Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland!

The end is here; it’s our last week in Germany. I was ready to stay or go home but as the week went on, I couldn’t help but get very excited to go home after 4 long months. We had finals this week and I can’t believe how well I did! I did put in effort to study differently but I was still surprised but thankful for a great end to the semester. I tried to get all my souvenir shopping done but with the busy week it was difficult and I missed the Haribo store. We also had the Rhein cruise this Saturday and the farewell party Sunday. The castle we went to was well kept and had an amazing tour alongside it. Since we had such a busy week, I got sick for the last time Saturday. I still had a cough from 3 weeks prior and it flared up right before we left. I spent the time sleeping to not be in too much pain on the plane and it worked! I’m on the plane now and thankfully am doing ok. But this meant I had to miss the play the LMU kids put on which they worked so hard at. The party was bitter sweet. Saying goodbye to everyone for the foreseeable future, as I am graduating and moving away from College Station, was extremely hard and I don’t think it has set in yet. I feel like I’ll just see them tomorrow like always. But just like Germany, I know I’ll see them again. The bonds I made aren’t like other friendships and I want to value them stateside too.

I’ve loved Germany so much but I also have so much to look forward to when I get home. I get to see my cats, my family, my friends, and my new nephew who was born May 1. I’m now an aunt and I cannot wait to meet him! I’m also looking forward to driving my car, playing games, and getting Whataburger. Although I’m here on the plane writing all the things I’m looking forward to, during the week all I could think about was everything I was going to miss. Over half the program went to watch the fireworks Saturday night and we couldn’t stop reminiscing. I was going to miss pretty much everything about the program, even the double blocked physiology classes, because everything made the program special. But most of all, I was going to miss the people. I made so many friends and memories on this trip, it’s going to be different when I go back to the states and life returns to….normal. The friends I made were people I wouldn’t have typically talked to back stateside but I’m so so grateful for this opportunity since it made me be more open. I thought I was open-minded but only open to some people. Getting me out of my comfort zone, the program taught me so much. More than I understand yet too, I think. I made one of the best friends of my life even though there’s a lot of big beliefs we differ on. I love her and can’t wait to see what amazing things she does.

My time here has come to an end. I’m ready to start the next chapter of my life but will always love this one. The emotions I’m feeling are so complex, I hope to have some figured out by the time we have to do the prospective post. Although I expect to find ways I’ve changed well after the time of the prospective post. So, Tschuss for now, I’ll see y’all later.

Germany full circle (Bingen, Andernach, and Remagen)

After our exhausting Easter, class was in full swing again. This time with some breaks for day excursions. Tuesday, Lindsay held the Muster ceremony and I thought it was so cool she took the time to allow everyone to honor Aggies all the way over in Germany. I was still sick this whole week so I didn’t do much but sleep and study for the lab exam we had Friday as well as the physiology lecture exam on Tuesday next week. But in between the busy school days, finishing up my last lectures in college ever (!), we had excursions to go on. First, we went to Bingen and Andernach. Bingen was so cool because the monument across the river we say was where I spent my Rhein curse when studying abroad before in high school! In high school, we took some cable cars over the wine fields, hiked to the monument (see picture, and took these forest seats down through the trees. It was beautiful and one of my favorite things I did so it was super cool to see it again. We were in Bingen to learn about Saint Hildegard aka the baddest Saint. She made sure she got what she wanted when convents and monasteries were controlled by the male priests. She was famous for her visions from god and is one of the patron saints of medicine. It took the church a while to make her a saint but they did what was right and one of Hildegard’s convents is still in operation today. Dr. Wasser sang for us music that she possibly wrote before leading us to the medical garden. We saw some plants they used in apothecaries but unfortunately it was still too early to really see them in bloom.

              We then headed to Andernach for lunch which was interesting. It was good but had a little too much of the tart cherry-based sauce. All the little German towns I’ve been to are similar yet so unique. They’re all so cute and it’s a joy just to walk down the streets. On our way back we drove through Koblenz which is a city Ana and I have been meaning to visit. So, it was nice to at least see some sights we planned on. The tour of the medical equipment museum was better than some other museums we went to because the garden was so nice.

We had a lot of classes this week so the excursion gave us a break. We had more physiology classes planned than we had material so that was also a pleasant surprise. History of medicine covers so much I hope our final goes well. In addition to my last lectures, I did chi gong and tai chi for the last times this week. Everything is coming to a close, it feels omniscient.

              After the lab exam, I laid in bed to recover and binged a Netflix show. When Monday came around, I was well enough to go on the excursion. My cough was better which was good considering our excursion was to bike 22 km to Remagen. I had been thinking about going to Remagen so this was a good opportunity for me. I haven’t biked in years so I was off to a rough start but eventually got the hang of it. Only issue then was how much my behind hurt for the next few days. After learning some German war history, we went to group lunch and Dr. Wasser treated us to ice cream! This past week of school and excursions was fun but I need to make sure I have time to study and souvenir shop next week. See you then!

