CHAPTER VXI

I can hardly believe that there are only around two weeks left. Initially, when this reality set in, I was kind of disappointed that there is hardly time left to see and do and experience much more. But the more I thought about this whole situation, I realized that the next time I come to Europe it will likely be around two weeks. So instead of writing it off as two quickly passing weeks, I can figure out how to fit in some last things in -- in spite of studying for finals!

I am very excited to see friends and family back home, but I don’t in any way feel like I need to go home. Since I haven't been travelling these past few weeks, I have felt more settled in. Lois and I have been discussing a lot about what we've learned over this whole semester and what we'll miss most (but that will be for a later post). I am really interested to see what I miss the most once I'm back in the U.S. for a bit.

The major highlights of this week were the Cherry Blossoms and gelato. The trees and the Altstadt and in Beuel have been in full bloom all week, and most days I took some time to walk through the areas. This week was also the first I've tried Eislabor. It is supposedly the best ice cream in Germany and among the best in the world; it certainly is delicious. I've tried blueberry, coconut, stracciatella, and strawberry throughout the week; they were all fresh and creamy. Both blossoms and gelato are pictured below, and my plan to wait to eat until I got a nice picture did not pan out.

Another fun discovery in Germany is the Eiskaffee, which is coffee and ice cream. That treat was also nice during this week. The main project is over, but with finals next week, I have a lot of studying to do, so I am staying in Bonn this weekend. Plus, I want to make sure I see most of Bonn since I've been here all semester. 

Bonn had a giant flea market this weekend. A giant portion of the Rhinaue (a big nature park by the South bridge). Most of the stands were used items, but I found a few that were selling some handmade goods! There were also lots of food and snack stands! In total, I spent almost two hours walking around and still didn't see everything. The whole area was packed. Apparently, residents from the nearby cities also come, since the market is so big. We found a couple fun gifts to bring back for family. 

I had dinner at Darby's house and got to talk to her host mom some. She is so, so nice. She first offered us some gelato as a study break before dinner. (Also, dinner was potatoes and cold fish so that's a new, but not bad one). We spent a lot of time talking about A&M and comparing it to the schools her sons attended. She also shared some about the different areas of Germany she has seen. For the most of the time, she's lived in the Rhineland area. She spent some time in Munich, but didn't like it quite as much because of the distance from family and dialect. Germany seems to have a much wider range of dialects for a small geographically area when compared to the U.S.

Random Takeaways

Warm weather makes people friendlier :)

A dice is a Spielwürfel in German, and the Spanish speaking barista was in fact asking about the word for dice in English not in German -- oops.

Lois and I know almost nothing about what our lives will look like post-graduation; this conclusion stemmed from the discussion of if we could ever live in Europe long-term.

It is hard to refuse 1 Euro scoops of Gelato. 

Introspection can be a challenge.