This was the prettiest city I visited whilst in Europe. I fell in love with the architecture, the attractions, and all the rest that was there to see. We arrived fairly late after riding the trains in from Vienna, so the first night was fairly uneventful. When we got to the hostel, we met our two roommates. They were from Canada and just starting up a 3 month backpack through Europe. Hearing about all of their plans was giving me secondhand excitement, and also gave me an opportunity to reminisce on how much fun by trip through the continent had been. The next morning, we woke up and consumed coffee and waffles at Coffee and Waffles, then began our walk around town. Our first destination was Charles Bridge. The crowd was large, but over its roar we heard the beautiful sound of a steel guitar, and came upon a group of 4 older men playing music. They were awesome. We then made our way to Prague Castle and St. Vitus cathedral. These were incredible sights to see, as their scale and beauty were immense. We then ventured to the Old Town Square, in front of the famous astrological clock, and met up with the rest of our large group. We killed time throughout the afternoon, and went on a fantastic club crawl at night. This was a great (and responsible) experience. After some much needed rest, we woke up and ate some incredible kolaches. Before beginning our return to Bonn, we stopped off and saw one of my favorite things: the John Lennon wall. Anyone is allowed to spray paint on the wall, and it all has a Beatles theme (so cool). I love the Beatles, and got some awesome pictures! I was then shat on by a bird, and we began our 9 hour bus ride back. I didn't sleep, but it wasn't bad at all. I got to have some great conversations with some awesome people, and enjoyed it throughly.
An end to my time in Bonn:
This was hard. I loved Bonn. On our last night, our host family grilled for Connor and I and we took pictures together. We stayed up talking to them despite the looming departure we had the next morning at 6:00 am. This was worth it, as I will miss them so much. Connor and I woke up and came downstairs at about 5:30, and Mandy was downstairs with breakfast, teary eyed. She said she would miss us so much, and we hugged the whole family goodbye. Thank you so much to the Ahr family for everything, I appreciate you all so much! We then embarked on our final excursion, Berlin.
Berlin:
Berlin was incredible. The history that flows throughout the city is second to none. Our initial city tour was so great. I got to see, in person, so many historical landmarks that I had learned about all of my life. My favorite of these was probably the Brandenburg Gate. We then spent the night talking amongst ourselves, playing cards, and having a great time. The next day was one of my favorites of this entire experience. My Berlin day. I was so fortunate to be placed into the group I was in. Mohamed, a Syrian refugee, led us around the city and told us about his Berlin. His story was incredible, and opened my mind on many worldly issues. His perspectives on life and the world truly changed my mine. He then took us to a Syrian restaurant where I ate a ridiculous amount of food. Reflecting on this day with our presentation was an incredible experience in itself. I was so happy to share Mohamed's story and his hardships with the rest of the program, and hope that they learned something from it as I did. We then went out with a big group and had a great time out in the city. Then came our final full day. It began with a tour of Sachenhausen, a concentration camp from the Nazi area. This was solemn. I found myself often falling back behind the pack, individual reflecting and visualizing what had occurred there in the past. While this was not a "fun" experience per say, it was necessary to grasp the true depth of the events that occurred in this time period. We then shot the breeze at lunch, and went to the House of Music. So cool. Our tour guide was talented, and gave us the most incredible organ concert. We all enjoyed this so much that Dr. Wasser had to force us to leave. We then began preparing for our farewell dinner. I came into this night so sad, but ended having a great time. The food was fantastic, but the entertainment was even better. The belly dancer, Michael's gyrating hips, and Elizabeth's hair catching on fire made this night so memorable. I was so happy I got to have one last conversation with Dr. Wasser before heading out. Alexa and Brian then accompanied us for one last night out. Gee, I love all of these people so much. I had a great time, said my goodbyes, cried a little, and went to bed to head back home in the morning. What a fantastic experience. Wow.
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