Arrival to Deutschland (12/27/12)

After the long flight to Frankfurt finally came to an end, half of the group (Ari, Monica, Leo, Austin, Connor, Cassie, and I) congregated outside where we got off the plane around 9:15am. It still did not sink in to me that I am finally in Germany! All of us then headed to baggage claim to collect our compact luggage. Afterwards, we were all figuring out how to get to the meeting point where the AIB director will collect us to head to Bonn. Finding the meeting point was not too challenging considering there was a group of us, but we arrived at the meeting point with 1.5 hours to spare so we decided to walk around the airport and “explore”. Although not much to see, the feeling of anxiousness rushed in me. I was so excited I decided to go through with this program. I do not think I would have traveled to Europe under any other circumstances. It is one of the best decisions I have made. I am so glad Ari talked me into doing this program. After walking around for a while, we decided to head back to the meeting point to see if the other group members have arrived. We met up with Samantha, Kaitlyn, and Patrick at the spot and we chilled for a little until the AIB director arrived. None of us knew who was picking us up but we were all anticipating to meet him/her. Not too long later, Suzanne arrived and introduced herself to everybody. The first impression I got from her was that she was very nice and friendly. It made me very glad to know that she was very approachable. We waited for a little more until the rest of our classmates to arrive and we met Aaron, Max, and Tyler. After all 13 of us are finally together, we got on the bus around 1:00pm and headed to Bonn. The ride was about one hour and 45 minutes, but I was very sleepy already. I suppose sleeping on the plane did not help with jetlag at all. I passed out on the bus as soon as the driver took off. Although not certain, I assume that the rest of the group also knocked out because it was super quiet on the bus. The next thing I know when I opened my eyes was that we are right in front of the AIB building in Bonn. It was an abrupt awakening and I did not even have time to collect myself. I literally felt like we got kicked off the bus and our luggage were thrown out. After all of us got our luggage, we hurried over to the Mercedes hotel because it was “raining”. Although not too far of a walk but it felt like it was so long because I was still shaken from the sudden wake. When we arrived to the hotel, it turns out that Ari and I got the top floor and we had to climb our way up with our luggage. It is not as bad as it sounds though because we got our awesome backpack luggage. Everybody only had until 4:00pm to meet back downstairs so we can head to the AIB building together. It was about 3:15pm when we got to our room but right when we settled in our room, I immediately seek for Internet. I needed wifi so bad because I needed to let the people at home know that I arrived safely. Due to that, I took a little longer to get ready and cause Ari and I to get downstairs late and got called out. It was embarrassing, but I sure learned my lesson. We all headed to AIB together and met up with Dr. Wasser. Both Suzanne and Dr Wasser gave us a brief run-through of what is going to happen for the next two days or so and handed us our folder with lots of good information. In addition, Suzanne gave each of us 17 Euros to spend for lunch for two days. Afterwards, they took us downstairs to make phone calls home. I only gave a call to Mami, but she was too busy for small talk so letting her know I arrived safely was pretty much the only thing I said. When everyone was done making calls home (which was not many of us), we headed out for dinner. As of now, I really do not remember what was the name of the restaurant and I really did not take many pictures either because I was so burned out by that time. We all pretty much order the same thing, but with different toppings. I did enjoy the food but partly because I was famished. However, I believe I would have survived with skipping dinner and just going to sleep. I really think I could have slept standing. I was really and super sleepy. Dinner could not finish any faster. When everyone was done and we were free to go back to the hotel and sleep, I could almost sing hallelujah if had the energy, but I did not. Walking back to the hotel was torture itself and I would have rolled back if I could. When Ari and I got back to the room around 9:00pm, I changed into my pajamas as fast as I could and I knocked out unconscious. If I had to use one word to describe the first day in Germany, it would be exhausting. Germany really took my breath away and I was exhausted. I really cannot find a better word to describe my day 1 – EXHAUSTING.

After the first few days I have been having a blast!! but it's also been very tiring. I got to administer some drugs to a patient with the anesthesiologist and manually breath for the person, We also go to go see a museum of anesthesiology which was very neat! What was really cool was seeing the museum about the history of Germany and then SS HQ in Cologne! It is ridiculous how humans could create such terrible living conditions and torture so many people. I have had such a great time and it's only been 4 days! I cant wait to see what other cities have to offer.Tonight we are going to check out the night life in Cologne, hopefully it is more happening than Bonn.

Pre-Departure Blog

As I try to fit the final bits and pieces into my confined suitcase, checking and double checking that I have everything: snow boots, plug adapter, winter hat, all the things never needed in Texas, I find myself thinking that in less than twenty four hours I will be hurtling across the Atlantic at nearly 600 mph. I just thumbed through a little German phrasebook my brother gave me for Christmas and realized again how little I know about the German language. I am very excited about the prospect of being immersed in an entirely new culture, and am slightly anxious to see how I fit in. I talked to a friend who lived abroad for many years in Indonesia and said that Western Europe is basically an extension of America culturally so I don’t think that there is that much to worry about. Most of all I am excited about all the history that I will be submerged in. Simply walking through Berlin will be fascinating and I only wish to get there sooner.

Germany Day 1

I know this is a little late but better late then never.  The realization that I was leaving for Germany did not set in until the night before we left on Christmas Day.  After traveling overseas once, I was not looking forward to the flight but I knew this trip was going to be a lot of fun.  Not actually knowing anyone going on the trip was exciting and nerve wracking. However by the few conversations on our Facebook group page, I knew this was going to be a fun group.

Pre-Departure Thoughts

Howdy! My name is Kitty and I am waiting to board on the plane to Germany now. I cannot believe I will be in another country in just a few hours. I am feeling very excited but anxious at the same time. The weather from yesterday kind of gave me a feeling of how it is going to be over there. I hope I packed warm enough clothes for the climate there. It was painful trying to fit everything in a tiny luggage, but I managed. I am boarding now. See you all in Germany! :)

Pre-Flight Thoughts

Howdy, I am Tyler Galownia, a junior Radiological Health Major. Ever since freshman year I have wanted to go on this exact study abroad program, so when I finally was able to apply and get accepted I was over the moon with excitement. This feeling has yet to leave me, I have just completed my packing, 6 hours before my plane takes off, I sure hope I didn't forget anything.
My expectations for this trip are very high, I plan on going in and trying everything that the German culture has to offer. I want to try all the food and drinks they have, and yes even buy a pair of those leather pants. I cant wait to get there! I have gotten a bit of nervous feelings from time to time, mainly because I have never been over seas before and will be without a cell phone or wifi.
Some of the things I think I will see are probably pretty skewed from media and stuff. For example When I land I half expect to see tons of beer bars. I doubt it will be like movies portray it but I don't know what else to expect. Well I'm off to go have my last american cheese burger, before leaving the country.
Thanks and Gig'em!

