Week 1

It has been 5 days since I first landed in Germany and we have already finished our first week of school, wow! On Monday, the AIB student workers picked us up from the airport, got on a bus with us from Frankfurt to Bonn, then walked us to the new AIB. There, we waited for our host families to pick us up, but my roommates and I had to take a taxi. That whole time, all I wanted was to get to my host family’s home, shower and go to bed because I was so exhausted. When we met our host family, we were greeted by Anne (mom) and Felicitas (daughter). Then we met Werner (dad) later this week. They were so sweet and welcoming that I felt very comfortable in their home. The home is 4 stories, so getting all our luggage’s up to the very top floor was a challenge. My right arm was even sore for like 2 days from pulling my luggage from the airport to my new room. Felicitas has cooked for us every day. She’s cooked: pizza turtles, chicken patties, fries, maultasche (traditional German pasta dish), and potatoes with sausage. The maultasche was my favorite food so far, since I had never tried that before. I love home cooked meals and I appreciate my host sister for taking the time to prepare our food. On our first official class day, we had German. Prior to coming on this trip, I had gone over basic German phrases but I didn’t retain much of that. During class, Mats had us repeat phrases and words a few times, which I found helpful. There are still words that are hard for me to pronounce though, like “Entschuldigung.” I still have more to learn, but now I can recognize certain words on traffic signs or food signs.

Apart from the train ride to the House of History, I have not used public transportation here in Bonn. My host home is located very close to the new AIB, and pretty much everything, that my roommates and I just walk to class everyday and it takes us like 15 minutes to get to class. I love that, but at the same time, I have no experience on riding the train. The classes we are taking are very interesting to me, but towards the middle of class I get sleepy or lose focus. That’s why I like doing tai chi during the breaks with Dr. Wasser. I feel more awake after we go outside. After class today, I went to the biergarten to try German beer for the first time. To be honest, I could not tell the difference between German and American beer. I don’t really drink beer, but I had to try it, since I’m in Germany. Although many of the people in Bonn speak English, I have encountered some that don’t. It makes me panic a little when that happens, but that’s just part of being in a new country where you don’t speak the language. I do have a translator app so that has helped me when I’m out. Well this week has definitely been a learning experience and I can’t wait to learn more next week!  

4 days in Bonn, 3 food truck visits, 2 biergarten drinks, and a very nice host family

It is Friday evening as I write this, and try my best to reflect on the experiences I've had so far during my stay in Bonn. What all has happened? Did I already forget about the important parts because I've been forgetting to write everything down and now those memories are forever lost to that Good Night?

Well hopefully not, because all the memories that I can still grasp at this point are good ones. This is an amazing place.

My first impressions of Bonn were made as I stumbled through the city with severe jetlag and my large roller luggage. Tall but not oppressive buildings with nice designs, busy but not chaotic traffic, and a clean, crisp temperature are all specific feelings I remember. It was quickly to the AIB that I would be frequenting visits to for the following days, where we blearily received bus passes and I was soon whisked away by my incredibly punctual host-father, Stefan (I was picked up while we were still signing for our passes, the first to leave and finally head towards a bed to sleep in). 

I wouldn't know this until later... but I didn't know to what
extent Bonn being the birthplace of Beethoven would have
started a mascot-ification of him in such a beautiful way.
These statues have been filling up one of the central
plazas for the entire week now with their cold, sly gaze.

I loved my host family right away. Both Stefan and Claudia were incredibly welcoming right from the start: kind and explanatory and helpful and everything I'd hope them to be. In the following days, I would have several conversations with my new host-mom after coming back home; we would talk all about everything I saw and ate and experienced and get to know each other better with so many jokes in between. I can already tell they will help to make Bonn an incredibly memorable visit for me.

Classes were just as fascinating. Not only do I get to learn about the basic principles and applications of music and its affect on people (and get COLLEGE CREDIT for it!), I also get to learn about the development, use, and misuse of medicine throughout thousands of years of human history.

And the fuel propelling me through all of this has been the food I've gotten to eat. I have definitely been treated well with what I've been able to eat here and I have no intention of stopping any time soon. It's been simple but amazing salmon and pasta dishes at my host home, the Himmel potato I bought from a food truck on the first day (based on a dish traditionally containing blood sausage, apple compote, and potato), the gelato place with a billion options, or somewhat enjoying a beer for the first time in my life near the banks of the Rhine. It's all been amazing and exactly what I need.

The beautiful city hall of Bonn (but more importantly, the
beautiful backdrop of the area where all the food trucks
meet to sell all their delicious foods, all vying for my
attention every lunch break)

A Peters Kölsch, enjoyed near the banks of the Rhine

So, all in all, an amazing week. I hope I can keep up my energy for the countless adventures ahead. 

Bonn (and the rest of Europe) are waiting.

First Week in Bonn

Everyone who I spoke to about this trip beforehand warned me that time was going to fly by and it would be over before I knew it. It was hard for me to imagine six weeks in a new place going by that quickly, but as it turns out, they were completely right. Week one has gone by in the blink of an eye. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here so far, from time with my host family to just wandering through the streets. Once I met my host family, I was taken aback by how welcoming and excited they were to have a total stranger living under their roof! One by one I bet my host mom, Eva, as well as her three daughters, Tamara, Janina, and Alessa. They were all so kind and asked me many different questions over dinner about my college in America and what it was like to grow up in Texas. I've been surprised by some of the differences I have found between us, but what has struck me even more is how similar we are, despite living on opposite sides of the world! I was able to go out to a restaurant with my host family and immediately upon entering, the waitress brought me an English menu, although I still had a hard time understanding what certain foods were...However, my host family introduced me to several new foods including white asparagus that is apparently very popular this time of year. It has been so much fun interacting with them this week and I'm looking forward to more over these next few weeks.