Black Forest Hiking Easter Weekend

If you’d like to try hiking, maybe don’t start with the Black Forest. Somehow two of good friends, Ana and Joshua, convinced me to go hiking with them over Easter weekend. I’ve never been hiking nor have an inclination for hills. But I’ve always thought I wanted to see the beautiful views you get with hiking so I agreed, warning them of our difference in abilities. They’re both experienced hikers and I wouldn’t understand until I was there that they’re addicted to it. I spent the majority of the weekend looking at their backs, complaining about how hard it was and how much my feet hurt. My feet hurt form the blisters that appeared day 1 despite my best effort to keep my feet dry and wear proper footwear. Being along the bottom of my toes, they made it difficult to walk. To add to my demise, I was sick.  The sickest I’ve been on this trip. I was taking Mucinex, Tylenol, ibuprofen, and Sudafed at one point. I got a fever Thursday during the Enmodes presentation and was dreading the overnight Flixbus that night. I wanted to stay home and sleep and my mom supported me so I wouldn’t have to worry about the money I had spent. But I thought to myself, I can go and regret it and just have to take a bus back if I can’t handle it but be able to say I tried. Or I could not go and never know if I could do it or not. I wouldn’t know anything, and I think that’s more regretful. So, I decided to go and try to tough it out. Boy was it tough but I did it. During the day I didn’t feel sick, I think because all the medicine and the endorphin/adrenaline. At night, it was hard to sleep and it became harder to breathe during the day. This meant I could cop out on some hiking and my friends were very understanding. I took a bus a bit of the way two days before meeting back up with them and hiking the rest.

              The hiking itself was a challenge. But my friends supported me and taught me to keep going, past what I thought was my limit. We started in Basel and ended in Freiburg. The first day was beautiful but ended up being longer than we planned for; 26 miles. By the end we were dragging our swollen feet but the hotel was our saving grace. They upgraded us to the best room I’ve stayed in in a long time. The beds were amazing and they let us order food right before the kitchen closed.

After a much-needed night of rest, we were off to Todtnau. It was a 15-mile hike there but the first few miles beat me down. We had a lot of elevation change today and on the highest peak we climbed I almost lost it. I didn’t know how much longer I was going to be able to do it until Joshua grabbed my bag and said get up, we’re going. I kept pushing and Ana was encouraging until we made it up most of it before taking our lunch break. Lunch consisted of snacks with Nutella sandwiches. I think I’m good on Nutella for the foreseeable future…Later that day after about 10 miles, I took a bus the rest of the way. Our hotel was nice again; the people were extremely kind. Once Joshua and Ana made it to the hotel, we went out for dinner. We each ordered a pasta dish and shared a pizza we were so hungry. With full stomachs, we went to bed. The coughing kept me up at night and I had a 1500-word paper due! My friends were understanding but still didn’t go easy on me, they believed in me when I definitely didn’t.

Sunday, we rode the mountain coaster and hiked the Todtnau Wasserfall. The sights were amazing! Ana and Joshua hiked the tallest peak in the black forest (it still had snow) while I tried to get some rest. We repeated our dinner choice from the night before and called it a day.

For our fourth day, we had to make it to Freiburg by 11:30pm but it was only 15 miles so we slept in. I took a bus from the start and met up with them a few miles into the trail. Then, it was downhill for the rest of the way to the city. That was hard on our joints and feet but we made it! Seeing the sign for Freiburg was amazing. We even found an Italian restaurant to continue our eating trend. After, all we had to do was wait for our Flixbus. The black forest couldn’t let us leave without a final test. Our Flixbus ended up being 4 hours late. While this absolutely sucked and made us tired, we talked to some really interesting people until it came. Meeting new people, making wonderful memories with 2 of my best pals, and doing something I didn’t think I could do made the trip worth it. I was so grateful for my friends getting me through but more importantly, for listening to my complaining. By the end, I could see why they liked hiking so much. That said, don’t think I’ll be trying it again too soon. Definitely not before my blisters and feet recover. But it has made me want to visit the national parks back home, so I’m looking forward to the adventure!

The week enmodes controlled my lfie

It's week 14. Monday was the calm before the storm. We had a few lectures before doing the AT workshop. It was relaxing and nice to think about things differently. I'm not sure I'll continue with it though since it didn't feel super helpful. I will continue with mindful resting or something of the sort. Taking a few minutes to be mindful each day is important. Starting Tuesday, enmodes ruled my life. We worked on our slides all day and got a lot done! I'm proud of my work and have learned a lot about the material as well as researching topics in general. The first half of the day Tuesday I was nervous I would have to switch filters I researched which meant I would start from zero. But as I kept researching, my fears went away because I found more evidence proving the one I chose despite the information I found on the other paper. I also was able to find information about coating on the filters so in the end it was helpful. The second half of the day I made sure my slides had everything I wanted to present on. We only presented once Tuesday but it was very helpful. I got a lot of tips on my slides that helped me narrow down the information to what was necessary and made them look a lot better. We ended up staying past midnight and it was really late by the time I got home and got into bed.

