3 month reflection

 A whole summer has gone by since coming home from Germany. 

It's still almost hard to believe it is over. When I think back to all the experiences I had, the places I went, and the people I met, I am shocked it all happened in the blink of an eye. 

The beginning of my trip was very hard, I remember celebrating that I had been there for one week, terrified that I had 15 to go. Slowly but surely as I started to let go, connect with the people around me, and make the decision to try new things with an open mind. There was a moment I knew I never wanted to leave. 

I learned so much on this trip, more than I can understand at this moment in time for sure. 

Being home has been pretty chill compared to the whirlwind trip, I've been working and doing school. But even though I went back to the same world I left, it is not the same. I have this knowledge now of other cultures and places, and even the knowledge that I am brave enough to be a world traveler.

I miss my host family every day, and I miss the atmosphere of Bonn more than I thought I ever would. 

I can't wait to go back someday.

12 Weeks Later...

When I was in Germany, I missed having the commodity of a car, but now, I miss having a (somewhat) reliable source of public transportation.

When I was in Germany, I missed my hometown, but now, I miss the comparatively cold weather that I grew accustomed to in Bonn.

When I was in Germany, I missed seeing my friends and family, but now, I miss the family that we built in classroom A-8.

I can only remember the whole experience fondly, even though not everything was sunshine and rainbows. I was used to grocery shopping by myself, walking way more than I used to, and seeing the same people every day. Alas, that ended, and it was rough to readjust. At first, I felt a bit empty as my days were not the same as they were for the past 4 months. During graduation, I ran into Vic, and for a second, my mind believed that I was in Bonn again. Then, after some time spent with my family, I was able to go integrate the changes I experienced into the person I was before January, and life felt normal again. 

When I started seeing all of my friends after four months, they would ask me how it went, and all I could say was that it was amazing. I wouldn't want to bore them with all the details and long stories, but I would recommend that if they had a chance to do it, they must. Most of the friends that I made in College Station were in the last two years, so part of me felt sad that I would not get to spend as much time before we graduated, but I will never regret studying abroad.

If I could go back and give myself advice, I would tell myself to not take everything so seriously and enjoy every moment.

Three Months Later

It has been almost three months now since I got home from Germany. I have to say, the adjustment period wasn’t what I expected it to be. It took me about a week to get over the jetlag, but I didn’t necessarily mind getting up at 6am every day. Other than that, though, it was like I never left. Maybe that was because I jumped right into a busy month with graduation, a trip to Cabo, a friend’s wedding, and starting grad school. However, I did miss Germany quite a bit. I still do. I found myself constantly talking about different experiences I had, and I always felt like “that friend” who can’t stop talking about her study abroad experience. I particularly missed it when I found out another friend of mine was in Bonn for a summer program during June. Now, I reflect on my time with such joy and nostalgia, and I can’t wait to go back and visit as soon as possible!

This summer, I have been busy with grad school. The business world is quite different from the STEM world and threw me for a loop at the beginning. I did find, however, that skills I gained from the Enmodes teamwork and presentation translate well to the team projects and presentations I do in grad school. I can’t wait until I return to the STEM world next year, though. Hopefully, that’ll be in the form of medical school… fingers crossed. Anyways… we have a Spring Break study abroad for grad school, and we’re going to PORTUGAL! I’m so excited to go back to Europe and explore a country I haven’t been to yet, even though I won’t have time to swing back by Germany. Until that time comes, I am so thankful for my time in Bonn and miss it every day.

Reflection

 After being back in the states, I experiences something called reverse culture shock. I hated the hot summer and how I had to drive everywhere and I couldn't take public transportation and see all my friends everyday. I missed the cool weather and my lack of allergies. But I was grateful to see my family and to have a break from school and stress. 

This summer I haven't done too much. I shadowed a bit, decided not to study for the mcat this summer, and am getting certified as a phlebotomist. If I'm being honest I've mostly read this summer. I also went to Scotland for a family wedding and then to Iceland. If you ever have a chance to go to Iceland, you should do it. Peri and I hang out pretty much everyday. I'm so glad that we met and became such great friends because of this program. We even started a cooking blog together! (We have already made some gluten free schnitzel). It isn't ready to be published yet but will be soon. Be on the lookout for the Gluten Free Foodie(s)!

