Week 14 in Shelter in Place

Hallo from College Station!
I'm still in College Station, waiting for life to return to normal. Governor Abbot just announced that the shelter in place will expiring on Friday, allowing for restaurants to open at 25% occupancy, as well as some other establishments. Bars and major attractions are still not allowed to open, but it is a positive sign towards returning to normal. There's a lot of debate on whether or not it is acceptable to open, but I think despite this, it is a reasonable plan. He said that there will be increased testing after Friday, and if there is remotely a spike in cases, we will go back into shelter in place. I'm sure it will spike again, whether we open up now or in a month. I just cannot wait for life to get back to normal, as much as it can. The Texas A&M Chancellor just announced today that he plans on classes going back to normal and is hoping football can happen. Thank god! I miss my Texas A&M Football! This week is finals, but since I only have Physiology and History of Medicine I am not that worried. The weather has been gorgeous so I have been spending a lot of time outside. I've been bad about working out due to being around friends, so hopefully I'll get back to it after finals. Till next time!
Bis Bald!

Week 10: Back at Home

I arrived back to College Station on Monday night and my boyfriend picked me up from the Houston airport and took me to his house. I wasn't allowed in my own house for 2 weeks because I had been in Europe, which is quite ironic now considering that the US surpasses all other countries by quite a lot, especially Germany. Anyways, my first week back home was exciting for like an hour until I realized I would have to shelter in place the entire time. Then the actual, government mandated shelter in place took effect and I still couldn't leave. And here we are. Who knew this would happen?

Week 9: Spring Break

Honestly, writing these posts even a month after the fact depresses me. Spring break 2020 was one of the best weeks of my life, however, only before I discovered that we would be sent home early. The day before we discovered we would be sent home, we were in Lisbon, my favourite city in the world. we went on a food tour that I had recommended and I remember quite vividly almost crying because I was so happy and so content. It really sucks to look back at it because I now know that the next day would start a panic in me that would cost me about $500 and a lot of stress in order to get back home. I was so stressed out when we had to find flights back home. Especially since the airlines decided they would charge upwards to $2000 for flights back home. I really miss Europe and honestly I wish I didn't have to write blog posts because it just reminds me of the current situation.

Finals Week Last Week

This is my last full week. My enmodes project presentation was last friday and it went very well. I was nervous about the presentation but i am pleased on the feedback we got. This whole semester that project with enmodes was the most interesting thing we worked on. I enjoyed seeing the finished product and all the praise we received from our professors and the people at enmodes. I am glad it’s finished but it was a fantastic real world project that gave me tons of experience. 

I have multiple finals to study for this week. Tomorrow is my third vtpp exam and i plan on doing well. I want to get an A in this class so grind time is in session baby. 

I’ve been at the lake all weekend. It has been great i absolutely love the lake, especially when there is such great weather. I enjoy sitting outside, doing hw and looking out over the lake. It’s very peaceful and helps me get into a study mindset. When this semester is over i plan to come here quite often. When summer is over i’m going to be as tan as spongebob in his beach episode. -Golden Brown

I miss a lot of my friends and i kind of want to go to college station to check on my apartment, but i suppose the lake will do for now. 

I have been spending a lot of time with my family. I think it’s important to spend time with family because when you’re younger you don’t realize how special, unique and fun your parents actually are. They are basically the older versions of myself and I enjoy doing thins with them a lot. I no longer want to take time with them for granted. 

I have to finish strong and next blog i write the semester will be over so then i will tell you if i exceeded met or failed my expectations.

