Finally...

During my preparation for departure for the German history of medicine winter program, I have been trying to prepare my mind for the learning possibilities ahead. The purpose of my preparation is to give more background information concerning their societal, historical and ideological differences of importance. I want this experience to be more than just a winter trip for school credit.

My favorite part of the pre-departure lectures was the possibility of mainstream anti-Semitism in the 1930’s being directly related to the individual views of Martin Luther four hundred years earlier. Ideas like this thrill me and I hope that we are lectured on more cause-effect history.I am confident that I am putting in adequate pre-departure review of the history of Germany to have a basic frame to piece together ideas pertinent to the shaping of the nation.

On a more surface view of my aspirations for the experiences of Germany, I am looking forward to the new tastes, smells and experiences that await there. I am also looking forward to getting to know the customs of the people as well as the individuals going on the trip.

I am currently still trying to throw all of my stuff that feels warm into a bag and trying to remember all the papers I’m supposed to bring. I can’t wait to get to know everyone and to experience new things with new people. Hooray German beer!

Just Jon

Howdy! My name is Jon. I am a Texas Boy from the United States of America. I am writting this blog before I leave for the anticipated Germany trip. I am excited to be going on this trip I have only been out of the state 3 times in my life, and I have never been outside of the United States of America. I am a boy looking to see what some part of the outside world looks like. I will be experiencing a lot of firsts. I will be taking my first plan ride. I will be leaving the country for the first time. I will hear the German language in it's natural setting for the first time. I will be traveling with a group of people who I am not too familiar with for the first time. I will be on another continent for the first time. I will ride on a passenger train for the first time. I will be taking my first winter class. I will be the farthest I have ever been away from my family for the first time. I will be the first in the family to travel and study abroad. While all of these things are my first and there are many more for me, I see this as the greatest time in my life. I get the opportunity to experience a whole new culture for the first time in my life in a host country. To think, I am only 19. I feel free. I hope this trip is a blast of fun. Well, hope to see you soon.

Supercalifragilisticexpealidoucious

On the eve of departure, I find myself camped out on my couch in my pjs watching Mary Poppins as my mom asks me if I've finished packing yet and of course I use the usually response, yeahh sure, but really I still have piles of sweaters, socks, and random voltage adapters blocking my doorway to my bedroom. I'm taking the redeye flight out of DFW Saturday night so from the perspective of a procrastinator, I have plenty of time to pack, unpack, and reorganize things so I can zip my duffle bag shut!

During the few days when the weather actually was in the 30s last week, I volunteered to get the mail from the mailbox just so I could test out my first real winter coat, needless to say I felt pretty cool, or should I say warm? With each following trip, I tried out a new article of winter wear, gloves, then a hat, not to mention all of the scarves that I dug out of my closet. The neighbors just stared, until I explained that I was crossing the Atlantic Ocean to study abroad after Christmas.

This will be my first trip out of the US besides Mexico and I'm so excited and grateful to be able to experience a new culture and make new friends. I'm looking forward to hearing from the German medicine proffessors and visiting the museums and all of the historic sites. It will also be really cool to have some down time to go explore on our own and find some neat places to take in the scenery.

Besides my reoccuring fears of "beeping" when I go through security, I'm ready to board the plane! I can't wait to arrive in Cologne!!!

Happy Travels!!

-Lauren Lewis

I Can Hardly Wait

I can’t believe that I will be boarding a plane for Germany tomorrow!!! I enjoy traveling more than almost anything; however, I have never been to Europe before. I have spent a good amount of time in Central America, which I expect to have prepared me for certain elements of being in a foreign country, surrounded by an different language, and an unfamiliar cultural. Nevertheless, I imagine that the European culture I will soon have the pleasure of experiencing will be quite a contrast from my previous travels abroad.
I was extremely attracted to this program because of the opportunity to travel abroad, the direct application to my major of study, and because I knew it would be a great way to get involved with my new university! I just transferred to A&M this semester, after spending two years at the University of California. Although I loved every second of my time in LA, I missed my family, long-time friends, and good ole Texas hospitality (plus I felt a need to carry out a third generation legacy at Texas A&M). So anyways, when Dr. Wasser presented this trip the first week of class, I knew this was for me. Everyone in my family was so supportive, and I am more than grateful to have been given this chance of lifetime. I have had a very comfortable transition to A&M and really enjoyed my first semester, but I think that spending three weeks in Germany with one of my professors and many new friends will only make my experience at my new university all the better. I am really looking forward to the new friendships that will be established during this trip and the lasting memories that we will share together.
I have had an interest in medicine since before I can remember, so I find the idea the combining the history of medicine with an experience abroad to be most fitting. One of the things I am most looking forward to is visiting a few of the hospitals in Germany and possibly observing surgery. Last year, I had the opportunity to shadow a pediatric surgeon twice a week in the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, and the two of my trips to trips to Honduras consisted of me helping (to my limited ability) a team of pediatric orthopedic surgeons in the military hospital of Tegucigalpa. I find it very exciting that I will be able compare my previous medical experiences with the German medical facilities, personnel, and practices. I am also extremely eager for all of our sightseeing extravaganza, both the academic and not so academic activities.
I really do not have any anxieties about the next trip. I love adventure and find the unfamiliar exhilarating! I want to immerse myself in the German culture, especially the food, music and arts (all HUGE passions of mine). I am beyond excited about the timing of the trip…New Years in Berlin, need I say more! And, I think that freedom that we are given for weekend travels will make the program even better. Knowing that I will be experiencing the culture of not one, but FIVE countries is unbelievable!
I am not fully sure what to expect, but I like it that way. I have an open mind, and am eager for all that I will learn in the upcoming weeks. As for now, I am going to go attempt to finish SQUEEZING all of my clothes and shoes into the limited baggage space Dr. Wasser suggested.
Can’t wait to see all ya’ll in Germany tomorrow!!!
~Amanda

I can't believe it!

It still hasn't completely hit me that I'm leaving for 3 weeks in Germany tomorrow! I feel like I just barely had time to see everyone at home and relax after a hectic fall semester. Still, even with the subconscious denial that I'm leaving soon, I am so incredibly excited about this trip! I have been to Europe once before, but it was under completely different circumstances. For that trip, I had just graduated from high school, I knew almost all of the 30 kids going, and it was purely a fun-oriented, sightseeing excursion. Now, I'm in the middle of my sophomore year, I kind of know a few people going on the trip, and this is going to be a life-changing learning experience (though I'm sure we will get *plenty* of sightseeing in!). I am definitely looking forward to getting to know everyone really well over the next few weeks, and I cannot wait to immerse myself in German culture. Since the group I went with last was so big and every single moment was planned for us, there was no freedom to simply wander and explore on our own. That, I think, will be one of the best parts: being able to find out for myself cool spots in Germany that I like. The part of the program that I am most looking forward to is the opportunity that we will have to observe an operation. I have never been in a lab or job that allowed me to be in the operating room or dissect anything myself (besides a rat in 6th grade!), so that should definitely be a neat experience. Though I am excited about tomorrow and the following weeks, I am also a bit apprehensive. Besides the tiny fear I have of travelling internationally alone, I also feel nervous about stepping way outside of my comfort zone. Very rarely do I place myself in situations where I am kind of going in blind and not surrounded by friends, but this will help me be able to do that, and I'm sure others have similar anxieties that we can work through together! :) Oh, and I am most definitely anticipating the awesome German food that is praised by everyone that has been to Germany. I have very high expectations for this trip in every aspect: educational, cultural, even social, and I have no doubt that they will all be met and exceeded by the time it's time to go home!
Now I'm off to charge my ipod, buy a warm hat, eat some Mexican food (oh, I will miss it), and start (yes, I am the ultimate procrastinator) packing my duffel! See you all in a couple days!