I don't really know what to write except that I'm thankful for the program and that it will have a place in my heart forever. I feel like my options for life are more broad after this program. I learned to be thankful for things as simple as being able to walk down hills (and to dread aging). I know I can live in different cultures and even make a life among unfamiliar surroundings. I am really glad I did it. Part of me wants to go back and relive it over and over again, but I also know that I'm ready to move on and take on other challenges and experiences. 

11 Weeks to the Day

     It's been exactly 11 weeks to the day since we left Germany and returned to Texas. So much has changed since I've been back, yet it's hard to believe that I've already been back that long. I remember getting off the plane, saying goodbye, and watching the scenery pass outside my window. All I could think was that it wasn't nearly as green as it was in Germany and that I felt like I was torn between two different versions of my life. It's not like that anymore though. Don't get me wrong, I still miss Germany and the routine that I had settled into there, but I've also created a new one for myself here in Texas. I'm working at a job I love, spending time with my family again, and hanging out with friends. Erin and I have stayed in touch and see each other all the time too. So it hasn't been a bad adjustment, it's just different. I'm happy with where my life is right now.

    I will forever be glad that I participated in this program and that I got to experience all the things I did. I was able to see some amazing things, learn about different cultures, and make connections that I can't imagine my life without now. I will never forget what an incredible time I had in Europe, but I have also kept moving toward what the future holds for me.

10 Weeks Home

 I MISS IT. Everyday I am grateful for the experience that I had. I am able to tell amazing stories about my trip and share what I learned with those around me. I am also so grateful for the relationships I have gained through this experience. I see Colby 3 times a week in ochem, hangout with Mason in College Station, I now work with Erin, I am continuing to work with Blanche, and Peyton is one of my best friends. If anyone ever asks me about my experience and what it is like to go abroad, I can only say positive things. I am so thankful for this program and hope that the next group of students can enjoy it just as much as I did. 

Week 16: Going home

 The last week leading up to going home was very fun and rough at the same time. I was excited to go home and see all my family and friends but also heartbroken about leaving Bonn and all of its people. Finals and Enmodes were a blur so once that was finished I felt pretty relieved only to worry about fitting all my stuff back in my suitcase. Once May 2nd rolled around, I was pretty busy getting ready for my flight. Obviously, I ran to Theos to get one last Schokocroissant (and an extra to take home for my sister). A car ride, train, and plane later I was finally back home with my family (and yes I was reminded how much I hate terminal E in IAH). After finally getting some rest and re-adjusting to life back in Texas I became even more grateful for the opportunity I had to go on the study abroad trip. Telling all my friends and family about all my adventures really showed how much I had grown over those four months. I still do not think I could thank my host mom enough for how kind she was to me during my entire stay and how much that meant to me (yes, I still miss her a lot). I've already found myself wanting to go back to Germany, so that will definitely be in my future.

Week 16

 The final week came by after the semester, and I could not wait to finish my finals. I started with the physiology examination, which to my luck, was way easier than I thought it would be. The final examination was a not-so-complicated test due to the great amount of effort I spent on studying and focusing for this test. I took the test and I felt really confident will all of the questions since they had the content I prepared for specifically. I finished the test after 20 minutes and was set to keep studying for my genetics final the upcoming Monday. After finishing the final and the day was coming to an end, Dr. Wasser gathered us around and we went to have dinner at a very nice Greek food place in Bonn. I had a very nice time as it was my first time trying authentic Greek food and was with my peers chatting, drinking, and having a fun time. The weekend came and I kept studying for my Genetics final. Additionally, I also spent as much time as I could with my host parents since the program was coming to an end. My host parents were very kind and took my roommate Brady and me out for dinner to a very nice pizza place in Bornheim. We had dinner and chatted and talked about all of the good memories we had while being with them. My host parents also gave us some Beethoven shirts, which is the one I wore during my Genetics final. The final was not really what I was expecting but I was glad I was finally done with the semester. After the final, we then went and climbed the Drachenfels one last time and enjoyed the view on top from the beautiful castle on top. 

Week 15

As the final week was just right around the corner, we first had to take care of our final examinations. This week was even more stressful than the previous one as we all now had to focus on our final tests. I started the week studying for physiology as we were going to have both the third and final exams in the same week. This was a very stressful week, however, I was very excited to finish it as we were heading home the following week. In addition to physiology, I also had the genetics final, which was probably the test I was most focused on as our professor did not exactly tell us what to focus on. Despite the final examinations heading our way and the great amount of time studying, I knew that this was the final lap of this semester and it had to be finished with the proper attitude. All of my classmates knew this as both Bmed and Bims majors were highly focused on all of our tasks as we also had to finish the DHF since my group had to edit the final document.

