The beginning of this week began with a bittersweet goodbye to Bonn. We definitely underestimated the amount of time that we had in Bonn, leaving all of the tourist attractions to be crammed in at the end. We visited the Birkenstock outlet, a small winery in Oberdollendorf, a final trip to the Haribo store to stock up on all our favorites only found in Europe, and a fair amount of trips to our favorite gelato shop. Wednesday morning was spent on a train to Berlin, a city we had heard so much about and were excited to see for ourselves. Once arriving, we took a bus tour of the city and as much as I would have loved a bike tour, we were all so tired I think we needed that air conditioned bus ride. We learned a lot about the history of Berlin while passing by iconic spots from World War II and hearing stories of elaborate escapes people planned while the Berlin Wall was up. We even got to go see the part of the wall that’s still up and walk along it. The graffiti on it signified that the people acknowledge that the wall is part of their history but the art showed that they never want it to happen again. Having been there and now writing this from home, I realize that what Dr. Wasser said about Germans and their history is true. They don’t try to hide their history or say that it didn’t happen, they will tell you exactly what happened but they also do so much to prevent it from happening again.
Later during the week, we had what I would consider my favorite activity of the whole trip. We had the “My day in Berlin” experience, being led throughout the city by a local. The group I was assigned to was the Sounds of Berlin with Dr. Nico. When we were told what we were going to be doing, we though hmm okay, this will be interesting. Then once Dr. Nico arrived, everyone’s moods instantly changed. He looked fun and young and he just gave off such a positive energy that made us excited for the day. We hiked all the way up to Devil’s Hill, all while stopping every now and then to check in and stand quietly, listening to the sounds of the city, the train, the restaurant. From afar, and even while we were walking up to Devil’s Hill, it just looked like any other hiking trail. But once we started walking over certain parts, pieces of metal could be seen sticking out of the ground and there were some old bolts along the path. Then Dr. Nico explained to us that Devil’s Hill was made out of scraps of buildings and ruble that remained in Berlin after World War II. It was dumped there and over time, greenery grew over it, making it the park that it is today. At the top, there was a graffiti park made out of a U.S. listening station from the Cold War. We walked around, taking pictures and enjoying the sounds, tastes of berries from the trees, and of course reading the funny messages made with the graffiti. This was such a fun and relaxing day that taught me that in times of stress, I just need to take a moment to check in and bring myself back to earth and be thankful for that time and place.
This is the U.S. listening station turned graffiti park we visited with Dr. Nico
This week, and this trip, went by so fast. I learned more about myself, medicine, traveling, and World War II than I ever could have from home. It was a truly amazing experience that I’m incredibly grateful for having the opportunity to live. It has also given me a hunger to learn more about medicine, exciting me for medical school. I think everyone should study abroad at least once in their life because there is so much that I would never have learned if I hadn’t and gained some amazing friends with memories to last a lifetime.
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