Lord, I was born a ramblin' man...

So I just got back from my second trip of the break. Two weeks ago I was in Pittsburgh for an interview, and today I got back from Ohio where I was visiting family for the holidays. It seems that I'm always on the go lately, even during the school year, with rugby away games and med school interviews. But each of those trips has been 5 days or less. Thus, this trip will be by far the longest trip I've taken in years, and probably my whole life. I've been looking forward to this opportunity for about 4 years. With my graduation looming on the horizon, I feel that this trip will give me some experiences, teach me some lessons, and help me understand some perspectives that I need before I embark on the next phase of my life.

As far as anxieties go, I've got a few. Planning has never been a big priority for me, and since a trip such as this pretty much demands a lot of preparation, I guess I would put money on me forgetting something or looking stupid because I didn't bring the right gear. Nevertheless, I have been preparing an awful lot, and think I'll be just fine during the trip. More than that, though, is just fear of the unknown, as my mom would put it. This is not only my first time in a non-English speaking country without my parents, but the farthest I've ever been away from home. I guess I just don't know what to expect, and only hope I'll make the right choice if I'm faced with a conflict or complication. Again, I've been preparing for those times, and trust that Dr. Wasser, the study abroad department and my parents have given sound, useful advice.

But now that the trip is only a day away, I'm excited more than anything. I can't wait to experience this part of the world. The only other time I've been to Europe was a trip I took to Ireland for a week during my junior year of high school with my rugby team. I loved that experience and am sure I will love this one. I remember the culture and tradition was so rich, and the citizens so proud of its beautiful land and great ancestry. I suppose that the United States is still comparably such a young nation, that this feeling isn't felt as strongly here at home. I feel that it is because of her great tradition and ancestry that the origins of many things can be seen and understood so much better in Europe. That is also what I hope to gain from this experience: a better understanding of history, namely, the history of medicine.

Thus, I look forward to Sunday morning with open eyes, ears, and an open mind. As my stepmother says, I'll try to be like a sponge the whole trip. By the time January 17th rolls around, I don't want to be the same. I just have to remember to take pictures, or a lot of people will be very upset...

PEACE

Asher

2 Days Away?!

I feel like this trip to Germany has snuck up on me. I know we’ve been going to meetings all semester but since I’ve gotten home for break it seems like the time has flown by and now I’m leaving in two days. I am so excited for this adventure to begin I can’t even put it into words. Germany has so much history to it, hopefully I will be able to take it all in.

I’m definitely excited to be in the German culture for three weeks (which seems like a long time to me, but it probably will go by so fast). I have lived in Brazil and traveled to Italy and El Salvador so I’m not really worried about any culture shocks or differences in food preferences. But I am worried about the language barrier. When I went to Italy with my mom we found out that the Italians were friendlier if we spoke Spanish rather than English, so we got by with no problem. But I am absolutely lost when it comes to German except for cramming in the numbers and basic phrases starting yesterday. Hopefully enough people speak English where I can get by without resorting to sign language too much. I am also worried about the ridiculously long plane ride I have into Amsterdam. I have arthritis in my lower back which makes any position uncomfortable for too long, so this plane ride could be the worst 10+ hours of my life but it will be worth it when I get into Germany.

Since I’m neither pre-med nor pre-vet (I’m pre-pharmacy) I may not have the direct connection to the lectures as the other students, but I still feel that I will learn a lot from the lectures since Germany is always so advance when it comes to medicine. I’m especially looking forwards to the lectures Dr. Wasser mentioned about “complimentary medicine” or homeopathic medicine. I’ve seen what side effects heavy medicines have caused in family members and I think homeopathic medicine is definitely worth exploring.

I am definitely the worst person in the world at packing. I either way over-pack or under-pack. Also I can’t find the wool socks I know I had. So as I’m faced with this daunting task, I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas and I’ll see you in Germany!

I'm Leaving on a Jetplane...

I can't believe that I will be leaving for Germany in just two days! Seems like just yesterday that I was discussing the trip with my parents and signing all of the initial necessary paperwork. Now I'm busy packing up my backpack and making sure I have my passport handy!

This time of year always makes me very aware of how blessed I am, and the wonderful family and friends I have. But this Christmas will live forever in my memories. I really couldn't be grateful enough for this opportunity to travel and learn so many things that will benefit my future education, career, and life in general. I hope my sister has a chance to study and travel abroad in the next few years also.

I am really looking forward to all of the sightseeing that we'll be doing, but also all of the lectures and things we will be learning while on the trip. Initially I was a little worried about my lack of German-speaking abilities, but I know Dr. Wasser and Stephanie will help us in the area as much as we need. It will also be very interesting to see how the Germans interact with us, as Americans. During my other trip to Europe, I never had a problem, and the natives were always very hospitable, so I don't see why the Germans would be any different. I am a little nervous, however, about finding my way through the airports in the connecting flights. You would think with all of the traveling I've done in my life, I would have a little more confidence in this area. But mom and dad won't be there to follow through the busy terminals to the correct gate this time! Mom assures me it will be a good "learning experience" for me, so I guess I'll just have to face the challenege!

I know that this trip will change me, in ways that I can't even imagine yet, and that is very exciting. Being neither pre-med or pre-vet (at the moment), I hope to maybe find something that interests me, or gives me more of a passion for the major I'm in, and the route that I'm currently traveling in school. I think that passion is one of the only things I'm lacking in school right now, and I believe that it plays the largest role in a person's life, especially when it comes to their education and career. Lacking passion can be detrimental to even the smartest of people. Hopefully going abroad and learning of another culture will give me a new perspective and appreciation for all that I'm doing, which I'm sure it will!

Germany here I come!

3 DAYS!!!

It is so hard for me to believe that we will be in Germany in 3 days!!! I was the first person to sign up for the program about 9 months ago and I think it's just now becoming a reality that I will be thousands of miles away from home for 3 weeks! (This seems like such a long time for me to be gone, even though I'm sure it will go by quickly once we're there.) I am so excited about the entire program, but since the only time that I have been out of the country was right across the border to Juarez, Mexico for a mission trip, I really have no idea what to expect when we're in Europe.

Let's see...I feel like there are quite a few things that I am nervous about. Right now as I'm thinking about being gone for 3 weeks, I feel like the hardest thing will be getting used to not being able to talk to my family very often. I know I'm 21 years old and it may seem silly that I talk to my mom everyday, but I'm a momma's girl, so it will be unusual for me to only talk to her a couple times over a 3 week span. I'm sure when I'm over there I'll be busy and having fun and won't feel the need to talk to her or my boyfriend much, but right now it's one of the biggest anxieties I have. Another thing that will be a big adjustment for me is the weather there. I have lived in Texas all my life and never travelled any place that is really cold so it will be a completely new experience for me. I have both Under Armour leggings and shirts to wear under my clothes as well as warm socks, gloves, hats, scarves, and a big jacket so I should be fine, but I get cold really easily so I'm still a little nervous. I'm also nervous about pick-pocketers. However, I'm much more reassured after having the opportunity to talk to my friend's mom, who gave several helpful suggestions about how to keep everything safe. The language barrier also makes me slightly nervous. I have tried to learn the basic words that Dr. Wasser told us at our meetings, but I'm still not comfortable at all speaking German. I will definitely make an effort to speak German, but it is also reassuring that English is not a rarity there, so I'm hoping I will make it by fine.

