The week I was dreading has finally come and
passed. This past week was filled with goodbyes and bittersweet
memories. On Monday, I had my last dinner with my host family and we said
our goodbyes. I didn't truly know how my host mom felt about me, but it felt
good knowing I made some sort of impact on her when she was telling me that she
was really going to miss me and she didn't know what she was going to do
without me around. My host mom and her 10-year-old daughter bought me a Bonn snow
globe and gave me a letter thanking me for being open, curious and always in a
good mood. They made an enormous impact on me. So much greater than I ever
imagined they would. I talked to my host mom every night that I was home and
there were times where we got into very deep conversations. I love hearing
about people's life stories. You understand a lot about what makes someone who
they are based on what experiences they have been through. My host sister was a
cutie and I loved jumping on the trampoline, playing darts, and so much more.
Some of my best memories from this trip came from spending time with my family,
and I feel extremely blessed.
The time finally came to
leave Bonn on Tuesday. I grew to appreciate Bonn more and more with the
passing weeks. Everyone was so kind and I will miss the small town feel it had.
Once we arrived in Berlin, we set out for our bike tour. I was worried about
this based on our experience in Norderney... But luckily the only collision I
saw was between Dae and Marissa. You could say it was not Dae's day considering
he crashed his bike and fell and boogey boarded across some suitcases all in
one day. During our bike tour, we saw some of the most important landmarks in
Berlin such as the parliament building, the Brandenburg gate, the ground above
Hitler's bunker, and of course, the Berlin Wall. I thought it was amazing that
you could stand on either side of where the wall used to be. My favorite part
of the tour was the memorial for all of the Jews that died during the
Holocaust. I felt very strange walking through the memorial. I felt a bit
uneasy, and it was odd to feel completely trapped in a maze but still be able
to see the street where you could escape. After the tour, a group of us went to
eat at the Hofbrauhaus. I tried potato dumplings for the first time here and I
laughed so hard with everyone that I cried.
Wednesday was
dedicated to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. I have always been fascinated
with WWII, and I have wanted to visit a concentration camp for a long time now.
As we got closer to the camp, I started to feel very nervous and uneasy. I
didn't really know how I would react to what I was about to see. The first
thing I saw when I entered the camp was "Arbet Macht Frei." "Work
will make you free." This was really powerful and made me angry to think
about because it was obviously a lie. We saw the point towards the middle of
the camp where they would publicly hang prisoners in front of everyone in order
to send a message for people not to revolt. I admired the memorial that had the
orange triangles on it representing all of the races that were persecuted. As
we walked through, I couldn't help but picture prisoners walking around me with
their heads hanging low in sorrow. The hardest part of the camp for me to see
was the crematorium. I felt disgusted thinking about what happened there and I
thought about what Dr. Wasser had told us about the ashes from burning bodies
covering the surrounding houses. I also felt very uneasy when walking into the
building where experiments took place. It felt dark and evil. Visiting Sachsenhausen
was extremely moving. It was also physically and emotionally draining. I did
not even realize it until we left the camp, but it really completely takes it
out of you to go to a place like that. I fell asleep on the train back and then
slept for 3 whole hours once we got back to the hotel.
Later that night, a group
of us went out to the pubs. This was an adventure indeed. While we were at the
first pub, a random man walked behind our group and swiped Karen's purse right
out of her lap. I was sitting right next to her and I did not even realize what
had happened. Before I knew it, I looked behind me and saw 3 of the guys had
stood up and Miguel was running towards a man. Miguel took the purse right back
from the man and saved the day. (That is the second time he has saved someone
in our group from pick-pocketer’s yay go Miguel). Later that night, a group of
guys tried to fight Joseph. As soon as they said something to him, it was
Henning to the rescue. No one gets by Henning my Hero.
We spent the first part
of Thursday at the alchemy exhibit and I found this fascinating. I
really did not know much about Alchemy before, but this exhibit really sparked
my interest. We have talked so much about "The Hero's Journey," and
the first thing I saw in he exhibit was "The Hero's Journey 2" which
I found mesmerizing to stare at. I also loved walking through the descriptions
on the scroll in the exhibit. It was so detailed and every part of the scroll
had a different meaning. After visiting the exhibit, we grabbed some lunch then
headed to the Otto Bock Institute. I thought the tour guide did a great job of keeping
everyone interested and I loved how interactive the exhibit was. My favorite
part was trying to walk over the different scenes, which gave the affect of
having a prosthetic leg. Everyone expected me to be one of the clumsiest
people, but I guess I'm more coordinated than people think;) Later that night,
my dreams came true. A group of us went to the Blink-182 concert and it was
incredible. Although it was pouring rain there and back, it was 100% worth it.
"I miss you" had quickly become the theme song of our time in Berlin
and although we are all fabulous singers, I think Blink took the win on that
one. We rocked out with the rock star Henning himself. Mind blowing.
Our last day in Berlin finally arrived. I started the day by
waking up early to finish my paper, and then we had a lecture by Dr. Wasser. We
then set out for the History of Medicine museum. I absolutely loved the tour
guide. He did a great job of keeping things interesting and I found myself
enthralled with everything he said. I also really enjoyed seeing real human
specimens because it is always easier to grasp concepts with a visual.
Afterwards, we toured the Charite Medical School. I enjoyed seeing how their facilities
compare to the ones we have in America. I also enjoyed having a medical student
as our guide and being able to compare his experiences to the medical students
in America. Later that night, it was time for our farewell dinner. We went to a
Moroccan restaurant and the food was delicious. I loved the lamb and the wine
was pretty amazing as well. I tried to soak in every last second of this trip
during dinner. We all started out barely knowing each other, and by the time
this dinner rolled around, it was as if we had always been best friends.
Reality continued to sink in as we went outside and took some final pictures
together. Once we got back to the hotel, some of us hung out for our last few
hours together.
When I woke up the morning of our departure, I had a knot in my
stomach. Half of my friends had already left early in the morning, and I was
about to have to say my final goodbyes. As I drove away in my taxi, I couldn’t
help but tear up a little. Even though I know I will see these people in a
couple months in College Station, I realize it will never be quite the same
again. We went through and experienced so much of Europe together. We came to
Europe with no plans, and somehow managed to navigate through multiple
countries together. Through the missed trains, language barriers, and occasional
frustrations, we made it. I laughed harder than ever and made some of the best
memories of my entire life. Europe on it’s own is great, but it is the people
you surround yourself with that truly make it incredible. Thank you Dr. Wasser,
Professor Waltz, and Henning for putting up with our shenanigans and leading us
through this journey with wisdom. Thank you to my 20+ new best friends for 6
adventure filled weeks. Berlin marked the end of this journey, and the
beginning of a new one wandering Europe on my own. Stay tuned for more details
to come. Next stop…Poland!
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