TLDR: I plan on eating everything in Germany. Link

Final pre-departure thoughts

Howdy, I am Kaitlyn Cortez and I am a senior animal science major. When I heard about this trip, I was beyond excited to apply and get accepted. Studying abroad has always been an interest of mine because I love to travel and try new things. I am so thankful for the opportunity to experience this adventure. The practice of medicine has always been an interest of mine, whether it's animal or human medicine. There are so many similarities between them. 

As far as feelings of nervousness or anxiety, those really haven't hit me yet.  I have been out of the country before so that is not really a fear for me, nor is becoming home sick. The only concerns I have are running into delays due to weather issues at the airport, and the language barrier. Also the only other concern I have is being able to see our bowl game, as I am a die hard fan and I love college football. 

I can't wait to get to Germany and meet up with everybody. I wish everyone safe travels! 

Thanks and Gig'em. 

Life Before Germany!

I am sitting here on Christmas day in my nice cozy bed with 17 hours until I board a plane to go to a different part of this planet. I am trying to think about how I feel without giving the typical emotions of a student who has never left the country (except for two cruises to Mexico). I have had so many contrasting feelings in this past month that I feel like it has caused a cancellation of emotions. I am anxious yet calm; excited yet scared; confused yet prepared. They tell you that you are suppose to have a roller-coaster of feelings when you study abroad...I am dreading the moment when it finally hits me that I am leaving for THREE WEEKS. Many people would say "yeah so what, three weeks is nothing compared to a semester," but three weeks can be both a very long and very short period of time. I have not flown since I was in 8th grade (7 years ago). Keeping this in mind I cannot fathom that in about 17 hours I will be on a 10-hour flight to Germany. I will have to deal with this side emotion tomorrow when I go through the loads of security and try to find my gate scrambling through the hustle and bustle that is what I can only imagine my inner mind would look like if I were to peek inside. I of course have the feeling that I have forgotten something and have lost everything that I have already packed without even rolling my suitcase out of my front door. I have been preparing for this trip for about four to five months now and cannot believe that the time has finally arrived that I have been so bravely and casually talking about to friends and family when this is anything but casual. I want to go to Europe and do all the right things, but I am starting to realize that I need to as the saying goes "go with the flow". I have been told the Germans are mean; the Germans are nice. I have been told not to do anything I would not do in the US. I have been told to keep my morals, but do not second-guess myself on new things. I have been told to be open-minded. I have been told the food is amazing. I have been told the Germans are blunt. I have been told stop worrying. I have been told to just take it all in. I have been told this is only an appetizer of Europe, and that I can always go back again. I have been told flying is not safe. I have been told Germany is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. But of all the things I have been told the one advice that keeps ringing in my ears is to let Europe engulf you and allow it to change you in the way it is suppose to. All the advice I have been given just makes me that much more grateful that I will be able to start forming my own opinions in 27 hours when I first arrive in Frankfurt, Germany!!!

Final Countdown

Howdy! My name is Cassie Stump (Cassandra has always seemed too formal in my opinion) and I am a Junior BIMS major at A&M (A-A-A-WHOOP!) with a double Psychology and Neuroscience minor. I have lived in Bryan, Texas almost all of my life and I can not wait for the change in scenery.

Christmas has been over for only a few hours and I still cannot believe that in less than a day from now I will be on the long flight to Germany. Ever since signing up for this trip back in the spring semester of 2012 I have felt that the date of December 26th has been one big countdown: 8 more months, 4 more months, 2 more weeks, 3 more days... It almost seemed this day would never come!

Throughout this time I've had a mix of feelings and expectations, alternating between those of excitement and others of anxiety. It has been a couple of years since I have taken a trip out of the country. In fact, I realize that the last trip I took over seas was to both Germany and Austria! I remember when I was there thinking how the city of Berlin looked so new and vibrant compared to the Berlin we were always taught about in school. I remember it being exciting to walk around the city and take in the many sights, such as the Jewish Museum, Unter den Linden, and the Holocaust Memorial. I recall the people as rather friendly and helpful, though one memory I hope to improve on this trip is that of their food (I have never been a big fan of sausage and pan-fried meat).

All of this, though, was during the summer months where temperatures were high enough to not consider a jacket. Having lived in south Texas all of my life, the idea of cold weather both intrigues me and worries me. The silly little questions keep popping up in my mind: How cold is it really going to be? What if I didn't pack right for the weather? I don't even know how many times I have repacked my bag to add or subtract articles of clothing that I have thought I may or may not need. Luckily I remember Germany (especially Berlin) having quite a few nice clothing stores!

These worries are all but forgotten when I think about New Years Eve. Just to see how German's celebrate the New Year is a reason to battle the temperature! And to be experiencing it along with our still unplanned weekend with my fellow Aggies makes it all the more exciting.

All this having been said, I should probably get some sleep for all the excitement to come. T-12 hours...

Howdy!

My name is Patrick McGrade I am a junior Biology major.  I have been looking forward to this trip for some time now and it is hard to believe it is finally here.  December 26th has felt like a day that would never get here.

I have always wanted to travel to Europe so I hope this trip will be the first of many for me.  I have been fortunate enough to travel abroad to central american on several medical mission trips but I have never been as far away as Germany.  I have to admit that I am dreading the flight there, I have a feeling I will be cramped in between two very large individuals that will not share the arm rests, but I am sure I will find a way to manage. I have done my best to avoid watching taken over the break to avoid freaking myself out about the trip as well. The only other issue I have run into is packing and how to fit everything in such a small space (something I am sure everyone else has experienced as well).

I think overal this will be a life changing experience and something that will stick with me and help with my global perspective on many issues. I cannot wait to check out all of the sites that we have planned to see and I hope to squeeze in some historical spots as often as possible as I am a bit of a history nerd.  I am also looking forward to enjoying many of the local customs and foods, I think everyone I have told about this trip as told me to be careful with the Germany beer.  I cannot wait to see everyone over in Germany and hope we all have a great time!

Auf wiedersehen, goodbye to the US of A!

 

To start off, I'd like to introduce myself. Howdy, I'm Austin Wang, a sophomore Biomedical Sciences and Psychology double major from Houston, Texas, but most importantly, I'm the loudest, proudest member of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Class of 2015! A-A-A-A-A! Just to clarify, I'm usually not that outgoing when I make introductions but that's not the point of this post.

In 2 days, we will be soaring over the Atlantic Ocean towards Germany. I'm extremely excited and nervous right now because I will finally get to meet everyone and experience German culture for myself. What makes me apprehensive of the coming days are the simple truths that I can't speak German and I have no idea if I'll be prepared for the frigid weather seeing that I grew up in Texas my whole life. Considering we are living and traveling from hotel to hotel and city to city, this will be a new and unique adventure for me (and for all of us, I think!). So just a bit about me. I have an identical twin brother, Aaron, who is also going on this trip. I'm an avid musician and I play principal oboe in the Texas A&M Wind Symphony; that's why I'm pumped about going to see the opera (I think it's L'Italiana in Algeri). 

