Cue the Studio Ghibli Piano Music

     Seriously, was anyone else mentally playing the Kiki's Delivery Service theme in my head while cycling through the idyllic dunes of Nordeney or was I the only weirdo?

     I already knew Nordeney was going to be amazing going in because every single time I mentioned the excursion to someone from Germany (ie: someone who is up on their details about beautiful little spa islands in the North Sea) their face would light up like I'd just said our trip was making a stop in Disneyworld. Everybody who knew about Nordeney seemed so excited about it, and, after visiting it, I can really see why. From the beaches to the Badehaus, it was absolutely breathtaking.

     Also rather breathtaking was seeing somewhat first hand a few of the differences between the health care practices in the US and here. I mean, getting prescribed a few weeks on a beautiful island as prevention for overwork, burnout, and mental health problems? And it's covered by insurance? I feel like the very idea would be practically unthinkable in the states, but here it doesn't seem to be that strange. From what we learned in our lectures, it seems to be pretty effective at helping people as well, which is really amazing. The island was honestly just an incredible place. I knew I loved it nearly the minute I got there, and I knew even before I left that I would want to come back

    However, I would be lying if I said that every moment of the trip was perfectly pleasant and relaxing.

I'll set the scene. The sky is almost as grey as the mud sinking over and around our bare feet. The rain has increased from a cold and steady drizzle to a heavier spray. My jacket has just soaked through, and my sweater underneath that. My soles are being stabbed by at least ten cockles.

Frau Finkennest is giving an incredibly impassioned and informative lecture on the ecology of the mud worms and snails and birds that live in the unique mudflat biome, and I am trying so very hard to pay close attention, but it's so cold and wet that my mind starts to wander.

Oh my God, I think to myself. This is the abyss.

We start to climb out of the mudflat, and I come within inches of faceplanting in the silt during the final few feet. We thank Frau Finkennest for sharing her time and knowledge with us, and then are collectively left in a rather hairy situation: Thirty one college students with varying levels of bike proficiency who are all very cold and hungry, one very narrow winding path, and pelting rain. Some sort of accident was inevitable, and I myself came very close to absolutely wiping out on a narrow turn. One of my friends was not so lucky.

However, at least personally, it didn't take more than a change of clothes, a cup of tea, and a trip back to the bath house to turn the evening around. Our time on Nordeney was far too short not to try and enjoy every minute of it.

Before I knew it, we were on train back to Bonn, then me, Michael, Bella, and Maria were packing our bags and hopping on a flight to Rome. My friend Michael was having his 21st birthday over the long weekend, and Rome had been the one place he had really wanted to visit, so we took three days to try to see as much of it as possible.

I feel like I packed so much within so few days that it's hard to even summarize it all. We ate incredible food, and we saw the Colosseum, I got pooped on by the world's holiest pigeon in St.Peter's square after getting to see the Bascillica and climb to the top of the dome (which was incredible.) We even did a speed run of the Vatican Museum in the couple of hours before our flight this morning.

I have to say the highlight of the weekend, though, was the cat sanctuary by the ruins where Julius Caesar was stabbed. The organization is a really amazing one, looking to help reduce the stray cat population in Rome through outreach and by spaying and releasing as many cats in the city as possible. They had a room in the back where they took long-term care of the disabled cats which would have a hard time managing on their own, and I made friends with a huge blind black cat that was such an absolute sweetheart. It was wonderful.

It's wild to me that I'm already halfway through the program, but if the second half is anything like this one, I know I'm going to walk away with so many incredible experiences. As always, I'm very excited to see what comes next.