Two weeks and counting

As the time to leave nears, I am a little nervous. Four months is a long time to be in a different country. I think that some of my nervousness is excitement about the prospect of learning about a new culture. I believe that when a person grows there is often times a feeling of discomfort or anxiety associated with it, but I am looking forward to this growth opportunity. The language will be different, the food will be different, but will the people be different? I've always thought that people across the world are basically the same, and this will be the first opportunity that I have to find out first hand. I think it will be exciting to "learn" a new language, experience new foods, but most of all learn about the people that live there. I am very interested to see the landscape, the variety of plants, and the architecture, but I am most interested in seeing the things that are the same.  I am certain that when I arrive my anxieties will disappear and my expectations will be exceeded, and I cannot wait to see what the semester has in store for me.

Here we go

I honestly don't know what to expect. I know that I love Europe (this will be my fifth time there), but I have never stayed for longer than about two weeks. I am excited for the opportunity to learn in such a hands-on way, while also being given the opportunity to explore much of Western Europe on my own time. I am a self-diagnosed sufferer of the famous "Wonderlust." I have an innate need to see the entire world and experience everything it has to offer me, so I am more than excited about this opportunity. I have been introduced to Bavarian culture, being from a small German town in South Texas, as well as traveling Bavaria, but I have never met a Northern German. I am interested to learn the differences as well as similarities. While talking to a foreign exchange student from France this week at my work I asked her, "what is the biggest difference between Europe and here?" Her reply was simple: "everything here is so big, while everything back home is so small." This intrigued me. I was hoping she wasn't talking about our waistbands considering we are the fattest country in the world. I am also interested in how this trip will change me, I hope it will really bring into perspective the bigger things in life. I want to help people; I want to travel; I want to help people while I travel. I hope this is just my first shot at learning the many cultures of the world.

P.S. sorry for being so sappy... I'm usually not this bad.

Let It Begin

We'll be taking off in about 4 weeks now, and I'm so pumped! I honestly don't know what to expect when we get there at all. I can't wait to meet my host family and get to know them. I also can't wait to try all the delicious new food! I don't have any expectations going in; I'm just free lancing it and ready for a great time. The culture in Germany will undoubtedly be different than our sheltered bubble in College Station, but enjoyment comes from trying different things. The one thing I am worried about, however, is the language barrier. Germany is a very well developed country and most germans do speak english; however, I wish to not look like we don't know any German or any German culture. But to tell the truth, I don't know any German or any German culture. The Germans will be more than happy to teach us I'm sure. Bonn looks like a beautiful city via Google images, but I am ready for the real thing. I also hope it snows a solid amount while we are there! Although, maybe it could just snow when we want it to and then we can tell the weather to warm up and get back to our Texas comfort. Besides the language difference, my only other main concern is the weather. Even though I don't even know what's going to hit us weather-wise while we're over there, I know we will not be ready for whatever it has in store for us. I have most definitely never experienced anything like a German winter before. For the most part, however, I am extremely excited and ready to touch our wheels down in Bonn! I'm so pumped for this semester!

Wrapping Up

So, I realize that this blog post is coming quite a bit later than expected, but here's an attempt of an explanation. It seems like after I left Berlin, traveled around Europe for the succeeding ten days, and made it back home that the whirlwind of experiences kicked up a lot of dust that I was waiting to settle before looking back on my time abroad. The funny thing is, it took me a long time to realize that I wasn't going to have some grand epiphany and begin living drastically differently. Although the incredible excursions and impressive opportunities are what I'll remember and look back on the most fondly, I think the smaller, day-to-day interactions and experiences are what actually made more of the permanent alterations in my lifestyle and outlook. But I'm getting ahead of myself... Let me start with reminiscing about our final group trip and last hurrah in Berlin.

We started off on the right note, having just finished up with finals with everyone enjoying that sense of relief that comes with not having the intense academic responsibilities. I loved the bike tour that we took to get to know Berlin. We were able to stop at all the amazing sights while getting a real feel for the geography of the city and the history that pervades everything. I was really surprised with the amount of construction and development going on in the eastern portion of the city. I had gone in with subconscious assumption that there was going to be a drastic difference between East and West Berlin, and although there were distinctions made, the growing unity of the two made me realize how much progress has been made on that front. Other highlights included the tour of Dresden with the market and Frauenkirche, and the zoo. The opera was really great as well, but with my near-nonexistent use of German, it would have been nice to have a few English subtitles.

Then there was the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. I feel like I really can't group it with the rest of our activities in Berlin just because of the incredible emotional reaction to something with such ethical and historical repercussions. There's a certain abstraction that comes from learning something long-distance. As devastating as teachers portray the Holocaust to be, there's nothing that truly communicates the reality of the imprisonment and genocide of masses of people besides standing on the ground where some of it took place. Although it didn't fit in with the spirit of the other tours and trips, I think this was one of the most valuable. I really appreciated the chance to more fully understand the reality of what went on, and there was just an astounding sense of reverence in imagining who might have walked in through the gates that we entered, and who might never have had the chance to walk out.


In order to not leave my commentary of Berlin on a depressing note, I will say that I really enjoyed the last group dinner. It was great chance to say thank you to Dr. Wasser and Kristin for all fo the amazing work they did on the program, seen and unseen. It just amazes me that this first semester trip went so smoothly! Plus, what could be more culturally diverse than eating Moroccan food in Germany? From there, Andrea, Joanna, Megan, Austin and I all made our way (with some stops on the way) to Paris to begin our westward trek through Europe. It was unreal. I got to view Champs-Élysées from the top of the Arc de Triomphe, take a sunny nap underneath the Eiffel tower, abandon all sense of time and direction in the Louvre, and wander through the splendor of the Garden of Versailles. From there we started the next leg of the trip—to London! I cannot describe how AMAZING it was to set foot in an English-speaking country! Not that communicating in Germany was ever a problem, but all of these people speaking English! It was brilliant. I could eavesdrop unrestrained, ask for directions unabashed, and read street signs to my heart’s content. Moving on from my disproportional joy on the language front, we did our fair share of touring in London as well. We had the connections to stay with an incredibly hospitable family in the suburbs and just trained in to see everything: Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Big Ben/Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and more…We even got to experience an authentic English breakfast, beans and all! From there, we (sans Austin) took trains and a ferry over to Ireland and finished up the ten-day stretch in Dublin before hopping on a plane and heading back home.