I have also learned a lot already through what limited class time we have had so far, both from History of Medicine and Neurophysiology of Music. The trip to the House of History provided me with years worth of history knowledge that I have never learned before. I really enjoyed getting this broad picture of what has brought Germany to be what it is today, as this has helped me to understand the country's so I can better understand it today. I also loved hearing Dr Wasser's lecture on the Hero's Journey. I have never heard of this popular concept and found it so interesting and inspiring. I was moved by hearing how we as students of Texas A&M do not always do a good job of reaching out towards the "other," and am thinking of what I am do to bridge this gap when I get back home.

A Warm Welcome

             It’s hard to believe the first week of our adventure is already over. While it’s sad to think of it this way, the past five days have been filled with new friends, foods, and sights. I was fortunate to be graciously welcomed into my host family’s home, and they have made the transition to Germany easier. On the day they picked up Sammi and me from the AIB, they immediately began introducing us to Bonn. Since the family speaks Spanish, German, and English, there was a language barrier on our initial meeting, so I had trouble understanding why we were driving to a local hospital. Our host mom is an artist, as she had told us in a preliminary email, and she was eager to show us her work that was on display there. It was more striking than I imagined, and I think this was the best way our host mom could provide us insight into her life and personality. Her passion truly showed through, and viewing her art is one of my fondest memories so far. You can see us next to her art, and I included a picture of my favorite piece of hers. Our family- a mother, father, brother, and sister- then took Sammi and me to a special place in town that was at the top of the mountain. I didn’t know what was waiting at the peak, but the drive up was beautiful enough. My host father explained that the hotel atop the hill formerly was the government headquarters, and I didn’t realize its significance until we visited the Haus der Geschichte and saw the same yellow building was featured there! We then arrived at their house, and I was able to settle into my home for the next six weeks. My first day was eventful and a great start to my time here in Bonn.

               Even though we’ve only had two days of official classes, I greatly enjoy the material we cover in both of them, and they’re unlike any courses I’ve taken before. While I am in no way musically inclined, Neurophysiology of Music is intriguing, and the excursions relating to it are some of my most anticipated activities. I thought the House of History tour was quite interesting and a necessary introduction in order to be able to understand Germans’ way of thinking today. The most impactful part was a grand sign that read “Gedenke der brüder, die das schicksal unserer trennung tragen!” I took a picture of it, frankly because it looked important. Later when I researched the quotation, I learned it means “Remember the brothers who bear the fate of our separation.” This encompassed a critical part of the country’s past and serves as a reminder to remain united, which I found compelling. Before even beginning lectures, Dr. Wasser’s Hero Journey lecture challenged me to reflect on why I chose to enroll in this study abroad, what I hope to gain from it, and how to get the most out of the opportunity. I’m glad our program began with this presentation, as it inspired me to embrace every moment in the upcoming weeks.

My Hero's Journey Begins...

Well I finally made it to Bonn, and I have already had some of the most amazing experiences of my life! The first stop of my journey was meeting my host family. With an artist as a host mom, a mathematician as a host dad, and two new siblings (age 17 and 10), I was beyond excited to meet my new family! When the time finally came... we were taken to a hospital and the top of a mountain. Now let me explain, because I was very confused at first as well. 

We were in the car driving home, and my host mom points across the Rhine, and says, “we must go see my art!!” So we drive across town and end up at a hospital, but the first floor of the building was filled with different, beautiful artwork. She would show us a few pieces, and then continue to say, “but wait there’s more!” I think we got to see around 20 pieces that were absolutely incredible!

I asked her where she gets her inspiration and she replied, "I just love people!!"

Kelbi and I with our host mom!

After this adventure, we continued on until they claimed we should go to the top of a mountain where you could see all of Bonn! The view was out of this world and interestingly enough, this is the same place that we would later learn about at the House of History museum in Bonn.

The view from the top of the Siebengebirge mountain range!

This was a picture taken on our museum excursion of the famous Hotel Peterson, once known as the Stromberg, where important political meetings took place. 

At this point, we were almost home, but not until we stopped to get “ice!” The store was about to close, but my host mom convinced them to give us some gelato just in time! Needless to say it was amazing, and I was more than happy to eat dessert before dinner. After a long and eventful journey, we finally made it home. The house was filled with more of my host mom’s art and our rooms were the cutest! I could tell this was going to be an exciting 6 weeks.

Later on in the week, the class received the opportunity to learn about A Hero’s Journey. I had never heard of this before, nor I had I realized that this concept is evident in so many old fairy tales, movies and stories today. This was by far one of the most moving lectures that I have received in my college career, and it made me so much more excited to take on this study abroad journey. We have experienced the call to adventure, accepted it and have a long road ahead of us that I am so ready to tackle. Something that Dr. Wasser said that really stuck with me was, “we must appreciate what it means to be the other.“ Being in Bonn in only a weeks time, I have found myself in situations where I am “the other.” Language barriers are present, there have been difficulties with public transportation, and other differences that can represent the road of trials present in the Hero’s Journey. However, it is nice having 31 new friends by my side to tread on this path. I am excited for the future, the self knowledge, and the return back home to share what I have learned on this trip because I know it will be life changing.

4 Days Down, Only 38 to Go

          It’s only been a few days here in Deutschland, but my tiny little bedroom in Bonn is already starting to feel like home. When my host mom Anke and her daughter Henriette picked us (Kristen and me) up from AIB on the first day, we were greeted with big smiles and hugs. Our host dad, Peter, made pasta with meat sauce and salad, the perfect meal after a long day of traveling. After dinner, I pretty much went straight to sleep.

