what an adventure.

While typing this last and final blog post, it is raining like cats and dogs outside due to Hurricane Harvey hitting Texas. As I think back on my trip, this heavy rainfall reminds me of one of the last days on our program. We were in Berlin, and a few of us decided to go to the museum and see the Ishtar Gates. It was raining hard, I was cold, and I remember almost deciding to leave the group and head back to the hotel. In fact, I remember trying to catch the group that was going back to the hotel, but they already left- and since I am very poor with directions, I decided to just go with the other group to the museum. And man, if I would have decided not to go I would have regretted that for the rest of my life. The rain was heavy, but how often do you get the chance to see the Ancient Babylonian Gates and eat gelato in the freezing cold rain?? I am just reminded of the wonderful opportunities that I was presented with going on this trip. In that six week period I did more than I ever thought possible, and honestly at times it still doesn't seem real. 

When I got home, the original plan was to eat pappasito's for dinner. However, since I was delayed ~5 hours and didn't get home until roughly 11PM, I "settled" for whataburger that night and had pappasito's the next day. Drinking iced, sweet tea was so wonderful and very missed. I really enjoyed all of the food Europe had to offer, but we have some mighty fine food here in Texas, too! I was also so excited to just hop into my car and drive wherever I wanted at my own convenience, and order water and know that it wouldn't be carbonated. However, since I have been here there are things that I have missed, such as the sun being out later, the quietness of the neighborhood my host mom lived in, the constant adventure, no humidity, and pastries everywhere! Of course, I was excited to see my family and friends when I got home as well. I loved sharing stories with them, and teaching them all that I learned and experienced abroad. 

For the remaining part of my summer, I have been shadowing an oncologist in College Station. He has a patient named Lisa Mona (like Mona Lisa) and so he began to tell the patient about when he went to the Louvre and saw the painting. I was so proud and excited to share my story of visiting, and show my pictures as well. And there's another patient who is German, and then I later found out he was born and raised in Dusseldorf and was headed back there in a week. I thought it was so awesome that it's such a big, but small world, and from this trip I got to experience so much of it.

I like to think that I will always remember every memory and every moment of this trip, but of course as we get older and time goes on, we will slowly forget some details. This is one reason why I am glad that blogging was required for the course- so I can always come back and reflect. I was convinced that I was going to print all of my pictures and make a scrapbook of my journey abroad before classes started, but that hasn't followed through yet. But everyday I am reminded of the trip in some way or another- like wearing my Birks, seeing Henning's CD in my car console, looking at a map, or finding random euro coins on the bottom of my purse and backpack. Just the other day I was looking around World Market and found 

leibniz keks cookies and was SO EXCITED because I can always have a little bit of sweet, German goodness here in College Station. I also bought some gnocchi was well, and I'm excited to incorporate part of the German culture here in my Texas lifestyle of living. 

Since I have been home from the trip I have been trying to be more okay with going with the flow. I have always been such a scheduler. As we know, when you're abroad, you have to be willing to just go with things. It's literally impossible to plan and coordinate everything, especially far in advance. In the beginning of the trip I really struggled with this idea and felt out of the loop. But it's just a part of life, and I think it is important for me to realize it. I truly have been trying to be better at it, and this study abroad trip really opened my eyes to that concept. 

I'm sure this post seemed very "all of the place" but I hope that one main point can be concluded- Life is full of many experiences, we just have to take advantage of them. I am forever thankful that when I heard about this program, I took the opportunity. (Thank you again, parents, for funding my trip!) Accepting the Hero's Journey was something I never expected, but wow- what an amazing time. 

Auf Wiedersehen!

Emily Shaw