Although I experienced the language barrier wear down while still overseas (German to French to English to Irish English), other differences hit me right away after landing in the US. While waiting for a connecting flight from Newark, I bought a drink and had counted out the exact change to pay with before realizing that sales tax wasn’t included in the posted price. All of my dollar currency looked foreign and strangely uniform, and there were water fountains so people could drink water…for free…novel idea. Still, like I said before, it wasn’t any of these tiny realizations that really reflected how I changed in response to this past semester. Rather, those alterations had taken place gradually, in daily steps throughout the semester, culminating in my being miles away from where I started in terms of independence, confidence and global perspective. Just as I am no longer baffled by even the most complex public transit system, I’m also no longer able to consider distant countries as just a name or geographical unit. I had the chance to be truly integrated into a society that differed so starkly from what I had known. That, I think, I the adjustment I value the most—the ease I know have in considering things in a global perspective. I also know one more thing for certain: I will be going back. It may not be soon, or for months on end, but I can’t wait!

If I could give any advice to my past self, or for anyone preparing to head out for their own semester abroad, it would be:

• Memorize your train/tram stops and schedule. Just as importantly, know what time of night and for what occasions it no longer runs. And if while you’re walking to the stop you hear it coming from around the corner, run! It’ll be worth it.

• Keep a personal journal. Not just for the big impressive stuff, but the little things too, because they’re easier to forget and just as valuable.

• Double check your train tickets at connection points and be prepared to ask for directions when for some reason platform 12 is not between platforms 11 and 13.

• Don’t get too frustrated by the initial culture shock. Expect things to be different in a foreign country, and try to appreciate it.

• Pack efficiently. Not necessarily bare-bone—you need to be prepared for the weather and activities. Just realize that there may be a time when you have to carry all of your possessions through multiple train cars worth of crowded aisles or up several flights of subway stairs.

• NEVER let yourself take the amazing buildings and history for granted, even if you walk through town every day. When you get back to Texas, there are no towering gothic cathedrals.

Post Trip Blog

Okay, so this post might be a little later than expected. But it's given me plenty of time to reflect on my experiences in Germany and how they've affected me. I spent the summer interning in Austin, which has to be one of the coolest cities I've ever been to (yes, including the places we traveled to in Europe). The city is so alive and active, and the people are some of the most interesting I've met. However, before moving back to Texas I thought I was special because I lived abroad for four months. Most of the people that I met either travelled for an prolonged period of time or lived in other countries during the course of their life. I met a journalist who went to Thailand to write about the tribal music played during Muay Thai fights, and he had way more interesting stories from his journey than mine. He also seemed a lot more down to earth than some of the folks I met who hadn't seen other parts of the world. There seems to be some kind of switch that clicks on when one experiences other cultures. I like it. I noticed a change in my habits. I'm hardly ever on facebook, watching tv, or doing something unfulfilling anymore. I seem to invest and engage myself more into life - going to parks, riding bikes, meeting people etc. I also noticed that I don't excessively indulge in alcohol as much (credit the lessons learned during Karneval) yet I have an expensive taste for beer. I have a better appreciation for people and their stories and find myself pursuing more personal relations rather than pursuing activites. Living abroad has definitely opened up my mind to a myriad of thoughts and ideas, and broken preconceptions that I previously held. I would suggest it to anyone. So, I guess to wrap things up. I don't feel special for living abroad. There's plenty of other people who've done it. My host sisters were abroad in New Zealand for 5 months before we arrived in Germany! I do think it's a shame that a lot of Americans don't see other parts of the world. However, one can experience different cultures right here in the US. Laid back west coast vs. southern hospitality vs. fast-paced New York City life. One could look at life as an accumulation of experiences. I believe that the quality, and frequency of those experiences directly relates to the sense of having lived life. I would encourage others to turn off the video games, get off the internet, go outside and live! Save a little bit of money from every paycheck and go somewhere you've never been before. Don't conform to the life of a drone! I don't feel special for living abroad, I feel changed. My only regret from living abroad, is not staying abroad longer. Cheers! Prost!

The End

The first week or so after we got back, I was so stressed out by thinking about trying to get a job for the summer, and worrying about trying to get into medical school, that I could barely even think about how I liked my first trip to Europe or what I experienced. After a while though, when I had time to think about everything, I realized that we got to do some seriously cool things, and that I really did have a good time. When I think back to all the places we got to go, and how much we learned, it really is incredible. For one thing, we got to observe surgery, which was something I probably would not have been able to do at home, and is also one of the coolest things I have ever done. We also got to go to so many different medical and historical museums that are unique to the area where we were. The longer excursions, Vienna and Berlin, were especially enjoyable. I can't even imagine the amount of effort and planning that must have gone into creating the program, and I am very grateful to Dr. Wasser and Kristin for making this possible for us. Overall I would say I learned so much that I wouldn't have learned had I not gone on the study abroad, making it most emphatically worth going on.

Looking back at my first blog post, I first of all feel like an idiot for writing any of that nonsense, and second of all feel that my expectations were not only met but expectations that I would have had if I had known at all what to expect were met. I got to see so much art, architecture, and famous sites that after a while I could barely even absorb it all, like my brain was on cultural overload. I went to so many places that a few years ago were an impossible dream. We got to go to the symphony in Vienna, which I think for many people was one of the highlights of the trip. I believe I have become more independent and confident, since I know I can travel and figure things out on my own if I need to. I can also make plans and carry them out, on my own if I want it enough. I have more confidence to dream and make plans that I might not have dared to before. Not all of them will be realized, just like not all my plans for this trip came out exactly how I thought; I wanted to do an internship in Ireland this summer after the study abroad, but despite quite a bit of application and effort, it was not to be. But a few years ago studying abroad was just a crazy idea that I really wanted to happen, and now I've spent about four months in Europe. Thinking about this over the past few weeks has opened up a lot of possibilities that I would not have even considered before. I would like to live abroad at some point in my life, although I'm not sure when that might be.

