Back to civilization.

After three months of being back in Texas, I finally made it back to civilization and internet in College Station.

Since I got home, it seems as if I never even left; I thought the transition would be more difficult coming back. When I think back on the spring semester, I am surprised by how much I miss despite how ready I was to be back home. And now that I'm back in the Texas heat, I regret ever saying that Germany was too cold.

Overall, this was a great experience. I learned a lot and gained skills that will be useful to me as I start my journey through veterinary school. I am grateful that this program allowed me to take classes to keep up with my degree. It did make traveling more difficult at times, but it was worth it.

I definitely want to go back and see places that I had to pass on and go back to some of my favorite locations. This trip has definitely changed how I view Europe. Even though we don't agree on everything, I have a new appreciation for it.

Texas vs Germany

I've always loved Texas, and I honeslty hadn't considered living anywhere but this wonderful state before the spring semester. However, Germany made me realize that I shouldn't limit myself to these borders. College Station has been my home for 21 years, but living in Bonn made me realize that I can live in unfamiliar places that are out of my comfort zone.

When I arrived back in Texas, I was extremely excited to see my family and friends... but I was actually hit by a wall of mixed emotions when I met with them. I learned that nothing really changed at all while I was gone. I was sad because I was expecting more, but happy because I had not missed anything. It's weird how you can leave for four months and expect your little town to change just to find out that the only difference is that there is more construction. Lots of construction. Besides this realization, I did not experience the "culture shock" I was warned about multiple times... Just like I didn't experience it when I moved to Bonn in January. I went right back to my normal life, but I was not the same. I learned things that I will use for the rest of my life.

I was not expecting to feel so at home in Germany, I think about Bonn all the time. I met so many different people while I was traveling, and it really is a shame that I won't be abe to travel again while I'm young. One thing I do regret is not learning German well enough to speak it... I think the program could definitely use a better teacher in the future.

I know I have to visit Europe again, but I also know it won't be any time soon. I have many more years of school ahead. Who knows, maybe I'll even live there for a short period of time. I would definitely go back in a heartbeat!

My Re-assimilation

The last morning at the Hofgarten, just before our bus arrived.
So long German frisbee friends.

http://biosciencesbonn.blogspot.com/2013/01/adventure-time.html
This is my final blog, revisiting my original post. It certainly is something being back. After living in Europe for the longest semester ever, I made it back home. The adventure was seemingly over, and time for another typical college summer. I didn't know what my summer had in store. I was excited for it, but also surprised by how it's turned out so far.

I was also surprised by how many bags I returned with,
having bought the brown one the day before the flight,
and the blue from Italy.

As I was riding back to Austin from Dallas, I started mulling over things in my mind. Like how did I survive without my phone for a semester. Calling friends and family and setting up times to reconnect. I stayed in Austin, and immediately ate at Plucker's for some good ol' fried chicken and sweet tea. Priorities. But I wasn't sure what was gonna happen. Searching for a job and research, I drove to Tennessee to support my friends from my last summer job.

A shot of LSU's campus
The warm climate, Cajun food and
southern humidity was a nice change

As I returned from Tennessee, I stopped by LSU (because it was on the way?) and had some good ol' Southern comfort food as well. Currently, I'm taking summer classes and doing research with a program from Texas A&M. Day to day I experience the differences, I experience Germany again and again.

My favorite response to "So, how was Germany?" is definitely a somber "It was alright." It usually gets my friends going, and gets their attention too. But while I'm just joking around with them, it also has some awkward ring of truth. I feel like I never really left Germany, nor did Germany leave me. So for me to describe it as being over, doesn't make much sense. It's more than just a 5 month period of my life.

In my political science class, State and Local Government, a few times Germany came up in my mind. Out of this 300 somewhat classroom of students, has anyone been abroad? How was the public transportation? As we learned about state and local taxation, I couldn't help but think about Germany. A class conversation was started about income tax. Texas A&M has very stubborn conservatives, defying progressive taxes, and strong liberals, vocally arguing for compassion. 

All the while I'm thinking of the 40% income tax my host family paid for those 5 months - and still pays as I'm gone - the 2000 euros that my host brother received for unemployment as he searched for a job with his economics degree. Just like all these students looking for a job right after college, my German host brother graduated, and ended up with an unpaid internship for lack of a better option - some would say the unemployment benefits from higher taxation were a good thing, as anyone had ever met Rue knows. To have an explicit idea of what unemployment looks like - good or bad - and of how people can survive with higher taxes is eye-opening during these kinds of political discussions.

This new perspective comes to me on the daily.  After my psychology class as I read the textbook and two supplemental books, it reminds me of the poster I have of Sigmund Freud from his old house in Vienna, pinned to my wall. The biochemistry professor that traveled to Germany I see once a week in the hallway walking to research, and the pharmacology professor's face on the front page journal I walk by, the same face that joined us in Germany. The 4th of July fireworks that paled in comparison to the "Rhein en Flamen" firework show set to Beethoven, on the outskirt of Beethoven's hometown. The research I partake in every day on the algebraic modelling of Patent Ductus Arteriosus, and the incredibly coincidental and integrated benefit of both the cardiopulmonary-physiology and computer programming (operated from my own laptop) I learned in Germany. The student lecture presentation I created for a congenital heart defect with a classmate one Sunday at our host families dinner table, and how we just mentioned the possibility of that procedure being used as a reference for our research paper as we start to write it.

It's like I can't get away from it. It's like I don't want to, nor does it need to. It's not something that even could be taken away, nor could it be forgotten.

Today, at a taco shop, I was drinking my long-missed sweet tea and enjoying my paradoxical neurology book (and no doubt thinking about Freud again). An older man walked in with a little bit of a limp, and talked to the manager as he waited for his tacos. Their delightful conversation ended soon, and the older man makes his way out to his handicapped parking spot. Driving away in his big old truck, the manager talks to the cashier and lauds the older gentleman that just left for his achievements, personality and attitude towards life.

To think I had been in that Ottobock factory, that building in Duderstadt, where that older man's prosthetic C-Leg was designed and created. That I had held that man's leg in my hands as I spoke to another amputee that helped design it and wears it. He droves away in his American Dodge Ram Truck, with a little piece of Germany pushing the pedals. 

