Biosciences Bonn: {Bonn}afide Europeans

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” OKAY OKAY. It was ALMOST always the best of times. It’s been a little over two months (maybe 3..I’ve taken way too long to write this) since I left Europe, and in short, I MISS EUROPE SO MUCH!! When I got back, I spent time with my family and traveled to College Station and Austin to catch up with some of my friends that I hadn’t seen all semester. I loved seeing all of them, and of course, they all asked me how my trip was. Naturally, I responded with “Europe was great; I loved it SO much!” They would ask me what my favorite country was, my craziest and most memorable experiences were, and how many times I ate gelato! I would try my best to give a good answer, but just as Dr. Wasser said at our first orientation for the study abroad program, it was impossible to fully describe the semester with words. I mean, seriously! I had traveled to over 25 cities and 11 countries all in the span of four months!

How could I explain to them what it was like to live with a new family for 4 months, or get lost in Bonn on the first day, or climb the tallest cathedral in Germany, or even winning the most legend…wait for it………...snowball fight in Vienna? I mean, are words enough to describe what it’s like to visit Cinderella’s castle? How do you explain why getting candy thrown at you is a fun way to spend an entire weekend? Maybe I could start off by telling them about the Eiffel Tower? After all, almost every person knows what that is; yet, the surreal experience of looking over the City of Lights from 1000 feet above ground is indescribable. The Mona Lisa was truly a 500-year-old masterpiece, but the Cliffs of Moher were just as beautiful. And just when I thought that I had seen it all, I stumbled upon an 800-year-old Irish pub. I even spent 3 hours on a chilly Friday morning hiking up a 4,000-foot mountain! What else could I possibly ask for? I found a new love that was there for me everyday (LITERALLY!) and never let me down: Gelato! Of course, staying faithful to Gelato was one of the most difficult things I had to do all semester. The 5 Euro currywurst and 3 Euro Pom Döner called to me everyday, and how could I possibly resist?? Among my many firsts, I ran a half marathon and participated in an International Big Event; I also had the opportunity to visit a couple of concentration camps, which really opened my eyes to one of the most devastating events of human history. As the semester progressed, travels only became more frequent; I visited the amazing city of Amsterdam, a mix of history, religion, and fun. Switzerland was as everyone says, beautiful and expensive! Luckily, I was able to paraglide for the first time (and hopefully not last) in my life and admire the beautiful, snowcapped peaks of Mont Blanc; on that Easter weekend, I lost some of my fear of heights and a whole lotta money, but it was all worth it! And just when I thought that I had seen it all, I traveled to the city of Budapest where I ate tasty Hungarian dishes, spelunked in a cave several hundred feet underground, and bathed in the infamous Szénchenyi thermal baths! Among all of my weekly adventures, I became the best of friends with all of the other students studying abroad; I slept an average of about 5 hours a week for the entirety of April. By offering assistance to move a table, I even befriended the nicest German lady that I had ever met. There was just so much that I had done and seen, how could I accurately describe this all in words? Even in this very moment, I wish I could say more about every one of my adventures/experiences I listed above. Of course, among all of the fun, there was a lot to be learned this semester. As an engineer, I learned about differential equations, signals and systems, the history of medicine, physiology of several organ systems, and how to design an oxygenator for a German medical devices company. As a person, I learned how to be more independent on a daily basis. Of course, that’s what college is all about, but living independently in College Station and in Bonn, Germany is a completely different experience. In my time back in the states, I have found that I am a lot less dependent on others when making a decision. Now, I absolutely love traveling! However, as I initially stated, it was both the best and worst of times this semester. Of course, you can see why it was the best of times, but with good, there’s bad. At times, I found that I could do everything right, I could overachieve, but it would not ensure success/happiness. I went out of my way to make things perfect for so many people, classroom assignments, and weekend adventures, but many times, it would hurt me more than it helped. In fact, it seemed that if had done the bare minimum to get by, I would have lived a stress free semester and benefited more. Many people would tell me, “Do less. It’s less stress for you. Perfection isn’t worth it.” And I wish I could have done that, but it just wasn’t like me to put in minimal effort. At one point in time during the semester, I could not wrap my mind around this. I asked my close friends and family, “What’s the point of trying your best if it never works out? Why try so hard to get hurt?” Everyone would say, “It’ll make you a better person. You’ll learn so much more even if things don’t go as how you expected.” To this day, that’s the best answer that I’ve stumbled upon. Just do your best and whatever happens, happens. I guess that’s the best anyone can really hope for! Enough with this depressed topic though! All in all, my semester abroad in Europe was one for the books. On paper, the experiences and memories I’ve made this semester cost about 25 grand, but in reality, it was priceless. I could spend 10 times that, and it would never be the same. In a few years, I could redo every weekend and every city, and I’m sure it’ll be a great time. I’ll have a lot of fun, but it would never compare to this past spring semester. The people I got to know and travel with this past semester really made the trip unique. Being able to explore another continent with 25 other students for the first time over the course of 4 months is truly something special. I wouldn’t have had it any other way, and I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I’m so incredibly grateful to be able to go on this trip. When I talk to other people who were on the trip with me, we joke about the past semester; we joke about when so and so did this and that. And other people just look at us and ask, “Why’s that so funny?” And honestly, we can’t explain why. You really had to be there! It’s just something that none of us will ever forget, it’s something that we’ll reminisce about when we graduate, when we make our first paycheck, when we have our own families, when we meet back up in 30 years. They say a picture is worth 1000 words; I’ve never really understood this saying, but now, I think it’s worth even more. When I look back at the numerous adventures captured in photos, all of the memories from that moment flood my mind. I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world. Thank you, Europe.