I also definitely got to see America from another point of view. In America we seem to have a tendency to think we're the most important country in the world, and everyone should be concerned with the same things we as a country are concerned with. It was really interesting to be in another country, and to see world politics from another point of view, where America is little more than a footnote. It's kind of humbling and makes me feel sort of small in the context of the entire world, but in a good way. I also really liked the comparison of different health care systems for a similar reason. Now I feel like I can actually have an intelligent conversation about health care and I even want to learn more about the different systems we discussed.

One thing that happened that I didn't really expect was making such good friendships with so many people. Almost all of the places I went, at least some portion of the group was there, and most of the new experiences I had were shared with someone. I feel like I became close to several members of the group, and I hope we will maintain the friendships that we formed. I was kind of sad when we all said goodbye, because even though I knew we could see each other later, it would never be quite the same as when we were all thrown together in a foreign country and saw each other nearly every day. I'm looking forward to next semester and continuing the relationships that we formed as a group.

In conclusion I just want to list some of the things that I miss about living in Germany, some of which are expected, and some are kind of surprising.

recycling everything

taking the bus

dönner

cooler weather

doppelkeks

running along the Rhein

taking trains

meeting people from other countries everywhere

differently-colored money

Ending Blog

There are many strong feelings that I have towards study abroad. It really has impacted my life in the most positive of ways and the culture that I learned to love will always remain apart of who I am. During my stay in Europe I took huge advantage of the traveling opportunities that were at my fingertips. I traveled to Paris, the French Alpes, Barcelona, Budapest, Vienna and so on. And while traveling I learned little aspects of each culture, picked up some terms, and really lived my life to the fullest, never missing out on any experience. Not only did travel, but I developed friendships with germans that were around my age. This was my favorite aspect of studying abroad! We made these friendships because we got out of our comfort zone and asked “sprichst du englisch?” and it turned out to be the best decision that my friend and I made while abroad. As it ends up we hanged out with these people a couple times a week. They taught us so much about the language, the places to go and things to do. They showed us the best time while in Germany and made my experience the best time in my life. By befriending people your age while abroad they will be your guide in having the greatest time. It is something that I highly suggest do, and do not be afraid of approaching people and trying to develop a relationship. They love Americans, and essentially all speak good English

By studying abroad I learned a lot about the world and it made me realize the imperfections in our society. By living in Germany it made me question the American culture and why we didn’t do things like Germany. For instance, public transportation should really be instated in every city. It made getting around much more convenient. But after awhile I really missed driving my car. Also by being abroad it made me really appreciate Texas. What I came away with that I find most important is that I am so much more dependent on myself. I learned really good habits that really made me more responsible and not as careless about things. So not only did I learn a lot of culture, but I also learned how to not lose important items. Haha.

In all, studying abroad to Germany has been the best decision I have made thus far and I do not take back anything. I have came away with it amazing friends from around the world and friends here in College Station. But the most important aspect of studying abroad I believe is that I came away with a whole new me. Living abroad changes your views and outlooks, but it molds you into a much more diverse and interesting character. 

Where to next?

To say that my semester abroad was an awesome experience is an understatement. I can type until my laptop no longer has keys, but I will have not said enough words to describe how unbelievable the past semester was. I guess I should start out with a few of my favorite parts. First, my host family was such a blessing. They had a great sense of humor, and we connected so well. My host mom is as sweet as can be and my host dad was always quick with a joke or a fun fact. Getting to party with my host brothers was so much fun. At our last dinner together, they told me that I became part of the family more than any other student that they had hosted. Having them as my host family set me up for the semester of a lifetime.

My German friends that I made were another huge part of my experience. When Kyle and I introduced ourselves to a group of local peers at a bar, we had no idea it would completely change our experience for the better. From then on we hung out with them, and they helped us experience an awesome nightlife. For any future study-abroad students that might be reading this, I would encourage you to make friends with the locals. They can totally change your perspective, and show you many cool places to hang out. Sitting here now, two months later, I miss hanging out with them a lot.

A third part of my experience that made it phenomenal were the excursions that the program took us on. I have certainly realized that at no other time in my life will I get to experience the knowledge-enhancing trips to and tours of so many museums, churches, research facilities, hospitals, historical sites, etc. One of my favorite parts of an excursion was attending a concert of the Vienna Symphony. To be able to hear such beautiful music in such a beautiful setting was so surreal. As a person who is very cognizant of music, and has studied classical music, experiencing this was a huge part of my trip. But it wasn't just the organized trips that were awesome. Spring break in Barcelona and weekend trips to places such as Munich and Amsterdam, as well as the semester-end trip to Budapest that some of us took provided us with seeing so many cultures. I will always have memories of good times in these cities.

Needless to say, my expectations of the past semester were far beyond met. I have spoken of a few things that made it a life-altering experience, but there is so much more. I've never appreciated day-to-day life like I did while living in Bonn. Just walking down the street with so many sounds and sights going on around me made every day a new anecdote to what could be a boring time.

I would say that I have certainly grown as a person during and since the trip. I would say what I have learned most is the importance of people in our lives. From my host family to the other students to  my German friends to complete strangers in a bar, I have learned to never pass up the opportunity to get to know someone just a little bit more with each conversation. Because let's be real, in this life, all we really have is other people.

Home Sweet Home

When I was preparing for my study abroad to Germany, I had no idea what to expect.  I didn’t know any of the people on the trip really well, I was leaving my family, boyfriend, and friends behind and Texas, and I was traveling to a new place where I didn’t know the language so, needless to say, I was nervous. 