And that's when it hit me.

Jéssica Denise Orobio, World Traveler.

Rewind. Pause. Play. If I were to go back to the day I left Houston, press pause, and resume upon my arrival four months later, I'd be right where I am now. I think about Germany most days. And my heart fills with a great mixture of feelings. Moments of happiness, surprise, fear, anxiety, thrill, love. All of the feelings I have experienced here, except to a higher power. I quickly convert those feelings into gratitude rather than nostalgia. I am forever thankful for all of the wonders my eyes got to see, but I wish not to dwell on those moments for too long. Instead, I grab a hold of the energy spur and apply it to the duties here...such as work.

Work. My internal clock was all kinds of crazy when I returned to Houston. I remember eating some delicious, authentic tacos and fighting sleep every bite. It was quite the spectacle for my family to watch. The day after, I began working for Aramis-Estée Lauder as the Michael Kors/Coach/DKNY representative, and had 9 (or more) hour-work days. Summer session I kicked in soon after and I was in school everyday from 1-5:15 p.m., meaning, most of the fruitful day. With summer one over, I intend to finally set my focus on studying for my MCAT. In other words, I have kept myself busy. 

Busy, but not ignorant to everything I lived while in Europe. I find myself having conversations with friends and strangers about cities our eyes have shared. I love leisure reading, and references such as: Haribo, St. Germain stop (in Paris), or Kaffekultur trigger wonderful memories. I have made time to reconnect with old friends. It's always a challenge to get the conversation started as there is no one-word to fully embrace my irreplaceable experience, but once I start chatting, it's hard to make me hush. Much of the talking includes words such as: I highly encourage...time of my life...once in a lifetime...do it!...and so on. My enthusiasm spills onto my companions. I can tell by the way they light up with my excitement. But my words do not do it justice. I recommend everyone to travel and see a little bit more than the place they call home. It's easy to associate your home to the place you were born and raised, but home can also be attributed to places where growth was on a more autonomous level rather than physical. The passage of years is another concept that shouldn't be mistaken for growth. I can say from personal experience that I learned a lot about who I am, what I want, what I really need, and ways to achieve it in the four months spent abroad. I would be lying to say I haven't also learned a lot before, but the fresh perspective, the new start, the break from the quotidian, all pushed me to stretch in areas that begged for it.

Choosing to attend A&M was the best decision I have made to this day. And I know that this trip strengthened the area of decision-making as well. (those occasions when time was of the essence and quick decisions were a matter of life or death...just kidding, kinda). And so I think back to the speech Dr. Wasser gave in BMEN 101 as a freshman (yes, I was once an engineering major), and I am very proud of myself for deciding to make this trip a reality. College Station has blessed me with many opportunities. My family, friends, and God have helped make them possible. But I did this trip in particular for no one other than myself. Embarking on this experience brought forth an overflow of opportunities for independence, exponential academic growth, focus, and internal, even moral realignment. I look to the future with a higher sense of confidence. I feel like I can better adapt to changes, and most of all, I feel more connected with the world than ever before. The people I met, my wonderful host family that I still keep in contact with, my professors that were truly mine (and not 500 other student's too), and the locations I hold dear will be carried on forever. 

Tschüssey!

Alles gute,

Jéssica Denise Orobio, World Traveler.

P.S. Don't spend too much time being a tourist. Rejoice in hidden gems and you'll be a certified traveler in no time as well. (:

P.S. #2 Find a place of your own to call home. It may be your current location. It may not. You can't be sure if you don't give it a chance.

I've already been home for two months?

When did this happen? I feel like yesterday I was leaving class to grab fruit at the market and go hang out at the Hoffgarten. This semester went by faster than anything before, so if you are reading this and thinking about going, my advice to you: Don't blink. Not only was every week and weekend jam-packed with travel and expeditions, but you gain an entire new family of students in your major. I knew a couple people on the trip very periferally before going, and now I honestly feel like these people are as close to me as family. It would be an injustice to not recommend this program to any underclassmen I know. Not only do you gain an international perspective on life and medicine (most students were pre-med/vet) but also a semester with nothing but GREAT professors (when will that ever happen in an undergraduate career again?). On top of that, traveling every weekend with friends all over Europe and experiencing as much as you can. Any one aspect of this program makes it worth the time spent away from College Station and the cost, but together, the experiences and education you receive is priceless. I can't stop telling "Back when I was in Europe" stories and getting crazy when my friends say things like, "Oh I want to study abroad, but its so expensive," or my personal favorite, "I just don't want to spend that long away from home."Absurd. You're 20-21. This is the chance of a lifetime that you will be talking about for a lifetime. Do it.

Reflection Time

So since I’ve gotten back to the states I’ve had to do some adjusting. I miss public transportation, the weather (I got to wear a lot of cute cold weather clothes), the different culture,  seeing history around every corner, my host family, the beer…., and the food, ahhhh the food. But I can finally eavesdrop on people again!! I miss Germany a lot but it does feel good to be back with my friends and family.

My four months abroad were some of the best times I’ve had. I met a ton of wonderful people and got to go places and experience things a majority of the world doesn’t get the opportunity to explore. I’m so grateful. But I did come back with a lot more than stories. I gained a lot of confidence when I was in Germany. Between planning trips and meeting new people all the time I started to trust myself a lot more. I’ve always been shy but I think I was really able to grow out of that during my time abroad. Being thrown into new situations all the time really helps you find out who you are. I think I also have a better grasp on who I want to be and how I want to portray myself to other people. I don't have any regrets although there are always situations where I think I could have handled something more gracefully. But I guess that’s just part of the learning process.

I hope to go back someday. I definitely have the travel bug!! 

Home Sweet Home!