I have never heard much about Germans or their lifestyle besides what Dr. Wasser has told us, so I don't really have any preconceptions about Germany or the people there. I'm thankful for all of the history lessons that Dr. Wasser gave us and the little bit of language that he taught us since I didn't know much about Germany before. I learned a great deal about Germany from these lessons and because of that I think I'm even more excited about the trip.

I am most excited about all the sites we will visit. I know this is a very general thing to be excited about, but the pictures of buildings in Europe that I've seen are spectacular and I can't wait to see them in person. I'm interested to see how we'll be accepted by the Germans and people in other countries that we're visiting. I'm very much looking forward to learning more about the history of medicine and visiting the medical schools and museums and hearing all of the lectures. I think I just covered generally what we're doing in the trip, so I guess I'm basically excited about everything!

I can't wait to see everyone in Germany in 3 days!! It will be incredible!! Now I think it's about time that I started packing!

Hello Deutschland, see you in 3 days!

So where do I begin? So many thoughts are running through my head...first blog...first trip to Germany...should I be helping my mom cook Christmas Eve dinner? But I shall try to focus on this blog.  For any of you who saw my childish grin every Sunday as Dr. Wasser tried to prepare us for the experience to come, it should be of no surprise to hear exactly how excited I am. For the past week I've been telling  family and friends of this wonderful opportunity that I had the chance to be apart of, but I'm ready to stop talking and start traveling!

I've had my fair share of traveling outside of the country. One of my favorite experiences being summer school at Cambridge University. So my anxiety doesn't come from going beyond U.S. borders but being outside English speaking territory, especially when I step off my plane in Frankfurt and attempt to find the train station.  However, I'm pretty resourceful so that shouldn't be a problem. The reality of it all hasn't quite hit me.  As my mom is running around wondering if I have enough socks, I keep repeating "Mom, I'm going to be fine".  I think the fact that one backpack worth of clothing is technically enough is very reassuring to me, especially since I'm taking a small duffel!

Besides all of the amazing sites we're going to see and lectures we're going to hear, I'm very interested in how the Germans will receive us Americans.  I'm ready to soak in the German culture, and being the respectful Aggie I am, prove the "stupid American" stereotype that I have received in the past, wrong! It is so important to remember that we are guests and ambassadors at the same time so BRING IT ON!  

"I met a lot of people in Europe.  I even encountered myself." ~James Baldwin

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.  Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." ~Mark Twain

Up Up and AWAY!!!

It's only a few days till lift off, and the excitement is continually building. This will be my first (but hopefully not last) time to leave the country and visit another. Again, the excitement is building and words escape me. There is no way to fully explain what I am expecting out of this trip because I know any expectations I have will be blown out of the water after the first day. I expect to see and experience things I have never before, but defining it beyond that is useless. I will be wordier once the journey begins and my experiences can be reflected on, but until than I will leave you with the simple fact that this trip is going to be AMAZING!!! See everyone in Germany soon!!!

Getting Ready for Deutschland

One summer, my dad took our whole family to Italy because he had a ton of American Airlines miles that he thought were on the verge of becoming worthless. World affairs being what they’ve been, he jokingly quipped, “Enjoy it. We may be among the last Americans who will be able to fly on an airplane anywhere, let alone Europe. You’ll tell your grandchildren what it was like seeing little buildings from way up in the sky.” Since then I’ve been to Germany, and I’m now preparing for my third time in Europe (fourth, actually: I was two years old and have almost no recollection), so let this stand as a warning to all you would-be Oracles. No telling what’s on that horizon.

I can say that I’ve seen Germany and Germans, but I haven’t seen these parts of Germany nor have I seen Germans practicing medicine so I’m very excited about this trip. Like Vincent Vega said in Pulp Fiction: “It’s the little things about Europe that are so different.” I think it’ll be the small differences between American and European medicine that will surprise me the most. The fun thing about catching those differences is asking myself, “What does this way do better? What does this way do worse? How did it come to be this way here and our way over in the states?” I think this will deepen my understanding and appreciation for medicine in a way that is simply not possible within our borders.

My main concern is one I have for any trip I go on. It’s not especially personal, but it is especially specific and I’m afraid that I couldn’t stand the irony of putting it into print only for it to come true. I’ll keep it to myself for now. A secondary concern is, already ironically, posting for this blog. The trial of putting thought and word into writing has never brought me joy. I know that’s a problem, I hope Dr. Wasser isn’t offended for me saying so, and I’ll suffer it like the little kid that knows the gross medicine is good for him.

“…to travel is to leave the inside and draw dangerously near the outside. So long as he thought of men in the abstract… merely as those who labor and love their children and die, he was thinking the fundamental truth about them. By going to look at their unfamiliar manners and customs he is inviting them to disguise themselves in fantastic masks and costumes. Many modern internationalists talk as if men of different nationalities had only to meet and mix and understand each other. In reality that is the moment of supreme danger--the moment when they meet. We might shiver, as at the old euphemism by which a meeting meant a duel.” I think I’m prepared for a little danger, how about y’all? I look forward to seeing all of you in Bonn, and I hope you all enjoy the rest of the holiday at home.

Germany, I am looking forward to meeting you...

The fact that I will be in Germany in a week from tomorrow seems so surreal to me. All semester, when people asked me what I was doing for winter break and I told them that I was going to Germany, I really didn't seem to think anything of it; but it is all dawning on me now. Oh wow. This is going to be absolutely amazing. Since freshman year of high school, I have always wanted to go to Germany. To explain, I took German as my foreign language credit in high school, three years worth of it, and completely fell in love with the language. I think it is so interesting and I really enjoy trying speaking the language (or at least trying, haha). Germany is my second-favorite country. When Dr. Wasser presented to opportunity to go to Germany while earning college credit at the same time, I didn't see how I could let this pass by. Going to Germany was something that I have wanted to do for a long time. I am looking forward to so many things. I want to see and learn first-hand all the things that my German teacher, Frau Parris, talked about in class, like die Brandenburger Tor, die Berliner Mauer, the food, the culture, the beer, wine, music, history, the language, everything. I am so excited that I will be immersed into all of these things, at last!

There are also some things that I am nervous about... I have issues with getting lost. I am not the greatest when it comes to navigation. My number one fear in Germany is getting lost. It will be the very first fear that I will confront unfortunately, because I am arriving in Germany a day earlier than everyone else and will be on my own for a day. I really, really hope I find my way around.