Once we all got there and got situated, it took me a couple of weeks to become comfortable with my surroundings and environment.  I have always been a more shy and reserved person but I am proud that I can honestly say that I made some kind of connection with every single person on the trip.  By forcing myself out of my comfort zone, I feel like I grew as an individual.  I am so happy that even though sometimes we got annoyed with each other, simply because we spent all of our time together, we really grew as a group as well.  At the beginning of the trip I had no idea at how close the group would come together and I had no idea that we would continue to keep in touch and spend time together when we returned to the states. 

I also feel like I became more independent while abroad.  I definitely learned how to manage my time so that I could travel while still being prepared for my classes.  If I could change one thing about the program, it would be to have less homework to allow for more time to travel.  I understand that the biomedical engineering and biomedical science curriculums are both work intensive but I feel like if students are traveling to another country to study, they should have some added freedom to thoroughly enjoy their new environment. 

Coming home was bittersweet.  I was excited to go home after being away for so long but I also wish that I had taken more advantage of my surroundings by traveling more.  One major difference that I noticed after coming home was how wasteful we are as a nation.  For example, in my host family’s home, we recycled, composted, and conserved as much as possible.  Sadly, these habits are not practiced in many homes in the United States. 

I am so glad that I got to spend a semester abroad in a country that I had never been to before.  I am also so impressed with the work Dr. Wasser and Kristin Vosbeck put into our program.  Their commitment to us really made my experience unforgettable and I am so grateful for that.  If I went back in time and had the choice to do this trip or not, I would definitely choose to do it again and I would recommend it to more people.  Thanks for a great time and some extraordinary memories!


Tschuss!

Back State-side

I will be the first, and likely not the last, to admit that I have been putting off writing this blog post.  Partially because this summer has been super busy with working on average 48 hours a week, but mostly because I have no idea where to begin!  It is like when people that you haven’t seen in a while come up to you and go “Oh my gosh you’re back!  How was it? Tell me all about it!” and then sit there expectantly waiting for you to start spilling.  My reaction is always to say it was great and then try to judge how much they really want to know.  I mean, how are you supposed to sum up an entire life-changing semester in a two minute conversation?

I guess a good place to start would be by reviewing my expectations list that I wrote at the beginning of the trip.  I should have added “expect my expectations list to be completely off” to that list, maybe then I could say I went in knowing what I was getting myself into.  I actually did manage to complete many of the goals I had set for myself, like balancing traveling with school work and trying to integrate into the German culture as much as possible, but there was no way that I could have known how much I would change.  You always hear about people going abroad and becoming more self-confident and having a new view on life, but I just figured that I already had a good measure of independence and self-confidence so that wouldn’t change that much.  Boy was I wrong.

When you leave home for the first time to go to college you gain a lot of independence, but you are still in the same country, with people that speak the same language, and your family and friends are just a phone call away.   When you leave to live in another country all of that is ripped away and you really learn what it means to be on your own.  Sure we were over there with a group (which was a HUGE comfort) but you are still completely on your own.  No internet at the tips of your fingers, no parents just a phone call away for those bad days, no speaking the same language, and no meetings to be at for the various organizations you are involved in.  That drama that used to engulf your life? Thousands of miles away.  It was refreshing actually, to be so completely removed from everything.  It allowed me to really explore my boundaries and to experience an entirely different world without feeling like there were someone else’s expectations to meet.    I didn’t think it possible, but I grew so much while I was over there.  It’s hard to even explain, but I am so free.  My newfound sense of freedom comes from knowing that I keep my head when I get lost in a foreign country, having a different perspective on the world around me, and simply having a blast with a new found group of friends. 

My biggest changes since I have been back? 

• A lack of interest in my cell phone.   I was never as addicted as some people, but going from having a smart phone with internet and unlimited texting to a dinky phone that looked like it was made in the early 2000s where I paid per call was a big change.  When I returned to the states I had actually forgotten how to use my smartphone!
• Feeling so excited about my major.  I knew I loved medicine and engineering before, but being able to supplement my learning with real experiences in medicine abroad sealed the deal for me.
• I developed an interest in politics.  Okay not really an interest, but I don’t stick my fingers in my ears and go “lalala” every time someone brings it up.  After having an outside look at many of the hot issues and learning about them I feel I can actually have an educated opinion about these things and express them out loud. 
• Feeling like a citizen of the world.  After having an outside look at things I have rediscovered some of my patriotism.  There are some things about America that I love and there are some things that I don’t love.  Being in Germany helped me to realize that the United States is, in my opinion, the best at some things,  but it also helped me to see that our way is not always the best way and that there is room to grow and learn from one another
• My inspiration to travel the world.  I don't know if you have seen the movie "The Prince and Me", but in it Julia Stiles's character has a world map on her wall with pins of the places she's been and the places she wants to go.  I have started such a map.  So many places, so little time!

Man, if only they had things like this in Texas

Being in Germany was an awesome experience, one that I want to repeat someday.  It gave me time to discover not just another culture, but to learn more about myself in the process.  I will go back some day.  I do not yet know whether it will be for graduate school or just a vacation, but I know it will be a great time either way.

Thank you Dr. Wasser for putting this program together.  It was a rough time trying to deal with all of the classes and still get out abroad, but it was a lot of fun and I learned so much from it.

My Time in Europe, Good Times!

Thinking back six months, I couldn't imagine what I was about to experience. I was nonchalantly thinking, "Germany huh? Well, let's see how this goes." and I think that was the perfect attitude for me to have. I didn't know what to expect, I was curious to see what living in Europe would be like, and I was just open to whatever was going to happen, the good, bad, ugly, and amazing, because I think that's what going on an adventure is all about, trying new things, experiencing struggles, and enjoying yourself all along the way. Whether it was asking my host family ignorant questions and having them laugh at me, finding out after spring break in Barcelona that I was broke and I would have to eat cheap canned soup for lunch the rest of the time, doing about eight assignments of Dif. EQ per week (barf), or seeing the Eiffel tower sparkle like a thousand diamonds at night, I was living life in Europe as fully as I could.