I'm not sure what I expected when I landed back in Dallas, TX after spending four months abroad, but I will say that I definitely did not experience any of the "reverse culture shock" symptoms. I was able to pick things right back up from where I left off, and was studying for my MCAT my second day home. To be honest, I sometimes have a hard time believing I lived overseas at all. It just seems so surreal to me, how on earth could I have lived in another country for four whole months?! But scrolling through the hundreds of pictures that captured those priceless memories confirms that this adventure did in fact occur. I will never forget my time spent overseas, regardless if my memories seem like dreams, and I know I have made friendships that will last a lifetime. I could not have asked for better roommates, I'm not sure this trip would have been anywhere near as amazing without them. We had our little support group when times were difficult, and they were truly the best travel partners!

Landing in Frankfurt that first day, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I would like to say that I was fully prepared for everything that I experienced, but I would be lying if I did. There is no way to fully prepare to leave your friends, family, (and for me, my horse) for four months to live in a foreign country. But I feel like everyone felt the same way, a little nervous, a little excited, a little lost... but overall I feel like Bonn became like a second home. Words could not express how excited I was to leave on that last day, and how ready I felt to come home in those last few weeks, but now looking back, four months really wasn't very long at all. I realize as I jog around College Station, just how much I miss getting jog along the beautiful Rhein River, and being able to just walk to school. (Don't get me wrong, I LOVE having my car back!) People ask me all the time what it was like over there, and I really don't know what to say. No matter the words I use to describe it or pictures I show them, no one will truly understand. Did it have its ups and downs? Of course, everything does, but overall do I regret going? No. Not at all. I wouldn't trade my time over there for anything. Though when people ask me if I would do it again, to that I'm not so sure. Perhaps if I didn't have so much staked here in America, with my friends, family, and especially my horse, then of course I would without a second thought. At least with people you can communicate, but with Corona, I was forced to miss out on an entire four months of his life. When you're used to seeing someone or something everyday of your life, and suddenly you can't even drop by for 10 minutes to give him treats, it's very unstabling. So that fact alone, I don't think I could ever leave the country for that length of time ever again. (Unless of course, someone decided to send Corona with me! :D) But like Lauren said, I too, definitely have the travel bug. I am so grateful to have be able to see all of the countries I did, but there's so many more places I have yet to go! (And not just in Europe!) Living abroad provided me with so much more than just a cultural experience. I now know that I can successfully plan my own trips to other countries, and can navigate around without a problem! I am still so impressed with the people I met, and how nearly everyone (except my host mom of course haha) spoke English. Although my German is slowly fading, there are times where it still comes more naturally than Spanish for me. Academically this program was taught in a very effective way. I really enjoyed all of the professors that joined us, and loved the AIB staff! (Although I would NEVER reccommend that students should have SEVEN tests in their final week of school!)

The opportunities afforded to us as a group could not have been better, we were so blessed to be able to travel and see and do everything we have at such a young age; I can't thank my parents enough allowing me to embark on this unforgettable adventure. I remember thinking those four months would be the longest four months of my life, but looking back, they were by far the fastest and the most remarkable. To anyone that is considering studying abroad, I would highly encourage you to do it! There is no better way to learn than to experience things first hand, and living in Germany definitely provided just that.

Home, where the music's playing...

Hello all,
Germany was so awesome, I had to bring the best part of it back with me.
I was back in Texas for a month before classes started, with nothing to do, and wondering why exactly it was that I actually came back.
On June 1st, Tania, the German girl I had succeeded to convince to be my girlfriend while I was living in Bonn, came to visit for the Summer. Summer has been a lot better since. The experiences and points of view that changed inconceivably over the time we were there became suddenly noticeable. The American culture that had before showed no fallibility, started showing nonsensical aspects. Still, there were definitely some parts about America that I had missed. Tania made me notice these more. Whenever we go eat at a restaurant, she is amazed at how nice the waiters are.
What has been a rough transaction is the size of Texas compared even to the size of all Germany. In College Station, where I would feel at home and all-right having nowhere to go, now I feel the need to travel somewhere. With the pretext of showing Tania a good time, we've been traveling a bit. But this led me to a question to which I did not like the answer... What is there to see in Texas?
Nothing much is the answer. Especially in the Texas Summer heat. The question that had come up in Germany, "why don't I go out for walks like this in Texas" gave itself a harsh answer, "Because of the heat, you Idiot!"
The options of going anywhere in College Station were exhausted within a few days. Then we went to Austin, Houston, and Galveston. Then we went camping at Inks Lake which was actually really fun. Now we are going to San Antonio, which I believe is the best-looking city in Texas.

I would recomend the Germany trip to anyone and everyone,
Good luck,
Francisco Nunez

Können wir zurück?

According to the study abroad website, most people experience a reverse culture shock upon returning back to the States. It’s described as being an equally as emotional time as when we left for our trip. It was definitely weird the first few days, however, I felt like I picked up exactly where I left off before the trip. Nothing had changed at home and I barely had any time to relax before my busy schedule picked up again in College Station. I think being extremely busy made for an easier transition, but all in all, I was pleasantly surprised about adjusting back to my life back in the States.

Towards the end of our four month adventure, despite how much fun it was, I could not wait to get back home. I missed my family, my friends, life in College Station, driving, independence, and much more. But, of course, now that I’m back, I miss Bonn so much (especially the cold weather)! It feels like a dream or something when I look back at all my pictures. It was such a surreal experience and I’ve really enjoyed telling everybody about my excursions and life in Bonn. But at the same time, it’s frustrating because most people will never fully understand how it feels to live with a host family in a foreign country for an extended amount of time. I’m glad I still stay in contact with friends who went on the trip and we can reminisce together. Regardless, I will be telling stories to people from my semester for a long time to come.

My expectations for the trip were absolutely met. There were parts of it I wasn’t quite prepared for (nor could have been prepared for), but overall, I have no complaints. I feel like I’ve become a better-rounded person because of this trip. Socially, I have already found that travelling is a great way to connect with people and opens up numerous opportunities for developing relationships. It’s fun to share experiences with people who have been to places I have. Academically, I feel like I gained knowledge I would have never been able to in Texas. It was literally an out-of-classroom experience that provided real-world applications. I’m also a more confidant person in my abilities to basically manage on my own, whether through navigating, planning trips, or just adapting to changes. Culturally, I learned more German than I realized, was exposed to a lot of new foods, met some of the nicest (and most interesting) people, and learned a lot about European history and the history of medicine. My aspirations of entering the veterinary field are still strong and although there were not as many veterinary medicine aspects as I would have liked, it did not discourage my goals.