After going to bed late, I had to wake up early the next day for a doctors appointment at 8:45. Not good since we had another full day ahead of us to work on the presentations. The first half of the day we went back over our slides, editing them after last nights feedback and making sure we knew what to present.  The second half focused on the actual presentation. I've spoke in public a lot for my service dog organization, explaining concepts and what the program was about was natural to me. But having to present, even on a topic I'd done my research on, was extremely hard. I kept stumbling over words and forgetting the flow of material. Still I ran through it multiple times with the teaching team, by myself, and with friends in the program. The constructive criticism from the team was appreciated and made my presentation better. We ended Thursday extremely late too and I took a night bus and walked to my house.

Each presentation, something went wrong so I was nervous for when the pressure was actually on at the presentation Thursday but I just accepted that I would do my best. I focused on the tempo of my presentation, taking breaths and commanding the audience, with the help my Josh who did debate in high school and presents very well. It paid off because my best presentation of the material was during the meeting with enmodes. On Thursday, we went back to the hotel where we first got assigned the project to present our final slides to enmodes. We did some chi gong to calm down before presentations which was needed as I was starting to feel really poor. My mom always warned about burning the candle at both ends , and she was right. I got sick during the presentations. I broke out in a fever during the first groups presentation and took an advil right before my group went on. Thankfully it didn't effect performance and I was able to make it through pretty well. I gotta say, my group killed it! All our efforts paid off and we held our own during questions. I became better at presentations and the experience I gained with enmodes and from the project is invaluable! Then, we celebrated with champagne before heading home to prepare for our Easter weekend travels. I'm going hiking with Joshua and Ana so stay tuned to see if I survive!

Week 13

It’s been a week! After Charity Weekend, we had to get back into our Enmodes project quickly since we presented our ideas to them on Tuesday. It was better than I expected! I was nervous about presenting and I still messed up but they seemed to like our ideas. Now we just have to polish them. I’m excited to work on our presentation for a few days, I think it’ll make my nerves calm a bit. I have a lot of experience talking in front of groups because of my service dog organization but backing up new ideas with connecting data is new for me. I’ve learned a lot and I’m glad to have this experience of working with a company for the future. That said I’m not super excited for the days we work on the presentation to run late. But it’ll get done and make the presentation presentable. In other school news, we had our second to last pharm class Monday. We’ve gotten to pick the topics for the last few classes and it’s been really interesting. I just need to make sure I study for our last two pharm quizzes, then I'll be done with pharm!

A few friends and I went to the opera on Saturday. It was not what I expected. It wasn't in a play format but rather the entire orchestra was on stage and the 9 or so singers where in front, reading off the music sheets. Honestly, I didn't really enjoy it.  But I went, and can say that I tried.

This week one of the founders of the school passed away. My program didn't get to know him but we were able to feel his presence throughout the school. I'm so thankful to him for giving me this opportunity to study abroad here. I'll continue this program and keep in mind that this is once in a lifetime.

Once an Aggie, always an Aggie

One of my favorite traditions is Big Event. I've participated every year I've been at A&M and was sad to think I wouldn't be able to this year. Thankfully AIB help their own charity weekend! It was after the week we went to Paris and consisted of a community help day and a marathon to raise money. I was signed up for the marathon but hurt my knee right after spring break so I dropped. I felt bad for letting my relay team down but they did amazing anyways.

During the school week after Paris, it was hard to get back in the swing of things. We also had three labs this week to catch up on material. It was rough but also kind of fun. The labs can be fun when taking measurements using us as subjects. Other than that we only had a few lectures.

On saturday, Reagan and I, because Katarina and Anna were sick, went to represent A&M at our work site. We worked with a lot of LMU theater kids and although it was different and kind of a lot to handle, I made some friends. We enjoyed a good lunch provided to us by the people we worked for. The project was for a gardening club that started during the war to help the community reconnect with nature. Now, it's mainly used to help kids work with their hands as well as work in nature. Theo owner asked us to build a planter bed that was moveable as well as paint benches and tables. Reagan and I worked on the planter. It was hard work and took a while to fully get going. It was nerve wracking too because the lady said children made the last one that looked really good so she expected the same of us. Well, it did not turn out so pretty. The biggest challenge we faced was the materials. But we worked together and created something! I love big event and was so happy to be able to have a piece of home in Germany. Working together, helping the community, and overcoming challenges is what big event and charity work is all about!

Till next time France...Au revoir!