The second thing I am nervous about is being treated differently because I'm American. Summer 2005, I went to China for a couple weeks to play in an international softball tournament to help China prepare for the 2008 Olympics, and everywhere I went, I was welcomed with stares, pointed fingers, and poor "salespeople" trying to sell us fake Rolex watches or Gucci purses. We were followed these salespeople constantly and it always made me very nervous. It got to a point where a parent tried to shoo one of them away and he got yelled at in Chinese. I took numerous photos with Chinise families who asked to be in their family picture because I was American. Of course, these were only the bad experiences I had in China, I really enjoyed my trip there and met some extraordinary people as well. But point being, I don't want to be discriminated against because of where I am from. To be honest though, I do not think I will have much a problem with this in Germany; their culture is very, very different than Chinise culture, and Dr. Wassers testimony has settled most of my apprehensions about this.

The third and final thing I am worried about is getting pickpocketed, stolen from, or harmed by someone in Germany. In China, I was silly enough to bring the most vulnerable purse; a bright, shiny pink purse with a zipper (with a keychain attached on the zipper as well!). The thing is, I was completely careful with it, and I always had my arm around it, kept an eye on it, and NEVER left it anywhere, and I turned out to be fine. Even with salespeople following us everywhere. This time I will be safer and have a small, wrap around purse that goes inside my jacket, so I am not too worried about this, it is just in the back of my mind, especially since I will be in a hostel. But if I turned out okay in China, then chances are I will turn out okay in Germany.

Those are the only things I am worried about on my trip. But there are more things that I am excited about than nervous about. I am looking forward to this trip and want to go so, so bad! I can't wait! I want to do everything possible, I want to take advantage of every opportunity, and I want to make as many memories as I can. I am ready for this to happen. Bis dann!

Europe... Germany... The beginning of an exciting winter!!!

I have been to Europe once before, as a sophomore in high school. We went to Paris on the eve of the Iraq war and the resentment against America could be felt everywhere we went, unfortunately, this included my host family. They were nice, don't get me wrong, but unlike my classmates, I spent most of my afternoons and weekends sitting at home while they went to the Eiffel Tower and other places around the city. Luckily for some of us, the ability to speak French spared us from being treated badly. Luckily for me, this meant I could go outside the house and wander (not too far) by myself. This trip taught me about European culture and their ideals. I learned that I should learn to respect others even if others don't respect you and most importantly, that everyone has their own opinions and ways to express them.

Learning a language implies learning about the culture of the country where it is spoken. I was born in Mexico, and my culture originates from there. I am very open to learning and I am appreciative of other cultures and people. I had to learn English to come to the US and I also had to adapt to the culture. I was never fully absorbed into the American culture because I chose to keep my own Mexican heritage. That heritage, along with my family's support, inspired me to get to know other cultures and learn more languages. I started with French, then with Italian, then a radical jump into Japanese, and now I am back starting with German. Each of those languages comes with very unique cultures. I have grown to appreciate each and every culture and honestly, nothing surprises me very much. For instance, some people may be afraid that "Europeans are very liberal," well, not really. My experiences in Paris showed me that this is a common misconception, and for quite some time, I fully believed this. I believed that Japanese were just like any of us, that their cities had high crime rates etc. Turns out, people respect each other and you can actually leave your laptop or cell phone on a counter or table, and it will be there when you come back from the restroom. We all have misconceptions, but as I learn more about other cultures, they are dissipated. 

I expect this trip to be fun first of all. We are going to Europe, to Germany! I expect to have fun and make up for my experience in Paris. At the same time, I expect to learn about the history of the career I plan to pursue. I will enjoy visiting museums, cathedrals, hospitals (cardiovascular center) and being in Germany. To me, it is a whole new country I have never been to, so it is an opportunity to experience first-hand a new culture, one that I plan to learn more about as I learn the language.

I do have some anxieties, and they all stem from my family’s experiences in Europe. Of course the number one anxiety would be the language barrier. I cannot possibly speak good German in three weeks but I will do my best to learn as much as I can. My second concern in this trip is security. My aunt went to England and France, and she was pick-pocketed in the metro. I have tried my best to avoid picturing this, but as always the possibility exists. I will be careful. My third anxiety is distance to some extent. I will be thousands of miles away from friends and loved ones, and that is difficult for me since I come from a very closely knit cultural background. These are my three main anxieties with this trip, but I hope they all turn out to be minor.

As far as the preconceptions about Germany, Europe, and people, well, I don’t want to generalize. I really had most of my preconceptions clarified. We learned from our pre-departure orientation that Germany is a lot more than the Nazi era country and the instigator of wars. Germany has a lot to offer in the field of medicine and medical technology. I am thankful for the orientation program, because I learned that there are always roots for the misconceptions and a way to dissipate them. Europe and its people are friendly as long as we know how to be friendly ourselves. I believe that being on one’s best behavior and being respectful. I learned this when I went to Paris, and I plan to put it to action while we are abroad. I learned not to be judgmental of other cultures and lifestyles, but rather to adapt to them the best way possible.

I have a lot of expectations for the program itself. I also have notions that it will sometimes be difficult to stay focused on the subject amidst all the fun and all the other preoccupations. So I am biased because I think that the program – the class – will be difficult especially when it comes to assignments. More so, when we return to the US, we will have experienced a different culture and we will have the tendency to compare ourselves. I will honestly try my best to avoid comparing myself to Europeans.

I think the program will help me understand the roots of medicine. The visits to museums and clinics along with tours of the cities and free time excursions will help me become a well rounded individual. This program will involve making some sacrifices, such as spending New Year’s away from my family and girlfriend, but in the end, I think it will pay off. I expect to learn a lot, to have fun, and to develop a more critical view of European lifestyle and culture. In a way, I see this trip as a chance to enjoy what I didn’t in Paris and also to reinforce my career path.

Being home - feels good!! and sad...

So I'm finally back in College Station. I spent all of last week at my parents house because there was no one there. I really needed the peace and quiet and time to relax and chill with the dogs. When my parents finally came back in yesterday morning I had to go back over my entire trip for them. Since it had been a while since I had talked about the trip with anyone, going over my pictures and looking at some of the things I brought back with me brought up all of the feelings I had when I had originally got back. All I can say is that this trip has been amazing. I don't know if I will ever be able to experience anything like it. Being able to go behind the scences and receive information that the typical tourist wouldn't be able to get is something I am very grateful of. I'm actually having trouble trying to come up with words to describe it all. I do have to say though that as soon as I got home I was ready for certain home comforts that I wasn't able to have the entire time I was there. My sister picked me up from the airport late at night and took me to IHOP so that I could get, according to her, some American home cooking. Not sure that I could qualify the International house of pancakes as home cooking but we'll go with it cause it was good. The very next day her fiancee took me out for mexican food. Oh yeah!! Anyway, I've been able to see all of my family and friends and show them pictures of the trip and talk about what all I did in the big bad world of Europe. Every time anyone would ask me about it, I didn't know where to start because we were able to do and experience so many different things while we were there. Needless to say, every time I had the conversation it went on for quite a while. They all asked me what my least favorite part of the trip was and my answer was, the plane ride home. It was practically torture. I was so tired of traveling because of all the train and bus rides we had taken over the course of the trip and then to have to sit still on a plane for a total of 13 hours, I was about to go crazy. I pretty sure thats what the guy that was sitting next to me on my last flight thought because I could not sit still so I was constantly shifting around and trying to find something to occupy myself. Oh well, I made it home with all of my luggage and nothing breaking so I would say that the trip was a total success. Now that I've had some time to be home and look back, I miss Germany. It was a beautiful country with a great complex history and wonderful people. I'm glad to be home but I almost wish I could mesh the two and then it would be a happy place. :)

