I think it is safe to say that I am part of the family and I couldn't be happier about it. I now hang out with my brothers almost everyday, and message with their friends like I've known them for years. On Friday night a few of my host brother's friends came over and we listened to music and had a barbecue like I was back in Texas. We had more then enough food to feed all of us and we all just sat around a table, grilled all kinds of meats, and talked about anything and everything you could think of. Once it stared to get cold, my host brother lit the fire and every huddled around it and just enjoyed the company of friends. The only down part to this amazing night was that I had decided to join my host brother to Munster, where his organization would compete in rowing...leaving at 7am. We did not go to bed that night until around 3-4am and got a great nap before having to wake up.
Munster was a lot of fun, I got to what a rowing competition is actually like and when we got a break, I got a guided tour by my host brother of the main city. Munster is the "bike city" of Germany, but is a very nice and higher class living city. I got to see the main cathedral which has a two story high organ, antique clock, and very cool cubical like sections of the church where you could pray. The weather on the other hand however was a completely different story, I got to see all 3 seasons looped over and over in 15-30 minute increments. It would go from hot and sunny, to cloudy and misty, and then very cold and hailing or snowing, back to warm, over to cloudy, and you see where I am going with this. All in all though it was a lot of fun and was very humbled that my host brother invited me and let me help out with preparations where I could.
We then started our two hour trek back to Bonn in a hurry so that we could make it to a community "flat/house" party in Colongue. We made it back to Bonn in time for the friends we were going with left, and after staying up the night before and waking up early we had the mindset of not staying out so late.... but of course that never happens. I had a wonderful time meeting new people that could speak English or understand the little German that I knew. We danced around, acted like fools, and had a good time before making our hour long journey of walking to tram ride to bus ride home. After stopping to get ice cream, we got on one of the hourly trams, took the 40 minute night bus ride and made it home around 4 am. Of course I slept in on Sunday morning.
Each weekend is a new adventure with my host family, and being one of the brothers it makes this study abroad trip even more special. I am sad to think that I will be leaving in one week. I never imagined that one trip could have such an impact, but with the people I have met and friendships I have made, it will be like leaving my family to go home. My host family has made this trip more then I could ever have asked for, and I can't wait to come back and visit them or they come to Texas to see me.
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