France was full of memories! Before we left for France we had two days of classes. I was sad that I would miss German on Wednesday but at least I had it Tuesday. We finished our tests then left for France Wednesday. Starting in Colmar, we visited the Isenheim altar. I'm not super into art but I liked this museum because of the building and exhibits. The religious panels were beautifully painted. After that we kept driving to Beaune, the French Bonn. It was a day full of travel on the bus, seeing the French countryside, so we slept hard that night. The next morning we went to Hotel Dieu which was lovely. The building was beautiful, the beds in the sick ward were wonderful and the history was fun to learn about. I can't wait for the apothecary garden installation. I also loved that they support older people with their revenue.
Next, we were off to Paris! Our hotel was nice and the group dinner at the creperie was so good. I love the times where everyone can just hang with each other. The next morning, we left early to go to the palace of Versailles. I enjoyed actually being able to control the tour and learn what you wanted to learn about since it was self-guided. I wish I had spent way more time in the gardens though. I heard a lot of history in the palace but it didn't stick and I missed the part that interested me the most, the grounds. I did get to walk through them a bit on the way to the meeting point. Once we gathered, we sat for a picnic thanks to the hard work of the teaching team. So yummy! The weather was perfect, too. We did some yells since it was pull out day back home and the sophomores wanted to be able to whoop. It was such a fun memory because an older Aggie heard us across the garden and came to say hi. Once back in the city, we had an amazing dinner with delicious food and wine. Unfortunately we had such a good time we didn't leave for the Eiffel tower in time. We got there late and didn't get to go up to the top floor. The height scared we but I got to chat with friends and take lots of pictures. After our long day, we headed back for a good nights rest.
Saturday, we did a city walking tour which I absolutely loved. Julien is so nice and a really good guide. After seeing the Notre Dame, which tragically burned a few weeks later, we went to the louvre on a medicine dedicated tour. Honestly I didn't have that much fun. I am not super into art so I thought that was why but others felt the same. The tour was cool but we missed most of the highlights and more than anyhting it was way too long. It was hot in the building too. Once it was over we went to a lovely quarter in Paris and ate dinner on our own. I bought some neck/head scarves for my sister in law (to be) and enjoyed walking down the streets. I love macaroons so it was a fun but expensive time. On our way back to the hotel, Joshua, Ana, and I decided to walk back to enjoy the city the way Mats recommended. I have to say, I recommend it too. It was still beautiful at night and we got to enjoy boba. That night I had to write a paper and get ready for the time change because I'm going to Palma for our two day break! I'm excited to see the Mediteranian and hopefully catch some rays.

The Wynns in Bonn

The week after spring break was somewhat uneventful class wise. I'm learning a lot in German but am sturggling a bit with physiology. I hope to find a good way to study soon. The lab exam is coming up and I'm very grateful for Sarah's help. History of medicine, as always, is covering all sorts of interesting amterial and is one of my favorite calsses. I got sick again which I usually don't get sick this much back home. Thankfully this time my parents were here. The Wynns toured Bonn! I missed my Mom and Dad a lot so it was so nice to see them and break up the time that we were apart. They got a nice room in the Hilton so I got to splurge, my only complaint was there was no bathtub. But the free, unlimited breakfasts were amazing! I ate so much and packed some for later. I showed my parents the school and were I study and all the food places I frequent. My dad kept taking weird pcitures so I asked and he told me, you see this everyday so you don't understand how special it is. That meant a lot to me. I just had to laugh when he took a picture of my favorite fry place! We didn't do many museums since we didn't have the time but we did walk along the Rhein and the weather was pretty nice. They got to meet some friends and I was so sad to see them go.
I'm very close with my mother so it was hard seeing them go to travel Germany for the next week instead of staying with me. It was nice when they returned to the states though because then I could actually call and talk. When they were in Germany I studied too late to be able to talk to them at night.

Around the British Isles in 9 Days: Part 2

From Oxford, I took an overnight bus for the first time and went to Edinburgh. I surprisingly slept a lot and was ready to visit the city when I got there. First thing I did was eat a proper Scottish breakfast. It was amazing; the best breakfast food ever. I got vegan/vegetarian food the entire time I was in Scotland and Northern Ireland and it was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. Thus, the haggis I ate was vegan and it was so good! I took it easy in Edinburgh because although the sites were beautiful, I still wanted to nap. I didn’t get up to Arthur’s seat but I did see the castle and parks and toured the old closes from the 1800s. A close was a section of street where people lived, more like piled on top of each other, named after the most influential person in that area. Edinburgh was gorgeous, but I had to move on.