         The next day, we had our program orientation to review all the rules and important safety measures for the coming weeks. After signing lots of papers, we left on a short tour of Bonn. I’m usually a pretty terrible navigator, but I’m starting to feel more comfortable finding my way around the city, on foot at least. My bus skills still need some polishing. On the way back to our host home, Kristen and I saw a bus stop displaying our bus number, so we figured it would be fine to hop on the bus there. After about 20 minutes on the bus, I realized we were crossing the Rhine (to the side opposite our home). We consulted our trusty DB Navigator app to discover there were over 50 stops between us and our home bus stop. Oops. We made it home eventually, and learned to always make sure the bus is going in the correct direction to reach the desired location in a timely manner. After our long trek home, we were greeted with another hearty dinner: Schnitzel, potatoes, peas and carrots, and a cucumber salad. It was delicious!

         On Wednesday, we started the day with our first German lesson. Mats began the lesson by having us play a card game. We split into groups and were given a couple of minutes to read over the rules. After everyone had reviewed them, the rules sheets were taken and we were told we could no longer talk to each other. A little confused on how to play still, each group played first round until there was a winner. After each round, the winner would move to a the next table. As a new person came to the table and the next round began, we all started to realize that each group was playing with a slightly different set of rules. Mats used this game to illustrate how entering a new country with different rules and limited communication can be frustrating for both the visitor and the citizens of the host country. He also taught us that the best solution is to ask questions about rules or other behaviors we don’t understand, rather than just ignoring them or trying to live in the way we’re used to at home.  As funny as this silent card game was, I think the message was really important. After our short German lesson, we heard Dr. Wasser’s Hero’s Journey Lecture. This presentation made me even more excited for the next month. After a quick lunch break, we made our way to the Haus der Geschichte museum. Our tour led by Dr. Wasser was packed with tons of information, but it was all very interesting and engaging. I think this was a great activity for our first week, because I know that having  knowledge of a country’s history is important for understanding and appreciating their culture and way of life. After the museum, a lot of us went to the biergarten for some refreshments. It was great to enjoy the sunny weather and spend some more time getting to know my classmates. 

Finally, Thursday was our first full class day. We started the day with some physics-heavy but still interesting lectures from Dr. Waltz. I’m excited to see the real-life applications of this class when we start our site visits next week. In our History of Medicine class, we reviewed ancient theories of disease and healing along with some of the most notable diseases throughout history. This first week has been great so far and I can’t wait for the other adventures that await us!

     

Schnitzel Dinner

The Rhine

Host Cat Pushkin

Week one is already over...

I arrived in Bonn, Germany on Monday morning. Since then, I have still felt pretty jet lagged. The first two days was very rough, but I have been slowly adjusting to this new sleeping schedule. After arriving at the AIB from the airport, my host mom, Anke, and her daughter, Henrietta, picked up my roommate (Madison) and I. It was a little strange at first, but it has started to become more normal. They have an adorable black cat named Pushkin! The dad, Peter, cooks dinner every night and that is usually the only time we all sit down together and talk. I am usually a pretty picky eater, but everything he has cooked so far has been absolutely amazing. I hope to get to know my host family better over the next 5 weeks because they seem like very nice people.

The first and second days were uneventful, since they consisted of orientations and mostly sleeping. On Wednesday, we started with an introductory German language class, where Mats taught us how to say basic German words and sentences. We started the class with a card game, but the trick was that we couldn’t speak. After reading the instructions to the card game, I recognized that it was a game called Hearts. I play a lot of card games with my family, and this was a game we frequently play. I had won one of the rounds and was told to move to another group. When playing the card game with my new group, I immediately realized that this was not the game my previous group was playing. I felt confused and lost as I tried to understand the rules of how to play. At the end of the exercise, we were told that this was probably how we had been feeling since arriving in a foreign country that does not primarily speak English. And it was true. Since I have been here, I have continuously felt confused and frustrated trying to communicate with anyone other than my classmates. It was reassuring to know that this was a normal feeling to have, and that it will get better with time as I get more comfortable with the environment. After our German class, we went on a group trip to the Haus der Geschichte where Dr. Wasser led an amazing tour on the history of Germany dating from the end of the Second World War to the present.

Today we had our first day of classes, and it was interesting. The lecture Dr. Waltz gave about the physics of sound waves and Dr. Wasser gave on the history of medicine was amazing. I am so excited to go more in depth about medicine. For the two years I have attended A&M, I have mostly only taken basic coursework (chemistry, biology, math, etc). I am excited to finally start learning about things that interest me, and it is even cooler that I get to learn about it in Europe! Tomorrow I leave for Amsterdam, which will be a completely new adventure for me. I will be sure to take lots of pictures to upload to my blog next week! Tschüss!

I need to learn how to say "Can I pet your dog?" in German

     Seriously, there are so many beautiful dogs everywhere and I'd really like to pet some of them, but I don't want to bother anyone if I can't at least ask the question in their own language. For reference, I just googled it, and it's "Kann ich deinen Hund streicheln?" if any of the rest of you are wondering.

Fig.1 Me, awkwardly posing with a beer. Prost!

 
     Along with now knowing how to say that, I suppose, I think I've started to make some other small progress on the German language front. I've been making an effort to speak in German in any restaurants and stores I've been in, but most conversations definitely tend to remind me how many things I'd like to say that I have no idea how to. I'm the kind of person who nervously rehearses my order in my head before I say it at the best of times, but this is next level. However, I'm happy that I've at least successfully managed to order a beer speaking only German (see figure 1) , and hope I continue to make progress, as long as I keep overcoming my self-consciousness at being so inexperienced with the language.