If I could financially afford to go back, I would in a heartbeat. I made some life-long friendships and definitely caught the travel bug. I would love to go back and explore northern parts of Europe and maybe one day, revisit the major cities I went too. But in the meantime, I’m content with having tons of fun this summer and enjoying my last month as an undergraduate at A&M!

Back in Tejas

The overall Germany Study Abroad experience was amazing. Not only were the sights and sounds we experienced great, but the friendships and bonds were unimaginable. This trip will probably be the only time in our lives where we had to grow close to people in a country we knew nothing about. Before we left way back in January, I saw the trip just as an excuse to go to Europe. Now, 6 months later, I see that was just the bait but the hook was the unforgettable experiences while we were there. Some of the greatest moments were being lost or not knowing what to do and having to take adventures and risks. This trip changed me by showing me how to think for myself and how to think on my feet. I now realize that I can make decisions in situations where decisions need to be made. As for my thoughts on my profession and the world in general, I now see that it is no longer fine to think about the world as just the tiny bubble we live in in College Station, or Texas, or even America for that matter. We live in a world where everything affects everyone. I now view my decisions and my future goals on how they impact the world and all of its citizens.

Thanks Germany,

Zach

Back In Texas

Well after nearly four months of Germany's chilly weather this year it was been the complete opposite here back home. We did not see 60 degrees till almost two weeks before we the end of the semester and I do not think it has been under 60 degrees any day since we have been back. Getting used to the Texas heat was not bad for me and it did not take me long to get back out on the water! It was not even a full day back home before I took the boat out with my brother and dad. A fishing trip was long overdue. Looking back on my trip abroad it truly is remarkable everything that I got to experience and learn. It was definably a once in a life time trip that I will never forget. I can remember towards the end of the semester there was a few of us that were ready to be home with our family, friends, and everything we were accustomed to, but now looking back I have realized just how much fun I had overseas. I even mentioned it to Zach the other day after class and he agreed. There are so many memories and friends that I made that I will never forget. Thinking back to this last semester never fails to make me smile. I could not of asked for a better roommate in Zachary Stone overseas and we really did make the most of our trip and I feel as though we fully embraced the experience and had a blast with it. From the "God Blessed Texas" music video we made, to the Dude Perfect marshmallow video,  or to sledding in Zurich, Switzerland. Not to mention all the unbelievable cities I got to visit or all the medical things we had the opportunity to do. The list goes on.

Post Program Blog

After arriving back in the States and getting re-acclimated to the College Station life, I can finally evaluate the semester abroad experience as a whole.  Upon first arriving in Germany, I wasn't sure what to expect.  My host parents quickly helped me to become comfortable with the area by showing me around the town and introducing me to some of the cultural subtleties.  As I grew more confident in my navigational abilities, I began to explore the town and its surrounding areas.  The city of Bonn has a lot to offer in terms of food and socialization if you know where to go and the neighboring city of Koln, Germany's college town, is just a short train ride away and also proved to be a great place to socialize and meet new people.  The program excursions were a great opportunity to experience some of the culture Europe has to offer and, more importantly to me, provided supple opportunities for academic growth.  As a pre-med biomedical engineer, I found the trips to the medizinche hotschule (hospital), the biomedical research facility, and Ottobock to be extremely relevant and interesting.  All in all, I found the semester abroad experience to be completely worthwhile and I believe it helped me to grow as a person both socially and academically.

Return to Texas

It's said that you don't truly appreciate something until it's taken away from you.  This summer I've been discovering the other side of that phrase: you appreciate things a lot once you have them back.  I will never look either public transportation or driving around the same again, and always get a huge burst of happiness when the Texas sun hits my face.  I've even learned to appreciate things that Germany does better than the US.  Both when I left and returned, there were things that improved and things that got worse.  But in either case I've realized something else, even if I prefer a detail or two more in Europe, Texas is my home.  I hope to travel again in the future to share that experience with more people, but at the end of the day this is where I belong.

Back to Reality

So I've been back in Texas for about a month now and this heat is terrible! It's been nice seeing all the friends that I left back in January but summer school is not my cup of tea.
I experienced so much while I was over in Germany and I'm so thankful for all the people that I met who made a lasting impression on me. It's crazy how I was gone for all those months and nothing has changed here at all. It's definitely been a harsh reality check that I wasn't expecting. I knew that it would be strange coming home although I didn't think that I would experience so many emotions running through me. I've had to reevaluate different aspects of how I lived before I left and it's been tough adjusting.
I'm still getting into the swing of things with summer and catching up on all the things that I've missed.
But one thing is for sure, I seriously miss Bonn. That city will always have a special place in my heart.
I'll definitely have to make a trip back soon and visit some other countries that I never made it to.

I feel content for the time being here in Texas. But I know that I'll have the urge to travel again and get out of this state that I call home.
I saw a quote recently that I agree with that says, "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." I still have a lot of discovering to do for myself before I start getting serious with my career after college (whatever that may be). Hopefully I won't forget this and I'll start off on the right foot to achieve this for myself.

Welp, that's all for now because I've got some more studying to do.
Adios ya'll.