My last day in Germany......Again

On the morning of the 9th, Jordan and I went to the airport to catch a plane that was supposed to leave at 11:25. Well, as you can tell by my choice of words in the last sentence, it didn't! Apparently, an eagle flew into one of the engines of the plane we were supposed to take, thus grounding it for the day. Because of this, Jordan and I earned an extra day in Berlin with a nice free hotel room! We didn't leave the airport until around 3 pm, but we tried to make the most of the day so we went to west Berlin to see the remains of a bombed out church from WWII. On our way there, we decided to stop and eat at a Bavarian Beirgarten. After eating, we took pictures of the church, and walked in a few shops. While walking around, we found a guy on the streets that gives people fake tattoos, so we decided to get some! Mine was a cross from the ruined church, and Jordan's was a butterfly. After the tattoos, we did some more shoping and returned to the hotel.
The next day, things ran much more smoothly and we were able to fly back to Texas, making a stop in New York. At first, Jordan and I were not happy that our flight had been canceled, but we realized later that it was a gift to spend one more day in Berlin. I feel that we made the most of it, and now I am glad it happened!

My last day in Germany

For the whole last week of the trip, I debated what I wanted to do on the last day of the trip. My options were to travel from Berlin to Wittenberg (the City of Martin Luther), travel to Potsdam, or stay in Berlin and see more of the sites. The night before I decided to go to Wittenberg. I thought that since I am Protestant, Wittenberg would be interesting to me. On the last day, after we finished at the medical museum in Berlin, I took a 45 minute train to Wittenberg. When I arrived, I noticed that the town was not very big. This was contrary to what I thought, because I had thought that since the town was somewhat historically significant, it would be a decent size. The town had a very laid back small town feel, which was exactly what I needed to relax from the intensity of the previous 5 weeks. I was able to see Martin Luther's house, the university he attended, and the church he nailed the 95 Thesis to. I really enjoyed the day and found it very interesting. I left fulfilled in a way, because I was able to see things that I had herd about my whole life. That night when I got back to Berlin, I met up with the group and we went out for the last dinner. The food was great, and I really enjoyed the final German farewell!

Sweet Home College Station

Yes, Evan and I made it out of Berlin. Oh what an adventure.

When I landed in Houston and saw the U.S. and Texas Flag waving in the sky, it was an amazing feeling to be home. But for 5 weeks, I made Germany my home... and I actually miss it. Certain aspects of the country and the people I met there grew on me, and it is sad to think that I may not ever see them again. I thought it was strange when my parents asked me what I wanted to eat for dinner on my first night back in Texas... I couldn't really think of anything. I definitely got use to the fresh grilled vegetables my host family would make and thought about the amazing pfannkucken we had on our last night with them. So they took me to the nearest trucker's diner near our house... haha, I love my family.

This opportunity was an amazing experience. Going to the bovine veterinary school in Hannover and getting the chance to have hands on experience in Germany was one of my favorite times. I've always wanted to be a veterinarian and just before I left to go to Germany I shadowed a 100% bovine vet, and I found my new passion. Going to Hannover and getting the chance to learn new methods of treatment completely solidified my want to do bovine medicine!

I look back on everything I did in Germany and I have no regrets. This trip was awesome. I made new memories, new friends and new family members (I love my host family)! I probably would have never talked to the people I met on this trip if it wasn't for this program. The awesome people that I met helped me realize exactly who I want to be and how I want to live the rest of my life. They were so inspirational and a hoot... :) So I thank everyone for making this experience a great one for me. Until we meet again, tchuess.

Good Morning, Vietn...I mean...TEXAS!!!

The first day back...ahhh, feels so good. My mom asked me what I wanted for breakfast this morning and my response was "Anything but toast." I downed my blueberry pancakes and cheesy eggs with a big glass of COLD milk. Still feeling the high of an amazing trip while going through the motions of normal life feels quite surreal indeed. My luggage is on its way back to me (since wonderful US Airways lost it in Philidelphia), so I still haven't felt the need to unpack, do laundry, and re-pack to head back to school. Parts of me already miss Germany though. I think its the fact of knowing that I won't be going back for a while and I feel like I was starting to connect with certain things there. I'm going to miss my host family and the house that I called home in Germany.

At this point, I'm really wishing I had blogged more regularly while in Germany because it would have documented the trip much better than my current sporadic blogs. Sharon asked me on my last night in Berlin what my favorite part of the trip was, and my response was "program or not program?" "Both", she said. Well, my favorite part of the program was hands down Bad Oeyenhausen...the whole day there. It was absolutely awesome, not only getting to see surgery, but actually getting to see the facilities and the people (staff and patients) there. My favorite part of the trip not with the program was driving with the Mercedes through the Swartzwald (Black Forest). I've asked other students what their favorite weekend was, and many of them replied that same weekend--the one where we all split off and did different things (Austria, Switzerland, Neuschwanstein). I think its because that was the first weekend when everyone just decided to relax and take a couple chill days. I'm pretty sure I liked the Black Forest trip the most because the scenery was positively stunning and also because we didn't have a set plan. Pulling over on the side of the road for photo shoots and hiking trips was acceptable...we had no place to be other than the train station at the end of the day. I hope my pictures and random jot-downs in my journal (which are as irregular as my blogs) are enough for me to remember the awesome time we had in the forest.

I hope my pictures and random journal entries will be enough for me to remember the awesome time we had in Europe. I know certain memories of the trip will fade, but I hope that by telling stories of our adventures I'll be able to remember most of what happened.

I'm off now to do laundry (since my bag came in the time it took for me to write this blog), disperse presents, share pictures, and tell my family about the last 5 weeks of our lives. Until we meet again, TSCHUESS!!!!!

it's not goodbye; it's 'see ya later'

I didn't say goodbye to everyone; I really wanted to, but somewhere between the the last week and departure I found myself incredibly absorbed in everything I had seen and learned. The awe of the country and the importance of the studies were observed but intentionally never applied to everything I know until the latter part of the trip.

My ethics have been validated; some of my political views are in question and some have been strengthened. I'm more motivated than ever to dedicate my life to my healthcare profession. I think I've uncovered a view of the world that I never knew existed.

I'm looking through my pictures now and already wishing I had just another week or two to stay in Germany and see more. I didn't like or want to say goodbye to my July 'home', my host family, our German acquaintances, or the other fourteen people on the trip. I honestly feel like a jerk because I didn't get to really connect and bond with everyone as much as I wanted to or intended to; there was so much to absorb on the trip that I found myself in my own head trying to rationalize what I was seeing rather than really enjoying the company of my peers.

I told this all to Juice on the plane ride home. Oddly enough, he felt similar. We found ourselves walking into the Houston airport as completely different people. At the beginning of our trip, I think the carefree feelings of studying abroad in Germany were giving me the expectations of a vacation with some learning involved: summer school in paradise. Somewhere in the middle of the trip I felt my demeanor changing from my typical outgoing mindset to one of introverted thought and reflection. It's only now that I can really understand what was going on and the magnitude of the change that the past 5 weeks have had on me.