     It's been wonderful being able to bring many of the questions that I've had so far about life here to Rosa, my host mom. Not only does she know more than I could ever possibly could think of on my own about Germany, she's also just been wonderful to spend time with, and I'm excited to get to know her better as the program continues. Maybe one of the coolest things I know about her is that she's been working for the government department for green energy in Germany since back when it first started, which I think is really amazing and inspiring!

     One thing that has particularly struck me about being here in Germany is the community commitment to being sustainable and environmentally friendly. I'm still a little scared about getting something wrong while sorting my recycling but it's honestly really nice seeing so much effort being put in as a whole community to be green, and having everyone around you do it makes it so much easier to follow along yourself. It's one thing I already know I'd like to take back with me as much as possible when I return.

    Other things I'm hoping to bring back with me are all the things I've already been learning. The museum of German history was really incredible. I was so fascinated by everything I was seeing in the museum that I didn't even realize how many flights we were walking up until we had to walk back down at the very end. Dr. Wasser was an excellent tour guide and it was really cool not only to learn so much more in depth about Germany's modern history, but also the United State's modern history in their relationship with Germany. I always love being in just about any museum, but this was certainly a great one.

   We also started our first lectures for History of Medicine in Europe and The Neurophysiology of Music today, and I'm already looking forward to the next ones. I'm a little bit embarrassed that, as a piano player myself, I didn't realize that it was the baseboard that we hear vibrating and not the strings. Along with that, it's already been interesting to learn about our early views of medicine, especially with a quick break for QiGong in the middle. I think it would be a lot easier to stay focused in a lot of my classes back if we got more breaks to move around!

 

     Here's to a great first few days, and hopefully more to come!

     Melissa

Nobody has died yet and so I'm classifying this trip as a success for now

It’s been a few days since we arrived in Bonn and so far we have experienced varying weather, public transportation, food trucks, and a fight with mace. Let me go further into detail.

The weather in Bonn is typically cooler but seems to have a certain characteristic in common with Texas weather: unpredictability. During our tour of Bonn, the rain started and stopped multiple times leading the group carrying umbrellas in anticipation of more precipitation. On our second day, we were instructed in tai chi by Dr. Wasser. It was a very relaxing lesson until the sun decided to beam rays of pure heat into my exposed face. Fortunately, I was not sunburnt. This was our first hot day in Bonn and while most people treated themselves with gelato, I got a refreshing fruit smoothie. Something I didn’t know until after I ordered is that they do not put ice in their smoothies.

Most TAMU students have to ride a bus or train to get to class in the morning, but my host home is within walking distance of the AIB building. This means that my first experience with Bonn public transportation was on our trip to the House of History. The trams were clean, fast, and way better than NYC subways (which, to be honest, isn’t that high of a standard to be comparing with other metro systems).

It is pretty clear that our favorite lunch destination is a group of food trucks near the new AIB building. They have fresh pasta, fruit juice, fish, falafel, gelato, strawberries, and even chicken nuggets. The TAMU students may be unfamiliar with directions in Bonn, but we know our way to the food.

One of the craziest things we witness was a fight in the park. While on our orientation tour, we walked past two guys yelling at a man with a dog. The dog proceed to bark at the other men. Our group was waiting to cross the street and didn't pay much attention to the fight. Then, things escalated quickly. One man drop kicked the guy with the dog. Someone pulled a belt out and started hitting the dog owner. Just when we thought the dog was going to lose its human, the owner pulled out a can of mace and sprayed the other guys. The fight got closer to our group and we quickly fled the scene. No one really knew what had just happened since we didn't speak German.

Classes were pretty chill this week. Most of the stuff we learned was introductory. When Professor Waltz started talking about physics and chemistry, the dread in the room was almost tangible, but after a few slides I think everyone was caught back up on the basics. Dr. Wasser’s lessons contained a lot of information. I am now grateful for taking great diseases of the world back in College Station because it made these lessons so much easier.

I feel like I’ve already written a lot so here are a few things I want to add:

1. The Haribo store has tons of fun gummies in different shapes and flavors. Fellow Aggies, if you haven’t gone yet, you need to go.
   
2. I have no idea what this castle thing is but I hope to find out.
   
3. This peanut butter provided by our host family is PROUDLY AMERICAN!
   

It's Only Day 4...

     Boy, the first few days in a foreign country were...different. I was completely exhausted on day one, I don't even think I remember much of what happened. I met some awesome people on the trip that I really click with and that has made this journey a lot easier already. My host family served us pizza turtles, which it was funny listening to the host daughter describe it. She said they usually call it pizza snakes because it starts as one long roll, but then you roll it up and cut it into chunks and then it becomes a pizza turtle. All I did after dinner was go to sleep on the first night. I slept great until the sun came up at 5:30 am which was very new to me. Luckily I was able to fall back asleep before awaking at 8:00 am to meet the group at the Bonn train station.

     The train station is only a 5 minute walk from my host house which is really awesome and lucky cause it is centrally located and only a 15 minute walk to the new AIB where our classes are. We had the welcome meeting which I'll be honest was super boring because we had already heard the information a thousand times but I understand it was very important information that needed to be repeated. We then departed on our Bonn orientation tour with one of the AIB student workers. He let us stop at the plaza by the city hall which had tons of food trucks that we got to stop and eat at. I tried the pasta truck and it was absolutely delicious. I didn't think that Italian food in Germany would be so good. For dessert, I tried gelato for the first time and let me tell you, that was life changing. I really love ice cream back home, but gelato was 100% better than the ice cream back in America. It was so creamy and smooth and just had a great flavor. The flavors I got were cookies and walnuts. I now want gelato almost everyday it was that good but my wallet can't handle that. We continued with the tour and encountered a very scary situation. There was a legit street fight that went down that included a man running and flying jump kicking another guy in the chest. The guy that got kicked whipped out pepper spray and chased the one who kicked him and started moving the fight towards us. We ran and another guy pulled his belt off and started smacking the guy with the pepper spray. It was wild but we were safe and continued about our way. The rest of the tour was dull by comparison but was really helpful and informative. We ate chicken patties and homemade French fries for dinner and then I went to bed right after dinner again.