Berlin birthday

Berlin in one word was Unforgettable. 
Before I tell you about Berlin, let me tell you about my girlfriend Tania.
As you know from my previous blogs, I've been seeing Tania for a bit over a month. She has made a remarkable semester in Germany into an unforgettable chapter in my life. Since being with her I feel no longer as a youth with not much to care for, not much to get up for but for getting up itself, to wishing the day would never end while at the same time not being able to wait for the next one to start.  The fact that I will leave to a country across an ocean on the 7th of May is unthinkable to us both. 
But what was coming nearer as we approached the week the AIB would take The tamu bmen group to Berlin. We could not avoid it. And when I told Tania that my birthday would fall halfway through that week in which we were to be separated. She immediately made up her mind. She is coming too.
Since some of the students in the program we're going to be in Prague the weekend before Berlin, we thought it would be no problem for Tania to come in the same bus as the group and me. Thankfully, Kristin didn't think it was a problem either. 
The trip to Berlin was not very comfortable, but it would have been far worse had Tania not been at my side. Everyone seemed to be on edge studying for next week's signals exam. A couple of hours after the 9am departure, we were at the hotel. Hotel Alex. Tania would be staying in a nearby hostel because the rooms at hotel Alex are too cheap, by not cheap enough.
Not an hour after we arrived at he hotel, we met at the lobby to go take a bike your of Berlin. I used the little time we had to take Tania to her hostel, and to get some curry wurst. 
The bike tour was amazing. We saw Berlin's main attractions including checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenburg gate where we were told we would meet on Thursday morning. Our tour guide was excellent. And very knowledgable. He told us about the amplemen, which are he green an red men of the street light walk signs which I loved. He said that the eastern Germany had gotten rid of all of its soviet past but decided to keep their amplemen. 'cool' I thought. 
That night, I met up with Tania for dinner and I slept spectacularly well.
Next day was tuesday. 

more to come...

You sound like you're NOT from London...

You sound like you're NOT from London...

Easter weekend was fast approaching after my spring vacation in Spain, which was incredible. Still, the time to pass, the two weeks in between, were full of tests and projects and all-around school-stuff. There was little going on other than studying and celebrating a one-month anniversary of being with Tania. We decided to try and go to London, but did nothing of it during the first of the in-between weeks. The beginning of the second week we started to worry. Looking up the flight, we were appalled by the prices. We might not go. Then we found a cool-looking tour bus that left from Cologne on Saturday. We almost took it but then decided not to since we would really only have 1 day in London. It took all of Saturday to get there and all of Monday to get back. We kept looking, checking on ride sharing websites and couch surfing to lower the budget of our dream trip. Wednesday came and we had no plan. The next day was our ideal departure date to another country, but it was looking more and more like we'd be spending the break in Bonn. Having exhausted all our options for the trip Bonn-London, we called one last possible ride that was coming back from London early Monday. Tania spoke with him and, just for kicks, asked him if he was already in London, or when he was leaving. Thursday! Did he have room? Yes! Can we hop on? Yes! What would he charge? 30 Euros each way! That's less than Ryan Air on a good day! So we rejoiced and told our ride, Daniel,  'yes, yes, a million times yes'. We're going to London!

Holy Thursday we ran after the bus to the hauptbanhoff (which is my new favorite word) and took a train not to Chinatown, not downtown, but to Neus, the tiny town where we would meet Daniel. We ate a Durum and took off. Daniel was a nice, extremely tall German with a friend in Oxford. It started to snow as he started the car. And we talked in broken English until we got to our first of many rest stops where Daniel had a cigarette and I moved to the back seat to accompany Tania. It was cold as we crossed the border to the Netherlands, and we tried to find comfortable positions to sleep while Daniel took his Supertramp CD out of the case. We stopped at a gas station about three hours after we started, and it was freezing cold. I tried to speak German to the cashier handling a packet of cookies I had intended to purchase. Tania laughed at me (ouch) and said, "We're in Belgium, he speaks French." Half awake and confused, I succeeded to muster enough French to buy the cookies. Then it hit me, we just went through the borders of two countries! That's amazing! I told Tania and Daniel what I had discovered, and they obviously thought not much of it. This is Europe; international travel is a weekend thing.

When we crossed another border, remembering my previous enthusiasm for worldly propiolocation, Daniel let me know we were now in France. I wanted to share my excitement with Tania, so I woke her up. Droopy eyed and with a smile, she asked "Huh?"

"Tania, we're in France"

She turned her head right then left in a confused half-awakedness and uttered "...Bonjour"

As we woke up from a second nap, we were at the passport check for the ferry. We had to get out of the car in the freezing cold of the northern French coast and show our faces.

Every time I show my Mexican passport I feel special, especially when I travel with the AIB group - because they all have U.S. passports.

We went in the ferry and had a small free meal.

After the boat-ride, we drove for about an hour before we got to outer London. It was awkward driving on the wrong side of the street.

We turned and out of the corner of my eye - no!

it can't be!

It is!

Big Ben                                           

An incredibly majestic tower.

It awoke in me the same feeling that the Aztec pyramids gave me when I visited Teotihuacan some years ago.

 We arrived at our hotel really early. hoping they could lend us a closet to drop off our bags. Tired as all hell, we asked if they could give us a room early. To our surprise they could. It never hurts to ask. It was a downgrade from our booking, but we were not expecting luxury either way. We took the offer and took off to the room. Then we slept. Waking up a couple of hours later, we agreed to make the most of our London trip and not waste any time . We were hungry and we opted for the traditional fish n' chips. It was good, but greasy. The guy attending us did not really speak English. This is a phenomenon into which we ran over and over in London. Nobody speaks English - at least not proper English English - in  London!

That night we took a ride on the London Eye which was inspiring.

That night was cold and we were hurrying back to the hotel, but we  were also hungry. We found a Mediterranean restaurant and had an amazing meal.

Next day we woke up late, breaking our pact, and we took a hop-on hop-off tour. It was a lovely freezing raining typical day in London, but we braved the top deck of the double-decker bus.

The tour, we then realized would take about 4 hours.

We stopped about halfway through, frosty and hungry again, and went into a place called EAT. Because it's name screamed exactly what we wanted to do. What a coincidence. The cashier, again in broken English, gave us a couple of cake squares for free. He was nice.

We finished the tour and went to a modern art museum. It was much better than the one in Spain.

That night we stayed at a flat in south London, gracefully lent to us by a brother of a friend of Tania's.

Our last full day in London we decided to go to Stonehenge. No trip to UK is complete without it. It was difficult to find, hearing over, and over again that a bus to Stonehenge should be booked at least 2 days in advance. We thought the whole trip would cost us 30 lb. total but it cost more than twice as much because of our lack of planning. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. Oh well.

Stonehenge itself was amazing. Really worth the trip. What we did not expect, maybe a little naively, was the cold there. The sun was out, but a chilling wind was blowing. And the cold wind won, and we eventually wanted to go home. But apparently, we missed the penultimate bus back by some minutes, and the next one came in an hour and a half. So we took shelter in the gift shop. There we found some funny beanies that looked like sheep/polar bears. I bought one for Tania. And we had a great time making sheep noises and laughing the rest of the time we waited for the bus.