I've been to Italy once right before my freshman year at A&M, so it's not my first time to Europe, but it'll be my first time officially studying abroad, so to speak. I guess that's why I'm not too worried about culture shock. I'm really looking forward to learning not just about how medicine developed in Europe, but how our world is now a highly integrated and dependent system. As technology improves, the world becomes a smaller place and as educated citizens, we have to acknowledge and respect differences in customs and cultures. I want this trip to be a way for me to look at the world from another perspective. As long as I can get over the weather and my inability to communicate, I think this will be an unforgettable study abroad trip. I know that we'll have a great time learning about Germany and how the field of medicine flourished in Europe; I'm also really excited about visiting the various destinations and all the famous landmarks that I've only read about in books. Alongside the excursions and tours, partying on New Year's Eve in Berlin will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience! 

Aside from all of that, I'm thrilled that we are about to depart and I look forward to meeting and getting to know each of you. Gig 'Em!

3 days to go

 
   It's December 23rd 2012 and for the first time in my life, I will read and contribute to a blog. A few weeks ago, I bought my first set of winter clothes ever. And in three days, I will leave the United States for the first time. I am surprised with all the new experiences I have already had because of this trip to Germany, and I cannot imagine how many more I will gain when I actually get off the plane in Frankfurt. Although I am anxious about all the travel, I am much more excited to be doing something different this winter.

   Currently I am in Tucson, Arizona visiting my family. Although its been fun, and I will miss spending new years with my parents, I am looking forward to having a new experience. I think my biggest concern about the trip is the weather. I was raised in the dessert, and as I write this, it's still 63 degrees outside. I have never been up north, and having to rely completely on other people's advice is difficult. It's not that I don't trust others, it's just that this is a new experience, and I have no idea on what to expect once I get there. My only other concern is in dealing with German people. This is mainly because I don't speak any German, and I am worried about running into some kind of emergency. Everyone who has gone tells me that it is not a problem because so many Germans speak English, but I won't be able to believe that until I experience it myself. Still though these concerns are definitely secondary to the excitement I feel.

   Maybe it's because I don't travel often, but I view this trip as an adventure and am really excited to get going. Even when I get to thinking about all that can go wrong I don't worry to much because, I feel like its going to be a good time. Anyway I look forward to meeting everyone in the next couple of days, and I hope everyone has safe travels.

The Waiting is Over!

It's hard to believe that in a few days I will be in Germany! As the departure date nears I am starting to feel a lot of mixed emotions. I am very excited to go on this new adventure. I am anxious to experience a different culture, see new things, and have what I hope will be the time of my life. However, I am also very scared for many reasons. I am afraid of being so far from home, missing my loved ones, and being out of my comfort zone. I'm scared of the drastic change in climate compared to what I've been used to my whole life, and I'm scared of feeling "lost in translation." Most of all I think I'm scared of being unprepared, especially not packing the right things! I hope that when I get to Germany all of my worries will go away and I will find myself having an amazing time.

I never imagined I would participate in a study abroad program but now I can't imagine a better way to experience Europe, and overseas in general, for the first time. Everything is planned out for us, all the excursions, hotels, and cultural experiences. All I have to do is show up! This seems a lot easier than having to plan a family vacation. I am looking forward to the course History of Medicine. My interest in the medical field made it that much easier to make the decision to take this course over all the other study abroad opportunities I saw in the past.

I'm excited to visit and learn about all of the historical places in Germany, to try a lot of new food (I love new food!), and to party all night on New Year's Eve!

Let the adventure begin. See you all in Germany! 

a little somethin' somethin' about me

 

HOWDY from Austin, Texas!

I am very excited to be posting my first blog...ever. I want to begin by telling everyone a little about myself. I am originally from Venezuela in south America and my family and I moved to the United States around ten years ago. I have lived in south Texas and College Station. I am a second year in Texas A&M pre-med Psychology major with a Business minor.

I have two brothers and two sisters and I am the fourth. I love all kinds of food, like to think I can easily adapt to changes (we'll see if that is true soon), love to play sports, love the outdoors, and like warm weather much more than cold.

I am very excited to get to know everyone of you personally and have a blast in Germany!

I have never been to Europe so I am feeling somewhat anxious but I think Dr. Wasser has advised us very well prior to take off. My dad studied in Germany when he was around my same age in Stuttgart for around three years and my ancestors from his side are from Germany too. Zingg is German as well. I wish it would be longer than three weeks already even though we are not even there yet! I hope to learn a lot, gain great friendships, and do something else abroad before I graduate.

THANKS & GIG' EM!

 

Pre-Deutschland Thoughts: Pre-Departure

 

Probably how I will be dressing for the most part. With a few more layers of course.

Howdy! My name is Aaron Wang, a sophomore Biomedical Sciences major pursuing a double minor in English and Genetics. I am from Clear Lake City in Houston, Texas and have lived there since birth. I am currently on a pre-med track and plan to attend medical school after I graduate in 2015. I have an identical twin going on this trip as well but since he got a hair cut, I hope we are not going to be too hard to tell apart. I am pretty excited about this trip and am looking forward to meeting all of you guys!

So unlike my typical procrastination habits, where I often end up blitzkrieg-ing myself pretty badly, I decided to write my pre-departure thoughts not the moment before the flight took off but rather few days before so I hope I am not being a prick by getting this done this early. So anyway, I was first interested in this study abroad opportunity a little over a year ago and has the time flown right by. In a few days, granted the global apocalypse does not occur on tomorrow on December 21^st 2012, I should be boarding a plane for Germany with a connecting flight in Amsterdam and it is definitely something I am looking forward too since this is also my first time traveling to Europe. So I am pretty excited about this whole thing and I know this is said quite often for something like this but it seems kind of unreal.

As part of something I am looking forward to, several questions regarding this experience-to-be come to mind. Is Germany going to be like what I picture in my mind? Is it going to be as cold, dreary, and snowy as it was made out to be? Will there be wiener dogs everywhere? Will chocolate and beer be in as much abundance as water? Regardless, like every stereotype in existence, there is a degree of truth to them but the truth is usually at least slightly tamer than what the stereotype suggests. I can look at pictures or videos on the web but that only show part of the story about what something really is.

In terms of the German language, I will be honest. There have been moments during the trip orientations where I have had to stifle a small laugh or giggle when I heard Dr. Wasser say some incredibly sounding German word or phrase. German is a complex Indo-European language ranging from its seemingly arbitrary gender assignments to its overwhelming conjugations and sounds. Though I will not have the time during or before this trip to learn German to a highly usable level, I hope it will be something that I will have an increasing level of appreciation and understanding for. I expect this trip to be a fun, albeit educational in terms of German medical history and culture, which is a good thing. 

Another thing to note is that I do expect to see how German or European medical practices differ from those in America. I understand that with socialized healthcare, taxpayers receive close to free medical coverage due to high taxes, but overall, healthcare is more accessible to those who need to it most. In America, we have a system of healthcare that is non-government run and as a result, far more expensive than the system that exists in countries with socialized healthcare. I wonder if there will be any discernible difference in level of care or even how they train their physicians and veterinarians and they are things I am looking forward to seeing for myself as much as I can. 
 
