56 allée de la Robertsau

Upon arriving in Strasbourg, I had one sole objective: find a place to live! It may seem a little backward to arrive in a new country without having made any living arrangements, but you can’t say that I didn’t try! I spent the summer making contacts about apartments and e-mailing residence halls, but to no avail. Knowing that there was nothing more I could do from the States, I reserved two nights in a hotel and put it in God’s hands.

After 4 nights in the hotel, 65+ phone calls to people in the Strasbourg area, 3 visits to apartments, 1 hour of being lost in a nearby suburb and countless references to my (now very worn) map of Strasbourg, I am happy to say that I am no longer homeless! I found an ad for a studio apartment on a campus bulletin board and 4 days after my arrival I signed the contract. The landlord, an Iranian man who always wants to speak English and constantly tells me how much he likes America, made some special arrangements so that I could have it just until Christmas. I am so thankful he did because I love this little place (emphasis on “little”). It has just what I need to get by for 4 months: a convertible bed, a makeshift kitchenette, shared bathrooms and a charming window with a great view. Below, you see the place when I first arrived and the view of the neighborhood from my window. Notice the Vosges Mountains!





I’ve had some time to explore the neighborhood a bit to find nearby grocery stores, bakeries and cafés with wireless internet. After 2 days of using T-shirts as a pillow and a bath towel, I was finally able to buy a few necessary household items as well! The previous occupant left some cleaning products and canned food items that I can use. However, she was German and brought these products from home so I can’t read any of the labels! I cleaned my sink with a liquid that I found in a cleaning product container, but that smelled a lot like vinegar. I’m also still trying to figure out what Wein-Branntwein-Essig is...


Upon taking this room, one adjustment for me has been the switch back to community bathrooms! Even though I have my own room and kitchenette, I share the “WC” and “salle de bain” with 5 other tenants. Given the current, questionable state of these facilities, I’d say they have potential to become downright disgusting. We are supposed to take turns cleaning once a week, so let’s hope the others are exceptionally, hygienically conscious. Interestingly enough, it doesn’t seem like anyone is too modest. Both the bathroom and the shower have windows (no curtains) that allow our neighbors to get a nice view of all I have to offer. Somebody is getting a free show. Lucky...