So until then peeps

Love y’all 

stay safe

stay in school

and stay away from bad men with candy in the van kids✌🏼

Texas Week 6

Enmodes presentation week!
I went back to Dallas this week because I wanted to and I needed nicer clothes to wear for the presentation, and it was nice to be alone for a bit. I spent most of my time working on the DHF and slides, but it was fun to work with the team and honestly not as difficult as I think Dr. Wasser built it up to be. I've never been in a group that worked together so well, and it was cool to experience everyone pulling their own weight, especially in a group of 8. I think our presentation went super well, and I'm so grateful to everyone on my team (Enrique, Cody, Katrina, Bri, Michael, Kaitlyn, and Olivia) for working so hard to pull everything together, and I was really proud of the fact that the Enmodes guys barely had any questions for us and seemed to really like our gimbal idea. Shoutout to my YouTube addiction and the Jenna & Julien Podcast for making me aware of the existence of gimbals so I could contribute the idea that we ultimately used! It's a little sad because it feels like the whole Germany program is coming to an end with this project, and even though we've been at home for weeks, I don't want it to be over. I got to go back to the barn after the presentation was over, and it's always nice to see Carlie, Allison, Natalie, and Snickerdoodle, although I still wish the circumstances were different. I also got Sherman's tail from Allison, which she cut off and kept for me when he passed away in late July. That was hard, so it's been a pretty emotional weekend. I'm grateful that everyone in my life is still healthy and that the pandemic hasn't had the chance to affect my life beyond sending me home.

Week 13 in Shelter in Place

Hallo from College Station,
I finally made it back to College Station after almost a month of being back. I finally got reunited with my roommates/best friends and I am so happy to be back with them. I bought an expensive inflatable pool that we set up in our backyard and we are very excited to use it to enjoy ourselves during the summer. We are on the last day of preparations for Enmodes, and boy is it a lot of work. However, I am feeling pretty good about our project. I am excited for the final presentation to be over so that we can have time to focus on med school applications, finals, and the final booklet. Things are slowly opening back up across the country (like super slowly) but I think we are making progress. Thank god for fancy marg machines to get through this.
Till next time.
Bis Bald!

Week 11 - Still Quarantined

This week has been uneventful. Being stuck in quarantine, I haven't done much except read and go to class. Zoom classes started this week, and needless to say, there is a reason I don't do online classes. I'm struggling a little to adjust to the online format, and staying organized has been a little bit of a challenge for me. I miss everyone and actually physically being in class, but I know this is all because we're trying to stop the spread of corona virus. My city declared a Shelter in Place to start this week, which means a lot of non-essential businesses are closing and the ones that are open have limited staff. I'm fortunate enough that I am considered an "essential worker" as a vet tech, so when I'm out of quarantine I will still have a job. I will hopefully start working as soon as possible to save up for vet school.

Week 10 - Back in Texas

I left Germany for Texas this Monday. Needless to say, I wasn't planning on being back this early. My mom and I happened to have the same connecting flight from Dallas to Austin, so I talked with her about everything on the flight home. Coming back home took some adjusting.  I was exhausted for a few days and mostly tried to sleep. Even though I'm upset about coming home so early, I am happy to see my family, and my dog who hasn't left my side since I've been home. My mom and I are both quarantined together, so we've mostly been cleaning and organizing the house to pass the time. Needless to say, I think we're both ready for quarantine to be over already.

Week 9 - London and Getting Sent Home

This week started out great. My mom and I took a train into London on Monday afternoon. The weather in London was surprisingly beautiful, but it didn't stay that way for long. The first night there, my mom and I chose to rest. The next day, we bought tour bus tickets that took us all over the city. We went to Buckingham Palace the first day, as well as Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey was beautiful, but we weren't allowed to take pictures inside the church. So many people are buried there, including Isaac Newton and Mary Queen of Scotts. The next day, we took a walking tour that included seeing the changing of the guard and the switching of the Calvary guards. We also visited the Tower of London, which apparently is a huge castle and  not just a tower. There, we saw the execution site of Anne Boelyn and Catherine Howard, as well as the crown jewels and some other armory from England's history. On Thursday morning, I found out that we were all getting sent home because of the Corona virus. I'm not going to lie, I was pretty upset at the news. I was looking forward to Paris and some of the other trips that were planned, but I know the government is calling us home for a reason. I tried to not be too upset, and my mom and I went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour. Of course, being Harry Potter fans, my mother and I were excited to go through all of the actual sets from the movie and see all the costumes and props. On Friday, we went to the British Museum. It was fun to walk through and see all of the artifacts from Egypt and Ancient Greece/Rome. I flew into Bonn on Saturday for my last weekend with my host family, and was not ready to say goodbye. I hope they all stay safe during this crazy pandemic.

