Sunday, June 02, 2019

Taking the Train Two Wrong Ways and Other Stories...(aka week one)

WOW this has been a week to remember. From boarding traveling several thousand mils from everything I know to visiting actual castles and somehow beginning to enjoy beer, this week has felt a little surreal. 

I tried my first plane dinner (it wasn't all that bad, surprisingly), managed to sleep like a rock throughout my first week and Germany, walked along structures and buildings older than my roots in America along with other numerous experiences just within seven days. I kinda wanted to stay on the plane and watch a good 10 or so free movies and shows I that I had't been able to watch back home. 

My first few hours in Germany were pretty embarrassing ones. I managed to lock myself and my host family's cat outside their house. I wasn't exactly paying attention when my host mom's boyfriend briefly explained to me how to correctly close and open the back door. When he left I decided to let the cat In through the back door (well, try to let the cat in), but that obviously failed. Being a classic dumb American I had no idea that the back door was able to pivot inward if the knob was turned downward. I thought that I had suddenly developed extreme upper body strength and was able to unhinge the top of their door! So, obviously I was going pretty ballistic thinking I had broken their door and locked their cat outside all at the same time and would have to pay for repairs. I rushed out the front door also not knowing that it automatically locks. Anyways, Emily the cat and I are now best buds and I use my spare key to enter the house. I was very surprised to discover that my host mom is a single mom of a single daughter just as my mom is. My host mom does somewhat remind me of my mom in other ways; she has a mix of unique and colorful furniture, makes funny faces and noises, and enjoys nurturing plants (it's still hard to nurture plants in the RGV though because the sun kills everything pretty quickly). 

After only a few hours of walking through Bonn I definitely decided I want to live here. My host mom and her boyfriend definitely did not help with convincing me not to stay by proceeding to tell me all about the wonderful cities and destinations of Germany and the nearby European countries they've vacationed at. Holy cannoli, this place is so beautiful. Speaking of cannolis, I'll be able to have an authentically-made cannoli in Rome during the third weekend! (amongst other authentic Italian food) Friday was a particularly notable and unlucky day for me, a long day of LOL-ing at my life. I spilled quite a bit of my coffee on the train and tried to clean up as much as I could with my little piece of napkin. My beautiful little flats destroyed my feet and ripped a few pieces of skin off; I guess if you give them enough time they'll do that to you. I took the wrong train halfway to Cologne. A nice couple helped me get onto another train towards Mehlem, but it was the wrong one. But hey, they tried right? A train steward (?) told me to exit at the upcoming Remagen stop where I had to frantically wait for 40 minutes on a small, well-lit island of concrete in the middle of absolute blackness. Talking to my mom helped me console myself A LOT, and in the end I got home just fine. 

Thus far, the content that I have learned during my lectures has been very enlightening, intriguing, and thought-provoking. I have already developed a deeper appreciation for the progression of medicine and for the surrounding sonic world that will only deepen even more. I am beyond grateful for everything that I am learning and experiencing at the moment.  

(I'll try to upload photos soon)

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