     Day 3 rolled around and once again I was woken up by the early rising sun. We had our first German lesson which was super fun and exciting to start to learn how to greet people in German. For lunch, I went basic American and got chicken nuggets and French fries which was a great decision and was delicious. Then a few girls and I got smoothies and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

We met everyone back at AIB and took the tram to the Haus de Geschichte or the House of History. Dr. Wasser was our tour guide and we got to learn about the history of Germany from post-war 1945 until now. We saw everything from tanks to cars to robots to rubble from the Berlin Wall to space craft and so much more. It definitely was an information overload but was so interesting and enjoyable. A bunch of us went out for a drink after, and I got to try my first German beer.... and I did not like it. I am not a huge beer person but I had to give it a shot. Can't wait for more journeys and experiences.

My first few days

        My first few days here in Bonn have definitely been a learning experience. I was lucky to have gotten paired with a super sweet host mom, Gisene. She has been super helpful and accommodating! Slowly but surely, I am beginning to get to know my way around Bonn. I still don't know how to pronounce any of the bus stops, but all that matters is that I know where to get off and on. We had a small German lesson yesterday, and German words are veeeeery complicated. I'm having a hard time remembering some of the phrases but hopefully I'll be able to hold a conversation with someone in German before the end of the summer. After our German lesson, we had a lecture from Dr. Wasser before we were released for lunch. I had some chicken and fries from a food truck, followed by a strawberry smoothie. I have been bad about trying actual German food, but I still know have plenty of time to eat wurst before I leave. After lunch, we went to the history museum which was super interesting. Most of my knowledge of German history is of things that occurred before the second world war, so it was interesting getting to hear how the country recovered. After the museum, a lot of us went to a biergarden and I had my first true German beer. Unsurprisingly, I still do not like beer. I feel like I'll definitely continue to try beer here though, even though I have yet to actually enjoy it. My host mom made hotdogs and potato salad for dinner last night, which felt like a little piece of home, even though her potato salad was much better than the HEB brand.
            I was hoping to go to the Haribo store after class today, but its a local holiday, so unfortunately my Haribo adventure will have to wait until this weekend. I'm staying in Bonn this weekend, so I'm excited to get to explore my new home just a little bit more!
     

My Feet Hurt

     Here I am in Bonn, Germany and even laying in bed, I can still feel my feet aching. I'm a bit ashamed at myself because we've only walked about 5 miles each day, which honestly does not seem like a lot. I hope by the end of this trip, all the walking will have toughened up my feet and maybe have lost a few pounds.
     I arrived at the Frankfort airport at 7am on Monday (the 27th) and somehow managed to find some of the other Aggies. It's a miracle they were able recognize my face, otherwise there's a good chance I would have been alone for quite some time. We then proceeded to wait in the airport until about 2pm, I was able to catch a few minutes of sleep in a small chair near the McDonalds. I stayed true to the American stereotype and my first official meal on German soil was a McDonalds' double cheeseburger with fries. It fed my poor, jet lagged soul.

     After a quick bus ride to Bonn, we hauled our suitcases to the new AIB for a short welcome meeting and then our (Emily and I's) host mom came to pick us up. Gesine greeted us with a warm hug and a bright smile. I felt immediately comfortable with her and I look forward to spending more time with her over the next 6 weeks. After only about an hour of sleep over 2 days, we ate a quick dinner of spaghetti and promptly face-planted into the mattress, for day 2 awaits.





     Day 2 greeted me with a sunrise at 5:30am, but my jet lagged brain refused to acknowledge the light in my room and let me rest until 7am. Gesine drove us to the Bonn Central Station to drop us off for the walk to school. I'm eternally grateful she didn't point us in the direction of the nearest bus and wish us good luck, like some students endured. Although, it would have been a good sink or swim moment.

     The orientation meeting at AIB extensively covered the do's and don'ts of our study abroad and briefly covered our weekly schedule. I wasn't sure how I felt about the German lessons but they are not as bad as I feared. An hour tour through nearby streets brought us lunch, in which I met some very friendly people at a Greek-German fusion food truck who gave me the tea on the other food trucks. We maybe covered a few blocks but I'm still turned around. My classmates seem to have a better handle on direction. Early evening had us exploring the streets we learned a few hours before and a square half taken up by miniature Beethoven's. I want to buy one but 200 euros can buy a lot of tacos back home. When I got home that night, I again promptly face planted into bed. 


     Day 3 starts sunny and cool, can I live here permanently or bring the weather back with me to Texas? A quick breakfast had Emily wandering the streets looking for our bus stop, I again get the painful reminder to follow my internal compass and not the one on Google maps. The bus ride was quiet but pleasant as I tried not to stare at other passengers, marveling at the solitude they seemed to enjoy. Only the steady chatter of my classmates was the source of conversation on the ride to the central city.

     Mats started our first German lesson with us playing a card game in complete silence. Divided into 4 groups, we all read through a set of instructions given to us and then started the card game. While it was hard enough to not discuss rules that we all read, it was harder when the winner of a different group rotated to ours and seemed to be playing by a different set of rules. News flash: they were. It was an exercise meant to make us feel what it's like when you go somewhere new and have to adapt to the environment. A fun game that had me banging my head on the table in confusion. The actual German lesson was basic and easy to digest. Thank You Duolingo for a small head start.