We made our way back to London where we wanted to check out Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station.  We were hoping to see a cool Harry Potter display, but what we got was a half-cart merging into a wall for photo-ops. Kind of disappointing. We left, hoping that it was just the Muggles trying to be magic and failing. We ate some pizza in a close-by place.

That night we packed, and the next morning we were picked up by Daniel and made our way back to our home in Bonn.

Spain

It's been a long time since my last blogs but that is not because I haven't written,... well partly, but mainly its because I started some blogs but then kept editing and then forgot about them. So I left off at the beginning of one of the best weeks of my life. And it was a bad beginning. Needless to say it got better. We did not crash entering Spanish airspace, nor did we land somewhere in Ireland or Finland where our plane was from. No; we landed safely in Gerona, Spain - an hour outside of Barcelona. This hour was quickly (as quick as an hour can pass) consumed by Tania and me in a 25 Euro charter bus. But afterwards we had finally reached our long-awaited for destination. Starving and tired, we were torn between eating and finding our hostel. We decided to head to our hostel, but if we found any good-looking cheap-looking clean-looking restaurant. We laughed because the first one we crossed was a Indian döner shop. This was funny because döners are everywhere in Germany, and they're delicious but really bad for you. Besides, we wanted to try something more Spanish for our first meal in Barcelona. We didn't find any other open place before we got to our hostel, and we were completely exhausted. A man let us in even though it was close to midnight. The outside of the hostel had marble inlays of angels which made us think we were in the wrong place since we booked the cheapest place we found, but the man assured us we were in the right place. He let us into a small room occupied only by an empty wooden desk and a staircase. He showed us up to the next floor, and into an apartment we were to be sharing with up to 8 other people. However this place was surprisingly nice. It was neat, and large, and it had a kitchen. The man showing us the room was really nice. Maybe too nice. We were exhausted and after what seemed like hours of hospitable chatter, I wanted to make him leave. So I paid him and he left. As tantalizing as sleep was at this time, we were still hungry. So we agreed to meet a couple of friends for dinner.

The next day was the best day of my life. We left early into the heart of Barcelona where we ate tapas at a cheap restaurant. Then we went to Gaudi's park in the north of the city. It is on a hill so you can see the whole city. It was really awe-inspiring. And the Gaudi's architecture is fantastic! The air was fresh with sea salt and the height of the hill, and the inhaled air from being chronically aghast was reviving. That night we went to the Ramblas to get some paeya. We found a nice place and ate too much. We were tired and pregnant with food so we decided to call it a night so we took the tram back to our Barcelona home.

The next day was the best day of my life. We woke up late - which if one can spare to do in a vacation (and it is arguable whether we could spare the time or not) can be a highlight in and of itself - and headed to the Sagrada familia cathedral. We saw an ice cream stand, and I sighed when they said they did not have pistachio. Tania took charge and took me out of that shop and around the park in front of the cathedral to find me a pistachio ice cream. I was telling her to give up when we finally found one. Two large scoops of pistachio gelato later, we were sitting on a bench admiring once again Gaudi's work. We saw the sky change colors as the sun set behind the soaring building and then headed once more to las Ramblas. We had a coupon given to us by the hospitable innkeeper to a tourist bar for a free dinner, but the food was horrible. The plate of chilly that we got was nothing but ground meat with water. We were watching the soccer game in the TV - as was the whole city - but we didn't want to stay in the restaurant. We headed to anywhere else the Ramblas area and went into a huge market. We got a couple of HUGE strawberries to snack on before dinner. We had a hard time finding a restaurant that had the a TV and seating, finding many that only met one of these conditions. We passed by a nice looking place called 4 Catos, but it had no TV, so we agreed to get a drink while we watched the game and then come back to that place for dinner. We found a little paeya restaurant and watched the game. Barcelona demolished A C Milan, and the city went wild. The waitress - who by the looks of it also co-owned the restaurant with her husband the bar-tender -  tried to convince us to stay for a meal, but we wanted to find 4 Catos again so we apologized and left. We walked to where we had seen the 4 Catos, but didn't find it. We spent close to an hour retracing our steps before we gave up and went back to the paeya restaurant.

After Barcelona, we went to Madrid.

In Madrid we saw my cousin, Susi with whom I get along with amazingly.

She recommended a hostel that was located smack in the middle of the city.

The first day in Madrid we met up with my cousin and one of Tania's friends who is studying physics and Math.

We went to a Tapas place which was nice and fancy.

Afterwards we went to an Irish bar close to the hostel, drank and ate and played pool. It was AWESOME!

Next day we slept in. We went late to the Museo del Jamon which is actually a restaurant not a museum. there are many of these in Madrid, each is as great as the last.  We then went to a park and had ice cream and talked. Tania succeeding at Spanish more than she would admit. We liked the bar so much the night before that we decided to go back. We ate and drink and played pool. And we met a person from Ohio who had just graduated and wanted to travel Europe before he started working. He was pretty cool.

Next morning we woke up and went to the Museo Sofia which was amazingly abstract. All modern art. All very weird. We met Susi afterwards to go to the Prado Museum which was amazing but a little to classical for my taste. The paintings were all very religious and that got tiring after the 6th room out of about 30. We said goodbye to my cousin and went to nice restaurant bar which we were attracted to because of nice piano music emanating from its door. The restaurant was very well decorated with art and quotes from mainly Spanish authors. We saw that we didn't feel like eating tapas again and because Tania had liked the quesadillas at the Irish bar the previous night, we went to find a Mexican restaurant. this proved to be a more difficult task in Madrid than we had anticipated.

We went to a karaoke bar, and I, along with everyone within hearing range was aghast at Tania's voice as she sang 'Black Horse and a Cherry Tree'.

The next day Tania got woke up feeling sick. The quesadillas had poisoned her!

The next day we went back to Bonn through 11 hours of miserable travel

The trip was amazing altogether even though it was sandwiched between 2 horrible travel experiences.

