They are also separated by the world’s largest staircase known to man. Did I mention that I had two months worth of luggage with me? I was a sweaty, smelly French woman after that experience.

By the time I actually arrive in Germany, find my way to my apartment, and walk up three more flights of stairs (they DO NOT believe in elevators in Europe), I am greeted by the hottest attic apartment I have ever been in. There is something of a heat wave going on out here and in addition to a dislike for elevators, there is also a disdain for air conditioning. It’s nowhere. So, of course I sat down on the couch and cried. Then, I left the apartment to find a fan. I made my way to the main street and turned left. I walked about a mile until I decided to cross the street and walk back the other way, and walk the other way for an additional mile past where my starting point was. No. Fans. Anywhere. Then, as I approached my street and have made up my mind that the whole world is conspiring against me, I see a store of hodgepodge items right on the corner of my street with a neat little pile of fans in the window. It’s literally less than 100 meters from my apartment. And I laugh. Out loud. (one of those cynical laughs, of course)

It takes me an hour and a half to assemble the fan. Don’t ask me why…I’d feel even dumber for explaining it. I then try to get on the internet that was supposed to be available in the apartment. It was the one request I made when searching for a place. But of course, nothing. I turned on the T.V. in hopes of getting lucky and catching some re-runs of Friends in English or something. Nope. So, I just sat in utter silence 2 inches in front of my working fan and moped until I fell asleep.

The next day was not much better. I had a friend of a friend who was going to take me to see a doctor out here in Germany but I HAD to be there by a certain time. So what do I do? I get on the subway going the wrong direction. 6 stops later I finally realize it but by then of course I miss the appointment. I really could go on and on with stories about my unfortunate luck but I think you get the picture. I can’t catch a break.

It was after the 3rd day of one thing after another when I finally realized I needed an attitude adjustment. I was not doing myself any favors by thinking the world was conspiring against me to make life a living hell. I am out here in Germany with no friends, no connection to the outside world, no real ability to train, and my apartment didn’t even have a coffee maker! But I was making it worse than it really needed to be.

So I bought myself a coffee machine, found a Starbucks about 20 min away with free wifi and skyped with my best friend, then went out and did a warm up at the track to see how my leg felt. And wouldn’t you know…life is no longer as miserable! The best part is that my leg feels a ton better and cannot be possibly as bad as I was lead to believe.

Life gets a whole lot better when you have a better attitude about things!