     After lunch (I went back to the Greek-German fusion truck) we took a tram? train? tram-train? to the Post WW2 history museum for a 2 hour tour. Dr. Wasser narrated into a little headpiece the whole time, how he didn't pass out from talking constantly, I have no idea. It was there I learned that Elvis Presley was drafted into the U.S. Army and was shipped over seas. Our movement through the decades was filled with the devastation of bombings that flattened most of Germany, leaving the remaining population mostly composed of women, the elderly and children in 3rd world conditions, hundreds of thousands more dying of starvation, exposure and disease. The war killed the men, the aftermath killed those who survived. Dr. Wasser talked of how he never thought he would see the day that the Berlin wall came down, and said that the ramifications of reintegrating the 2 halves can still be observed today. Even after Hitler was long dead, his consequences are still being felt. The wall caused not only a physical barrier but a psychological one where both sides were fed different propaganda and information. The West had the support of American capitalism which allowed the economy to bounce back astronomically fast. The East had the Soviet Union and their socialism, which led to mass starvation and shortages of the most basic of necessities. When the wall came down, the masses streamed into West Berlin, rejoicing over the new freedom and ability to wipes their bottoms with toilet paper.
      Brian and Alexa then led us to a beautiful beer garden that over looked the Rhine.... where I ordered a mojito. The beer you seen in the picture is a friends' that I was conveniently able to borrow and pose with. I promise I'm not as fake as I seem, I just have better taste than drinking gross carbs. Another trek through Bonn got us back to the bus station, which I would have not found myself if Ali hadn't relied on her sense of direction. Gesine made potato salad, a little taste of home, sprinkled with capers.

In the airport.

Most people would say that they procrastinated and that’s why the first blog is happening in the airport. I am not one of those people. Mine was intentional. For international flights, you have to get to the airport THREE HOURS EARLY. I knew I was going to want something to do to pass the time or I would get very annoyed at the “hurry up and wait” nature of airports.

So here we are, about to leave for Germany and I don’t really have words to describe how I’m feeling.. Excited? Anxious? Just ready to be there already? I’m going to go with mostly the ladder. I’m ready to meet my host family face to face - they seem like they are going to be awesome from the emails I’ve shared with them. More than anything, I’m ready for the food! That’s my favorite part of travel, FOOD. I’ll make sure to keep y’all updated on everything!

Okay y’all, I’m going to challenge myself. I’m going to learn German. Emerson is the best way of learning so I’m told. We’ll see how I do in 12 weeks I guess!

I think it’s time to go through security. Pray for my sanity.

Mom waited at Starbucks with me till I had to go in. What a trooper❤️

Before Bonn

I can’t believe how quickly our May departure date came. Time truly flew I feel like it was yesterday  that I got the acceptance notice that I was going to get to come to Germany. I have been so excited for weeks to finally get to leave North America and travel to Europe for the first time. I have heard numerous times (probably because I talked about the program to anyone who would listen) that I need to take so many pictures and try and FaceTime friends and family so I can tell them about the experience. There was so much to get done before the trip I was shocked I didn’t stress more. In all honesty, I was very nervous on what to pack, how to navigate the airport, and how long the flight was going to be. 

I ended up meeting my family in Europe a week before the program on family vacation to Greece. The past week has made me even more excited for the hero’s journey to begin because I love experiencing the new cultures and environments. I have heard so many great things from friends who went abroad and even better things from a friend who came on the hero’s journey last summer. I hope to learn a lot about the German culture, especially getting to live in a house with my host family who I could not thank enough for letting me stay in their home. The two courses for the program are also so fascinating and I can’t wait for what Dr. Wasser and professor Waltz have to teach us.

I can’t wait to start the History of Medicine program, see you soon Bonn!

The day has finally come

This day came by faster that I had expected. I am feeling a mix of emotions right now as I wait for my plane. I have traveled out of the country before, but not this far away. I feel excited but also really nervous. I was actually scared of getting lost trying to find my terminal but I found it. I also feel like I procrastinated somewhat. I packed and unpacked my luggage 3 times because I had over packed and the luggage was weighing more than the 50 pound weight limit. Right before I left my house I was still scrambling to stuff last minute items into my carry on bag. Hopefully the stuff I bring back all fits in these bags...

I can't wait to meet my host family and see the school where we will be taking classes in. I hope to learn more about the German culture and the language. I'm  also looking forward to visiting other European countries during my free weekends.

More than anything, I am extremely grateful for this opportunity. I want to thank my mom and dad for making this trip possible. I also want to thank my host family for letting me stay in their home and be part of their family.

Now that I am thinking about it I never had study abroad planned anywhere in my 4 year degree plan, but I am glad I made this decision.

I really can't think of anything else to write now because I am so nervous. Still waiting to board my flight.

See you soon Germany!

Despite my Best Efforts- I am Baby

In retrospect, there's things I could've done much better in my prep for my first ever trip abroad. Checking the train ticket situation for the excursions I had planned earlier to see the section detailing that they were designed to be ordered/shipped while I was still in the States. Not panicking last night trying to adjust my budget looking for alternatives while my bag sat on the floor behind me, largely unpacked. Writing this Blog Post earlier than 90 minutes before my flight is scheduled to leave the terminal. These all would have been reasonable choices for an adult, who can handle these things, to do.

Unfortunately, I regret to inform anyone reading this that I am in fact Baby and cannot change this despite my best efforts.

