It's Berlin baby!!

The week following Karneval was a typical week in class. However back at the house, everyone in Shawn and I's family was home and we celebrated both of our birthdays Wednesday night. That was a special night, we didn't leave the restaurant until 10:30 for our 7:30 reservation. Debatably one of my favorite things about this study abroad experiences is the opportunity to stay with a host family, and on nights like those when we all talk for 3 hours are such great experiences. Our host brother also had a holiday all week, so the entire week we all hung out and have gotten really close, especially after wednesday night. We introduced him to GroupMe and now talk all the time with him. Whenever he is home he is good at giving us a break from our studies and challenging us to FIFA, which I beat him for the first time this week! It was a good night.

The following weekend Kendal, Madison, Shawn and I all went to Berlin. We had quite a bit of extra time compared to normal because we arrived early Friday afternoon and departed late Sunday night on a flixbus. Moreover, I can say Berlin has been my favorite trip so far. Friday night we walked around the city (learned how to read a map) and visited the Topography of Terror: a museum about the SS and their operations. The museum is built on top of the foundations of the old SS/Nazi HQ, so while reading about the horrific things of the SS you stood right where they held operations. On top of that, we saw a portion of the Berlin Wall and saw Checkpoint Charlie. All of these were very eye opening, from tragedies caused by the SS to the history behind the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie. Its something studying the horrible crimes of the Nazi's in the States, but standing right where they planned those crimes is something else indescribable. Hearing about a wall that was put up to separate Berlin is one thing, but actually seeing this wall and touching it is something else. Hearing about Checkpoint Charlie and the infamous Tank confrontation that could've started World War 3 is one thing, but proudly standing next to Checkpoint Charlie is something entirely else. These experiences were very eye opening for me, in that I was proud, not ignorantly, but proud of the positive impacts the United States had made on Germany. To stand at these sites was an indescribable feeling, something I encourage everyone to go see for themselves what its like, I'm changed by it. So much has happened and its just the first night.

Saturday we got a free walking tour and saw the beautiful city of Berlin. Some of the things we saw were Museum Island, Berlin Dom, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, the ground above Hitler's Bunker, The Berlin Wall, The Topography of Terror, Brandenburg Tor, Humboldt University, the location of a book burning during the Nazi Regime, all the while hearing Berlin's history and talking to some other really cool Americans also studying abroad. After this spectacular tour on a beautiful day, we visited the Pergamon Museum, containing artifacts from Babylonian and Roman time. I basically got to touch objects that came 600 years before Jesus and decades after him, an incredible feeling. Afterwards we had to study and had a relaxing night.

Sunday morning we checked out and went through a really neat local art market and saw some really awesome art. My favorite was this lady that did a multi-frame piece with abstract city buildings vanishing into a central vanish point. I need to go through an art market to decorate my house whenever I get one. After this we went to the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe and explored the museum. Another reminder of the tragedies of genocide. The exit of the museum lead you to the center of the giant memorial,

From the picture it seems each block is about the same height, but the ground descends more as you get to the center, creating this illusion. Walking through the memorial was a powerful and profound emotion I can't describe... I felt confined and lost, and that even though I saw a way out I couldn't leave. These emotions helped me to understand what the artist was trying to convey with this memorial, a reminder of all the lives lost in this genocide. 

After the Memorial, we went to East Side Gallery and saw some famous art works along the long strip of the Berlin Wall, another amazing piece that is known worldwide for its history and art. After this we studied at Starbucks and took a night bus back to Bonn!

Its 00:17, and in about 4 hours Ill take a Taxi to the bus stop to get on a plane to Vienna for a week, I am really excited! We will see some really amazing museums as a program I am excited!

This Berlin trip was amazing, I would definitely go back. It was an ESSENTIAL step to my growth in understanding the bigger picture of life. It makes me proud to be an American and know that we have helped with these Germans in pain.