Week 8 - Sickness and Beginning Spring Break

This week was a little crazy. I had three exams this week, all of this leading up to Spring Break. On Wednesday, I had food poisoning and was sick all day! My mother flew into Bonn on that day as well, so I was sick while trying to find her in the train station! I was miserable, but when I found my mom and got her to her hotel, I felt a little better. This week was also insane because I found out that I can't go to Italy with my mom because of  Coronavirus! We had to replan our entire Spring Break on Thursday night. We decided on going to Edinburgh and London! We decided to leave early on Friday morning, and we landed in Edinburgh at 9:00am. We took a bus into the city and walked for almost 2 miles to get to our hotel. (Got off on the wrong bus stop...oops!) Luckily, even though we weren't supposed to check in until 1:00pm, the hotel let us check in and we took a nap for a few hours. That night, we went on a ghost tour! The tour guide took us to some of the old churches, cemetery, and even into some of the underground tunnels. The next day, we went to the Surgeons Museum, which had several amazing medical specimens. On Sunday, my mom wanted to go to Edinburgh Castle. The castle was HUGE! The castle was broken up into several small exhibits, including the exhibit to see the Scottish Crown Jewels. Later that day, we went to the National Museum of Scotland. My favorite exhibit was Dolly. I wish we got to spend more time in Edinburgh, but our next stop is London!

Week 7 - Rose Monday and Brussels!

This Monday was Rose Monday, which was the height of the Carnival festivities! I went to Cologne to see the huge parade that was happening in the city. The floats were all so beautiful and people where throwing candy and flowers! It was amazing to see, and some of the people around us were getting really excited and shouting for flowers. It started to rain at some point during the parade, but I didn't mind too much and neither did any of the other people. On Thursday, I left to visit Brussels, Belgium. I loved Belgium so much! The city was beautiful and there where so many waffle and chocolate stores everywhere! The first morning I was there, I got a waffle with strawberries and Nutella. While in Brussels, I visited the Musical Instruments Museum and the Chocolate Museum. I really enjoyed Brussels, and hope I get to go back at some point!

JJJ

This week bro, this week right here pretty much makes the semester to be honest. Enmodes project will be finalized, the last of my assignments are due, and this is the time i need to study for all my finals. So, i’m just trying to get through this week. 

On a happy note it’s nice weather outside and i got a car wash🙃. I ate dinner outside last night with the fam, I enjoyed that 🍔. My dad and I have been working a lot around the house. Working on landscape, cleaning the deck and moving some furniture. I want to start spending more time with my parents. Sometimes I feel like I don’t spend enough time with them. 

Still hittin the gym so i’m proud of myself for that. I’m trying to really improve by the end of may for that summer bod. I have a lot of plans for this summer. I’m hoping this corona madness settles down soon. I was thinking the beach, the lake, maybe mexico🤷🏽‍♂️. 

On another note I miss the JJJ. We’ve zoomed a few times but that’s not enough😭

JJJ✊🏼

Well time to study so I’ll be back next week

Week 13

I skipped a few blogging weeks, but I will come back to them. My friends and I (whilst social distancing) made this video as we have been playing a lot of League of Legends (a horrible game) during quarantine.

Week 9 through Spring Break

Week nine was a busy yet unexciting week that consisted of a plethora of schoolwork and studying until Friday, the first day of our elongated Spring Break. Friday morning, Jen and I bused to the Bonn-Cologne airport. We quickly checked in and arrived at our terminal. The flight attendants called us to board our Ryanair flight, so we walked outdoors but were greeted by a closed gate. We waited in the cold wind for forty-five minutes until the flight crew finally allowed us onto the plane. This was only the beginning of a series of travel misfortunes that we encountered from the start of Spring Break to the end of our study abroad.