-

As my old life with school, work, family, and friends resumes, I know that this wasn't goodbye; it's 'see ya later'. I'm going to spend time with my fourteen groupmates this semester and finish the connections and friendships that I started but didn't finish. I'm going to return to Germany soon and see both the people and the places that I don't want to forget. Goodbye implies that we may never see each other again;' see ya later' implies that we for sure will.


So I'll see you all later-

Coming Home

Leaving Germany was hard, but not as hard as it could have been, perhaps. After five weeks there, seeing all of the sights and enjoying so much of what Europe has to offer in as intense of manner as we did, I think we were all pretty tired and ready to return home to Texas (or wherever else we call home). I know I was. Still, I'll miss Germany a lot--I already am, even.

Coming home was surreal--walking out of the airport terminal into the summer heat was a shock to my system, and I realized then that I was still wearing the jacket I had needed in Germany that morning. To see all of the SUVs and trucks again on the road, the familiar but now strange looking American street signs, and the complete and utter lack of SmartCars on the road on the way home was a strange sensation.

Of course, the first thing my parents and I did on the way home was stop at my favorite Mexican restaurant for a late lunch, compensating for the lackluster fare on the airplane. As I enjoyed my fajita nachos, I took advantage of the free refills that I had missed so much to down gallons of Dr. Pepper. There are some areas where Germany just doesn't compete.

And now I've passed out the majority of the gifts to my family, and need only to go get my wine from Amanda. Returning to my underage status is a little annoying now--Germany certainly has the advantage in some areas. But now, it is time to recuperate from my transatlantic flight and try and de-jetlag myself.

All good things must come to an end.

I intended to do my last post on my final day in Germany, but some unexpected travel changes made that impossible. I've been back in the US only a matter of hours now, so I'm still in the European frame of mind (and timezone). We spent this week in the northeastern part of Germany. It's capital city, Berlin, seems less foreign than the other areas we visited. I think it's because urban areas have a lot more shops and businesses that are worldwide, and thus more recognizable. I was more interested in visiting the rural, less global areas. Regardless, Berlin is still fascinating, with plenty of interesting stories and historical sites. I always enjoy seeing the Reichstag, but I'd like to know more about what goes on inside. Germans always talked about American government, neglecting to mention much about their own. They probably assume I don't care, but that's part of the reason I went to Germany, because I do. Even though Americans get a disproportional amount of the blame, we all make assumptions about people like that. Funny enough, I thought the pub crawls were one of the best ways to meet people from other countries and get to know more about them and the home counties. I enjoyed finding out not only what stereotypes they reinforced, but what stereotypes they had about us as Americans.

The excusions from Berlin were some of my favorites. The trip to Dresden was really pretty and getting to see part of Germany which had to go through life behind the iron curtain for a big part of the last century. The parts of the city which haven't been renovated since then still had soviet-style boring buildings. I was strange to think about living through that. I'm thankful that I didn't have to. Our program director said that was one of the problems in Dresden; they had renovated the main part of the city, but had left many of the surrounding areas unattractive.

The trip to the Molecular Medicine segment of the Helmholtz Institute in Berlin was really interesting. I knew enough of about stem cells and genetic techniques to follow along with their presentations and actually ask a few pertinent questions. I don't know if research is an avenue I want to pursue, but if I do, it would be in a related field. The potential benefits from it are enormous. I was really glad we got to see research labs which could contribute to future life-saving developments. I am interested in going back to Germany to a place like that for an internship. I'm thankful for the things I got to learn about Germany during this trip, but given the amount of history there, I could spend much more time there. My personal interest in Germany along with it's central location in Western Europe make it my prime place of interest for another trip across the pond. Hopefully it will come sooner than I expected.

As for now, I plan on readjusting to everyday Texas life, hot weather, and life/school responsibilities. The trip home was much less exciting than the trip over there. It's interesting when the place you're going to is a mystery, and it just seems like a chore when you're going home. I think I was one of the very few that was actually sad to leave. I enjoy being home, but there's still a lot of Europe for me to see. I plan on heading back as soon as my bank account will allow.

.the.end.

so, Sharon and I are sitting in an internet cafe... for the last time. It's amazing to me how accustomed to this way of life I've become. Just taking internet cafes for example, there aren't any of these in the states which is weird to think about. And the fact that today we travelled by S-bahn to Potsdam to see 3 beautiful castles. There aren't many castles in the US either. It's very weird to think that tomorrow is our last day. We leave Tuesday early afternoon so I'm sure we won't do anything that day besides eat and get ready for our schlept.
This week in Berlin was fun. I won't lie though, at the beginning I was not excited about it. While I was packing all of my stuff in Dusseldorf, I didn't really want to be travelling to another city for a week. I felt like I wanted it to be another excursion or I wanted to go home. I didn't want to go through the trouble of carrying allll of my stuff on the train and then dealing with it in the hotel. It has been a bit of a hassle, but not as bad as I thought it was going to be.
The tuesday bike tour was good. I was pretty tired from the travelling so I wasn't as into in as I have been in other cities, but it was an ok tour. Wednesday we went to the Molecular Medicine place which I really enjoyed. Being a genetics major, it was really cool to see everything I've learned thus far put into practice. That was probably one of my top excursions for that reason. The developments they are making with surgeries and the 3D stuff was really cool to see also. That night was the pub crawl, which I didn't stay at long, but was fun while I did.
Thursday in Dresden was fun. I really liked Dresden as a city and wished we had more time there. It was beautiful, and it had great shopping... ha! The museum of hygiene was cool. I wish they had more stuff in english, or the audio guides had more english explanations. I was really curious about some stuff, but couldn't read what is was supposed to be showing me. So that was my only disappointment with that. That was a long day with the travelling and such.
Friday we went to the History of Medicine museum at Charite which was fun. They had a lot of interesting specimens, and I especially liked the bedside cases. It made the cases more realistic when they had the documentation right in front of you. It was pretty cool. After that there was the last lecture and then we were done with the program! Pretty crazy. I still can't believe I've been here over 5 weeks. I know I've said that before, but it doesn't stop amazing me. After we finished Pete, Sharon and I went to the Natural History Museum. We wondered around that for a while and then headed back to the hotel to nap a little before the dinner.
Dinner was A LOT of fun. It was a really nice way to finish the trip with everyone, and also very depressing because most everyone was leavng the next morning. The place we ate was really good. I love potatoes... so a potato cellar was great! It really was a fun night, with a lot of pictures taken. After dinner we pretty much walked around and then went back to the hotel. Some people went to a concert but I and a few others just went back to the hotel and drank at the bar there. That was fun to sit around with everyone before they left.
The next morning we woke up to only four left, Sharon, Amanda, Hannah and I. We slept in very late and then decided we wanted to go the the zoo that afternoon. So we ate lunch and then went. It was an ok zoo. I do think Köln's zoo had better exhibits, but then again, that was a pretty awesome zoo. This one wasn't bad. And I got to see the Hippos! So all was good. After the zoo we went to White Trash again which was good. And then basically bed after that.
This morning Sharon and I woke up to just the two of us left in Germany. Very weird. It's only been a few days but we already miss the friends we've made on this trip.
We went to Potsdam today to see the castles there. They were all amazing. The only one we went into was the Neue Palice. It was gorgeous! I really enjoyed it. The audio guides were really good. I enjoyed that castle a lot. Other than that we saw all of the other major castles in the city. We walked all over that place. We also found the Dutch area, which made us break our pact not to buy anything else... whoops! So we bought a few more things to schlept across the ocean home. After coming home, we ate some din at a random Italian place, which was really good. All random Italian places seem to be real good here.
Tonight we plan on drinking some sparkling wine and just hanging out really. Tomorrow we're going to sleep in and then go the cafe above the huge chocolate store and catch up our journals and just kinda hang out. It's our last day in Germany and we just want to sit back and take in as much of it as we can.
I have really enjoyed being here a few extra days. We were talking about it today; that is was really nice to get to end this trip on a relaxing note, instead of rushing to get everything done. It's nice because we know that we are going to back and hitting the ground running, but for now we can just sit and watch the world go by in a cafe in Berlin.
I am really excited to go home though. It's bittersweet. I don't want this trip to be over but at the same time I miss my family and friends and bf. I am excited to see my new house in NM that my parents moved into while I was here. It will be very nice to get to be there for a little over a week before school starts. It's been a trip of a lifetime. I know I won't go back with the same views on everything. I'm not a totally different person by any means, but I think it would be hard to come to such a different country and culture without changing the way you view certain things.
Time to begin the schelpt home...

