Woche Zwei

Typing out the title of this blog post made me realize how fast these first two weeks have gone, but at the same time it feels like I have been here for a lot longer with all the things I've learned and the places I've gone. Last week we traveled as a group to Vienna, Austria and hardly stopped to breathe between excursions. I enjoyed learning about the history of medicine in the city and the reforms and changes to medicine that began to shape present day healthcare. My favorite two things were the Josephinum and the old insane asylum pathology exhibit. Seeing the anatomical wax models of every system in the human body was incredible, and I was shocked how something like that could be completed hundreds of years ago. In the pathology exhibit, I couldn't help but feel a bit infected myself leaving there with all of the gruesome diseases on display there. Also, having a lecture in Sigmund Freud's old house was really cool and made the material even more real for me. I really enjoyed the Vienna excursion and all of the history of medicine and music we learned there from Dr. Wasser and Dr. Waltz. When we travel on our own, I really miss all the insight and history lessons they give about seemingly every building, plaque, and statue we encounter. Here are some pictures from Vienna and of our Plague Doctor, Dr. Schnabel!

After the Vienna excursion during the week, about 20 or so of us traveled to Prague and all I can say is wow. So far I think Prague was the coolest city I have visited thus far and the 200 pictures I took there can back it up. It was quite a challenge sleeping 8 people in one room in our Airbnb, but we made it work and became a lot closer to each other in the process. In Prague, we visited the Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, Astronomical Clock, Prague Castle and Cathedral, and many more. Contrary to the rushed Amsterdam trip I took the weekend before, I was glad we were able to fit so many things into such a short weekend. We were able to hike all the way up to the Prague Castle with gorgeous views overlooking the river and Old Town and finished the Saturday with a nice river tour that came with complementary drinks and ice cream. The next day, we ran for cover in a rain/wind storm on the Charles Bridge. Once it cleared up a few of us were able to make our own chocolate at the Museum of Chocolate! The sights and food have been amazing everywhere but I think Prague might have secured the title of being my favorite city in Europe so far.

My favorite thing about this past week though on top of the traveling, sights, and food has got to be the strengthening friendships I have made with people I didn't even know before May 21st. Whether it's all of us having a nice dinner at the Goulash Museum and talking and laughing so loud you could hear us from the city center, to stressing and sprinting across foreign cities trying to make a bus or a tram I feel like we are all getting so much closer, and it makes our excursions and classes that much more fun. I am so pumped to continue on this journey with everyone and cannot wait to see what the next week has in store for us.