After a two-hour flight, we landed in the beautiful city of Barcelona. We took a quick Subway downtown and walked quite a few miles to our Airbnb. The room was a strange yet nice converted barbershop. We ate at a great pizza shop and had mojitos at the “best Mojito shop in the world”. The next two days were not quite as fun. We explored more of the city early in day two, until we eventually found our second Airbnb. Jen sadly got sick and slept for forty hours straight with intermittent puking in between. I did not really want to go out by myself, so I decided to watch some excellent films such as Borat and Happy Gilmore.

Early the fourth morning, we headed back to the Barcelona airport and flew to Paris. Thankfully, Jen was feeling a bit better but still puked in the airport bathroom. We had a difficult time navigating the Paris airport train system and got split up for around an hour. I wandered the airport looking for Wi-Fi that would connect to my phone but had no luck. I finally took out my laptop and turned on the hotspot so I could call Jen. We met up, checked into our hotel, and walked to the Eiffel Tower. The views from the top were fantastic, even though the day was quite cloudy. We ate Nutella crepes, which are close to the best crepes I have ever had. On the final day in Paris, we toured the Louvre and witnessed the most beautiful paintings I have ever seen. My favorite part of the museum was an indoor corridor filled with fantastic marble sculptures. Overall, the Paris experience was far greater than that of Barcelona; however, Paris is a much dirtier city. Later that night, we found out that out trip had been cancelled. The next two days involved more unfortunate events that led to an extremely poor travel weekend back home.

*Me on the top of the Eiffel tower too scared to lean all the way back

Weeks in Quarantine

Now that I’ve been home for weeks, I feel like I’ve gained a new routine which is good. I have multiple tests these next few weeks, so now it’s time to put my at home studying skills to the test. I have grown to like online classes quite a bit. Zoom is a great program and I love to use it recreationally to talk to friends or to create a study group. It works great! Even after this virus hysteria passes, I may still continue to use zoom.¹
I got kicked out of a basketball court yesterday by health officials. My brother and my best friend were the only ones at the basketball court with me, so it made me kind of angry when the health officials said we had to disperse. There was no one who could receive or give the disease to me because there were only THREE of us. The official just said it's the mayor's orders. I miss being able to go play basketball or doing things in public. It’s sad how scared and fragile our community is. I can’t even imagine how bad things would be if coronavirus was more deadly.¹


Anyway, that’s all I've got for this last week sooo, i’ll update y’all next week. Hasta luego!
- Jen




Works cited: 

1) Gibbs, Jack. “Still At Home.” Still At Home, 30 Mar. 2020, biosciencesbonn.blogspot.com/2020/03/still-at-home.html.

Week 14 in Texas

This week we had an exam, I volunteered at the food bank a couple of times, and had more zoom classes. I also went to the park with my friend and we kicked the soccer ball and caught up which was nice. I've also been playing Animal Crossing, a game I used to play when I was little. I don't really know what to write about because I do almost the same thing every day. I also tried the Peloton because my grandma got one and that was pretty fun. I'm grateful I get to use that since all of the gyms are closed.

Week 13 in Texas

This week I was back in Austin. Sheltering in place. Zooming. Going outside once a day. That's pretty much it. My boyfriend came to visit me for a day and then I had Easter weekend with my family which was nice. Hmm what else, I mowed our lawn and my grandma's lawn, I know, I know, more excitement. I'm doing okay, but I am getting pretty bored of staying at home so much.

Week 12 in Texas

This week my quarantine ended and I went to College Station to see my boyfriend for the week! It was definitely a bright spot among the last few weeks. I officially didn't get corona virus during my time in Spain which is also relieving. Zoom classes continued this week, and since I am officially corona virus free, I started volunteering at my local food bank on Saturday. The amount of families in need of food has sky rocketed due to the pandemic which definitely puts my situation in perspective.

Week 11 in Texas

This was my second week of quarantine and first week of Zoom classes. Quarantine is not so bad, going outside and running or biking is helping me stay sane. My boyfriend's birthday is this week and I can't see him until I am officially out of quarantine so that stinks. That is pretty much all that is going on, Austin started a shelter in place order so I don't think life outside of quarantine will be much different because of the order. Nothing too exciting.