(schelpt three times in a blog... Dr. Wasser, what have you done to me?!?!?)

Made it back

Well I finally made it back to the states and my house after 22 LONG hours of traveling. I think that next time I will not pick a flight that leaves at 7:30 in the morning. So of course, I wake up at 4 still feeling the effects from the previous night, and immediately have to throw my stuff into the suitcase and get to the taxi in order to hurry to the airport just to wait around. Everything worked out alright on the way to London, but of course, I have problems in London (on the way to Dusseldorf I almost missed my flight from London to Dusseldorf, its a long story involving going to the wrong section of gates (which at Heathrow is a completely different building) and having to get a ride back to the correct gate from a security guard in his personal golf cart). For whatever reason one of the flight attendants couldn't go on the flight, so we sat at the gate on the plane for 90 long minutes. I normally sit window seat because I like to look out the window and have my own little personal bubble no one bothers, but I had to sit aisle, and let me tell you, that was one of the most frustrating experiences of my life, I swear one guy got up every 20 minutes just to walk around the cabin. I now have an extreme respect for flight attendants, because that job must suck royally. And of course, my bag did not make it to Houston. Don't get me wrong I love to travel and go to new places, but I hate the actual act of traveling, especially when it's not me driving. Thankfully, we stopped at HEB on the way back to my parents' house and I got my favorite chips and salsa, and found an imported hefeweiss beer from Germany, which I am currently drinking. I just wanted to blog about how much airplanes and the actual act of traveling sucks.

final destination...Berlin

The past week has been quite an experience traveling into a more modern, historically royal region of Germany. Over and over again I am taken back by the beauty of German cities and really how safe they are, contrary to what I believed to be true. Though rough, pretty rank men with makeshift guitars often wander into the S-bahn cars, they are respectful of personal space and never try to force contributions. I realized this the other day and felt pretty bad for stereotyping them as malicious people, so yes, I threw two euros in his cup.

The tour at the beginning of the week was interesting and I was proud of being one of the people that a few of my peers made bets on that would wreck bikes. Hmm...along with Peter of course who drew blood in the first five minutes we had them...but we all made it out okay, even Jamie who almost tipped with the tower of water bottles in her basket. Molecular medicine the next day was one of my favorite class days minus the part where we ended in a one-way philosophical discussion with the doctor in charge of the project. That night ended with a different kind of tour of Berlin which lasted until the next morning...I recommend doing a pub crawl at least once on a trip to Europe. Evan, Pete, Amanda, Madeline, Jamie and I all made friends with three Germans who were shocked to see Americans on a pub crawl that had a little self control. Props to us...Dr. Wasser, you'd be proud.

Dresden was by far one of my favorite German cities, and I wished that we had longer to explore the castle and culture of the city, as well as the Museum of Hygiene. I realized that day interactive museums are my favorite! The museum successfully intertwined the history of medicine as well as explaining medicine from various different aspects from the anatomy and physiology to the mere hygiene of a person...all affect how a physician should diagnose.

My last German museums, both on Friday, were quite different. One, the quiet history of medicine museum followed by a lecture, allowed us to understand the perspectives of some of the pioneers in vaccinations and finding cures for diseases over the past few centuries. The second was chosen by Pete's eagerness to see the dinosaurs, so Ashley, Pete, and I all ventured through the Natural Sciences Museum near the Hauptbanhof and ended up spending hours in there. I felt like an elementary student again but this time I wasn't being dragged through the museum. I'm pretty sure I read almost every informational post, even when I got to the mineral section...

The Potato Cellar...everyone stuffed their face, took great advantage of limitless free drinks, busted out some mean dragon-face skills, and shared prosts to our last night all together and of course to Dr. Water and Shleppie. Drew, Pete, Jordan and I rocked out at White Trash and lost our hearing for an amazing end to their last night in Berlin...the city that never sleeps.

Everyone has left Europe...
Amanda, Ashley and I ran around the Berlin Zoo and ended up at White Trash with Hannah for another night of F#$? U fries...and today Ashley and I visited Potsdam, a city previously known as the second most royal city in Germany. I'm pretty sure we walked for miles along rows of trees and every row we looked down was another beautiful castle. The whole city was fairy-tale like. In a tour we took through one of the castles, Ashley and I turned to walk down one of the stair cases and were yelled at in German YET AGAIN and the conversation went back and forth between her strong German accent and our laughter and mumbling 'ok thanks...yes ma'am..ok great I have no idea what youre saying..' I think I may be relieved the first time someone yells at me in America, it's way less scary. Ashley and I cut back on our spending until we got to the Dutch market area and busted out another 50 euros or so for some hand made Dutch ceramics. We 'needed' it, shlepp it!!

After making a last withdrawl for Euros, we had dinner at an Italian bistro and are looking forward to unwinding on our last full day in Europe tomorrow going back to the Chocolate Cafe to write and catch up on what we've gotten out of this amazing experience. It's honestly really nice to have an extra day without the noise and rush of the program or being back at home. It's kind of like time has frozen for the next few days and now we can fully appreciate the irreplacable journey we have had the opportunity to embark on. This was the most rewarding experience of my entire life because of an all-encompassing combination of the culture, the academic aspect, the historical aspect, allowing ourselves to try out of the ordinary excursions, and the outstanding group of people we had.

Genau.

THAT Just Happened: German Antics and Things I'll Miss.