As for the excursions, museums, and such, those should probably be interesting but I will wait and see till I get to those places to experience the history, culture, knowledge that awaits at those places. 

Regardless of my expectations of this trip, I am looking forward to spending an amazing time in Germany where I will be exposed to not only the bitter cold but also the history and culture that made Germany the place it is today. I am trying to dump any stereotypes I may have of Germany that I have acquired by simply being an American. As soon as I land, I should forget about the ten-gallon pitcher of beer, the crazy-looking pants, the fat-lady with the Viking helmet at the opera, and the number of other German things that come to mind. I hope to redefine my image of Germany on this trip and experience a culture and society that will expand my cultural horizons in addition to increasing my knowledge about the history of medicine in Europe. It is easy and done far too often to have judgments about things looking from the outside in but I have heard things appear differently looking from the inside out so I am waiting for that opportunity on December 26^th 2012 to climb onto the other side of that window and see the view from the inside myself.

Back in the Grand Ole' State

It's definitely strange being back in the land where trains are somewhat of a nuisance, rather than something that can easily take you and your friends across the country for weekend travels. I remember getting into my own car as I was picked up from the airport thinking, "this is so strange to be in a vehicle that isn't a cab, and it has air conditioning, because it's 100 degrees outside!" Hearing so many English speakers (even though I only ever met probably 2 Germans that didn't speak English) made me double-take several times in the DFW airport upon my arrival back in the states, and it has made me realize how much I take advantage of speaking English. So many Americans, including myself, never bother, because they may not need, to learn another language besides the one they speak natively. I've learned from spending my summer abroad that knowing at least one other language is infinitely beneficial for not only verbally communicating with someone from a different country. Knowing someone else language allows you to reach a person beyond the superficial level and understand a culture different from your own in ways that may never be possible, otherwise. Given another opportunity to travel as I have this past summer, I would take that chance again every time. The risks about my traveling were a large part of what made it so fun, and the benefits, in my opinion, are almost immediate and numerous. There is almost no other proper way to teach yourself about a culture that doesn't originate your home nation without living for some time in that other culture. People who see and spend conversations with travelers in their community are almost always more than welcoming to outsiders, especially when you take the time to show you want to learn about who the people are, rather than focusing on what tourists usually see.

Don't get me wrong; the sights are amazing! It's really easy for me to say that my favorite parts were visiting Switzerland and Prague on the free weekends. It's easy to tell what answers people are looking for when they ask how my summer was, and for most, I will simply answer superficially with the most fun weekends when we traveled to beautiful and exciting places. Some of my favorite moments were in Switzerland; going up Mt. Pilatus in Luzern, canyoning in Interlaken, riding the scenic train through the mountains, paddle-boarding on Lake Thun in Interlaken. I can't forget those and others like them, but some of the most interesting stuff to me was somewhat academic. Being able to see surgeries in person, conversing with doctors in Hannover, seeing them interact with their patients, and things like this were experiences I will scarcely forget. I love being back with long-time friends in College Station, but nothing could replace the experiences I had in Europe this summer. The differences in interacting with German society have made me so much more aware of my own habits that used to seem so normal. Also, I have grown to appreciate the German beer much more than American beer, but this summer was beyond anything senses can describe.

Out With A Bang

Monday morning we caught the early train for Berlin. It was a nice ride there and we arrived in enough time to grab lunch before our city tour. I was feeling very skeptical about our bike tour of the city. To my surprise I had the best time biking around! Our guide Robin was really cool and showed us all around the city.

Tuesday we started the day by visiting the Reichstag Building which is the seat of the German Parliment. The building is very historical since it has contained some of the most important political systems to pass through Germany. Next we took off to Sachsenhausen. The concentration camp was really a once in a lifetime experience. It was creepy and very cool all at the same time. It was really interesting to actually see what happened instead of just reading about it.

Wednesday was all about the Charite. At the learning center we got to experience different ways the medical students learn different topics. We dressed up as old people and used a dummy to listen to heart problems. Then we moved onto the Charite museum where we observed different models that have been used by the college for extended periods of time to train medical students.

Thursday was a quick trip to Dresden. Dresden is hands down one of my favorite towns in Germany. It was so beautiful and full of secrets you wouldn't expect. There we visited the War Museum, Hygienic Museum, and had a guided tour. I really want to go back to Dresden and stay for a week. It seemed like a sleepy little town that was also full of excitement.

Friday was our last day in Germany. We first visted the Dellbruck Center of Molecular Medicine. Then we went to the Ottobock Center. The Ottobock Center blew my mind. I've never really put the thought into people who need prosthetics until now. The technology utilized by Ottobock is truly amazing and gives you a new appreciation for people who need prosthetics and those making them.

I am so sad that I'm not in Germany anymore, but this whole trip was a once in a lifetime experience. I love Berlin.

Berlin land of the Jelly Filled Pastery

Well this is it the final week, its bitter sweet I had just said good bye to my host family and we on the road to Berlin, its really funny how these five weeks have literally flown by I have come to really love Germany and traveling if it was not for the fact of my lack of german language I would feel like a local here in Germany.  Once we got to Berlin we took a bike tour around the city to see many of the famous historical sites, and to get acquainted with our new surroundings of this much larger city.

The End of an Era

The Berlin wall officially came down on November 9, 1989, when the East German government announced that its citizens were allowed to visit West Berlin and the rest of West Germany, ending the almost 30 year cessation of emigration from the German Democratic Republic during the Cold War. Both East and West Germans celebrated, and “mauerspechte” rapidly began to peck away at the wall, creating new unofficial border crossings, while more official crossings were built until the middle of the following year. By July 1, 1990, the inter-German border was essentially meaningless, and border patrols had stopped. On October 3^rd, German reunification was officially completed, and the divided Germany of the Cold War era ceased to exist.

Although most of the Berlin Wall has been chipped into souvenir-sized pieces, sections are displayed throughout Berlin, decorated with symbols of each one’s place of residence, and a roughly 80-meter-long piece still stands in place near Checkpoint Charlie. I was privileged enough to see this chunk of history, along with many other awe-inspiring relics of Berlin’s past, throughout my last week spent in Germany.

The first day there, I was thrown right into the bustle of Berlin with an incredible bike tour of the monuments, palaces, synagogues, cathedrals, and just plain buildings that showed the darker history of the city through their WWII bullet holes. From the huge memorial for the Jewish lives lost to the plaque honoring the T4 victims, it was evident that history is not hidden in Berlin.

My immersement in the culture of Berlin continued with visits to the Bundestag, home of the German Parliament, and Sachsenhausen, a WWII prototype concentration camp. On the medical side of the excursions, a visit to the Charité was first on the list. I got to experiment with some of the interactive teaching tools at the medical school, and the tour of the history museum was terrific to say the least. The trips to the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Biology and the Otto Bock Center, dedicated to the research of prostheses, were also indescribably awesome.

Thursday, my penultimate day in Germany, was spent in Dresden where history and medicine were mixed together with visits to the Dresden Military History Museum and the Deutsches Hygeine Museum Dresden as well as the fantastic tour of the smaller city, led by the cheerful, considerate, and incredibly knowledgeable Dresden native, Cosima.

