I can't believe another week is already coming to an end. My first week in Europe ended with a trip to Amsterdam. The weekend in Amsterdam started off a bit rocky with a sketchy airbnb, but luckily all was resolved and we had a really good time. While in Amsterdam, I had some delicious poffertjes and stroopwafels, took a canal cruise, and visited the original Heineken brewery. After such a busy weekend, I was really excited to get back home to Bonn.
Our second week started with a visit to Koblenz. One of my favorite things we did there was touring the theatre. I never really thought about how much work goes into a single performance, so getting to see behind the scenes of the whole process from set and costume design to hair and makeup to rehearsals was very interesting. I definitely have a greater appreciation for performance arts and all the hard work that goes into it after this tour. Once we left the theatre, we took a gondola ride up to the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. The view from the top was amazing. This day was exhausting, so after getting home and having dinner with my host family I went straight to bed.
Tuesday was just a normal class day. I started the day with a German lesson from Hilde Koch. When she first stepped out of her car, she was holding what looked like a pet bed in her arms. As soon as she set it down, two little chihuahua puppies came running out! They were so cute and got to stay with us for the whole class. This was such a nice surprise because I've really been missing my dog at home. Our German lesson was a lot of fun. I'm trying my best to pick up on common phrases and incorporate them into my daily speech, but I still need some practice. After German, we had our neurophysiology lecture. Thankfully we're starting to get into the neuroscience part after a couple of physics heavy lectures last week. Since I was in group A, we got out of class early and got to have a nice sit-down lunch and then check out some of the stores around Friedensplatz. I treated myself to a pair of Birkenstocks, justified by the fact that they're made in Germany so they're like a souvenir. Plus, they're about $30 cheaper than they are at home!
Wednesday involved some more neurophysiology lectures and a group trip to cologne. The cologne cathedral was incredible. The great size and intricate detail were very impressive, especially considering the construction began over 700 years ago. Our walking tour around the city was great to learn a little bit of history, and our guide was lively and entertaining. When we got back to Bonn, it was time for the AIB Welcome BBQ. We got to enjoy some tasty food and meet some other Aggies on different programs.
Today, Thursday, was a looooong day of class, but interesting no doubt. Learning about the Nazi Euthanasia Program was disturbing, but engrossing at the same time. As difficult as these things are to discuss, it's important that we know about them, especially as future health professionals. Like Dr. Wasser said, knowing about the past is the only way to predict the future. Learning these hard lessons is necessary to ensure that these tragedies do not happen again in the future.
Now time to finish packing for Paris! Tschüss!
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