"That's Amore"

"That's Amore" - Dean Martin

"When the moon hits your eye 
like a big pizza pie, that's amore. 
When the world Seems to shine 
like you've had too much wine, that's amore 
Bells will ring, ting-a-iing-a-ling, ting-a- ling-a-ling 
and you'll sing, "Vita bella" 
Hearts will play, tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay 
like a gay tarantella."

ALGHERO, SARDEGNIA, ITALIA: Well, I have officially failed with keeping up with blogs. I'm sitting in the airport waiting to leave Germany for good and I'm just know blogging about my Italy adventures almost a month ago. Anyway, I have once again fallen in love with Italy in every way: the food, the people, the sun, and the lifestyle! We only spent two days in Alghero but it was definitely impressionable. Most of our time was spent laying out underneath the sun that we hadn't seen in so long, but we did get a few other things in! Here's a little glimpse!

Friday:

Late night flight to Alghero. I'm pretty sure we were the ONLY Americans, or English speakers even,  on that flight. We were soon to find out that that's because most of the island was about the same. Alghero is situated on the island of Sardenia west of Italy. It's not necessarily remote, but  it's not to touristy either, just the perfect combination of both!

After being picked up by a driver, we were taken to the little "Inn" we booked.  Turns out it wasn't an Inn at all, we were brought to our own villi/flat! It was probably the most accommodation I've had during any of my travels in Europe! We even had our own kitchen!

Saturday

After a good night of sleep we were ready to go! We walked into town in the morning following along the city walls, it was gorgeous!. The waves were crashing, the air was fresh, and the flowers were blooming! 

Okay, so maybe in this picture the flowers were blooming, but I swear they were!

Down town of Alghero was so cute! It was decked out in cobblestone and all the classic Italian architecure which gave it an old time charm, like stepping back into ancient times. 

After a little shopping, fresh made Italian Pizza (Sooooo good!), and sight seeing we were ready to go to the beach! We didn't have bus passes so that mean walking the 2 miles down to the beach but we didn't mind! That is until the rain decided to come in..... There was a reason everything there was so green and lush, because it rains everyday.

An hour and a half later after thinking we were lost and almost giving up on it all together we decided to stumble through a little jungle to get dry. Low and behold, there was the beach in all it's glory! All of our frustrations instantly melted away and everyone's mood got about 10 times better!

About 500 pictures later and we were ready for the long walk back in the rain! We had picked up food earlier in the day to make an Italian feast back at our flat and we were ready for it! The only thing that I was still disappointed about was that I hadn't found a Cannoli yet. You see, my Dad and I have had this thing going on for year. We're on a mission to find the world's best cannoli and I didn't want to disappoint him and not try a Sardenian Cannoli. Fortunately for me, one the walk home we passed a bakery. Not only did it smell heavenly but they had Cannolis!!! I think I almost peed myself from excitement... You can ask Laura and Paige who were with me. That night we gorged ourselves. Italian Pasta, pesto, sausage, and cannolis! 

Sunday

The sun finally decided to show on our last day there and we went to soak up everybit of it! Sunday morning we set right out for the beach again! Of course on our way there I picked up one more Cannoli for the walk, can you blame me? It was a super relaxing day and a much needed breaj from the cold and snow of Germany. Even after we were headed back to the airport we managed to get a little more time in the sun. There was little tiny park right in front of the airport and we took the opportunity to get in a little more sunbathing. When you've been through a 4 month winter, there is no shame.  

All of us were sad to leave little Alghero, but we had another adventure to set off on the next day. The next morning at 5:00 we were heading off to Berlin!

 

Final Week

Tomorrow is last day of final exams!

I sat in front of my computer wondering what I should study for tomorrow's oral exam. Tomorrow will be another busy day, but I really look forward to the theater play at night：What's the outcome of an entire semester of dancing and screaming?

When I got off the bus in the afternoon, I found my host sister's Maibaum on the edge of the house. It is quite large, but there is another one twice as large located right across from our house. Germans do cut down a lot of trees for love, hehe :D.

I checked my broken suitcase again, It seems like I can kind of fix it and make it home without purchasing another large suitcase. European suitcases are more expensive than what I expected.

After we return the cellphone we will get 50 euro deposit back. What is everyone's plan on how to spend it? Maybe hang out together and have a final party? Or buy some gift for others back home?

Rhein cruise

Oh man...living the life. In between exams and stress and hw and everything else, we were able to take the day off for a visit to Bingen. We visited the Hildegard museum and then had an amazing lunch right on the Rhein. The morning was cloudy so I was a little worried for our cruise but the sun came out right after lunch and the weather was perfect!! We boarded the boat and grabbed a chair and just relaxed. I was kind of planning on taking a cat nap but when there's a castle every couple hundred feet, sleeping becomes hard. Apparently Germany has 25,000 castles....and we saw about 20 just on our one and half our cruise. It was crazy. Once the cruise was over we made our way to Marksburg (1 of the 25,000 castles in Germany). We got to tour this castle!! It was up on a hill with a beautiful view of the Rhein. Once we made it to the top we grabbed some ice cream and began our tour. Fun fact: this castle was the only castle in Germany to not ever be conquered. Super beautiful castle filled with history. But back to the school world!

