The day it all ends

The day it all ends

I spent my last few days enjoying Germany. On Saturday, Mitchell, Emily, Madeline and I went to the Claudius Therme in cologne. We swam in the thermal baths before for a bit before heading to the sauna. It was unusually cold so the warm baths felt nice with the cold air. At one point, a worker kicked up the speed of the whirl pool. The water swished in circles carrying us along with it. Finally, we managed to pull ourselves out of the current and to safety. In the sauna, things became slightly uncomfortable. We had learned in a history of medicine lecture that Germans sauna in the nude. However learning about it and experiencing it are two different things. My friends and I decided to keep our towels on. Partially because we were raised that nudity is inappropriate and partially because seeing each other naked was an awkwardness no one wanted to endure. We felt a bit out of place wrapped in our towels. All the other visitors embraced the german custom and clearly disapproved of our prudish behavior. After taking a few saunas, we all desperately wanted to cool off in the pool. We discussed the fact that we were all going to be doctors and that our upbringing was the root of our discomfort to conclude that we should just go for it. We dropped our towels and jumped in. Needless to say it was definitely awkward. But, I’m glad we did it. We only had a few days left in Germany and it was time we fully embrace the culture. After the sauna, we headed over the dom for dinner. During one of our first weekends we had eaten at gauffel brewery. 

Sunday madeline and I spent finishing up school work before the semester officially ended. I had made the poor choice of putting off all my blogs til the end which is why the quality randomly decreased. That night we enjoyed a meal with our host family. It was one of my last meals with them but I wasn’t going to let me sentimentality ruin it. After, madeline, Naja and I went up to Madeline’s room. We drank wine and listened to music as madeline and I packed. We had become so close with Naja it felt like she actually was my sister. It’s weird to think that she has been such a big part of my life these past months and I may never see her again. No matter what happens, I will always remember our time spent around the kitchen table laughing, talking and roasting each other. Sunday night I slept on the trundle of Madeline’s room. Madeline and I had spent basically every minute together since leaving Houston. I feel really lucky that I met her during the first week of classes in the fall. I can honestly say that she is my best friend and this trip would not be what it was without her. 

Monday morning we met at the bus stop for the Rhine cruise. We had a two hour bus ride to the cruise site and I dozed off the whole way. I’ve gotten pretty good at being able to sleep during transportation. We grabbed breakfast at a little cafe before boarding the boat. The cruise itself was really relaxing. We sat on the roof to get a good view of the Rhine valley. The mountains looked like bushels of broccoli. When we arrived, the forest was jut a collection of large sticks. But now that spring had arrived, the trees were thick and luscious. After the cruise we had a delicious lunch of pesto gnocchi. Then we hiked up to the only unconquered castle along the Rhine, Marksburg Castle. We followed the tour guide through narrow staircases and damp halls. We saw the knights room, kitchen, torture chamber, stables, gardens and canyons. I was surprised to find out that the knights would use the restroom with the door open in the center of the dining hall. They did this to ensure they didn’t miss any important information during meetings while using the toilet. After the tour, we re-boarded the bus and went back to Bonn. That evening consisted of more packing and blog writing. Not the ideal way to spend our last moments in Bonn but it had to be done. 

Tuesday was rather bland. We went to the AIB to complete course evaluations and exit interviews. The mood was heavy. Our time in Bonn had been like living in a movie. No one was excited to go back to reality in the states. After everything was done, a small group of us met in the hoftgarten one last time. We talked about our memories since arriving and how much we didn’t want to leave. But we all promised to reunite back in college station to help each other stay sane. That was my last day in Bonn. 

Wednesday I woke up at 2 in the morning. The bus to the Frankfurt airport was at 3:45 and Madeline and I had to walk three miles to get to the bus station. Thankfully we brought Madeline’s luggage to the old AIB while the teams were running so we didn’t have to lug it across the cobblestone in the middle of the night. I kept my luggage at Astrid’s. I had one final trip planned before going back to the US and Astrid kindly offered to store my luggage for me until I returned before leaving for good. We got to the airport and said our goodbyes to everyone. Tears were shed. Somehow, madeline and I got separated. Our flights were in different terminals and we never had the chance to say goodbye. This was probably for the better because I would have cried if I had to say goodbye to her. Emily and I printed our boarding passes and we’re ready to go to Croatia. We had an awesome trip planned. Our itinerary covered the majority of Croatia and I was super excited. We boarded the plane and took off for our final adventure. 

The last few days has put me in through a rollercoaster of emotions. At high points, I’m picturing reuniting with my family. At the low points, I’m remembering how amazing my time was in Germany and how much I don’t want to leave. These last four months were probably the best of my entire life. I got to travel all over Europe with my best friends. Not many people get to say that but I will be forever grateful that I can. The memories I have will stay me for the rest of my life. I already know that I’m going to struggle to find words when people ask me about my experiences. I feel like it is impossible to summarize the events that occurred this semester. There are so many details, people, places, smells, sounds, tastes, feelings, and sights that simply cannot be put into words. Pictures aren’t much better either. To truly understand this grand adventure it needs to be experienced. Looking back on when I first headed to the airport I remembered how excited I was. My expectations have been filled and exceeded. Unfortunate my study abroad ends here but this journey will continue forever. 

I love you Germany. Thank you for everything. I promise I will be back. This is the day it all ends and I am heartbroken.