After the farewell dinner Friday night, I was loathe to leave the amazing city of Berlin, not to mention Germany and Europe as a whole. Unfortunately, however, my time abroad had come to a close as my flight left the following morning. It certainly felt like my own little snippet of time spent living life fully in Germany had ended, and, unlike Berliners in 1989, I was sorry to see the end of an era.

~Daily Blogs Posted Below Break~

Berlin

The Bundesstadt

Where do I begin?  Berlin was perfect, but at the same time I was dreading Saturday because then I would be on a plane headed back to Texas.  Studying abroad was the best decision I could have made.

The Berlin Wall

The beginning of Berlin was anything but wonderful.  Sarah, Caleb, Mikaela, Jooy and I all decided to take the train from Switzerland directly to Berlin.  Unfortunately, because we only had one day left on our Eurail passes, we had to take a train after midnight Monday morning.  That meant a 4-hour layover in a tiny little town.  It was miserable.  I was freezing and couldn’t get comfortable on my suitcase so I shivered the entire time and prayed time would speed up.  It obviously did not.  But time did pass and we eventually arrived in Berlin suffering from sleep deprivation.  Luckily all we did that Monday was a bike tour of the city.  We traveled through the Jewish quarters, saw a portion of the Berlin Wall, experienced the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and learned much about the history of modern Germany.  I loved it.  And another wonderful thing was that I got some precious sleep that night.

Checkpoint Charlie

 The other days were equally as great.  A few of my favorite things were the Charite museum and medical school, Sachsenhausen concentration camp, and the Otto Bock center.  The Charite museum was cool because of the collection of preparations of many different organs and fetuses.  I unfortunately did not faint, reinforcing my desire to become a doctor.  Sachsenhausen was very humbling and although it wasn’t a fun thing to tour, it definitely taught me a lot about the Holocaust.  The attitude of the camp was incredibly somber.  The Otto Bock center was incredibly interesting.  I think prosthetics are especially fascinating because of my engineering brain and the Olympics.  Berlin was amazing and I learned a ton.  I would love to go back at another point in my life. 

The Soviet memorial at Sachsenhausen

One last Tschuss!

I cannot believe our last week in Germany is already over! It was so amazing to enjoy our fifth and final week of our study abroad in Berlin, probably the most well-known city in Germany.

We arrived in the city from a miserable train ride from Switzerland--the duration was ten hours and we had a four hour layover in an outside train station in the middle of the night. It was so relieving to finally set our luggage down at Hotel Alex, knowing that we would have a stable abode again for the next few days. We immediately went into the city to go on the Fat Bike Tour of Berlin! This bike ride was quite different from the time we biked along the Rhine River; it was actually a little scary having to maneuver through crowds of people and moving cars compared to cruising along the Rhine and enjoying the breeze. Our tour guide took us to some important landmarks in Berlin, many of which had to do with World War II of course. After the war and the split/reunion of the Berlin, the city has a lot of history behind itself and it’s amazing to see it now thrive as Germany’s largest city. Though it is considered the “New York” of Germany, Berlin wasn’t what I had exactly imagined in my mind. There weren’t many skyscrapers, or huge “city buildings” as most Americans are used to seeing in New York; the city itself is actually rather dirty. But nevertheless it was fun to explore the city and go souvenir shopping during our free time.

On Tuesday, we toured the Reichstag building, which is used for the German parliament. From the walls of the building to the infamous glass dome on top of the building, the Reichstag was so beautifully and artistically made. We then visited the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, a work camp for the prisoners during the war. Sion guided us through parts of the camp and explained to us the purpose of each area. One of the rooms in particular was significant to the execution of soldiers from the Soviet Union because it was surrounded by an extra layer of brick to muffle the sound of the bullet. It was interesting to hear about the techniques the Nazi’s used to cover up their intentions to wipe out the human population. It’s also amazing to see all the historical evidence kept in the area since the war. Part of the reason why Berlin isn’t completely modernized is because a lot of the remains from the holocaust were kept as a reminder of what the human race has done to others, and why we should never do it again.

On Wednesday, we went to the Charite learning center, which is used as a training lab for medical students. We had a lecture about how people got into medical school in Germany and had a hands-on demonstration of some of the tools the students used to aid them in their studies. We got to use a stethoscope on a model and listen to different types of heartbeats, and also put on gloves that simulated uncontrollable hand trembles, goggles that simulated visual impairment, and weights that simulated old age. I do believe that interactive tools for learning are the best ways to get students interested and experience how the area of study is significant in the real world. Afterwards, we went to the Charite museum where we explored the wax models as well as some of the organs and fetuses they have obtained throughout the years. The warning signs about the museum displays at the front office scared me a little bit, but I found out that this museum was not much different than some of the wax/anatomical displays we have been to in the past. We ended the day with a couple lectures by Dr. Wasser and our oral exam at the museum. Later that night, Olivia took us to a karaoke bar, and I must say that was the most fun I have ever had at a karaoke!

Thursday was our day trip to Dresden. We woke up early to catch the train from Berlin, and started our day with a tour at the War Museum. The museum not only had a lot of interesting technology and items (including animals) used by the soldier during the war, but also had a unique architecture. Some of the missiles and other significant war conveyors were suspended on a tilted wall, in such a way that it seemed as if they were falling towards us. The top floor of the building was built somewhat unevenly that we could feel the gravity pulling multiple ways as we were standing, although the floor itself looked straight. Our next stop was the Hygienic Museum, where we split up into groups to explain different parts of the museum. If I were to choose one place I really wished we had more time at, it would be this museum. There were so many hands-on materials that were quite informative about the human anatomy and looked a lot of fun to play with. We ended our day with a guided tour of the city of Dresden. Like many other places in Europe, Dresden’s city and culture include a lot of history and interesting stories, as they were wonderfully executed by our tour guide. I was also pleasantly surprised to run into one of my friends from Texas in the middle of our tour! I knew she was in Germany during my time of study abroad, but did not think that I would randomly run into her in Dresden. Haha it was definitely one of the coolest highlights of my day.

And before we knew it, our last day in Berlin came around the corner. We started the day at the Dellbruck Center of Molecular Science, where we learned and explored the different research and technology they use for their studies. The research center entailed some of the most expensive and high-tech machines I have ever seen. We then enjoyed our final guided tour at the Otto Bock Center, where they had much information and displays of tools used to aid people, especially the disabled, in their physical activity. We discovered some super high-tech and modern machines that are used by amputees today. It’s amazing to see that science has increasingly helped people in so many ways, and giving the physically disabled an opportunity to perform tasks like any other human being is a miracle that humans have created. It was surreal to think that this was our last tour in Germany. I wasn’t even sad at this point because it did not seem like the end quite yet.