Texas Week 5

This week was more of the same. I've been watching Little Fires Everywhere with my family, which has been fun. Online tests are weird because I strongly prefer using paper, especially for multiple choice, but I think classes are going well enough. Enmodes stuff has been picking up a little bit, and the DHF is a pain, but it's not like I have much of anything else to do. I'm still at Ranchenberg (yes, that's really what we call it) and it's cool to be with my family because they're really laid back. I love having my sister here because she was living in Chicago for a couple years and moved to Phoenix in January to work for Intel after getting her masters, so I've missed having her around, especially since she won't have breaks in the summer and winter anymore. I've done a few yoga classes with her, and I'm always super impressed by how good she is, especially when I can barely touch my toes, but she did get a whole yoga teacher certification in Spain, so it's not shocking. I've accepted that this whole "quarantine at home" thing is what everyone is doing now and I can't do anything about it, but I'm still not happy about it, mostly just resigned.

Hello Again

Well i usually try to blog on mondays but i forgot to this week so i am doing it today. My tests last week were surprisingly disappointing and i’m gonna need to step it up to say the least. Next week might be the hardest of all weeks this semester. I have enmodes project due next week and all my finals the week after . It’s somewhat frightening to think my toughest week is now upon me. After alll, I have definitely felt like every week has been a bit of a struggle but it’s time to buckle down and get pst the finish line strong. On the bright side, I have yet to get infected by covid, so that’s good news. I’m still working out and doing daily chores to help my family but next week is going to be all school. I almost want to quit and sleep for a week butttt that’s not gonna help me get an A on my phys exam. We’ll talk next week;)

Texas Week 4

My sister's birthday was yesterday, and it was nice but weird to celebrate in quarantine. Same with Easter. John finished the tree house this week and his family baked A LOT of desserts. One of his daughters is really into Tik Tok, so she's been trying to teach me dances, which is fun. Overall, I'm still pretty bored and all of my days look the same. I did go for a run on campus and it was nice to be there. I'm feeling better but not great. The situation still sucks.

Pictured: my dad weeding the driveway with a flamethrower

Week 12 in Shelter in Place

Hallo from Shelter in Place again,
If you were to tell me that I would be sitting in my room in Galveston during Easter, I would have laughed at you. I was supposed to be in Interlaken, Switzerland this weekend, skydiving, kayaking, hiking, and everything in between. The weekends are the hardest for me because I can't help but miss all the adventures I should have been on. However, I know I can go back one day, hopefully sooner rather than later. So today is Easter, and I am spending it with family 6 feet apart and studying for the Physiology exam tomorrow. What an exciting day. Shelter in place has been extended to the end of April, including the beaches and everything else. I am keeping myself busy with studying, classes, working out, cooking, and hanging out with my sister whom I am grateful to have seen. I think Tuesday, I am going to head back to my house in College Station to ride out the rest of this mess. That way I can see my roommates/best friends who I miss so much. If I decide to come back home and see family, I will quarantine myself for another 2 weeks in their condo, so it is a hard decision to make. Governor Abbott said that this week he will be released an executive order to start opening things back up. I took this as a positive note, but hopefully he doesn't open things too soon to where it creates a worse situation for us in Texas. Until next time!
Bis bald!

No Changes No Title

Hello again,

It’s your favorite blogger🙌🏼

So, this week i’ve been pretty lazy because I feel worn out. Even though i’m in quarantine classes are just piling on the work load and tests like our entire life revolves around it. I’m trying to keep up but i’m feeling pretty burnt out to tell you the truth. The first two weeks were fine and then after doing many assignments and three exams my brain feels a little fried. I know there are only 3 more weeks and i need to keep my head down, so I will do my best. I have been trying to keep up with a routine exercise plan. It feels good to go outside, shoot some hope in my driveway or do a garage workout. My diet has been healthier too, with lots of fruits and veggies in my meals. I’m feeling pretty good today physically, now i just need to get my mind right. I am going to the lake this weekend so maybe that will help to give my mind spirit and body a well deserved rest. I can’t wait for this semester to finish and quarantine to end. I look forward to what each week brings and i am excited to share my troubles and adventures next week.