Week 14 (April 10-16)

The flight back to Bonn was the most anxious I had felt during a flight. I definitely don't like flying, but I assume I will get used to it by the end of this. We went to a bar to watch the Champions League game between Manchester City and Bayern Munich. Bayern Munich played so bad. Our German teacher is amazing, and we played a trivia game again. I answered the Formula 1 question correctly, and I was so proud. Unfortunately, the three Hispanics and the ginger didn't win, but we tried. Remagen was a nice trip, and on my way back home, I walked with a smile. The road trip to Binge and Andernach was slightly less pleasant because the bus was stuffy, but Colby, Jack, and I made our music video debut. Saturday was my lazy day. I just went to a fancy Edeka, and it was the nicest one I had seen. Another Sunday, another guys' night. It was another fun time with my closer friends.

Week 13 (April 3-9)

Another mini hike before heading back to Bonn. I went to Basel to meet Victoria, and we got very unlucky with our train being canceled. Also the worst customer service ever. We had to look for our own way home, and I ended up getting home really late. I don't know why it always seems to be me with the late or canceled trains. The next day, I had to go to the doctor to get my cyst drained. It took 7 hours (I'm sorry Finn). I didn't eat until after, and I got home and fell asleep. I had not planned anything for Easter break, but somehow we managed to get book London within a few hours. A few of us had a small football session and darts at our favorite bar. We arrived in London and had fish and chips. It was good, and then we explored a bit before going back to the rest a little at the Airbnb. We ate Nando's for dinner (as recommended by Pat), and then Peri, Erin, and I went to the F1 arcade. I had SO much fun. We raced each other hard but fair (Erin crashed into me twice). I got to see Wimbledon, and it was a dream come true. I had always dreamt of attending a match, but being on the actual premises was also special. Big Ben was not as big as I thought, but everyone says that. This weekend passed by so fast. 

Week 12 (March 27-April 2)

France week.

It started off in Bonn. I rode my bike to school and tried riding the bus back, but I got kicked off. The next day, we headed over to Beaune (pronounced like Bonn). We got some burgundy wine and watched a rom-com at night. A quick stop to Colmar for the foldable painting, which was magnificent. We finally got to Paris late at night, and a few of us went to dinner near our place. This night, we watched About Time (Jack left mid-way because it was too cringe for him). Next stop, Paris. The Louvre was impressively massive. The Raft of Medusa was my favorite thing. Then, I got to see Musee D'Orsay, where I saw a lot of Monet and Van Gogh. At night, we decided to go to the Eiffel Tower. We got to see it sparkling and got to the second floor. The night view of Paris was breathtaking. We also got to see the Sacré-Cœur, which included a short hike. After Paris, we went to Lyon, which was a bit soured by Vic's phone getting stolen. Peri, Erin, and I decided to go hiking in the Black Forest through Freiburg, Germany. We took a short hike, and I fell in love with the greenery. After that, we had the best schnitzel ever. There was also a gluten-free option for Erin, which she enjoyed as well. After all that, we got some gelato and went back home to sleep. A highlight of my trip will definitely be the Black Forest.

Week 11 (March 20 - 26)

Being back from spring break made me realize I sort of missed Germany. I missed having a bed to myself and having a good night's sleep. There was another strike on Tuesday, and this saw me taking my host family's bike to get to school on time. Unfortunately, I fell on the way to school. I didn't look at the impact until I got to school and realized I had a massive cut on my right elbow. I waited for Peri to get to school, so she could help me (she's a real one). We cleaned it up and bandaged it up. I went the whole day without feeling pain, but once I got home, I realized I could barely go up the stairs and sleeping was difficult because of the pain. I will have a scar to remember my time here in Germany. Another movie night where we didn't get to finish Moonlight due to some circumstances that we won't go into. We finally got to see Dr. Schnavel in Bonn!! The tour was nice and lunch was nice too. I appreciate everything that Dr. Wasser does for us. During the weekend, I invited a few of the guys to my host home, and we made tacos and had a great night. The guac was phenomenal. The beers were great, but the conversations were amazing. One of the most memorable nights that I have had. Jack's guac, Pat's tortillas, Peri's mojitos, Milo's cooking, and Colby's plate-washing skills (minus the sauerkraut) all came together.