Our farewell dinner was at a gorgeous Moroccan restaurant in the area. From the way the restaurant was decorated to the pot of warm water the waiter poured on our hands before eating, I was really fascinated by the culture and style of the restaurant. The food was delicious, like almost every other meal I have eaten in Europe. And it was bittersweet to hear Olivia and Dr. Wasser say their final words for the trip. We exchanged gifts, and then ended our study abroad adventure with a final night out in celebration of Mario’s birthday!

Thank you to everyone who has made this trip so amazing: Dr. Wasser for being such a knowledgeable professor and tour guide for us throughout our adventures in Europe, for Olivia for being such a sweet and helpful coordinator to all of us, and for all of my classmates for making this trip a million times more fun than it already was. There are no words and not enough cheese for me to describe how incredible this journey has been and how much I have learned and experienced from the last five weeks I have spent in Europe! Keep in touch, everyone! Tschuss and thanks for a great summer J

Berlin!! My last week in Europe...

It was pretty sad to say goodbye to mine and Michelle's host mom when she packed us up some snacks and drove us to the Huptbahnhof at 7am. It was a great experience to be able to stay with a German family and I did learn a little German....haha. So, after about 5 hours on a train to Berlin half of the group arrived at Alex hotel! When the other half of the group arrived from a late train from Switzerland we then took a bike tour of the city with Fat Tire Bikes. It was probably the best way to see such a big city that holds so much history.

The next day we visited the Reichstag building which is the German Parliament building. It was actually kind of set up like an art museum with the way it kept some of the writings on the walls visible that the Soviet's wrote when the first took over the building. They also had a display of fake filing draws with the time period during the war symbolically blacked out. Then was the trip to Sachsenhausen, a work camp during the Holocaust. It was very humbling to see where people were harmed, tortured, and even killed. I was also surprised to know that they tested shoe strength on different types of ground by having the prisoners walk around for hours wearing the shoes. It was a really important thing to see and tour when traveling to Germany and learning about its history.

On Wednesday, we visited the Charite Learning Center which is a training lab for medical students. We had a short lecture about the set up of medical school in Germany (which is quite different from in America) and how the process of applying is more based on grades than in the States too. We then got to see what it would feel like to be old and arthritic by putting on weights and difficult visibility glasses. We also put on gloves that shocked our muscles to make it feel like we had tremors and then tried to sign our names; it tickled my arms so much! We then had a guided tour of the Charite Museum which was really interesting! We had been given enough warning about "the fainting corner" and some of the stuff was pretty gruesome but all in all it was pretty cool. We were then surprised with our oral exam and we were able to have it in the room of the Charite where Rudolf Virchow gave a lecture on his 80th birthday! After that we also had two more lectures in that lecture hall.

On Thursday we went to Dresden! It is a city a couple hours outside of Berlin and was completely destroyed during the war. When we first got there we went to the War Museum which is one of the best organized museums I've seen on this trip. I loved the way it was very modern and had old artifacts (including helicopters) suspended on the walls! The tour guide was also very knowledgeable and the entire museum visit was exciting. The hygienic museum was also really well set up! We were paired up and given the task of explaining our assigned room to the rest of the group. Katherine and I had "Essen und Trinken" (food and drink) which mainly discussed the digestive system and food processing. It was so cool i could have spent over 30 minutes just in that room so I definitely could have spent hours looking at and playing with things in the entire museum! Afterwards we had a guided tour or Dresden with an AMAZING tour guide! She was one of the protesters of the Soviet reign of the eastern side of Germany. Also, Dresden was so beautiful! I wish we could have spent longer there to really explore but we did hit some of the high points like the Church of our Lady. We also stopped for real chocolate ice-cream and were surprised to end the tour right as the bells of the palace rang (which only happens three times a day!)

On the final day in Berlin (and in Europe!) we went to the MDC (the Dellbruck Center of Molecular Medicine). It was one of the few science centers that stayed open in eastern Germany under soviet rule. Our lecturer explained how they (also) did research with axolotls and naked mole rats! We then got to see a 7T MRI machine! Lastly we visited the Otto Bock center and saw the advancements of technology with prosthetic limbs. This museum was only one of the many interesting and cool things we saw on this entire study abroad trip! I've learned so much about science and medicine in the past five and half weeks that could have only been learned in the places where this history happened.

For our final farewell we went to a Moroccan restaurant called Kasbah and it was delicious!! It was so sad to say goodbye to Dr. Wasser and Olivia and I know this is an experience I will never forget. I'm also excited to meet back with the rest of the group for a reunion at the alleged legit German restaurant in Bryan when we all get back up to school! Only one blog post left.... so until then, Auf Wiederhoren!

Adventures in Switzerland

This weekend started with the stunning sunset painted over the Rhine, completed with a misty spray of rain and the perfect rainbow. On our walk from the bus back to our host home to pack, I couldn't help but be captured by the simple beauty that I had loved walking past on my way home for the last three weeks, and knowing that this was my last time to do so, I perched myself on the shore and enjoyed one last sunset on the beautiful river Rhine. In the middle of the wee morning hours, we were on our way to Interlaken, Bonn behind us, and Berlin ahead. Arriving to Balmer’s Herbege in Interlaken (hauling all of my belongings) was a huge relief after traveling throughout the night and the morning. Soon after we checked in, we stacked our belongings in the luggage room and went to the Irish pub next door in search of lunch before embarking on our canyoning excursion. Suited up in all of the canyoning gear, complete with a helmet bearing the name "cockles" across the front (I don' t want to talk about it) I jumped in the van and had absolutely no clue what I was getting myself into. Repelling into the canyon was a scary start but once we got going, I didn’t want to stop. Jumping from boulders into icy rushing streams of water does a body good. Afterword, we were able to relax in the hammock room at Balmers. We enjoyed dinner outside at Balmers and then set off to walk around Interlaken. The sheer beauty of being nestled in a lush green valley in the middle of the Swiss alps is something that I will never forget. As is typical for our group, we came across a playground that was too good to miss out on. After we had our share of childlike fun, we walked back to Balmers and enjoyed the rest of the night in Interlaken. On Saturday we were able to make our way over to the Thunsee in Interlaken. Walking around to explore what we wanted to do there, I stumbled upon a small path to a bench perched on the shore of what is the most beautiful lake I’ve seen in my 20 years of life. I enjoyed taking a few minutes to sit and enjoy that moment. Caleb and Mikaela ventured to go paddle boarding, Michelle, Morgan, Jooey and Katharine rented a paddle boat, and Meredith and I sat and enjoyed some mediocre Swiss hot chocolate (still beat a good cup of American hot chocolate any day) and relaxed. Eventually we had to make our way back to Balmers, haul our stuff to the train station, and get on our way to Lucerne. We took the scenic train from Interlaken to Lucerne. The train took us straight through the alps, exposing me to what I think is the most beautiful landscape that I’ve witnessed in my life thus far.  Arriving in Lucerne, I had my expectations of the city completely reversed. We arrived to a large hauptbahnhof, flooded with people, and upon emerging outside; the cool breeze of Interlaken had been traded for the heat of a crowded city on a summer afternoon. Naturally, on our way to the bus, the strap on my duffel back gave out in the middle of the crosswalk, and it was then that I realized, I wanted to go back to Interlaken. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Lucerne. And let’s be honest here, a bad day in Switzerland is still a great day in the big scheme of things. Shortly after we arrived to the hostel in Lucerne, we ventured out to a restaurant to enjoy some Swiss fondue for dinner(something the Swiss never do in the summertime). After dinner, we walked around the corner to see the dying lion carved into a stone wall, a beautiful and moving depiction. Sunday morning we all ventured to Mt. Pilatus.  An adventurous gondola ride up brought us to what looked like the top of the world. We enjoyed the snow capped peaks and got in a few of the walking trails. Once we were back down to the bottom, Jooey, Meredith, Caleb, Mikaela and I enjoyed the rest of the day strolling around some of the beautiful sites in Lucerne including but not limited to the Chapel Bridge, a second visit to the dying lion, sitting by the lake, and lastly Mr. Pickwicks pub. Sadly, it came time to return to the hostel, sneak in a shower, and get to the train station for our journey to Berlin. We had a mishap in interpreting the bus times, and before we knew it, we were running for our lives (with all of our luggage in tow) to catch the last bus that would get us there on time.  By a sheer miracle, we made it. The next 13 hours was probably the roughest train journey we’ve endured but we all made it to Berlin!

