Still trucking along, and loving every minute of it!

After a long two weeks of traveling, it has definitely been nice to be back in Bonn on a somewhat normal schedule. Time is continuing to fly by and it's hard to believe I only have 2 weeks left here in Europe. As excited as I am to see everyone, I'm so not ready for the program to come to an end. There is still so much here I want to see and learn, but there is just not enough time to do it all. I also am not ready to leave my group. There are only 10 of us, but we have all formed a good friendship and I love all the memories we have made together.

Last week in Bonn can be summed up by two events, the uniclinics and the roof top tour. Once upon a time, I thought about becoming a doctor, I mean what kid hasn't? I also watch a ton of Grey's Anatomy so being a surgeon has definitely been on my mind a time or two or ten. I knew it took a lot of skill and dedication to become a surgeon but I don't think I ever truly appreciated the beauty of it until I was standing above the table staring at an open chest with the heart beating inside watching a surgeon handle it so delicately. I got to see a coronary artery bypass surgery from start to finish. I watched them put him under anesthesia, intubate him, graft the vein from the leg, cut the chest open, stitch the vein for the bypass, and close him up. It was the most amazing thing I think I have ever witnessed. Sure Grey's Anatomy let's me kind of watch surgery and see a few things, but nothing can compare to the feeling of watching a person's heart beating inside their chest. The surgeons were so delicate and precise, I can't imagine the kind of practice and hours of studying it takes to learning each and every step to that procedure. I can honestly say I have a new found appreciation for surgeons and all they do. I knew being a surgeon was tough and its a long and winding road to get there, but until I got to stand so close and witness such an amazing thing I never truly understood what it took until now.

Now for the roof top tour. Let's see, I love a good rollercoaster. The heights on those don't seem to scare me too much. Maybe it's because I am strapped in and feel secure, or maybe I just really like the adrenaline rush it gives me, but those things I can handle. The elevator on the way to the top of the cathedral was a different story. I almost had an anxiety attack on that thing. It was so shaky and creaky and I could see out to the ground. I could clearly picture myself falling, it was terrifying. However, it was totally worth the view. The cathedral in Cologne is so massive and beautiful, pictures just cannot do it justice. I loved getting to see the inside of the cathedral through the hidden walkways around the stained glass windows and the city from the viewing tower. The cathedral itself is breathtaking when you first look at it, but getting to walk around outside the top of it and see all the little details so high up that aren't visible from the ground was stunning. I can only imagine the work it takes to maintain such a large and historic place.

I'm enjoying my last week in Bonn with Hilde, my host mom, since next week we will be traveling to Berlin where our program will come to an end. I will be sad to leave, but it just makes me even more excited to return someday in the future.

Until next time!