Wait, it's August?

WHERE DID THE LAST 5 WEEKS GO? For real though. I'm strugglin'.

Berlin has been amazing despite the fact that I was dying on the first day. The next day I was able to pull myself together to go visit a concentration camp, Sachsenhausen. It was a very somber place. Thousands of people worked, lived, and were killed there. We walked through medical barracks, trenches, and the internal prison. It's crazy to think that people were there only 70 years ago. It seems like it could have been yesterday.

Later that day we went to the East Side Gallery. Another stunning piece of history. I was appalled at the amount of graffiti covering the art -who thinks it is appropriate to tag over art on a wall that separated thousands of people. People died trying to cross the wall and make it to the other side, and yet tourists feel the need to tag "so-and-so was here 2015 :)". I find it highly offensive, but to each their own I guess.

Over the next few days in Berlin the days seemed to be growing longer. The amount of sleep I got approached zero almost every night and I could see our time together as one big dysfunctional family dwindling quickly. We saw some really interesting places, but half the time I was distracted by the thought of not seeing the squad every day...

In our natural habitat.

On the last night we ate at a fantastic restaurant right next door to our hotel. Dr. Wasser and Helen said they were keeping a surprise for us but none of us expected what they had in store. After eating and having a few glasses of wine a little old man comes out to play some piano for us. A little while later the lights go down and a belly dancer comes out. A BELLY DANCER. She eventually got us all up from the table -even Dr. Wasser -and had us dancing our last night away. Emotions ran high and tears were flowing as we shook and shimmied. It was a night I'll never forget.

Five weeks ago I came to Germany with 14 strangers. I'm proud to say that we parted ways today as family. I was sad to wake up by myself this morning in Berlin -Kasey and Lauren left at 4am. I realize that this is the first of many mornings of this kind. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon (we've already planned a squad reunion), but that doesn't make things much easier.

"Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow." ~Anita Desai

All of the places I've been are coming home with me. I'll carry them with me everyday as I have changed so much because of this experience. But I also think that the people you share these adventures with also become a part of you. Lucky for me, I was surrounded by the most wonderful group of Aggies I could have ever wished for.

So thanks for everything guys -the laughs, smiles, tears, adventures, and more. Nothing will ever compare <3