Berlin, Berlin, Berlin

The very last week of the trip was spent in Berlin. It went by so fast. We returned to Bonn Sunday night so we could pack up the last of our things and say good bye to our host mom. Our train left for Berlin Monday morning at 7:22. It was really sad saying good bye to our host mom, she was really wonderful. The train to Berlin was nice and we got there with no problems. It was not very fun to lug our bags all over the city in order to get to our hotel, since when we got to our tram stop we realized our tram wasn't running so we would have to take the bus which meant more walking. We made it to the hotel fine though and it was very nice. Once we put all our stuff down we ran down the street to a cute little italian place to get lunch before our bike tour. Our tour guide was really awesome and we got to see all the big sites of Berlin. You can definitly see the scars from world war 2 and the division of Germany. Some of the buildings still have visible bullet holes and you can see where the wall was. I was surprised there was so much construction. It really didn't seem like the city was very cohesive because all the construction really interrupted everything. The highlight of the bike tour for me was the Brandenburg gate. I thought it was really cool. It was very majestic and seemed slightly out of place but I liked it. I also thought it was really interesting how they just kind of covered up the spot where Hitler died. It's now a parking lot for an apartment complex and there is just a sign with a map of what the bunker's floor plan was. I guess it was to be expected that they didn't give anything special to the site, but I thought it might have deserved a little more recognition. I can understand why the German's chose to do it the way that they did though. After the bike tour we went and had some currywurst and pommes frites for dinner. It was pretty good. On Tuesday we got to visit the Reichstag building which I thought was amazing. It is such a pretty building and it was very damaged in the war but they took the time to rebuild it and modernize it. My favorite part was that they preserved the signatures from the soviet soldiers that took it over. I thought it was a nice artistic touch that helped keep the history of the building alive. The open air concept of the dome was also really innovative, I though it was a neat touch. In the afternoon we visited Sachsenhausen. Sachsenhausen is a work camp. It was a really moving experience to be in one of the camps where so many people died. I know it was not an extermination camp, but to hear about the torturous things they inflicted on people was terrible. The thing that really got me the most was the cold and calculated killing of the tens of thousands soviet prisoners of war. It was chilling to think how in human these people could have been in order to come up with such calculated ways to kill so many people. It's horrible. I just cannot imagine how anything could be a logical or rational excuse for treating people so terribly. Another thing that I found shocking was that the red cross came and inspected the work camps. How could they sit by and cover that up? I don't understand how they could turn a blind eye to that or miss what was really going on. I don't know, it's just so tragic. It was definitely a somber tour. Wednesday we got to visit the Charite learning center and had a medical student explain their medical education system to us. I find it really interesting that they don't have to have any type of science background in order to go to medical school. I mean for medical school here, you have to take certain science courses and for PA schools there's a lot more courses that you're required to take. I think it's interesting that their medical starts at the very bottom with the basic sciences and works up. I mean I think both systems have their merits but they are very different. We also got to do a geriatric simulation, which I thought was really fun. We got to put on all these weights and such to simulate the effects of aging. It was a really interesting feeling and I think it really helps give the students empathy towards their geriatric patients. The worst part for me was the vision impairments. Some of them were really bad. It was not fun to try and function with such low levels of visual acuity. Then we got to put on gloves that were attached to electrodes that would make your hands tremble, and then we tried to write our names. That was interesting. It felt really tingly. I was not a huge fan. There was also some breast lump models, which were really neat. It was fun to test my breast examination skills. I found all the lumps in each breast, so I was proud of myself. It was amusing to see the guys faces when they saw the models. We also got to listen to a model of different heart sounds. The first one we listened to was a normal heart and then we listened to aortic stenosis. I thought it was a really neat model. In the afternoon we visited the Charite museum. I really liked it and our guide was really awesome. The exhibits were really cool and I didn't faint in the fainting wing. I can understand why it was called that, but I mean that stuff doesn't really make me queasy. After the museum tour we got to have a lecture on the Nazi doctors' trial, which I found fascinating, and Rudolph Virchow. The room that we were in was a room where Virchow actually gave lectures, so that was a really powerful experience. You're sitting in a room where the guy you are learning about taught. It's such a once in a lifetime experience. I really enjoyed it. Thursday was the trip to Dresden. I thought Dresden was one of the coolest towns we got to visit on the trip. The history of what happened there is very sad, but it is really inspiring to see how they've rallied together to rebuild. The military history museum was really cool. I loved the set up and the themes of the exhibits. Our guide really helped tie everything in. I really wish we could have had more time to wander through the exhibits and look at everything. I feel like we missed so much of the museum. Next was the hygienic museum, which I feel is poorly named. It was more of the human person museum than hygiene. I wish they had more of their writing in english because I really would have liked to be able to read more of the information in each room. It was a really cool museum that was very interactive and contained a lot of information. It was definitely more graphic than any of the museums that I've been to in the US. I thought that was interesting because it was geared towards all ages. The day ended with a city tour. Our guide was phenomenal. She was so knowledgable and fun. The city is gorgeous and it's amazing to see how it's been rebuilt since the pure destruction of world war 2 and the communist rule. It will be one of the cities that I return to in Germany. I really loved it. Our last day of the trip was Friday and we finished with the Max Delbrueck Center of Molecular Medicine. We got to hear about all their research and see some very high tech machines. It was really interesting. Afterwards we got to visit the Otto Bock center. I was blown away by the advancement of prosthetics. It's just amazing the things that they are doing now. I was so inspired. I gave me so much hope. I think the work they are doing is awesome. I really enjoyed seeing all the latest and greatest prosthetics. It was really fun. To finish the day we did some last minute souvenir shopping. I bought a piece of the Berlin wall. As our final farewell we all went out to dinner at this wonderful Moroccan restaurant called Kasbah. The food was delicious and the restaurant was beautiful. I really enjoyed dinner. Some of us went out after to celebrate Mario's 21st birthday, and that wrapped up our life changing stay in Germany. I am incredibly thankful for the wonderful experience, and it truly was life changing.