Week 10 (13th Marsch - 19th Marsch)

We left Sevilla to Madrid. We only had time to walk around Plaza Major and eat dinner. Then, we headed back to watch Ted Lasso. The next day we went to the cathedral, Royal Palace of Spain, El Retiro Park, and Tiki Tacos (the best tacos I have had since on this trip). Wednesday was exciting because we went to the Prado Museum, Reina Sofia, and a champions league game. Real Madrid FC vs Liverpool. Not the best game, but it was fun to attend regardless. We also went rowing, in which Patricio did most of the work. The next city was Barcelona. My favorite part was going to the Sagrada Familia. It was magnificent and even more impressive than the Cologne Cathedral. My flight back was to Maastricht due to certain reasons (thanks Pat), and it was the worst plane ride ever. Too much turbulence. Too much anxiety. I met some Spanish people and talked to them a little bit. I ended up leaving the Netherlands at 1am and got home around 4am. These night buses are not it, and they will not be missed.

Farewell/Reflection

From waking up at 4:45 am in Germany on Tuesday morning to the point at which my head hit the pillow in Gunter at around 9 pm local time, I was awake for almost 24 hours straight, excluding a 2 hour nap on the plane. This offered a lot of time for myself to ponder upon my four months in Europe and the lessons I learned along the way. As my plane hovered above beautiful Greenland and Newfoundland, I jotted down some thoughts in my journal that I hold about this season of life:

"I can say with confidence,..., these four months were incredibly successful. It's crazy to look back at that day that I was studying in Zach at the onset of my Fall '22 semester and came across Dr. Wasser's email encouraging us to apply. This trip was a leap of faith, a prayer that God wholeheartedly answered. My biggest fear before this trip was my separation from community- God provided more in this regard than I ever could have dreamed of. ...I've learned so much from these incredible [friends on this trip], people who I cannot wait to continue [my] friendship with back in College Station..."

As I've been back for a week now and have seen so many of my closest friends and family since I've been back, a statement that I routinely use to highlight the goodness of this trip is this: "This trip was powerful and colored with memories, not just because of the places I was, but because of the people that I was able to spend those moments with." I will always be thankful for my time in Europe, and will always share of the joys of this season. Until next time- Tschuss!

Farewell

Colby Wilkens

05/09/23

Week 16- Finals Week & Pre-Departure

 After enmodes week, I was struggling to focus and retain as I prepared for finals on Sunday and Monday. I went into my Tuesday physiology test feeling drained, and I was pretty frustrated with myself as a result. Thankfully, I made it through the week and was able to refocus for the rest of my exams. Finals have developed into a massive mental roadblock for me throughout college, but thankfully it was a much smoother week this time around. I was able to spend much of my study time with friends, which was so sweet and productive. I remembered much more more German for my final than I thought I did. Thursday night, after math, we had our History of Medicine final, which was a fun time to come together as a class and celebrated all that we had learned. We had an excellent Greek dinner afterwards. Friday, we went to visit the Marksburg, the only castle that was not conquered and destroyed in the region. Saturday was spent in Köln, as I had lunch with friends and then spent the afternoon in a coffee shop working on my end of semester project for Diff Eq. Friday and Saturday as a whole offered a nice respite and a time to reflect as we prepared to return to the states. I studied on Sunday for my last final, Diff Eq, as Amanda & I grinded to figure out our new content for the exam. Monday morning's exam was pretty tough, but I was able to finish. With that, sophomore year was a wrap- a challenging year that proved to be very fruitful in the end, even if it didn't seem to be drifting that way at times. For our farewell event, we once again visited the Drachenfels and had a nice lunch on the hill. We were even able to explore the castle this time around. This week was a great way to end the trip on a high.

The Drachenfels once again did not disappoint

Colby Wilkens

05/09/23

Week 14 & 15

 Week 14

The last week has been very chaotic. After paris, a few of us took a trip to Lyon and Geneva. I got my phone stolen in Lyon & I was so upset because I had a feeling something bad would happen soon & I had been guarding my purse & phone so well the entire trip, but of course a fake waiter stole it while picking up our menus while i was in the bathroom… Pat, Jackson, & I went to Geneva the next day before heading back to Bonn. We went to a fondue restaurant & you wouldn’t believe how much fondue we ate. It was way too much & the guys even finished my fondue. Jackson ate his pot of fondue so fast that I was genuinely worried about his intestines. It was easily a whole block of melted cheese.

