Germany from two months later

So as I was logging in, I looked at the login page where it says "username" and I had a flashback to an Internet cafe in Munich where the blogger page came up in German and that part said "Nutzername". Besides nearly falling out of my chair from laughing at "Nutzername", I also kind of freaked out. HOW CAN I SIGN IN IF I CAN'T READ THE PAGE?! But, no biggie. It was an adventure. Just like the rest of the trip...

Running around a FOREIGN country with a bunch of AWESOME classmates, what could be better? The whole trip was jam-packed with once in a lifetime experiences, seeing the original sculpted head of Nefertiti, Monets, the square where the Nazi burning of the books took place, an OPEN HEART SURGERY, a concentration camp, castles (with the most gaudy rooms you've ever seen!), a robo-milker, and so, so much more. And then in between we managed to squeeze in riding trains and planes, trying our hand at harvesting eggs from a cow, SNOW!, and the most random and interesting conversations. I learned nearly as much from talking to my classmates, Steffie, and Dr. Wasser as I did from actual class material. I must say, I really enjoyed being around everyone, and the positive experience has encouraged me to try and get to know my classmates in current classes better. A lesson for me: be more sociable! It's fun, and makes everything else more fun too.

It was interesting to watch movies in German (even though I didn't really know what they were saying) as well as CNN in English on German TV. The news, even our own, is not quite the same as far as content and spin - it was neat to compare. I really enjoy learning about other places, cultures, and issues. So you can imagine how absolutely amazing this experience was. The first two are obvious, (in fact the differences in culture were not huge) and the differing viewpoints and ideas on how to solve issues faced by many societies were quite interesting. From learning about the government in Germany to hearing about socialized medicine to becoming aware of Germany's illegal immigration, I gained perspective on similar issues in the United States. Dr. Wasser's lectures about the Nazi T-4 program and the tour of Dachau did solidify my position on one issue that I had previously been noncommital on: absolutely no torture. Period.

I didn't find either the transition to travelling in Germany or back to life in College Station that bad, but then again we weren't over there very long. It was definitely too short!

It's funny, I met someone the other day, and they were talking about an intracity train in Dallas that goes 25 mph, and I was thinking, "What?! ONLY 25 mph? What kind of train is that? Give me speed!".

Another thing: it gets to around 45 degrees here and people start saying, "It's so cold!" and I just think puh-lease this isn't bad at all. I think my internal thermometer got broken while we were in Germany. One thing I know for sure, my sweaters are sad that I don't wear them anymore, and I have a giant jacket that was SO necessary in Germany but here is hardly worn. Not to worry, I WILL find a reason to wear it again. Skiing, anyone?

As for advice for those who may visit later...Dr. Wasser and the people at the AIB are so helpful, use them! They have great advice on a myriad of things. Don't try to rush around too much. There's so much to see, you can't see it all, so just pick a few things and enjoy them. Get as much sleep on the plane as you can - both ways - it helps with the jet lag, even if it's only a few hours.

Friends mention thinking about studying abroad, and I instantly tell them they should definitely do it, without a second thought. I feel like I'm echoing everyone else when I say this, but it's so true: I really want to visit Europe again as well as branch out to other parts of the world too! I feel like I've rambled, but it's just because, even now, I'm so excited about everything we got to experience. Thanks to Dr. Wasser and Steffie for their patience and teaching, and to everyone else, I'm glad I got to spend time with y'all, and we should definitely hang out some more!