Two months after leaving Bonn, Germany, and returning to the great state of Texas, my view of the world has definitely been distorted (mostly for the good)! I appreciate many of the things that I have here more than I did before, but I am also seeing other things in a different, slightly jaded, light. I've come to realize, after living in such a different society, that there are things that America are really #1 in (whoop!), but there are also significant problems that our nation sincerely needs to address, problems that won't have a quick fix and will require the bright minds of the future, our generation's minds. Even though I see the world with a more objective perspective, allowing me to see more of our society's ailments and afflictions, I'm also more confident in the world's potential to fix these problems, as well as my own.

On a personal note, this trip was also a personal journey of self enlightenment and discovery. You discover how you handle really tense and difficult situations, like missing your train to Paris because your connecting train gets delayed then taking another train at 5 a.m. the next morning, missing the connecting train, taking a 50 euro taxi, then sitting in a crunched luggage/connecting cabin room, but eventually making it to Paris! On the other hand, you also have the time of your life while going to some of the best clubs in the world in Barcelona, or partying in the streets of Köln with about a million other Germans during Karneval.

This trip has definitely made me think more about my future and what I want to do with it, but I think that it has just helped me realize that the world is much more open than I knew before! With that said, I'm looking forward to applying what I've learned from my travels and just continuing to live life with the same sense of adventure that I had while I had studying abroad. To sum this up, I think T.S. Eliot observed what our whole group experienced pretty well:

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."

Last Post

This past semester in Germany went as well as I could hope for, and I am thoroughly satisfied with the outcome. There are certain aspects to the program that I think could be improved, but, for a first time program, this was an outstanding experience. I still remember the outings to Vienna and Berlin fondly, and I was able to improve my German language skills somewhat. Perhaps typically, most of my surprises about living in Germany concerned various little things, such as the trains not blowing their horns when going through a town. Also, I expected the German winter to be colder than it actually was. The cultural differences did not seem like any sort of insurmountable barrier or hindrance at any point, but this might have been due to the types of people I met. As for how I have changed, this past semester has given me more confidence in my ability to navigate certain foreign countries, and it has planted the desire to travel within me; I'm considering going back to Germany for graduate school as well.

Berlin Recap

Dr. Wasser, this is one long post for the final week of the program in Berlin.

So the program is officially over, most people have flown home, and I am currently making my way across Europe.  I am meeting up with Joanna, Austin, and Andrea in Paris soon but for the moment I am completely on my own in Brussels.  It is certainly a big change, going from being with 17 of your friends constantly to being surrounded by strangers speaking a mix of French and Dutch. I know absolutely no French, but thankfully a lot of things are in English around here. 

The last five days of the program were spent in Berlin.  It was a nice time, minus the whole sleep deprivation thing, but it was a little sad to realize these were my last four days in Germany for a long time.  The first day was a bike tour of the city, which lasted 3.5 hours! Remember that whole sleep deprivation thing? Yeah…I actually preferred it to walking tours though.  You got to see more things, rest your feet riding a bike instead of standing, and you got a cool squeaky toy to play with.  This was a good day to get an overall impression of the city, which I will honestly say at first was not that great of one.  Despite the interesting buildings and historical places that I was seeing I couldn’t bring myself to really like the city.  Vienna had been beautiful, Munich rich in architecture, but Berlin? It almost looked used and unplanned.  Eventually it dawned on me that what makes Berlin so special is the history and all that it signifies.  The memories of the war and the wall are everywhere in the city, from the people to the wall remnants, to the partially reconstructed buildings.  After this realization my overall impression of Berlin improved and I began to enjoy my time there. 

We did so many things during our time there.  We visited Sachsenhausen, the concentration camp, Otto Bock, the Charite hospital, Dresden, the zoo, and many other places.  We got to try the Döner and currywurst for which Berlin is renowned, enjoyed a splendid dinner of Moroccan food, and got dressed up for the Opera.  I really enjoyed all of these, except perhaps the Charite Museum tour; I was so exhausted it was hard to focus.  I will expand on a couple of my favorites and then call it a day.

The concentration camp was depressing, as you might expect, but it was one of those things you had to do.  It is completely different being at the actual site instead of just reading about it in a book.  Seeing the outlines of the buildings used by the Nazis and the left over soviet monuments made it so real.  The part that brought it really real for me however was seeing the ruins of the “exit gate”.  Even though this was not a death camp, they still had a small gas chamber and such.  Parts of the walls were still standing and you could see where the floor had been bulldozed.  It was not covered in grass and made you realize how all of these atrocities were committed not too long ago, and it brings the happenings back to the present.

This entire trip has been making me rethink my chosen profession.  Not in a bad way, but for a slightly-stubborn girl like me who has known she wanted be a biomedical engineer and do medical research/get her PhD since 9^th grade, it is frustrating to be confused.  After witnessing the operations in Bonn and working with medical training dummies in Berlin (whoop for correct intubating on the first try J ) I am starting to want to go for an MD as well.  My mind keeps going from MD/PhD to just PhD to nursing school to hospital volunteer and back again.  Then again, visiting the Otto Bock Health and Science center and enjoying Biosolid mechanics this semester make me want to go into mechanics and industry.  I guess I should be happy that I am in a major where I can do so many cool things, and that I at least know what major I want to be.  The good news is I still have time to decide what degrees I want to get, but I have a lot of thinking to do. 

I especially enjoyed the tour of Dresden.  I had actually wanted to visit sometime during the semester and never gotten the chance, so I am really glad we went.  We had a walking tour, so my feet did hurt a lot by the end, but seeing the city was well worth it.  Seeing the pictures of before and after the bombing really brought home the destruction that took place in this town.  What I especially liked though was how during the reconstruction the city has used the old ruins that are left of the buildings.  For example, the church was just a few fragments of wall and some extra stone, but they rebuilt it completely, using the wall fragments and stones when they could.  It gave it a Dalmatian effect but one you realize why the stones look so odd you are simply in awe of the church.  Having a guide who lived through the war offered an interesting perspective on the city.  I also got to try potato pancakes which were delicious.