It astounds me that I am still surprised/taken aback by some of the purely European culture.  You'd think after being here for 5 weeks my American ways would have dimmed, but no, I still get the feeling that I'm seeing something I shouldn't when I see people blatently making out on the subway...or worse.  I still turn my head when I see a woman in her 60's or older with bright red or purple hair.  I am still in awe of the German countryside.  I am going to miss all the German people who have been unfailingly helpful, but I will welcome the background noise of people's conversations in America.  More than once we were scolded (by faculty and fellow travelers alike) for being too loud and rambunctious.  Given, we were doing nothing that would be out of the ordinary or overly obnoxious in Texas, but the Germans are quiet travelers, so getting 15 excited American's together didn't fair well in their minds.  I will miss the Germans need for order; you'll probably find me standing and waiting at a deserted street corner if the lights instruct me that it is not a good time to cross.  I will miss their tiny European cars that they like to park on the sidewalks and their fast driving...but I'm totally ready to be surrounded by big, loud, half-ton pick-up trucks again.  The German food is AMAZING (definitely not the continuous flow of bratwurst and saurkraut I was imagining) and unless I find a way to make it, I will miss that too.  I wish we as Americans could introduce the water and energy conservation system they have in place here.  I want the motion detector lights in buildings and toilets that have varying ranges of flush loads.  I will not miss bread for breakfast everyday.  It was nice in the beginning, but then it got a bit redundant--bread, salami, cheese, jam, and Nutella...but I will never get sick of Nutella.  I'm looking forward to bacon, eggs, and pancakes...or at least a cold glass of milk.  I am going to miss ice cream on every street corner and johanisbeere juice, but I think most, I'll miss the fact that the Germans take their dogs EVERYWHERE with them! I want to be able to do that at home!!!  I am happy to leave cobblestone sidewalks and streets behind me, but I will miss the bike lane and the ease of eco-friendly transportation.  I am inspired to get a bike and a little bell in the states, but I know I would hardly use them due to the lack of bike lanes (or respect for them) at home.  All in all, Deutchland is an amazing place that I definitely plan on coming back to.  For now, I'm ready to go back home for awhile, but I will take experiences of the culture and lessons learned here to hopefully apply to my somewhat stereotypical American life.  Tschuess!

Charitè

Yesterday was the Charitè Museum of Medicine.  Definitely the coolest museum we've been to so far.  I was most wowed by the room that showcased parts of the human body that ranged from normal to diseased.  The last row exhibited all different types of birth defects, things that you see in horror films or read about in disturbing books, not things I've actually seen before.  Some of the specimens didn't even look human.  I wish I could have understood the German words for the different diseases so I could know what exactly I was looking at.  I also really liked the way they had the room arranged with the normal specimens closest to the center aisle and specific diseases displayed for each organ.  The long room upstairs with the collection of past and present medical paraphanelia was neat too.  I looked at the pictures they had for early forms of plastic surgery, which was interesting to me because I think of nose jobs as purely being something of today's society.  Something I've learned about on this trip that I was not aware of before are the wax models of the patient's diseased faces.  Seeing the whole display case of those there at the Charitè was definitely something I'll remember.  I also liked having class in the old lecture hall there at the museum.  It was cool to know that we were sitting where many modern medicine pioneers sat and learned about the anatomy and responses of the human body.  There were a lot of really neat things displayed at Charitè, and I can't describe all of them without sounding longwinded.  Just know that I really liked this place...it was a good final field trip! :)

My last day in Germany...

The program officially ended last night with a farewell party and final European goodbyes to the majority of the group.  Today was Hannah and my final day here, but we had Ashley and Sharon to keep us company too.  The day mostly involved a lot of relaxing, so I was happy to have the extra day.  Sleeping in, re-packing, reading, enjoying final German meals, and visiting the Berlin zoo at a pace that would be acceptable to a 65 year old...all very nice and stress-free.  I found I was able to pack more than I thought I could into my 2 suitcases and somehow ended up with extra space!  Sharon, Ashley, and I went to the zoo after lunch (at the 1.80 euro/huge pizza slice place), and it was awesome!  They have a larger variety of animals then the Cologne zoo did, but the Cologne habitats were much nicer.  Some of the exhibits just made me sad today at the Berlin zoo.  It is probably because the Berlin zoo is smack in the middle of the city, but some of the habitats made the fact that these animals are held in captivity blaringly obvious.  The elephant house at Cologne was 1000% better than Berlin's as were the large cat and bear areas, not to mention the monkey house.  I wish the monkey's had the freedom to roam around as they do at the Cologne zoo.  To Berlin zoo's credit though, they had orangotangs that were absolutely hilarious!  I stood there and just watched them play for a good 15 minutes.  There were 3 of them in their 25' x 15' light green tiled room, and they were all having a blast with the 3 bed sheets that were provided to them.  The littlest one was having a great time running into and wrestling with the largest one (who was about the the size of 3 Javorski Lanes and covered in dread locks); the middle-sized one was just doing cartwheel after cartwheel inside its sheet.  After the zoo, the 3 of us took naps, Hannah joined us, and we all went to "White Trash" for our last dinner in Germany.  It was an awesome day and a great way to end the trip!

A little town not meant for American students

Allen, Ashley, Pete and I traveled to Zell for our last weekend trip in Germany and stayed at a tiny bed and breakfast which I will not recommend to study abroad students after we realized the small, quiet place was NOT meant for college students. Wine, peach liquer, Italian food, jumping into the freezing Mosel River to claim an island, hiking through vineyards to find a relaxing napping spot along the water, skipping rocks, fireworks & cigars on the dock, and a full night of special scrabble...all in good company made this weekend unforgettable. Oh yes, but also the second most terrifying moment of my life after we left the old German couples' bed and breakfast with a shattered glass door for which Ashley and I were screamed at in German, a couple ripped towels from zip lining at the playground, and a mysterious 'coffee' stain on the table cloth...but it's ok, we gave her a little something to pay it back.

Bad Oeynhausen

Open heart surgery...this was my first open heart surgery to observe and my best surgery experience yet. Ashley and I scrubbed in to watch a 62-year old woman receive a mitral valve replacement. After anesthesizing her, she was moved into the surgery room where she was sterilized and completely prepared for the surgery...pretty sure everyone knows the process. One of the coolest parts was getting to finally watch a surgeon cauterize the chest and saw open the sternum to expose the heart...all within a matter of minutes. Watching a beating heart is one of the most beautiful things a human could ever experience...and something that mechanically still remains a mystery for humans to successfully recreate long-term, which makes it even more of a miracle. After drenching the heart into a cold (5°C) potassium solution, we watched her slowly go into cardiac arrest so the atrium could be sliced open and the mitral valve replacement could begin. This was the long, tedious part of the surgery but the exciting part was the willingness of the anaesthesiologist who stood behind Ashley and I to not only allow us to stand in front of him the entire time but also his eagerness to help us understand what was going on. This was something I was not used to since the surgeon will usually do that instead. Nevertheless, we were so close to the patient that I felt like it was almost hands-on for us as well as the assistant physicians and the whole experienced reinforced for both Ashley and I, our calling to the field of medicine.

Back to Switzerland...

Pete and I in Switzerland...one of the best weekends of my entire life. Favorite moments:
Stepping off train and for the first 20 minutes or so thinking where the hell are we? We had little or no planning when we left which ended up making it the best weekend of the trip.
Listening to to the accent of three guys we hung out with the first night...the South German accent that makes a 'kaahh' sound like they're trying to caugh something up.
Listening to Peter sing Mando Diao with Sandy, one of the guys from Zurich, and realizing how bazaar that two guys with completely different lives from completely different backgrounds could be so similar.
Jumping off the highest dam in the world in a lightning storm (that had calmed at the moment) and watching Peter do the running man 700 feet toward the rock at the bottom like a champ.
Swimming in freezing water in the middle of the Swiss Alps at Lago Maggiore...and relaxing FINALLY.
Walking around with some crazy American wearing all red, white, and blue and an American Spirit hat!