Wow, I can’t believe I have been back in the states for over six weeks. It seems like just last week we were all trudging through the snow in Germany. I have lived in Texas my whole life so before going to Germany I think I could have counted the number of times I saw snow in my lifetime on one hand. So living in Germany for 2 ½ weeks with snow on the ground every day was quite a shock to me. I thought I had received enough snow for lifetime (or at least for Texan’s lifetime) while in Europe. But what do you know it has already snowed two times in Texas since I have been back, what are the odds right? Crazy Texas Weather!!
It still seems like a dream that six weeks ago I was touring the Louvre in France, standing on the first deck of the Eiffel tower, observing an open heart surgery standing two feet away from the surgeon, along with the countless other amazing tours and museums we attended. My dad is quite the history buff so anytime he is watching television it is either on the History Channel or the Military Channel. He is so fascinated by all the stories and places I visited while in Europe that every time I come home he has a new show recorded for me and he can’t wait to show it to me. The last one he showed me was of tanks fighting in Cologne. In the background clearly visible were the two steeples of the Cologne Cathedral. It was crazy to me watching these men fight where I had stood only a few short weeks ago. That is one of the main things I really loved about Germany, is the rich history. I would have never believed I would be so fascinated by history until my visit to Europe.
There are many things that I miss about Germany, the friendly people, constantly trying new food, German beer (which we tried here but it is definitely not the same), not having a care in the world, and the fascination of interacting and conversing with people my age in another culture.
My trip to Europe has changed me in more ways that I can think of. It has opened my eyes to world of possibilities out there. Growing up with a mom who has polio I never really traveled anywhere so I always assumed that I would grow up, get a job and move back some where close to family. While my family still means the world to me, I have this newfound love for traveling and want to incorporate it into whatever I decided to do with my life. I constantly find myself replying to people “danke” instead of thank you, and my clock is still set to military time, I have grown pretty accustomed to it now.
I had a fabulous time, made some of the greatest memories with two of my best friends, and made a few great German friends while on this trip in Europe. I learned a lot about myself, the history of medicine, and about Germany itself during this trip and would recommend it to anyone wanting to travel abroad. My roommate has never been abroad so this August her and I are traveling to Spain to visit one of our friends and then we are going to make our way through Germany! Can’t wait to go back :)
Cait
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