Lastly, I loved going to the opera.  It was a chance to get all dressed up and go out with everyone for one last time.  Unfortunately the opera was in Italian and the subtitles in German, so I didn’t get a whole lot of what was said, but between Dr. Wasser’s preparation, the acting, and my limited vocabulary I was able to pick up on what was going on.    After that it was back to the hotel for last-minute packing and a few hours of sleep before I had to be up to catch a train.

It was sad to say goodbye to everyone, but luckily most of us will have a lot of the same classes for the next two years so it shouldn't be too bad.  Mostly I am excited to be out traveling on my own and looking forward to seeing my family in a week

Our Last Day in Germany...

I apologize for having been delinquent in my posts. We've been so busy going out and seeing everything there is to see that we don't want to stop to write a blog post :P This trip has been so amazing. I have made so many close friends, learned so much, experienced so many new things, and I just don't want it to end. As excited as I am to come home and see my friends and family again, this trip has meant the world to me. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Today we spent the day at the Berlin Zoo. It was awesome to say the least. I felt like a five year old again, looking around at all the animals. Tonight we are going to the opera to see The Marriage of Figaro. I'll be sure to post again soon to tell you all about how it goes!

Aachen, Chocolate Museum, and Customs

On Wednesday, April 25 we went to the Helmholtz Institute in Aachen for cardiovascular engineering. We had a presentation on the work done there, which includes valve projects, total artificial hearts, lung assists, and research about blood flow through all these devices, durability, how to best attach devices, and other things. I thought it was very interesting to see all the engineering that has to go into these devices that you might not think about, such as the complex machines that simulate normal blood flow so they can see how the device will affect the blood's normal flow. I also thought it was interesting when we saw the machine shop where they make all the devices, and the guide told us you learn a lot by working with those people because sometimes an engineer will have a really good idea for a design but it's impossible to manufacture, so the machinists will offer suggestions about how the design could be modified so it is possible to manufacture. Sometimes when you come up with an idea you don't always think about how it would actually be made, so it was interesting to hear about how much needs to come into consideration. Another thing that was really surprising was when we learned that companies that make devices will often choose not to make a device more automatic if they can because legally it makes them liable if something goes wrong, whereas if they leave it up to the surgeon or patient to adjust, they are no longer liable if something goes wrong. It was surprising because it seemed counter-productive to technological advancement.

After the Helmholtz Institute, we went to the Aachen Cathedral, which was really neat because we got to see the throne,

and go into the treasury and see the reliquaries.

We also may or may not have seen Charlemagne's bones, depending on what you believe. I especially liked the wall paintings.

I also really enjoyed hearing about some of the history of the Cathedral like the bronze banisters which had turned black because they stopped being polished, and the pillars which the French had stolen. Also there were relics inside the Shrine of St. Mary which are claimed to be some piece of John the Baptist's clothing, Christ's swaddling clothes, and Mary's cloak.

It was cool that even though they couldn't prove for sure that they actually were what they claimed to be, they could prove that it was from the right time period.

The next day, Thursday, I got to watch the Biomedical engineering students give their device design presentations, which was fun because I learned a lot even though I didn't do a device design project myself, and I thought they were really cool.

On Friday the most exciting thing to happen was the farewell party. It felt a little weird because we hadn't actually taken our finals yet, unlike some of the other groups, so it felt strange to celebrate before the semester was actually over. We were still able to have fun though, and it was really nice of the AIB people to put in the work for party for us. It felt like just a while ago that we were at the welcome party, and now we're almost finished with the program.

Most of the rest of the weekend was devoted to studying and writing my paper for 485, but on Saturday I did go with Megan to the Chocolate Museum in Köln. Yes, the long-awaited Chocolate Museum! After multiple failed attempts to go here, I finally got to experience the legendary Chocolate Museum of Köln. It was really fun, and at the end we went to the chocolate shop attached to the museum, where we went just a little bit crazy spending our money on wonderful chocolate. On the way back we rode the chocolate express because it was rather warm outside and we didn't want the chocolate to melt. We thought it would be just a funny little train that took us back to the Cathedral, but it turned out to be a mini-tour. It alternated between German and English, so there wasn't a whole lot of new information, but it was still really fun to ride on the little train. We ended up going to the Hard Rock cafe for dinner, which we also thoroughly enjoyed. We decided to split an appetizer and a burger, and both were so delicious that we kept congratulating ourselves on our choices.

Most of Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday were taken up with studying and writing my paper. On Wednesday I had my physiology and history of medicine finals, and on Thursday I had my differential equations final. It was a relief to have them over with, but I still had some minor details to take care of. For example, the day before I had gotten a letter that a package my mom sent had been detained at the customs office because it did not say what was in it on the outside. My host mom helped me get directions to the customs office and figure out what tram to take, so after my final on Thursday I went to see if they would give me my package. I took the tram down to Ramersdorf and found the customs office, or Zollamt, fairly easily with the directions my host mom had given me. I then had to wait approximately 15 to 20 minutes in line, wondering the whole time if I was in the right room for picking up packages. I reassured myself by trying to read the German signs, which seemed to indicate that I was in the correct place. When I got to the front I showed them my letter, and the girl behind the counter went and got my package. She asked me if I knew what was inside, so I said that it should be a jacket, and then she asked me to open it. I was a little confused since I could clearly see where post office form had been taped, and under the area that said “Detailed description of contents,” I saw that my mom had listed “clothes” and “candy.” But I did what she asked, and when it turned out that yes, my mom had indeed sent me my jacket along with some candy, the girl had me sign and date a piece of paper and then I was done. The whole experience was a little annoying, since I'm still not sure why the package was detained as it clearly listed what was inside, but they didn't charge me any money so there was no serious problem.