Next, I went to Glasgow. Only long enough to take a picture of a musical landmark and then fly out to Belfast. Belfast had some of the nicest people I interacted with all trip. I was still by myself and the hostel I stayed at was so pleasant and just perfect for what I needed. I actually saw a lot in Belfast. The fish sculpture, the titanic museum (because titanic was actually built in Belfast), the botanical gardens and more. I learned a lot about the history of Belfast at the ulster museum and enjoyed it. But my time in Belfast had come to an end.

Lastly, I went to Dublin and was there Saturday and Sunday, which was St. Patrick’s Day. I had a bad time in Dublin at first. All the people I interacted with on the first day were rude from the time I got on the bus from Belfast to Dublin. I had such a difficult time I didn’t even want to tour the city so I ended up going back to my hotel in the late afternoon. There, I took a bath for the first time since I got to Europe; it was so nice. I enjoyed my time and ate good food before my friends showed up that evening. I spent time with Joshua, Park, Ryan F, Kevin, and Ariella that weekend. We agreed that the St. Patty’s parade was cool but nothing special. The parade was typical with marching bands and people dancing but what made it mediocre was that the parade site said it would go on from 10-6pm. We got there at 12 and it ended after 1. We then went for one of the most expensive Guinness' ever before heading to the airport to go home. Even though my Dublin experience was subpar, overall, I had a good time with my friends and am happy to say I spent St. Patty’s day in Dublin.

The week was long and packed with stuff, I enjoyed everything I did as well as when I didn’t do anything. There wasn’t too much relaxation going on for spring break but I was really grateful to have backpacked around the UK and Ireland. Plus the weather was amazing! Jut windy, it rained amybe twice. I have a lot to look forward to the next time I go to there!

Around the British Isles in 9 Days: Part 1

Spring Break is finally here! I’ve been planning this trip since the start of the semester but didn’t have everything booked until a few weeks beforehand. I’ve wanted to visit the UK and Ireland for years now and planned to make my dreams a reality this semester when we had 9 days for travel during spring break. But as the time came closer, I realized how much I enjoyed spending time with everyone else on trips and if I were to go to the UK, it’d be a mainly solo trip. I hadn’t been on any solo trips and was invited to live it up Mama Mia style in Greece for a girl’s trip so I almost didn’t go. In the end, I booked everything for the UK and was very excited to see as much of my dream destination as I possibly could in a week.

I started in London with Joshua where we got to see museums and historical landmarks. Big Ben was under construction but the museums were amazing as well as the park. Just walking around the city was enjoyable. The food was amazing, except for fish and chips. We even visited the old Texas embassy, or at least where it used to be. Whoop! On my last day in London (Monday) I went on an expensive day trip but it was worth it because I visited my favorite city in Europe. I started at Windsor Castle and learned about the monarchy. The type of flag they flew that day meant the Queen was in! I didn’t get to meet her but it was cool knowing she was nearby. After that we went to Stonehenge, which was full of mystery. It’s crazy to think about going to places that you constantly see on postcards. Lastly, we went to Bath. Roman ruins are one of my favorite things, as well as taking baths, along with British speakers! I had such a good time but it was way too short. I did get to tour the baths and tried the best fudge I’ve eaten. I left my heart in Bath!

After spending way more than necessary on public transport in London, I headed to Oxford. My mom studied abroad in Oxford back in the 90s and my dad tagged along, working in bars and playing basketball for the school. I’ve always loved hearing their stories from then like how they were so poor my mom sewed up socks to help pay rent. At first, I was having a hard time. My hostel didn’t have warm water so I didn’t shower and then got poured on for the first time since being in the UK. But once two of my other friends, Josh and Sid, came it got a lot better. The sky cleared up and we got a discounted tour. Going to Oxford gave me the opportunity to go to places they frequented and I even got to go to the bar where they have their wedding reception! Unfortunately the bar my dad worked at wasn't around anymore. I loved Oxford and the opportunity it gave me to talk with my parents and hear more stories from the BC era (before children). Oxford ended up being one of my favorite cities I visited.

Uniklinik, enmodes, and lectures oh my

This week was full of lectures and a meeting with enmodes to discuss our problems. But we did get a day off and a day at the Uniklinik. On our day off, Ana Lindsay and I went to the Birkenstock outlet and got a steal on birks. It's my first pair of birks! They're quite uncomfortable but I've been told you need to break them in. Even though I didn't have German class, I still learned a lot in other classes like phyisiology. On Wednesday, enmodes came to visit to narrow our issues down. They enjoyed our ideas and were very nice, giving us constructive criticism when needed and helping us think outside the box. Then thursday, BMEN and BIMS switched so that they got their day off. The procedure I saw was one of the coolest things I've seen. It was a aortic valve replacement. Not only did I get to see the chest open and heart beating but I got to see them stop the heart and put the patient on the large ECMO machine. It reminded me of the RAS-Q that we're working with. The actual surgery was very cool, the precision of the surgeon was admirable. I left before they even finished suturing the replacement in. They replaced the valve with biocompatible material that looked like cloth. After seeing everything, I was so amazed with modern medicine. It also helped me see that I don't hate surgery as much as I thought since it didn't make me queasy. I was a little light headed at first but just breathed through it. I'm thankful for this experience!

