A Perfect Week

It's been a while since my last post, so bear with me. The start of last week feels like years ago. We traveled to Hannover and stayed there for just one day. We got to learn about these little creatures called Axolotls. They are very kind and cute looking animals. I found it fascinating how they can regenerate pretty much any limb that they lose. After that experience, we ventured over to the Hannover Hospital. We learned a great amount about cardiac surgery and cardiac implants. I learned a lot about how the heart pumps blood and the physiology behind the heart this past spring semester. With that knowledge I was able to understand the lecture more clearly. We were able to talk to a patient who had had bypass surgery. He was very open and wonderful to speak to. He has lived a wonderful life full of adventure as a travel reporter and his heart condition doesn't seem to let him down.

The next morning, we got up bright and early and traveled to Norderney. Wow did I underestimate just how bad I was at riding a bike. I loved riding around on the bike and feeling the beautiful breeze and being able to see a lot of the small island; however, curb hopping was not my forte lol. I came back with a bruised thigh and a surprisingly not broken ankle after my tussle with a picket fence. My favorite day hands down was the spa day. It was so interesting to learn about the spa beforehand and really feel the healing powers of the salt water pools. I loved the zero gravity salt water pool that just made me completely relaxed. The saunas and steam room were surprisingly bearable and it was all a great learning experience. Of course I couldn't leave without picking up that wonderful mud face mask. I loved this week because I feel like we all disconnected from society and got to become closer with bonfires on the beach and bbq's at the playground. This is a wonderful island I hope to be able to visit once again.

After a week of traveling on the island, a couple of us headed to my favorite city, Paris. That day consisted of 8 hours of travel. It was worth it to be able to spend 3 full day in the city of love. Our first day started a little later than I had hoped but it was still full of adventure. We ventured to the Arc de Triomphe and learned all about the history behind this monument. We then went to dinner and soon realized that expensive doesn't quite mean it's amazing; nevertheless we ended our first night by watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle for hours. Our second day started very early. We visited the Versailles Palace and it was everything I had hoped it would be. There was so much gold on the outside and it had numerous rooms full of history. We spent the night eating near Notre Dame and then ventured to the Sacre-Couer. This view was unlike anything I've ever seen. I saw how Paris spans for miles and I hope that one day I can explore every inch of this mesmerizing city.

On our last full day, we had a day full of adventure. We traveled to the Louvre and got to see the very underwhelming Mona Lisa lol sorry Leonardo. After this we just walked for a while wandering around the park near the Louvre. I love the feeling of mindlessly walking with no destination or time crunch. We then went back to our hostel starving. We decided to eat at a Chinese restaurant and it was an amazing decision. The people were so kind and the food was unforgettable. It's kind of sad to say my favorite food in Paris was chocolate croissants and Chinese food. We ended our perfect weekend once again under the Eiffel Tower. We stumbled upon a perfect view of the whole tower and just enjoyed each others company. We stayed under the tower until about two hours before our train left for Bonn. Needless to say we were pretty exhausted but it was well worth it. These memories will last a lifetime. I'm so glad I got to share my favorite city with my friends. Until next time Paris.

~Au Revoir~

Sarah