After running a few more errands, I was ready to go to Munich! Some of us whiled away the hours until our night train at the AIB, wrapping up the loose ends of a differential equations project, or watching Katie make etouffee, a wonderfully relaxing end to a stressful but productive day.

Finals week and Munich part 1

Finals are over. Yay!

I am so glad school is done with this semester. It's hard to imagine being back in the states in just a few days, but I'm excited for it. 

Megan, Austin, Joanna and I went to Munich this weekend. We visited the Neuschwanstein Castle, Franizkaner brewery and the Andechs Monastery; all of which were fun in their own way. I had probably one of the best meals of my life at the Franizkaner brewery, and have definitely chosen Franizkaner Dunkel as my favorite German beer. I'll be bringing about 5 bottles home with me. Off to Berlin and the last week of the journey. 

Until next time. 

The München Tales Part 1

Dr. Wasser, this is a group post from Megan, Austin, Joanna, and Cameron.  We decided it would be more entertaining to create a tale from our trip to Munich this week rather than to recount it individually, so read on!

Part 1:

Not too long a time ago in a land not so far far away, there were four college students named Austin, Cameron, Joanna and Megan, who boarded the night train to Munich.  It was a dark cloudy night and “Santa Claus” had just left when they stumbled heavily laden into their beds.  We were set out on a noble quest to deliver Chase’s luggage to Berlin and to find the best beer in Bavaria.

The scenery was rather picturesque, as large, colorful, floating birds dropped from the sky around the breathtaking Schloss Neushwanstein.  The road was perilous and marked with excrement of carriage horses, but still they pressed on.  They answered the question of the troll, and crossed the Marienbrücke, where one of the fearless grouped turned out to have a weakness – fear of death by falling.  Despite this they carried on and were rewarded at the top by the view of the castle.  The sky could have been a work of the great masters, however it was marred by the mark of their arch nemesis – Scaffolding.  He had been striking all across the country, first in Köln and now in Bavaria! Despite the evil mark, they went exploring through King Ludwig’s chambers.  They encountered many strange sights, including a Gothic-style bed that took 14 woodcarvers 4 years to complete and a Venusian grotto enclosed by the castle.  The Querulous Quartet exited through the gift shop, resisting the temptations of nutcrackers and snowglobes to begin their descent.

Upon their return to the main village of München, they sought out sustenance and found it in the form of zum Frazis Kaner Brewery.  The feast was most triumphant, with the roulade stealing the show.  In the spirit of celebration, they ventured onwards to the hofbräuhaus, where they each downed a Maß of their favorite beverage to the tunes of an oom-pah band.  With jest they stumbled back to their sleeping quarters and prepared for the quest upon the ‘morrow.

They woke to an ominous fog rolling over the hills.  The elders advised against continuing their quest for the legendary Liquid Bread of Andechs, for the danger was far too great.  The prophecy foretold of a raging tempest hidden behind the cottony shroud. In addition the faithful companions were menaced by colorful creatures of unknown origin and intention. However, they were not to be daunted by the foreboding warnings. They lived on the wild side. They laughed in the face of danger. After overcoming opposition in the form of a false path, the brave companions forged onward in the midst of an enchanted wood. Gnarled roots rose treacherously to snag their feet, while at any moment the promised tempest threatened to appear. The flowers and trees surrounding them seemed innocent, but unknown dangers could lurk anywhere. And then, the companions ran into another obstacle. Two roads diverged in a yellow wood. After much debate, they took the one less traveled by, and that made all the difference. They were climbing the last few steep steps when…

TO BE CONTINUED….

Last week of class

Well, finals week is over.  So are classes, and studying, and stress (at least until we get back to summer jobs and the like).  I am not sure I have ever been more glad to be done with finals.  Sure it wasn’t quite as stressful as a normal finals week back in College Station as far as preparing for a lot of exams, but packing up my suitcase again and trying to take care of all of the little things for the trip home was pretty stressful. 

As much as I miss home and cannot wait to be back, I cannot help but think about how much I am going to miss Germany.  I wasn’t feeling too sad until Thursday night when I was packing up everything to take with me to Munich and Berlin.  We were celebrating my host aunt’s birthday/having my last dinner and my host mom cooked some delicious home-made veal Asian dumplings.  True to my normal style, I ended up dropping a few in the soy sauce and splattering everything by accident but at least this time we had some napkins J.  After having my last dinner with the family, we took some pictures and then it was time to finish up packing.  I finished with some time to spare and managed to jot down a few recipes from my host mom for her potato salad and apfelstreusel.  I am excited to try and make them at home but I’m going to have to convert it all from grams to cups.  It was sad standing in the living room looking out at the garden for the last time.  The kids said goodbye before heading to bed and I gave my host mom the thank you card that I had written her.  She helped me to the bus stop and gave me a hug and then I was on my way!

My awesome host family

I met up at AIB with Austin, Joanna, Cameron, and Katie and we entertained eachother with funny stories and imitations.  Finally it was time to go to the train station where we said our last goodbyes and boarded the night train to Munich. I was very sad to see Bonn go.  It almost feels like a second home now. One day I will make it back, I have to.

Yesenia's Getting Old!

This past weekend was not only our last weekend here in Bonn, but it was also Yesenia's birthday! I tried to study as much as I could that morning since I knew we would be going out to celebrate. We had decided on going to eat dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe in Cologne and then make our way to dance salsa at Petit Prince. Of course, things never go as planned.

Originally, many of the students were also going to join us, but with all the stress from finals and papers it ended up just being Austin, Katie, Yesenia and I. We headed to Cologne and managed to find the Hard Rock with the help of Austin. The Hard Rock was awesome! I also got to buy a present for a best friend back home who collects these cool t-shirts.