Studying abroad (emphasis on study)

Week 5 of our trip was a lot of class. Like a lot. After our break in Vienna we had to make up classes as well as getting in classes before Dr. Fajt left. We had pharm Monday through Thursday, sometimes twice a day, but it was great. The class structure makes it enjoyable to have pharm. Our enmodes is also coming along, with help from Dr. Wasser and Reagan. We present our problems next week to enmodes which is nerve wracking but I think it’ll be a good experience. I’ve had a lot of practice with public speaking from being an officer for my service dog organization, but even after three years my heart still pounds. As for German, I felt behind after missing two lectures last week but the professor was nice about it. The vocab is ok but I still need work with dative/accusative/nominative and genders but practice makes the master. History of medicine was as entertaining as always! Our intercultural workshop made me do some soul searching and was quiet eye opening and I’ve thought about it since. I think the workshop is up there as my favorite alongside history of medicine. Outside of class I had a lot of fun watching a soccer game with friends and hiking in the forest behind my house with my host mom.

This weekend was the first time since we got here that I got to relax. No trips was a bummer but I took a much needed rest and caught up on some work. Plus the weather was amazing so everyone in Bonn was capitalizing on it. We got to sunbathe in Hofgarten and on Saturday we got gelato (Rome spoiled us). We played with the new volleyball too it was so fun. On Sunday my host mom and I hiked Drachenfals since it was still gorgeous out. I may be getting in shape with all the walking but my joints have not caught up so walking down was rough. I’d like to go back and walk the forest paths to other mountains. Next week weather is supposed to be nice too but we have been warned it will get cold again...It might be good though because the weather makes me a bit homesick I think. Since I was already vulnerable today I got homesick over the weirdest thing, a picture of a gas pump. (Right?) When I saw it it reminded me of filling my truck and being able to drive places, taking long drives listening to my favorite music and being the only one on the road for miles. I missed Texas today. But I love Germany. I’ll make the best of my time here because neither I nor this time in my life will ever be the same. Even if I come back to Germany, which I’d love to do and stay here for a while, this time is unique and the people are too! I love everyone on this trip and I’m so grateful to have meet such amazing people, I hope we keep in touch. So today I missed Texas but once I’m home, I’ll miss Germany forever. While on the ferry crossing the river to hike the mountain, the man taking payments told us not every place is somewhere you’d like to take a trip, but it’s the company you keep that makes it worthy. Bonn wasn’t a place I even knew before coming here but since being here I’ve fallen in love with the city, and the people make it all the more worthwhile.

Emotionally signing off, this peach.

Vienna: A conflicting place

This week (fourth) we had school in Vienna, which was a conflicting place for me. Filled with history and beauty, it was an amazing city to visit. Unfortunately I started the trip super sick and spent our free half day sleeping instead of exploring. While the buildings were beautiful and the streets clean, the lack of green made it feel like a monotone concrete landscape; hardly any grass anywhere. Also there were horse drawn carriages everywhere and we even got to see the Spanish Horse Riding School's practice!..a few days after we were taken to a restaurant famous for its horse goulash, a Viennese specialty. Despite my conflicting emotions, I really enjoyed going to Vienna. I was exhausted but we learned a lot and got to see a lot of places. That first day was rough since I couldn't sleep through my head and body aches the night before. Thankfully Dr. Schnabel protected us from the plague or else I would've been a goner. The catacombs at Michaelerkirche was the third time I've been underground on a trip, it's become a thing. The mines in Maastricht, catacombs in Rome, and now the catacombs in Vienna. They're all unique and I'm delighted to know that my claustrophobia doesn't stop me from enjoying them! We had a full day Thursday and even had a lecture in the Freud house (how cool!) The concert was beautiful and took me back to when I played in concert band. Afterwards, since we were already dressed up, we ate at a nice restaurant and went out afterwards. The sky top bars in Vienna have wonderful sights even at night. Friday was one of my favorite days because we got to see the horses practice and see the natural history museum, one of my Lieblingsmuseum. After a long week of studying abroad, drinking Viennese coffee where great minds sat, spending too much on specialty cakes, and making memories with great friends, I was off to Prague!

Hitchhiker’s guide to conquering Rome in 3 days

Can you think of a better way to spend your 22 birthday than in Rome? Our trip to the Italian capital was the most amazingly stressful trip I’ve been on. I’ve always wanted to go to Rome as I am super into Greek mythology and have learned some about Roman. I wanted to see all the ruins and imagine what it was like 1500-2000 years ago. We followed an itinerary for what to do but it did not work out the way it was supposed to, it was quite a mess. I was disappointed when we looked for our hostel, Rome was not the beautiful city I expected. We even checked into a laundry mat which was sketch but they gave me a bottle of wine because it was my birthday. The place didn’t have bed bugs either, and overall I think it was nice. My viewpoint on Rome gradually changed over the weekend until I left loving it. The last day the sun was out a bit too which was nice since it rained the whole time. I was sad to leave the amazing city but grateful to be back in Germany without being pick pocketed. 

