Bitter Sweet

I've only been home for 6 days and while it was nice to get some much needed rest, I already I miss my adventures in Europe. This study abroad experience has been honestly a huge highlight in my life thus far. I couldn't be more thankful for the journey I've been on and also the people I got to know. Luckily all of us will be going back to College Station and will be able to see each other still. It won't be the same of course, but I'm glad staying in touch is possible. I'm so thankful for the group that went with me, and I feel like I legitimately made some lifelong friends. I know it's cliche to say but it's true that I made some serious lifelong memories abroad. 

The last excursion we went on was in Berlin. I liked Berlin. I loved going to Ottobach of course! It was cool to get to learn more about biomechanics since I'm torn in choosing my focus of my major in biomechanics or biomaterials. The concentration camp was of course an experience. I never realized that experiments were being done during the Holocaust and I suppose that's ignorant of me but now I know. It shocked me most that Nazi's justified putting Jewish people in such terrible conditions by saying they aren't even human and are nothing like the pristine race, and yet they wanted to do tests on these exact people to find cures for themselves. That just makes absolutely no sense. I mean none of the Holocaust makes sense but having such a strong contradiction I feel like someone would catch on to the total BS that it was. I would think the Nazi's would feel like Jewish people had such a different chemical make up that the cure for them from these diseases wouldn't work on their people. I mean if they are sooo different who is to say they even have all of the same shaped organs and what not. I got pretty hung up on that fact. I liked learning how post world war two affected Berlin as well. I mean I knew it was split into 4 areas but it's different hearing about it from history books and actually seeing where the wall was and the stories of individuals and how their lives were affected. I was surprised when visiting the East side galleries to find graffiti all over the professional artwork. I guess I shouldn't have been beccause people graffiti all over town but the whole time I was in Germany I learned how serious the Holocaust was taken and how it still effects the German's daily lives. It seems like such a respected and serious matter that I didn't think people would graffiti on paintings when some of them are reflecting the Nazi persecution and terrible things of the past. I know the wall and Holocaust are different things but I guess them both having to do with WWII I figured the respect would go hand in hand. 

All in all I loved Berlin and my entire experience abroad! I know it might sound lame but I feel like I can get anything done in life that I need or want to. I mean I just went across the Atlantic, with a bunch of strangers, none of which spoke the language. I'm pretty proud to say that I was bold enough to go on such an adventure without one friend or family member. Of course I didn't do it all alone, Olivia, Dr. Wasser, and my host mother Hilde were always just a call away. They were always so willing to help me with anything I needed at any hour of the day. I love my AIB family! I'm sad Olivia and Hilde won't get to come back to college station with me but maybe I'll see them again one day.