Until then✌🏼

Week 11

This week was very typical. I was still in my self-quarantine and class started. I was under the assumption that classes would be easier as it switched to purely online-based learning. But I was wrong. It was the same workload with no free Fridays off, but thankfully they have rewarded us with Good Friday off! Although we engineers can take it, I am just jealous that all my other friends and brother are taking it so easy. It is just frustrating. This week we caught up on all our classes and have a couple of tests next week, BMEN 253 and DiffEq. I have been studying and catching up on some TC serries. Also, the insanity is kicking in a little, barely leaving the house and seeing the day of light. Check-in next week if I still survive.

Week 10

After getting the stunning news of my study abroad being canceled, I returned to Germany. Over the next days, I packed and made flight bookings. Both my host family and I was stunned and sad that I will be going home early. We had our last meals together, 6 feet apart, and celebrated my birthday and the times we had. Finally, the bookings we made and I was prepared to return home. One would think that the worst was over, but it was far from that.

The day came that I would be leaving and I woke up late. I had 10 minutes to get ready and freshen up to get catch my cab to the AIB. Thankfully my host mom woke me up and I caught it. We then put our bags in the van and drove to the airport. We arrived at the airport and I struggled to carry 4 bags, as I also took my Kevin's bag. The check-in process was not easy as I had to pay for Kevin's bag at a different kiosk but then I got passed security. I then got on my flight thinking all the hassle was over. My flight was from Frankfort to Toronto and then straight to Houston. The flight to Toronto was seamless and I slept through most of it. When I arrived in Toronto I got a text from Canada Air saying that your flight has been changed. I was shocked. I went to the help desk and asked them about this change. They said that my flight was moved to the next day and it was redirected to Dallas. I asked if they were going to accommodate a hotel for me and they bluntly said "NO." I then called my dad and he booked me a hotel near the Toronto airport. I then realized that they had to redirect me to Dallas as I needed to be screened. But then the shocking news arrived. After arriving in Dallas, I did not go through any screening so I was frustrated. Finally, they rebooked me to Houston and I got home after 36 plus hours of travel. 

I got home and had a great sleep in my own bed. Now the 14 day quarantine begins :( 

Week 9

Unfortunately, this was the worst week out of all. A mix of ups and downs but ultimately leading to a permanent leave from Germany.
It all started out great, the start of spring break! Originally, my plan to meet my brother in Italy and explore Rome, Pisa, and Venice. This was fastly shut down due to Covid-19. Thankfully, my father was able to change his ticket and book it to Spain, thus, we met in Barcelona, Spain. I arrived the night before he arrived and checked into our hotel. I did not do any self-exploring as I needed to catch up on much needed rest. He then arrived and we started the roll. On the first day, we rented scooters and did some sightseeing. We indulged in the church (La Sagrada Familia), Park Guel, La Rambla, and Mercado de La Boqueria. The next day we chilled at the beach and played some beach volleyball. The following day was March 10, my birthday. I celebrated it with my two men, my brother and Matt! A couple of the other study abroad students also joined Langley, Olivia, and Micheal. I had such a great time.
The next day, my brother and I flew to Madrid. We checked into our hotel there and chilled for the rest of the day. Over the next few days, we explored the Royal Palace, Plaze Mayor, and El Retiro Park. The next day is when it all went downhill. My brother woke up early and got breakfast and while he returned the words came out of his mouth, "Zaheer, your study abroad is canceled." At first, I did not believe him but then over the next few minutes of reading emails and GroupMe I learned that he was correct. I started preparing both my family and host family for my return. My brother flew back to the states while I returned to Germany for the last time this year.