One last week in Bonn

This week of the program left me with the realization that our program is slowly starting to come together at the seams and that our time left in Germany is limited and precious! It hit me about Tuesday that in spite of y excitement about venturing to Switzerland and Berlin, that I would be saying goodbye to Bonn on Thursday evening. This week started out with three lectures from Dr. Wasser, which allowed us the chance to sit down and absorb everything that we had been taking in over the course of the program. Tuesday morning was a climactic event in the scope of this trip, having the opportunity to observe surgeries at the university clinic of Bonn. I was able to observe a spinal surgery as well as a general surgery to improve the state of a intensive care patient who was suffering multiple system organ failure. Both procedures were an incredible privilege to be able to observe. It was the first time that I had seen procedures of that caliber and specialization. It was interesting to see that in sight of the differences in the healthcare systems of the U.S. and Germany, when it comes to the inner workings if the OR, the surgical team that surrounds the patient speaks a universal language of precision and efficiency that guide the line of patient care. Its days like that which assure me that what I'm working towards is not in vain and that slowly but surely, I'm getting there. Wednesday was he bike ride to Remagen, which proved to be nothing short of an Olympic feat. After arriving in Remagen, 22 kilometers down the Rhine from Bonn, we ate lunch, enjoyed a quick afternoon nap, and headed over to the peace museum. The museum’s exhibits are housed in the towers of the bridge at Remagen follow the origin of the bridge, what it was used for, and its history as it stands today.  Thursday was a full day, starting out with the visit to the museum in Bingen to see the exhibit on Hildegard von Bingen. The Rhine cruise took us from Bingen to St. Goar, where we hiked up to Rheinfels Castle. When we were asked to get creative and give a tour of a section of the castle, I cringed a little at first. I’m not one for impromptu situations, but it turned out to be the highlight of the day. We’re always learning great things about the history of medicine throughout this program and travelling and gaining a new sense of independence, but I appreciated this opportunity to just be a kid and have fun.  With the week coming to a close, I am looking forward to a beautiful weekend in Switzerland as well as our final week of the program in Berlin! 

One Final Week in Germany – Berlin/Dresden

I feel like I am writing my farewell address to the European world as I sit here on a train on August 11 headed from Berlin to Frankfurt, where I will stay one night before taking my flight home. This is such a strange feeling to know that I will be home in less than 48 hours, because I have been away from the U.S. for 83 days, now. Tomorrow will be 84. I guess, I really feel the same as if I were simply travelling to another city, like I have been doing pretty much all summer, but It’s a strange concept for my brain. Soon, I will be able to speak the terrible English that we Texans speak and be understood. Then the question occurs to me if I will even revert completely back to how Texans talk. Surely, I haven’t been away long enough for it to affect my speech. This is just one of the things that I am questioning and wondering about. Have I changed at all for the better during this summer abroad? I don’t think I fully know, but maybe the people closest to me from home would be able to notice a difference. I think that in order for there to be a change in me, I need to be able to remember what I learned from everywhere I have been. I don’t want to forget the relationships that I have grown in, the places I’ve seen, the fun I’ve had, the things I’ve learned, etc. I want to learn from the mistakes that I’ve made and the things I was able to do right.

Our last week in Germany was spent in what I’ve heard some Germans call the “New York City” of Germany, that is Berlin. Our arrival into Berlin was long awaited after what I would call a less than fun night of travel from Lucerne, Switzerland as described towards the end of my last blog. Basically, we got on a train a little after midnight and arrived in Berlin at about 2 pm. After lugging all our luggage to finally arrive at the Alex Hotel, our group went on a (no sarcasm here because I did enjoy it) relaxing bike tour of the city. Our guide was able to highlight what seemed like the most interesting sights in the city, including one Holocaust memorial that stuck with me. The memorial involved several hundred stone blocks of differing heights, evenly distributed with equal spaces between, giving it the look of a rough sketch of a city’s downtown buildings. What was most interesting was the fact that there was no explanation of the meaning for this memorial. I guess, you are supposed to be able to interpret the meaning for yourself. Walking between the ‘buildings’ gave a feeling of losing yourself and others, seeing one person round a corner and not being able to quite reach them. This was the part that really made me think the most on the tour, especially on parts of what it might have been like to have been affected by the Holocaust. The next day’s tour with Sion of Sachsenhausen’s concentration camp was even more enlightening to ideas and facts such as these. Although this camp was not a death camp, the Nazi’s at this camp were responsible for the deaths of thousands of Eastern European, Russian, Jewish people groups, and many others. To think, see, and understand the ways that people were killed or committed suicide in camps such as this puts so much of what we learn in the classroom into perspective. It’s hard to imagine being murdered by a guard holding you head in a toilet or anything of the sort. Then the question pops into head of whether or not I would be brave enough to act if I knew of something this brutal was happening in the United States. What went through the heads of the people that knew what was happening next to their homes? Did they work against or for this great evil?

Wednesday, the 8^th, was spent in and around the Charite Learning Center and Museum, where we were able to see the interactive learning methods for local medical students in past and present. This was especially intriguing, because I know that I learn better in environments that are more mobile than stationary. Thursday in Dresden involved a war museum and the Hygienic Museum followed by a walking city tour with a particularly interesting and fun guide. Although the war museum caught me off guard for its focus on the human rather than the technology, the highlight of the day for me was the Hygienic Museum for the active way that we were able to learn about the body’s functions. The section that I was focused on to teach to the rest of the group allowed me to see the evolution of sexuality and changes in human views towards it. The progression of contraception and birth control has definitely seen a separation of sex and the function of reproduction, because now it can be used for simply pleasure more easily without so much ‘fear’ of having children.

Our final day was spent in visiting the Dellbruck Center of Molecular Medicine and the Otto Bock Center before having our farewell dinner at the Kasbah Restaurant. Our first stop for the day showed us opportunity for students such as us to do a PhD program abroad in an area that is relevant to what we are currently studying in our undergraduate degree. Animal research is done, there, including the use of a three tesla and seven tesla MRI for smaller animal anatomical study. The Otto Bock Center, on the other hand, focuses on the study and development in prosthesis. Games and activities are made available in the center to inform visitors on purposes and abilities in having a prosthetic limb. Technology is constantly allowing for people handicapped in this physical way to live very close to if not completely normal lives in this sense. Dinner of that night was both a treat to get to spend the final hours of the summer program having a good time with everyone and bitter in sensing the pending end to our journey overseas. These things are a part of my life that I wish to never forget; I want to remember them for the sake of learning not only the facts and trends in History of Medicine, though those are important things, but also for the sake of learning in a completely different environment. One of the most important things to me in this kind of situation is learning things about the perspective that people across the world and even across the street have. The way that you may think of something may not always be the right way, and there may not even be a right way. I believe in truth, but some things are just different and not bad at all.