This had led to a considerable amount of stress leading up to today. I felt like even for someone absolutely inexperienced with leaving the country, I have done a decent job prepping most things. Thinking through which clothes to take, planning for the last weeks reserving hostels for the various free weekend destinations, and booking flights to countries I've never been all were empowering experiences that made me feel a lot more confident about the weeks ahead. I've talked to so many relatives and friends who are all so excited for me and my travels, I've moved my money around so hopefully I don't find myself lost and destitute in a German alleyway somewhere, and above all tried my best to be prepared for anything I'll need.

I'm just having a little trouble letting that stress go and going with the flow. I feel it in my bones that it will happen once I start my travels- all the transit and movement will be stressful, sure, but I'm also expecting it to be invigorating. I'm a person that usually can let go of my worries as long as I've got enough energy and confidence to power me through, and I'm hoping to find that in my travels to Deutschland. Past all this worry about not being competent enough to handle this trip by myself, I feel this is such a unique opportunity for growth. I'm ready to board my flight and let this incredibly special six weeks of my life begin. Here's to new friends, new places, and new experiences. Safe travels to all!

Bonn Voyage

I’m writing this as I sit in the airport, not because I procrastinated writing my first post but because embarking on this journey didn’t seem real until now. In a couple of hours I will be on a plane on my way to Bonn, Germany for a study abroad for six weeks and I couldn’t be more excited. I love seeing new places and experiencing all they have to offer which is my main reason for choosing to study abroad. I mean who wouldn't want to travel around the world while also getting college credit. While I am extremely excited for this journey I am also a bit nervous. First there is the language barrier because I speak little to no German. Second this will be my first time traveling alone which is a little daunting not going to lie. Lastly I am terrible at directions so I know I am going to be lost at some point. With these worries bring my hopes. I truly want to come out with a new found confidence in myself. A confidence that will allow me to be able to conquer the world one country at a time. I also hope to learn more German. Of course I know I will not become fluent by any means but at least pick up enough to have a conversation. Additionally, I hope to soak up as much culture as I can whether that be from my host family or from my weekend trips around Europe. Lastly by the end of the trip I hope to know more about who I am as a person and grow from this experience hopefully for the better!

TSA just frisked me down and I kind of liked it

I’m pumped for this. Like pumped, pumped. Currently I am sitting at the terminal, waiting for my plane to sweep me away. I am very much looking forward to meeting my host family and arrive in Bonn. Months ago this trip seemed like nothing more than a distant thought, but now the time to leave has finally come.

Academically, I am very excited for the coursework. Both courses, History of Medicine and Neurophysiology of Music, are sure to be very interesting. It is my hope that these courses enrich both my undergraduate learning, and my medical school application. Beyond the coursework, I am soooo ready to experience German (and all of the rest of European) culture. While I have traveled to Europe before, I stayed mostly in the Mediterranean region, and did not get to venture into Germany. I am looking forward to meeting new people, trying out new things, eating some freakin bratwurst, and drinking some of that fine German beer (legally).

Last week, as the Game of Thrones finale aired, I began to watch the first episode of season 1 for the first time. I’ve been mildly addicted since, plowing through like 4 seasons already. While this will serve as awesome in flight entertainment, it is my hope that Germany is so much fun that I forget all about Jon Snow or Daenerys, and have no want at all to watch the show. Is Bonn is more exciting than King’s Landing? I’m not sure, but I am thrilled to find out.

Deutschland, I'm Coming

Well... the day is finally here!!! I have been thinking about this trip nonstop since finals wrapped up. My parents dropped me off at the Houston airport 3.5 hours before my flight thinking there would be a huge line. There wasn't. But that gave me plenty of time to write my first blog entry. The most stressful part of this trip so far was the packing. I am always the person to pack a ridiculous amount of clothes, so packing it all in one suitcase and one carry-on was quite the challenge. But, to everyone's surprise I got it all packed and my suitcase weighs 50.0 pounds exactly. Phew!

On the days leading up to this I was not nervous at all. But when I woke up this morning, the butterflies kicked in. I have this weird feeling in my stomach - a good feeling though. Although I have traveled out of the country before, this is the longest I'll be away in an unfamiliar place. There are so many things that I am looking forward to: meeting my host family, meeting fellow Aggies, traveling on the weekends, listening to interesting lectures, the food, and much more. There are also some things I'm worried about, like a communication/culture barrier, navigating my way around, and having a different schedule than what I'm used to. However it's comforting to know that I have a team of support around me. I am so thankful that I have my host family, my classmates, Dr. Wasser, and Professor Waltz to share this experience with. I also cannot thank my parents enough for helping me make this trip happen. I am truly blessed! For the past few months, my study abroad felt like it was so far off. Now it's all happening right now! I cannot wait to share all my experiences. Time to go grab some lunch and get on the plane. Here we go.

Auf Wiedersehen!

And now my watch begins

Ok maybe I’ve watched too much Game of Thrones recently and what I really mean to say is and now my watch for my flight begins. I suppose that makes sense given how I’ve never been on a plane, let alone fly internationally so I’m absolutely terrified I’ll miss my flight out of DFW. The reason I am so nervous is that I’m really looking forward to going to Bonn and meeting new people, experiencing new things and in general having a good time. My family won’t admit it, but they’re nervous about me going abroad, but strangely I’m not all that nervous, perhaps because I know I’ll be surrounded by some grade A quality people in Bonn. Obviously my biggest fear is that I will alienate someone with my complete lack of German language ability, but I have been told that trying is the most important thing so I will most certainly try some German out....eventually....once I know some. I am excited to throw myself into the culture of Bonn and begin this journey of mine into the unknown or at least what is unknown for me.