When heading to Petit Prince, we weren't entirely sure where it was located. We headed to Cologne South from what we remembered from the first time we went dancing. After walking around aimlessly we decided to stop and ask someone for directions since Austin's internet was not cooperating (fail). No one seemed to know where or what club Petit Prince was so we gave up and decided to stay at the nearest club. Surprisingly, the environment and music was really good, so we just stayed there most of the night. I'm extremely glad we went out Saturday and got to celebrate Yesenia's birthday and our last weekend in Bonn. Overall, an awesome night.

Can't wait to be done with school!

Tschuss!

Almost Done

It's hard to think that right now is my last Sunday in Bonn. At the beginning of the semester May seemed so far away but now it's here and time is moving so quickly! This week has been so busy with projects and what not that it seems to make time go faster. After the whole semester the physiology project was finally finished on Thursday. By tomorrow the math project will be done as well as all the assigned homework. What else is left? After that it's just the 485 project and some serious studying! Tomorrow I have to mail some extra stuff home, go to Haribo and get some last minute candy and attend my final class of the semester. It's been amazing to be able to live here in Bonn these past few months. I've gotten used to the idea of being here and College Station doesn't really sound very appealing. Unfortunately all good things must end and in a few weeks I'll be back at A&M taking classes once again. Well anyways here's a picture of some trees in Aachen! I love how everything turned green all of a sudden!

Aachen, Device Design, 1 Week Left!

On Wednesday, we all went to Aachen on a group trip.  First, we visited the Helmholtz Institute.  It was so cool learning about the different cardiovascular bioengineering projects that the students and professors were working on there.  However, what I found surprising was that not only were they working on their own projects, but they were also made themselves available to test various models that other companies had designed. 

My favorite part about the trip to Aachen was visiting the cathedral and the treasury.  It housed many important artifacts given to the church by Charlemagne and Barbarossa, such as a throne for God made from the stones that Jesus had walked on, a beautiful chandelier, and various bones from Charlemagne. 

On Thursday, the VTPP 435 students presented our device design projects that we had been working on this whole semester.  After finishing the presentation, I felt like a huge load had been lifted off of my shoulders to say the least.  I can’t believe that we are finally coming to the end of this amazing trip!  It is definitely going to be a bittersweet ending.  It will be sad to leave Europe but at the same time, I miss home so much. 

Our Parakidney!

We only have one week left of school, but it seems like we have so many things to fit in before we’re done!  Between my 485 research paper, four finals, and an infinite amount of math assignments, it seems surreal that we’ll be done in a week.  I’m looking forward to after finals because Kathryn and I will be making a short trip to Amsterdam and then we are all going to Berlin.  I’m excited to be just able to have fun and not worry about school!

Forgive me for how choppy this blog post is, I’ve just spent all day finishing 8 math assignments.  Anyway, my next blog post will be after finals so until then!  

Cardiovascular AMAZINGness

On Wednesday, we went to one of the coolest places in Germany, the Helmholtz Institute for Biomedical Engineering. This was a premier engineering facility in the midst of the premier engineering school of Germany. The result, some really cool research and some really cool gadgets. We received a lecture from Dr. Professor Steinseifer, a really chill guy who gave one sweet presentation, bro. He was telling us about some of the cardiovascular devices, they are developing, as well as how their institute works with outside companies to develop new biomedical technologies.

This was pretty amazing to me, for not only did they perform their own experiments, but they also were pretty much guns for hire by other companies, testing the products a company or individual gave to them to test. The institute had many ways of testing devices to see the effectiveness of certain aspects of stents, those tubes that are inserted into the aorta, and other products. There was a part of the presentation where he was talking about how the institute calculated the rate of hemolysis by submitting blood to an 'obstacle course' that would spin blood to find the shear stress required to lyse a blood cell, funny thing is, we could actually understand what he was talking about, in relation to the shear stress testing!

We were then given a tour around the institute, inspecting some of the machines they use for testing and receiving another brief history on stents. Our tour guide was a mechanical engineer turned cardiovascular disease, and he was a really knowledgeable guide. I think we all appreciated the knowledge he brought to the table, because he was able to explain some of the complicated subjects with a student's point of view.

Above: Encasing of some of the bones of Charlemagne. The picture depicts the crowning of Charlemagne, who is higher (mightier) than the archbishop and the pope, effective propaganda by Barbarosa.

After the cardiovascular institute, we visited the city of Aachen and took a tour of Aachen Cathedral and treasury. The cathedral we visited was significant, to say the least. Within the cathedral laid some of the bones of Charlemagne, given to the cathedral by the Emperor (king?) Barbarosa, the same guy who gave the bones of the three wise men to the Köln cathedral. The cathedral was said to be an impressive sight during the period it was built, as it was built during the end of the age of roman architecture and the beginning of gothic (I think). It had influences of the Italian cathedrals of Rome, as well as the Hagia Sofia in today Istanbul, Turkey.

Until next time, yo.

April 22-29: Aachen and stuff

Aachen and stuff... here we go! 

The Hemholz Institute in Aachen was awesome! It's a school for applied engineering in medicine. What makes it so cool, is that the medical engineering companies are located right next to the campus. Students are constantly interacting with companies and applying what their learning in their courses. We got to take a look at some of the equipment built to test heart valves and related devices. We even had a chance to see a total artificial heart! Although, one of my favorite things there was their 3D printer. They have the technology to print almost anything with almost any material. For example, an aortic arch made of chocolate. That's right ladies and gents, deliciously sweet and tasty chocolate arteries. It was nice to FINALLY see some engineering related stuff on this trip. I realize this is a biosciences trip, not a bioengineering trip, and that there are students pursuing med school, or vet school, or dental school. But there seemed to be a heavy emphasis on recruiting bioengineers for this program. Seeing how devices are built and tested was a good experience, and hopefully next years' engineering students will be able to see more of that. 

The Aachen Cathedral was nice as well. It's home to the shrine of Charlemange and the tallest gothic windows in the world. That's all I really have to say about that. 

So I went online to see some of the professional photos taken from the Bonn Marathon and would like to share some. Needless to say, I was having an intense moment towards the finish line. Kudos to the photographer for catching this. 

until next time...