What a week!

Wow. I’ve been in Bonn for a week and have already met so many great people. From other students in the program to my host family to people I’ve met exploring the city, everyone is so friendly. My host family is fantastic; I’m happy to be living with them. My host family includes Christian, Andrea, and three of five host siblings: Titus, Franz, and Luise. They are a very outgoing and fun group of people, and man they can cook! We’ve had seafood pasta, barbecue, and Indian curry to name a few. I am certainly enjoying my stay with the Bewerunges.

  

Our first excursion to the Mayschoß winery along the Ahr was a blast. I enjoyed learning about their storage and fermentation process as well as their methods of growing grapes using hybrid wine sticks. A tour guide led us on a hike up to a scenic overlook of the valley. We had a delicious and quite German meal afterwards consisting of potatoes, pork, and sauerkraut. The view was gorgeous despite the fog, and the wine tasting was a pleasant experience.

On Saturday, our program explored Rheinaue park as part of a scavenger hunt activity with other AIB students. It was a beautiful area with lots of things to see. We walked by the Bismarck monument, Spoon Forest/ Löffelwald, and Japanese Garden. It was slightly chilly out, but we were all warmed up with yummy pastries and glühwein afterwards. I hope to go back to Rheinaue park sometime again, as it was a charming place to walk around. There was a welcoming party at the AIB later that evening. It was nice to spend time with other students and their host families.

We traveled to Aachen on Tuesday this week. The excursion began with a meeting with Enmodes to hear about our device design project. Afterwards, we ate lunch and had some time to walk around the city before a tour of the Aachen Cathedral. We saw Charlemagne’s throne, several of his relics, and incredible mosaics spanning the ceiling of the church. Aachen has several cafes and chocolate shops throughout its old town. I loved the cobblestone roads and medieval architecture lining the streets.

I’ve been so wrapped up in excursions and activities that I almost forgot the study aspect of study abroad. School started on Wednesday. It’s hard getting back into the mindset for schoolwork. Despite this, my classes are interesting, and I’m especially excited to start learning German. We have a fun weekend planned in Cologne, and I am excited to see what awaits in my next week abroad.