Proud to be an American (Week 2)

At this point of the trip, I had almost gotten completely over the learning curve of Europe. Though I was still clinging to home a bit through things like McDonald’s and Subway, I also tried my best to embrace the culture. Among other things, this week was my attempt at really getting to know my host family. This turned out to be extremely tough considering the huge amount of time the actual program takes. At least we got to spend the entirety of the week within the Bonn area, so I got a bit more into family life at my host home. More than anything, this week was about day trips. Pretty much everything we did this week was exciting, and I’m sure this week will stand out among those of the program. If it doesn’t then that’s even better, but it would be hard to top this one.

One of the main day trips we went on this week was our small excursion to Cologne. Though we saw a huge amount of interesting things throughout the city, the standout was without a doubt the Cologne Cathedral. I had thought last week that the cathedral in Bonn was impressive, but it didn’t even compare to this monster of a church. As we walked through the inside of the church, I started to question if this whole thing was possibly a strange dream. The main hall of the cathedral was probably the largest room I’ve ever actually been inside. To say it was massive would be a gross understatement. Rather than just being an incredibly large empty and undecorated room (which would have still been impressive), the walls were COVERED in statues, paintings and gold paint. Even the blind would be able to see the extreme lavishness of the building. As we walked through the cathedral, I learned that its history was just as impressive as its looks. The sheer age of it was rather unbelievable to me. I would imagine that most Americans feel the same way. It’s odd to see buildings that are from a time before America even existed. The fact that this church actually houses the bones of the three wise men was another point of awe for me. Looking at the ark in which they were held made me feel as if I had been transported into the world of Indiana Jones. Though the rooftop tour of the cathedral that was scheduled for today never actually happened due to a problem with the guide, we DID get to be awkwardly stared at by an incredibly creepy man while we waited outside. I’m sure this was a highlight of the day for most of the group. The girls (and guys to a lesser extent) were legitimately freaked out.

The week also included a trip to the medical clinic of Bonn University. This was truly an amazing experience. I had been excited for this part of the program but would have been even more pumped had I known beforehand what this trip really included. When we got there, we were told to get dressed into the standard medical green and were led to rooms in separate groups where we got to observe surgery. I chose the group being shown a spinal fusion surgery. Having never closely observed a surgery before this time, it was a special treat for me. I could really see just about everything that happened: every incision, every stitch, and every screw. Perhaps most amazing to me was the amount of roughness which the surgeons used. At times when the doctor was hammering or screwing into bone, the scene seemed more like that of an auto mechanic’s shop than a hospital. I was also impressed by the casualness with which the doctors did their work. Obviously they all take their jobs very seriously, but that didn’t stop them from making jokes and being friendly throughout the procedure. It was neat to see just how accustomed they had become to saving lives. Becoming a surgeon was looking pretty good to me at this time.

The last major event of the week actually occurred on the same day as the clinics, the Women’s World Cup Soccer game with America heading off against France. Of all the nights of the trip, this was definitely the most fun for me. Before the game a group of us had painted our bodies to show our support for the greatest country in the world. I was the “S” in USA and was more than a little proud to have that honor. We started the game off with a run through the stands where we were treated like celebrities. Cameras were going off to get our pictures as soon as we got off the bus, and I doubt I could have felt any better even if I had been one of the ones playing in the match. I expected our celebrity status to eventually stop but it really never seemed to let up. I’m sure our pictures were plastered all over Facebook the next day, and permanent eye damage seemed to be a high possibility from all the camera flashes. Seriously, it was nuts. This was all great but even better was the victory for the Stars and Stripes. I guess I should have known from the start what the outcome would be. What else can you expect from America? I was able to go home this night and sleep happily (while also staining my sheets with red, white, and blue body paint). Though I had thought by the end of the first week in Bonn that the trip couldn’t possibly get any more exciting, this week was definitely an improvement. I’m looking forward to so much more to come and can’t wait to see what Dr. Wasser and Nils have in store for us. USA!!!