LUX-LHR-BOS-PHL-DFW

Week 6. The Final Week. One last adventure. One last weekend trip. One last plane ride. I am currently on hour 11 of my 27-hour travel day. I booked my voyage home using advantage miles, so the journey is a bit extended.

This week we had our final two days in Bonn. Bonn was really feeling like a home, and I know I will miss all of its charm dearly. During our farewell dinner in Bonn (rip Henning I’ll miss you <3), we took our final exam which consisted of us getting sorted into the different houses of the Harry Potter Universe and competing in a house cup of sorts. Much to my disappointment, I was “randomly” sorted into Hufflepuff. Thanks Alexa!!! I actually got way too into this game, and Gryffindor and Hufflepuff ended in a tie. In the tie breaker, Gryffindor came out on top.

The last night in Bonn consisted of a farewell barbecue with my host family and Cassidy and Kylie’s host family. There were about 15 people there, and it was such a great way to cap off our time in Bonn. They drove us to the train station the next morning, and we had to say our final goodbyes. The host family experience was definitely worthwhile. It gave me a peak into the lives of Germans, while exposing me to different world perspectives and culture.

Our final group adventure led us to Berlin. Upon immediate arrival in Berlin, we took a bus tour. It was cool to see the sites of Berlin quickly and with air conditioning, but I would’ve enjoyed getting out into the Berlin air and getting closer looks at these cool and historic sites. Berlin has a wild history with the post World War 2 separation, and you can still see that in the city today. That night, we celebrated the 4^th of July at an American bar. I am almost positive every person there was from the States, and the bar had American flags hanging up.

We didn't kill each other after 6 weeks!!!!

 The next day we split into 4 groups to embark on our “My Berlin Day” experiences. My Berlin Day was new for this program this year. Each group followed a different person that lived in Berlin to experience their perspective of the city. At the end of the day, each group gave a presentation about their Berlin Day. Our guide was a freelance artist and certified bee keeper. This was an important experience, because bees are extremely significant to our world ecosystems, and human actions and global climate change are greatly affecting bee populations. We learned about bee biology, hive mentality, and we got to eat honey directly from a hive’s honeycomb. By the end of the day, I had a whole new respect for bees and what they do for our own human population. Save the bees folks!!!

Rice Cake, Beet Spread, and Stinging Nettle

Listening to the groups give their presentation was super cool. Every group seemed to have such a great experience with their guide. Everyone was so eager to share about their days and I think we all gained new passions. The other guides included a Syrian refuge, a historian that created a model for Hitler’s version of Berlin called Germania, and a man that emphasized “checking in” to your surroundings to slow down the hectic lifestyle of living in a big city like Berlin.

The next day we went to the Charite Museum. Our guide (Tiny Tom), was awesome and kept everyone super engaged. The museum had a bunch of preparations explaining healthy body tissues and diseased tissues.

The final night was completely wild. We had our final farewell dinner, where we were graced by the presence of a belly dancer. I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed the performance she gave when she danced with some of us. After dinner, we all headed out. I wish I had more to say about that, but alas, my memory seems to be a bit fuzzy for some reason. ;-)

The next day saw me adventure alone to Luxembourg. This was another wild 9-hour travel day. It began with three trains, each with a very short switch in between. Somehow, the Deutsche Bahn cooperated and I managed to make each train on time. But then, in true DB fashion, the next train I was supposed to take was cancelled due to construction on the tracks. Luckily, they were offering a free, direct bus from Trier to Luxembourg. Arriving in Luxembourg was a very welcome site. Since I had a full day to explore Luxembourg the next day, I basically just showered and went to bed.

The next day was awesome. I walked all through the small city of Luxembourg. I saw the Casemates of Bock, ancient tunnels running throughout and underneath the city. I saw the higher central city, and the lowland area of Luxembourg called the Grund. This place was incredibly beautiful. There were so many trees and the hills and cliffs give Luxembourg a truly unique cityscape. It might be the most beautiful city I travelled to this summer.

Panoramic of the Grund as seen from the Casemates of Bock

Standing on one of the beautiful bridges of Luxembourg. 

And now to the 27-hour travel day. Luxembourg to London was an hour flight, followed by a 5-hour layover in Heathrow, followed by a 7-hour flight to Boston, followed by an ELEVEN HOUR overnight layover in Boston, followed by a 4-hour flight to Dallas. To make things worse, upon landing in Boston, my flight to Dallas was canceled. I was rebooked for a flight to Philadelphia, which then connects me to Dallas by noon CST. Yes, this is probably one of them more inefficient ways of getting home, but at least I’m getting home.

Week 6 probably gave me my biggest yearning for home. I began craving foods. I began missing my family increasingly. I had so much alone time in Luxembourg to think about what it would be like to see them again, and not have to worry about a 7-hour time difference on the off times that we did get to communicate. Even with all of this, I am still sad leaving Europe, leaving behind some of the greatest memories of my life. I gained a newfound independence, but I also further understand how much of a homebody I truly am.

One last ring picture. London Heathrow Terminal B. Boeing 747-400. British Airways flight 203. 

I think I am going to spend the rest of this travel reflecting on what these past 6 weeks have shown me. Peace out Dusseldorf Digest, see ya in a month-ish.