I wasn't thinking, I was investigating

So since I'm the token radiological health engineer I was able to spend the day traveling to the Roentgen Museum. Not gonna lie, the entire train ride, I kept thinking this was my own personal version of a pilgrimage. I mean, I'm visiting the museum of the man who basically started my degree....
I woke up on Wednesday and made my way to Remsheid (the cutest little town a little north of Koln). Roentgen was born there so it seemed appropriate that the German Roentgen Society have the museum there. Once I arrived at the museum I visited with Dr. Busch who had worked in the medical physics field for about 20 years and then decided to dedicate his time to history and education. He was incredibly welcoming and was really passionate about medical physics. We chatted about the history of the museum, how the museum works (super hands on) and what he plans to do with the building in the future. Once we were done he set me loose in the museum with an awesome audio guide. It was my lucky day. I was one of the only people there. I think I read every piece of info and touched everything that could be touched. The first part of the museum was dedicated to his personal life and when he won the nobel prize. He seemed like a really fun person. He enjoyed hiking and nature and was generally curious about the world around him (I guess what every scientist has to be). And my favorite part, he always kept chocolates on his desk; we probably would have been best friends. Some of the rooms displayed his research equipment (one room had a replica of the device he used to physically prove maxwells equations). Then further into the museum, hundreds of machines were displayed. Gammatrons, betatrons, and a portable x-ray machine for military use. That's something I hadn't really thought about before but it was really useful to locate bullets. Instead of just guessing, the doctor would actually know where to look. Good for everyone. There was also a room dedicated to the infamous x-ray parties. Yes, in the early 1900s it was a fad to have x-ray parties. The rich would rent a machine and invite everyone they knew and they would all look at each others "insides". Now we know the consequences of this so we don't get to have fun parties like that. Owell! Once I was done paroosing the museum (I really felt like I was in a candy store, it was so fun) I met up with Dr. Busch to talk about my thoughts on the museum. He started to tell me about his plans to have an interactive iPad problem solving guide through the museum and also an x-ray lab for students. Cool stuff. Like I said, he's very passionate about education. After the museum he showed me the house Roentgen was born in, then walked me back to the train station. Such a good way to spend the day! I'd definitely recommend the museum to everyone. Soo if you're ever in Germany...

Bonn Uniklink Radiology Department Visit

Last Friday I was able to visit the radiology dept. here in Bonn. I had no idea what to expect except that I was going to meet up with Dr. Greschus to talk about radiology and maybe sit in on a review of the weeks images. Well....I showed up about twenty minutes early and asked for Dr. Greschus. Apparently she wasn't there yet but would be in about 5 minutes so I was told to wait. One hour later I asked and the man told me 5 more minutes haha. So I waited a little longer and someone came out and told me they were taking me to meet with Michael. I was thinking, "who's Michael?? I thought I was supposed to meet with Susanne?" But I didn't worry about it and thought they just had something else planned for me. And they did!!! An entire day of touring basically everything a radiology dept. has to offer in a hospital, which is a ton. I started out meeting some people in the office. Everyone was so nice! But I did get the mandatory German joke... Once someone figures out where I'm from (Texas) they always have to ask if I had to leave my guns outside. They think it's hilarious and it's actually grown on me. After I laughed at the jokes I scrubbed out and was sent to the MRI room for about an hour. I saw two MRIs and got to watch the images coming into the computer. I didn't know why they were scanning the first man but the second women had been complaining of schwindel (dizziness). So she was getting a scan of her brain done to see if there was anything wrong. Everyone moved so efficiently in the dept. Each person has a job, whether it's prepping the patient or the machine or setting boundary lines on the images. They tried to point out areas of the brain to me on the computer they might look at further. In nuclear medicine there are two major paths, imaging and therapy. Now, I've kind of known that I don't really want to be a radiologist, which is imaging, I'd rather work in radiation therapy. But all of this was still really interesting!! There is still some patient work (although not as intimate) and the work seemed intersting. After an hour in the MRI room, Michael came to get me and brought me to the CT room. Everyone in the CT lab was even nicer!! CTs go by much faster then MRIs. Images can be taken within minutes versus the avg 30 minute MRI scan. So I got to see a lot. I walked into the room when the CT group was trying to insert local antesthetic needles into someones back to treat lower back pain. They were using the CT scanner to get the placement exactly right. Took about 7 different scans to finally get both needles in place but because of the speed of the CT, it wasn't an issue. After the back pain patient left they prepped the scanner for another patient. This lady only had one lung because of lung cancer. It was really cool to see the scan of her chest. One side was all air but on the other you could see her other organs. The next patient was an emergency stroke victim. Everyone was a little frantic before this scan because it was unexpected but they prepped the scanner and went about their business like usual. So by this point, I'm definitely glad I'm going for a career in medical physics. I don't think I could scan patient after patient and not really get to get to know them. The radiologists are doing a very important job but I just don't think it's for me. I want something a little more challenging and patient related. Also after the stroke victim there was a really long break because there was no one else scheduled to scan. So all of us (5 people in the lab) took a coffee break and looked up houses online (one of the workers was looking for a new place) until I left for lunch. Michael came to get me around 12:30 and treated me to lunch in the cafeteria and we chatted about differences between American and German schooling, daily life of a radiologist, and other random things. He was ready to answer anything so it was really good to get to talk to him. After lunch we toured the radiology dept. a littler more. I saw a couple more scanning machines, including one specifically for blood vessel imaging. After the final tour we went to his office and we browsed some of the scans I saw during the day. He showed me what was what on the brain scans and told me some basic differences between MRIs and CTs. He told me that anything more in depth would involve another visit so I learned some important basics.
So the MRI uses strong magnets to image atomic nuclei in the body which can then be read by the scanner due to radio frequency magnets that can alter the alignment of the atomic nuclei. Advantages for the MRI include good imaging for soft tissue, good CSF analysis and being non-radioactive always helps. However, the MRI machine shows more artifacts (elements in the images that do not exist in the person) and it takes a pretty long time to get the scan. However, Michael showed me a way to find artifacts. If something in the scan is bright and symmetrical it is most likely an artifact; however, more analysis is necessary to confirm this. He also talked a bit about FLAIR (fluid attenuated inversion recovery) which is used to null the fluid interference. There are also differently weighted scans an MRI can give. He showed me the difference between T1 and T2. For example, in the brain image we were looking at, the T1 weighted image contrasted the white and dark matter very well. The T2 weighted image has the ability to make fat look darker and water look lighter. So T2 is especially useful for tissue edema imaging. These weighted images are accomplished by using contrast agents which alter the relaxation times of atoms in the body.
CT (computed tomagraphy) are a bit different. It uses computer processed x-rays to gather 2D slice images of the body, which the computer can then create an insanely accurate 3D image of. The CT scanner is a better imaging system for bone and is completed much faster than the MRI.
All in all, my trip to the radiology dept. was amazing! Everyone tried to show me around the best they could and it turned out to be a great learning experience for me. I have high expectations for my internship this summer now. If I can learn that much in a day, who knows how much I'll know when the summer is over.