Texas Week 3

My whole family went to our house in Bryan this week and my mom's cousin and his family are here too. My uncle John is building a tree house on our property, which is really cute and overlooks a little creek. I've mostly been doing school stuff and hanging out in my room watching Netflix and YouTube videos, which has been a bit boring but it is what it is. I've accepted what's going on more, but I still wish things were different. These blogs aren't the most interesting because my life really isn't that interesting at the moment. I think that's true for everyone in quarantine. Talking to people who weren't in the program is frustrating because they don't really *get it*. I don't hold that against them, but I'm tired of hearing "at least you had fun while you were there!" and "you'll go back!" when I'm supposed to be seeing Saint Motel in Paris and taking a history of medicine tour in the Louvre. It's not really comforting to hear platitudes when I know that I'm missing out on two full months of what started as the best time of my life.

Week 11 in Shelter in Place

Hallo from Galveston!
I am back home back home, and out of quarantine! However, life isn't too exciting outside of quarantine because of shelter in place. However, it is nice to just be able to go outside, go to the store, pick up something togo, see family, and actually get some aspect of my life back. I headed back to Galveston after our last day of quarantine so that I could see family. I picked up my sister who flew in from San Francisco to be with family during these crazy times. We are eating all of our favorite food back home including Whataburger, Chickfila, wings, tex-mex and real frozen margs, sushi bars, breakfast burritos, and much more. (all delivery or pick up of course). The pool is also open here so we have been able to enjoy some much needed outdoor time. The beaches are temporarily closed right now due to the influx of tourists on the island, so hopefully that will open back up to us residents soon. I plan on catching up on school, med school apps, family time, working out, eating good, and enjoying the outdoors whenever I can. Then I will eventually head back to College Station to go back to my home.
Bis bald!

Week 10 in Quarantine

Hallo from Quarantine!
So, I still have another week in quarantine, but at least classes started this week so it gave me some aspect of normalcy and something to do. I had never been so excited for a class before to keep me busy. I am also keeping up on working out (marathon here I come), cooking new meals, and lots and lots of Netflix and naps. It's kind of hard to stay positive throughout all of this, especially coming from the best experience of my life. However, I like to remind myself that if I hadn't got sent home, I would have spent 8,000$ to quarantine and not be able to leave my host family's house. At least now, we got 7,500$ refund, so I am putting some aside to go back next summer. My host family is planning on coming to the U.S. next May for my college graduation, so I am very excited for that. Sorry this blog is short and gloomy, that's kind of all there is for now.
Bis bald!

Week 9 in Quarantine

Hallo from Back Home,
So as I told you last blog, we unfortunately got sent home from the program due to the seriousness of the Corona Virus Pandemic. Coming from a high risk CDC level 3 country (all of Europe) we were required to self quarantine for 2 weeks which really wasn't as fun as traveling throughout Europe. However, I tried to stay as positive as I could and focused on trying to stay productive. I got on a good workout routine, cooked for almost every meal healthier options, and started working on medical school applications. I watched a lot of movies, read a lot of books, and cried occasionally. Now I am headed back to Galveston for shelter in place with my family until I decide if I want to go back to College Station at all. At least I can finally go to the grocery store. I never thought I'd see the day in my life that the most exciting part of my day was going grocery shopping or going on a run. Until next time (hopefully I'll be more positive for next time)
Bis bald!

Week 8: The Start of the Panic

During this week is when things with the coronavirus started getting more serious. If I recall correctly, we had about three meetings this week concerning it, and there happened to be a couple hundred cases in the Rhine. At this point, we were all speculating that there was a possibility that the program could be cancelled if it got any worse, and we supposed that it would, we just didn't think it would happen so quickly. I desperately wanted to at least go to Spring Break in Spain because I didn't want to lose all the money that I had already spent.

But besides the escalation of the coronavirus, nothing particularly enthusiastic happened during this week. I had my German final and a 211 Exam this week and I spent the majority of my time in Bonn studying for it. It was the week before Spring Break so all our professors usually give us a ton a work to finish off before we go, and Germany professors were no exception. I did what I had to do academically wise, yet I still don't know my grade for said exams even 3 weeks later.