These last couple of weeks have been the craziest weeks of my life. I'M IN GERMANY! Seriously, though, for not having all of the clubs, labs, and busy work from College Station, I find that I have even less time to relax and stop to take in my surroundings.
First of all, public transportation is not my cup of tea. I do not enjoy having to get up an hour early to get to school, nor do I enjoy waiting 30 minutes to an hour to get a train ride home. On several occasions, the bus has even left Gunnar and I when we were standing at the bus stop. Living with our host family makes up for it, however. Mariana and Chico, although they are very different, they both seem to enjoy hanging out with us and care about our well being. Our host mom is also very kind, although I think she grows tired of having to cook so much to feed us (Sorry mom!).
Last weekend, we traveled to Aachen to learn more about the Cathedral built for Charlamangne, as well to meet ENMODES to discuss our project. We are tasked with designing a method to remove bubbles from a paracorporeal lung assist device, which seems both very challenging, yet awesome. A group of us, Sarah, Caleb (from now on referred to as Cal), Lauren, Reagan, Elaine, Gunnar, and I took a weekend trip to Brussels. The city was amazing! Belgian waffles are not overrated by any means: slap on some Nutella, bananas, or ice cream, and you are sure to experience something amazing. We spent the day going on a tour of the city, seeing the peeing baby among other things, and eating as unhealthy as possible. I think my favorite part of the city, however, besides the amazing architecture, is the fact that St Michael is one of the patron saints of Brussels. Michael, the Confirmation name that I took on, has been a very important name to me throughout my life in the church. My parents were married in St Michael's Church, I was baptized there, and my religious life really started at St. Michael's. Knowing that my Saint was watching over me in such a beautiful city made me feel so much more connected to the city, and I have to admit that I was reluctant to leave after the trip was over. Brussels also has one of the widest selections of Trapest beer, and thanks to Cal's recommendations, I had the best beer of my life, called Trapest Blanc. It was an amazing weekend with great company.
Upon arriving home, Gunnar and I met our host brother Andre for the first time. He was very nice and genuinely seemed to want to hang out with us, although he was very sarcastic (my second language). We went out with him several times, played FIFA until one in the morning on a couple of occasions, and I can't wait to spend time with him during Karneval.
This weekend, seven of us, Elaine, Reagan, Kendal, Maddie, Hannah, Gunnar, and I went to a small little schlos town called Cochem. It was a very relaxing and quiet town, and since it is still winter, most of the shops were either closed or undergoing renovations. We spent the weekend touring the city, visiting the castle, and going wine tasting. Although I am not usually a fan of wine, I really enjoyed the ice wine, although it was way too expensive to buy. That night was one of the best nights of the trip so far. We all spent the night drinking wine and having a great conversation about religion and faith, and I am thankful for getting to know my friends better through such a talk.
Today is Gunnar's birthday, and I am thankful to have such a great friend. I anxiously await Karneval, and I hope to have even better stories to share next week. God bless Germany.
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