This last week we took our trip to Norderney! We started off early in the morning and easily made our way up North Germany. As we moved more towards the coastline the scenery started to change dramatically. The trees started to change and the wind started to pick up. We eventually got onto a ferry that carried us across the channel to the island. While on the deck we soon realized how windy the entire place was. Once we docked, we got our bikes and headed towards the hostel. The bike ride was a bit rough since some people weren't quite as prepared as others. We eventually made it back to the hostel where we settled in and then went on a walk along the ocean. We started to learn about different creatures that live in the water and sand, ended the night with a  nighttime tai chi session. The next morning, almost everyone woke up and ran out to the beach for a workout and ended the workout with a plunge into the sea. It actually felt pretty good and we then got ready to go to the sauna. We arrived at the battahause where we were given a tour of the pools and got to see the basement with all the technology where they make the mud. We then had a lecture on the importance of the sauna and why everything on the island is so important to the environment of the island. There was even a tax on the air because the air quality on the island is cleaner than other parts of the world. The sauna itself was such an amazing experience. I tried every sauna and bath, loving every single one. The lavender sauna was one of my favorites and the sleeping room with the hanging chairs put me straight to bed. A few of us eventually started going to the hottest sauna and would then take a dip in the cold outdoor bath and go back into the sauna. The rest of the day we spent biking around and seeing the island which was absolutely gorgeous. That night a bunch of us went out to the beach and we saw bioluminescent bacteria in the waves! The next morning we had some typical German breakfast and then headed towards to museum where we go to learn about the history of the island. We then went on a tour of the town where we got to see different areas and a Lutheran church. Later that day we went to the mudflats which turned into a raining, cold trek through mud. The information was very interesting but no one could pay that much attention because we were so cold. At the end of the tour, we ran to the bikes and spend our way back to warmth. The rest of the day we spent biking around and watched the sunset one last time. The next morning we took a bike tour where we got to see more of the island and learn more about the history of the buildings and beaches. 

The night we finally made it back to Bonn and the next morning we woke up to head to Rome! The train ride and flight were pretty smooth and we avoided getting scammed at the airport. We went straight to a cafe and I ate the only pineapple for my lunch, but it was so good. We then went into our Airbnb and headed to our tour guide! We spent the first day touring the Colosseum and then came back and went to the grocery store. I ended up making caprese, chicken alfredo, and salad! Everything tasted so fresh and so good and it was all very cheap. The next day we woke up early and headed to the Vatican! There we got to see St. Peters church, the Basilica, and the Vatican museum. It was all so beautiful and huge! Also, the Italians are were mostly nice, and pretty helpful. We soon realized how hot it was in Rome and how there was still no air conditioning... That was the roughest part of the whole trip, but there were free water fountains so it kinda made up for it. We went out Saturday night and met these guys from Barcelona who was celebrating their bachelor party! The next day we all chilled out and just spent most of the day hanging out and sleeping. That night we walked around Rome at night and went to a nice dinner with a view of downtown Rome. The next day we checked out and headed to the Roman Forum and saw so much history in such a lot of architecture that it was almost overwhelming. We then went to the Trevi Fountain and got to see more of the city. Once we finally got to the airport our flight got delayed an hour so we ended up getting home way later than we intended. Overall the week was amazing and so insightful but transportation still didn't work quite as well as it should have.