Secured the Bag (or suitcase I guess)

I cannot believe the day is almost here. In less than 24 hours, I will be on a plane and on a new adventure. Going into college, I always figured I would study abroad. I have been fortunate enough to have traveled around with my family, so ever since I was young I was struck with the travel bug. There is nothing better than going to a new country, getting to know the people there and learning from the city. It is such an eye-opening and enriching experience. When Dr. Wasser sent an email advertising the History of Medicine trip, it seemed like the perfect experience for me. When I went to the informational and he described the “Hero’s Journey” we would all embark on if we went on the trip, I was sold. It seems like yesterday I was studying for my finals, thinking “Once I get through this, it’s on to Germany.” And now it is time. From this trip, I hope to make wonderful friendships and memories. I expect to learn a lot about medicine, Germany, and myself.

I wrote part of this last night as I was packing, but now I am in the Austin airport minutes away from boarding. As I walked into the airport, I felt butterflies in my stomach. Now it feels like elephants are stampeding around. I am so incredibly excited for what is to come. I am going into this experience with an open mind. I cannot wait to immerse myself in the German culture and meet my host family. I know that the memories I make in Bonn and all the other places I go will be life changing. Okay it is time to board now, so Tchuss! I will see you on the other side. 

Feels Like it Came Out of Nowhere

Despite months having passed since applying, and months of planning, it somehow seems like this journey is a blindside. Like the effect of staring at something for so long you don’t realize it’a moving towards you, it feels like this trip was far away until it was the day to fly out of the country. I was over the moon excited for the month leading up to this, but over the last week I began to feel trepidation beginning to build. My normal reaction to this is to procrastinate, which is exactly what I did, and that only builds my nerves up even more as I get stressed.

Needless to say, I eventually got my life in order and packed. It helped that I forgot to read a calendar and showed up to the airport a day early, having misinterpreted “boarding passes available today” as “boarding today”. Oh well. In hindsight, it was pretty funny, and no harm was done.

Now that the day is upon me, I’m excited. Nerves stemming from having no real idea what to expect, but the prospect of being able to broaden my horizons in such a radically new way is exciting. Leaving home never really bothers me, and 7 weeks is a cakewalk. I feel blessed beyond measure by the opportunity I have been afforded. I am grateful to the program directors for allowing me to come, and to my parents for helping me find a way to make it happen, and to my host family for being generous enough to open their doors to me. So many pieces fell in place to allow this to happen, and I will bear that in mind to remember the weight of the experience I’ve been allowed to have as the weeks to come unfold.

The Final Countdown

As I finish packing, I have been looking back on how much time has passed since I applied and got accepted to be a part of this program - the excitement, the planning, the shopping, the packing. So much has happened and so much of me has changed as I have prepared to embark on this journey, and now I am more ready than ever to step off that plane in Frankfurt and begin my study abroad experience in Germany. Even before I arrive, I would like to thank Dr. Wasser, Dr. Waltz, all of the staff at the AIB, and anyone who had anything to do with making this program possible.

In Bonn, I will be taking classes in two areas of health and medicine that are intriguing and fascinating. It’s an opportunity to learn things in the healthcare field outside of Biochemistry, Anatomy, etc. While those topics are essential to learn, they can become monotonous and tedious, which makes learning become dull. Classes like the History of Medicine and the Neurophysiology of Music are a refreshing perspective on things that we normally have to learn in our BIMS core classes. I can’t wait to take the information that we learn in these classes and be able to put it to use in a way that we may never have thought of before.

When I first applied to the program, I had so many expectations of what Germany was going to be like and how the German people would act, mostly based off of typical stereotypes. However, now, I have no clue what to expect, which is kind of scary but also incredibly exciting. This program is giving me the opportunity to experience an entirely new culture and a new world outside of the one that I have known my entire life. I have lived in Texas since I was born and I have never been outside of the United States, so this experience will be life-changing for me, and I am so ready to accept that change.

Once again, danke schön for this wonderful opportunity and I can’t wait to see all of you in Bonn!

Ready As I'll Ever Be

Thanks Mom and Dad! Who knows how this trip would have happened without their support, which has never wavered, even on the 4am drive to the airport. This journey I am about to embark on is one I have long waited for. I wish my family could come with me, but I am ready for the challenge of truely traveling on my own.

There is a sense of satisfaction embarking on this journey as I am completing a major goal of my academic career of studying abroad. Exploring the world is an important component to my education and the opportunity to visit Germany is a dream come true. Germany holds a special place as that is where my family it from. I am looking forward learning about cultural impacts that shaped current german medical practices. It will be interesting to compare the medical practices in another country to the U.S. 

I am slightly nervous for the trip as there are still unknowns but that keeps it exciting. German culture is something I looking forward to learning more about and to expand the little bit I know about their language. I am ready for the memories I will make while on this trip as well as strengthen friendships and make new ones. Bis bald Germany!

Less than 24 hours until Bonn!

I am currently waiting to leave my house for the airport and I have never had such a mixed array of feelings. My family has been so excited for me to go but also has continuously reminded me of how much they'll miss me being home for the summer. They and I both agreed though that this is going to be a summer of a lifetime. I only started packing the day before and felt so unprepared for what I might need. I have traveled abroad before but never to Europe so my expectations of what the culture is like there is a bit unknown. I have a friend who's from Germany who has told me over and over again that the people there are much more nicer than other countries in Europe. I think my biggest fear is that my lack of German is going to insult a local or I'm just not going to be able to communicate whatsoever. I am very excited to meet my Host mom and get to know all about her. I also am very excited to get to know everyone on the trip and get to explore Europe with everyone. My family is meeting up with me at the end of the trip so I can't wait to have so many stories to share with them and get to show them everything I did. I am so excited to throw myself into Bonn and really immerse myself into the culture and people. Even though I am a bit nervous, it's all mostly irrational fears of what may happen but in reality probably never will. Can't wait to see everyone in Frankfurt!