The colosseum was the first thing we saw then St. Peter’s Basilica, which I enjoyed way more than I thought I would. To be able to walk where romans used walk was something I couldn’t wrap my head around. I’ve never really thought about visiting the Vatican but it was beautiful and the museum was breathtaking; I do have Christians to thank for preserving much of Rome in remembrance of those persecuted. There was so much history to get to we missed a lot but honestly hit the major points and more. While having lunch and exploring the trestavere, we walked by island on the Tiber with the hospital famous for obstetrics before heading to the Roman forum just to find out it had closed already. Thus after a night of dancing, Marcus and I had birthdays on feb 2, we got up at 7:30 to see the Roman forum, which I cried happy tears walking through it, and palatine hill before meeting up with everyone else at the Trevi Fountain. It was so big and beautiful! I was not expecting to be so blown away. After a photo shoot I got roasted chestnuts which were quite meaty but apparently a must there. We headed to piazza novana then the Spanish steps, getting gelato in between. It was good but old bridge gelato near the Vatican was the best gelato I had. Before heading to our flight, a hero’s journey in and of itself, we saw the St. Priscilla catacombs. After a very stressful and exhausting time we made it to our flight and made it home safely. The walk from the tram was long but after a hot shower I was so ready for bed. My legs and back were in so much pain and unfortunately I woke up with a cold but seeing what we did in Rome it was all worth it. I missed a few things I wanted to see and I can’t wait to go back!

Schule- Woche drei

This week was busy! We had a lot of class but it was worth it for the three day weekend. Dr. Fajt arrived so our pharmacology lectures were in person and very enjoyable. Discussion and interaction is important which I think has helped me learn. German has been so fun, I am sad to miss it next week. I still need to work on speaking German all the time so that I get better. Enmodes is coming along, I think next week will be a challenge with the presentation but it’ll work out. We have a presentation for the intercultural workshop and I can’t wait to show everyone our skit! I think I am getting good at chi gong, it’s made my legs sore a couple times from the squatting. 

Thursday we went to Mueseum Stoeckl which was an informative excursion. Prof. Dr. Dr. Stoeckl seemed very fond of Dr. Wasser which lets us experience the Museum easily. There were so many things I’ve never seen nor knew about until we walked through. It was also snowy around the museum. Wednesday and Thursday it snowed! I was so excited and had so much fun; I’ve always to have a snowball fight (BIMS won). We took pictures, played around, made a huge snowman, and tried making snow angels. Although things got delayed and buses stopped I was so happy about the snow. It didn’t even feel cold! They said it didn’t snow much in Bonn but I’m so glad it did. 

Perfect end to the week, then it was Italy and 50s!

Missing blue skies

Today it was in the 30s and sleeting but when I FaceTimed my friend, it was sunny and 70s in ATX. I am so jealous but thankfully I am getting used to the cold. It was our second week here in Germany and our first week of classes. I started my intermediate German class and was super excited to be learning new things instead of having review! My host mom and I speak more German to each other now. I was sad I missed her due to her job but she left me delicious food so all is forgiven. I am settling in and am starting to be more comfortable around the house. I have been playing a bit of piano and doing things I've been wanting to do. Unfortunately I am getting worse at public transportation. I forgot to look at the direction of the bus and was late to class. But I hope after this week I will improve and that's all I can ask for. Pharmacology starts up next week which is exciting and our other classes have been going smoothly. History of medicine is my favorite class! So interesting. Mats is making our intercultural lectures fun and informative. The Enmodes project I can tell will be kicking into gear soon. We missed the WOKI sneak preview so we'll have to try next time but other than that we had a good week and ended early on Friday. Which helped because I travelled!