Week 15

My Enmodes group is doing pretty well, I think! Our group works well together & I think we made good progress every day. I was really nervous for my part of the presentation, but I felt relieved after I spoke. I do wish we got feedback on whether they’d actually implement any of our ideas though! I really want to know what they’ll do with our ideas. It was also cool to finally see the RAS-Q that we had been talking about the entire semester! Working with Enmodes was an experience I’ll never forget & I’m so glad we got to work on this project. The next week, I had two exams followed by two finals one day apart. I was really overwhelmed especially because I need a higher anxiety medication dosage, but decided to wait to go back to the U.S. Overall, the tests were okay, but I know I should have done a lot better on the physiology 2 exams so I was disappointed with myself & felt super anxious my last week of classes.

Week 12 & 13

 Week 12

It’s time for France! I’ve been to Paris, but I’m looking forward to visiting the two small French towns we’re going to. The French were a lot nicer on this trip than I remember them being 4 years ago. In Beaune, we ate at a French restaurant that had a 3-course meal for about 23 euros. We shared a bottle of wine & I ordered escargot, a cheese & chicken main plate, & a fancy brownie. It was actually really good & actually had flavor, unlike some other meals I’ve had in Europe. Peyton & I saw a cat cafe with the funny cats that look like pugs (the ones with the smushed faces) & there were sooo many of them. They were all the same breed of cat so it felt like a fever dream.

Week 13

Paris was so pretty in the spring. I visited in the winter about 4 years ago, but it’s way prettier in the spring. Celeste & I went to lay in front of the tower the first night we were there with a bag of Mcdonald's food and two bottles of wine! We took cute pictures together, played music, drank our wine & just talked about life. Love her so much! The Eiffel tower at night is one of my favorite sights ever. It just feels so magical to me. Definitely romanticizing the city lol! Oh, & I’m obsessed with the game Flash invaders!!! The concept is so cool & I love that a random man created the game decades ago. Now, I look for them everywhere! The disappointing thing is that I won’t get to keep playing in Texas.

Week 10 & 11

week 10

 I just shrunk a top I just bought from Zara… It’s so small that it wouldn’t even fit my six year old host sister. I sent my friends a picture and all of us were shocked at how small it shrunk (like it’s so comical). I can’t believe spring break is coming up so soon! This whole trip is going by so fast, but I love the European lifestyle of being laid-back and being able to travel whenever you want to. I’m excited to see my family, but I know my brother will have bad jet lag at some point during our break & when he goes back to Texas. Random, but I started making memes of Amanda’s dog, Bumby. I thought he was a small dog, but it turns out that he’s gigantic (at least compared to the version of him in my head). 

week 11

Spring break is finally here! I LOVED Barcelona so much!!! I need to live there. I’m looking into master's programs in Spain now. We were all surprised my brother was enjoying himself because he’s still a moody teenager. He was actually taking pictures of everything & liked this part of our trip (Paris, not so much). My dad hated the paella & kept talking about how much better my mom’s paella is. He was ranting about it the whole trip & genuinely never wants to eat paella again (unless it’s my mom's). There were sooooo many weiner dogs in Barcelona! I saw multiple every day…

Week 8 & 9

 Week 8

My camera roll consists of pictures of Lakka. She’s just so photogenic! My birthday was conveniently not on test dates which I really appreciated because Most of the other people’s birthdays were on or around our test days. Celeste & Kass went to a club in Cologne with me & it was actually really fun. We went to one club first and after they ID’ed us, they asked how old we were & we said 22 & then they said “oh it’s 23 & up only”........ We were very confused & it sounded so fake hahaha! The area of Cologne we were in had a few other clubs down the street so we just went to another club. The music wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t the kind of music I listen to. We still made it really fun though & pre-gamed with a bottle of wine from Rewe! My host family made my birthday really cute & I felt really happy. The girl’s made me cute little drawings that I’m going to scrapbook!

Week 9

This weekend's trip was to Amsterdam! I was super excited before visiting because it looks so cute & like a little storybook town. I really, really liked it. It wasn’t too cold & the food was AMAZING (especially compared to German food…). We took a girl's trip there & ended up in the ER (for Perri) before going to get Mexican food. Perri was fine, but the ER wouldn’t take her as patient because she wasn’t European & they were trying so hard to get rid of us. We tried samples of Dutch cheese from a huge cheese store, saw the flower market, & took a wine canal tour. The tour had unlimited wine & cheese & it went by so fast. Oh and I saw silly pugs. :)