The Goodbyes Begin

Week 15: Part 2

Monday

               I woke up from the floor at the hotel in Berlin and jumped into the bed once Ryan had left for his flight. After some time, we all walked out to get breakfast. It was so nice to not be in a hostel for once. The food was great and I felt pampered. Lindsay, Adriana and I had a flight at 4. I had wanted to get some sightseeing out of the way, but there wasn’t much time to go far, so I ended up enjoying the weather in the Tiergarten, just reading on the benches and soaking up to sun.

               We got to the airport and after some mishaps and getting on the wrong bus, we found a train from Porz to Bonn and I ate dinner at Adriana and Lindsay’s. Afterward, I headed to AIB for wifi to finish my presentation slides for Biomedical Engineering society. I went home around 1 am.

Tuesday

               A couple months ago, I wrote a blog about a family that resembles my own. I started to miss those three little girls and their parents, so I made plans to see them again on Tuesday. I made it to their house for dinner and played with them on their trampoline. I practiced my German and helped them with multiplication and geography and by the end of the night, they asked me to please read them a bed time story. My heart melted. I snuggled into bed with them while I read them Cinderella, and as I finished they asked for more. I read them Ratatouille and told them I was finished and they begged me to stay, holding onto me as I tried to get off the bed. Their mom came in to take a picture of us, and I continued talking with the parents and host daughter until it was time to go. Their mom told me they were asking for me the next day and wished I could stay forever. It was nice to feel like I had the little siblings I always wanted. Maybe one day, I can visit them again and see how much they’ve grown. I wonder if they will remember me.

I also went to see ENDGAME ON TUESDAY!!! I love that movies come out earlier in Germany, because I could flex on the Americans. It was a great movie, even though it meant we wouldn't be home to sleep until 5:30 in the morning. I woke up for Wednesday class SOLELY due to Kevin's accountability.

Thursday

               We went to Bingen and Andernach on Wednesday- one of our last group excursions for the semester. Bingen was gorgeous and the view along the Rhine was calming. I didn’t care much for the activities, but I thoroughly enjoyed looking out over the hills and vineyards. I didn’t enjoy going straight to math, but it is what it is, and it was our last day of class- so it was bittersweet to see Dr. Roque Sol for the last time.

Friday was a long, long day. The weekend was spent reviewing and studying for our physiology test on Tuesday, stressing over a math test Wednesday, and neglecting our 211 exam and homework.