Amazing Places that Actually Do Exist - Week 3

This week was full of surprises and vastly exceeded all of my expectations. First, the island of Norderney completely blew my mind. The fact that a spa island exists and is almost untouched by the tourism industry is amazing. The quaint city held such an amazing and relaxed atmosphere that I never wanted to leave. The fact that it was never buzzing with cars and the main mode of transportation was a bike is very refreshing especially after visiting large cities. The island itself was amazing, but when combined with the spa it created a paradise. I never expected to feel so unstressed and comfortable doing things that would otherwise sound extremely awkward. I went into the week very skeptical of both the sauna and mud bath, but I am very glad that I took the leap and experienced it because it is truly something you can't do anywhere else in the world and have the same encounter. After the sauna, I was excited for the mud walk and rightly so. The mud walk not only made me feel like a kid again, but made me realize the diversity of organisms in the vat. It amazed me that something so simple as mud could hold such things, and I would never have taken a second look at that if had not been included in the program.

Next, was the trip to Copenhagen. This trip was by far the most stressful, but also the most rewarding. After having terrible luck with trains and being stranded in Hamburg, we finally arrived after a 20 hour journey. We considered turning back and returning to Bonn for the weekend many times, and I am so grateful that we did not. Copenhagen was beautiful and was like no city I have ever been to. The streets were beautiful and filled with color, yet they also had stunning old buildings and cathedrals on almost every corner. Looking out and also being able to see boats of every size and shape surrounding the city was an unparalleled sight. The food was beyond compare, and the overall vibe of city is something I will never forget. However, the most eye-opening experience was visiting Freetown Christiania. I had no idea that a place like that could even exist. It was only a 5 minute walk from the center of the city and is an anarchist community that is not considered part of the EU. It was like stepping into a new world where there were no laws and structure. However, I was too much in awe of the transformation to feel uncomfortable or frightened and am still baffled that this community is allowed to exist as a self proclaimed green light district.