Ana asked if I wanted to go to Maastricht so I decided to be spontaneous and go with a group of our friends. The Netherlands was beautiful and even though it was raining more, it was a little warmer. We took a bus and got even better at the different types of transport here while answering some personal questions to get closer. The bus driver actually complained to us that he was having to speak English in Germany and that we needed to speak German; he was very rude and it was an odd but enlightening experience to be an outsider. Once we got there we had an amazing 3 course meal for 20 Euros along the main square. That night we window shopped and discussed what we saw in the abstract sculptures before heading to the hostel. We checked for bed bugs! It was actually a nice place and had a salsa night Friday. The next day we explored the city and got the best fries to enjoy while we admired 3 wonderful cathedrals. After, we went to a cathedral turned bookstore and I purchased some books to get back into reading which I've meant to do for a while. Then we went to the natural history museum which was very cool and we learned more about the history of Maastricht but I found myself comparing it to the one in NY...Since we were tired we headed back to the hostel for a game of pool before napping but I ended up cracking my book instead. After enjoying amazing pizza across the river we did some more sightseeing before heading back for bed. People came and went from our room so we had to adjust to hostel life. In the morning we had amazing waffles from PNKY and got to experience the difference in service between the cultures. In America, they are more accommodating so they'll get better tips. We walked to Fort Sint Pieter and explored the old limestone caves that they turned into a tourist attraction by drawing on the walls. Everything is Europe has so much history, you can't go wrong doing anything. We even experienced total blackness for a bit to see what it'd be like without lights. Then we went back to go home and had to get ready to go back to the normal flow. It's been fun and I can't wait until next weekend!

Deutschland woche eins

Our first week in Germany is concluding and although it was exhausting, I've been having an amazing time! We got to meet our host families, Karima is such a nice host mom I cannot wait to spend the rest of the semester here. She makes super good food and it's always healthy! I'm always excited to eat here and I jokingly said I was going to make a recipe book of everything she makes, but I may actually do it. The history museum was very informative, Dr. Wasser is an engaging teacher.

The Mayschoss excursion was a blast, I already bought some souvenirs, and I am really enjoying all the walking we do. Aachen held so much history, I'm excited to travel Europe and experience the depth and richness of the cities. Even though I am still not speaking much German because I am embarrassed, I understand a lot during conversations now if I listen closely. I am looking forward to starting the intermediate class and pick up more German so that I can hopefully hold meaningful conversations soon.

During the weekend the group of us bonded over soon fun times (Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Melania!) and hiked the Godesburg castle in the suburb of Bonn I live in, Bad Godesberg. It was a short, lovely hike which lead us through a beautiful cemetery and ended with yummy food. I've tried lots of yummy food here and look forward to trying more. I also went Schlittschuh laufen (ice skating, I asked my host mom) before it closed for the season. Kids were way better than me but I was a lot better than what I normally skate like in the states. I had so much fun and got to end the weekend with a day trip to Frankfurt. My host mom drove and I was able to meet up with Gini, one of my old exchange students! It was so so good seeing her and she showed me around the part of town that they just rebuilt after the war damaged it, calling it the new old town. I love Frankfurt, I think it has more color than Bonn but I truly appreciate that Bonn is smaller so it has a small town vibe while being a classic European city.

I am nervous to start class and the Enmodes project but I am excited to learn! We have another busy week ahead of us and I look forward to Cologne. I'm starting to plan trips, mainly for concerts but I have been looking at places to go once we have our visas and are ready to rumble. Bis bald!

Prospective Post..Hallo Deutschland!

Now that I am in the airport, soon to be boarding my international flight later today, I've started this blog. I feel as though I've avoided writing this as to not make it real; flipping between just wanting the day to be here and wanting it to come later when I'm "ready". I have felt so many emotions today but if I had to categorize: anxiety, excitement, and sorrow. For a while now I've been nervous to leave the country for that long, I am quite the homebody and love to visit my hometown. Anxious that I'll forget something, packing wise but also forget to do something before I leave. At the same time, I've had a smile on my face all day because I am so excited to go on this journey, to immerse myself in another culture, to see and experience new things, and to prove to myself that I can do it. But as I said goodbye to my parents, I couldn't help but cry. I won't be seeing them or my two cats for months. As I write this I am finding their hairs all over my laptop and am expecting to find a few random hairs throughout the semester. Despite this wave of emotions, I cannot help but look forward to Germany. Everything about this trip I am looking forward to. Meeting my host family, going on weekend trips, making lifelong friends, learning SO much, even the movies I get to watch on the plane! Learning German is a huge goal of mine, I took four years of it and have never really been confident in the language. I expect to gain confidence not only in German but also in most aspects of my life after this program. Now that the date is here and there's nothing left to do or change, I am steadily feeling more positive emotions. I've seen so many people I love over the past month and I cannot wait to tell them all about my experience. Being able to study something I love while proving to myself I can overcome whatever is thrown my way is something important to me. I have so many expectations for this trip but I am being lenient with them because I think the biggest thing I will learn is to be flexible. At the same time, the research and culture shock as well as homesick-ness concerns me. I have worked in a research lab but I am worried that this project will really be a challenge, its an exciting concern that is. After all I've been looking forward to this program since I heard about it Freshman year. I love Germany and the way the classes complete my major while allowing me to explore on my own were the reasons I chose this program. The History of Medicine class sold me on it too. I think it'll be my favorite class I take out of my entire degree plan. Just writing this post is making me overexcited so I am going to sign off here, see y'all in Germany! Auf Wiedersehen