Week 2; German Lessons and a Gigantic Cathedral with a Sketchy Elevator

 I was finally able to attend my first lesson in german this week and am now able to at least say hi and where I am from, but I am thankful that most people here speak English (and sometimes Spanish) as I am able to communicate at least at a basic level. I am slowly getting more used to Bonn and classes are going well thus far. The history of medicine course has offered a unique perspective on some of the more questionable science treatments and how they developed prior to the knowledge of bacteria, viruses, DNA, etc. I have tried to branch out with food, though I found that leek pie and deviled eggs and potato salad are not really fan favorites of mine, I have found a lot of food that is similar to things I would eat back home just with less seasoning. We went to the Cologne Cathedral on Wednesday and it was absolutely amazing.  I was shocked at how prominent it was and the history of how the Roman empire ended up with the bodies of the 3 wise men for burial in the church. The artwork/stained glass and alters and general construction of the place seems literally physics-defying. While I am not a particular fan of heights, I decided to go all the way to the top of the bell tower because I was not going to get this opportunity again and the view was absolutely incredible despite the rush of adrenaline it took to get up there. It was so rewarding to hear the history and the importance of the cathedral to the spirit of cologne and I was able to talk to my construction science friend back home about it! The tour around cologne made me realize while there are many differences between Germany and US, that for the most part cities are quite similar and that each place we are going to visit is going to have a unique culture/spice to them. I loved celebrating Alyssa's birthday at the bar despite getting lost and weirded out by people along the way. The river walk and the manmade beach were absolutely awesome and it was hilarious to see the differences in dance culture in comparison to bars in the USA. Over the weekend, Emily and I got our first taste of the variance in german public transport and while we were not able to go to Dusseldorf, we were able to visit a zoo in cologne and find our new favorite restaurant! It was an awesome day and I am so thankful for the opportunities that I am getting to grow and experience new things!