Slightly late, but that's ok!

Today was our first trip to Koln. It's only about 30 minutes from Bonn by train. I really enjoy riding the train and I wish there were more trains to ride in the US. It would be cool if you could catch a train from like College Station to Houston. I'm sure you probably can it's just not a popular thing but I wish it was, I think its a great way to travel. Of course I could change my mind about that by the end of the trip since there's quite a bit of train travel in my future. The cathedral in Cologne is breath taking. It's so big and so intricate it's stunning. The hauptbahnhof is right next to it so you leave the station and just bam, the cathedral is towering in front of you. Our first stop was the Koln Zoo. It was a really pretty zoo, one of the best I've been too. It just felt like you could really see all the animals better and get closer to them. Our tour guide was really knowledgeable and nice. The best part about the zoo was the elephant exhibit. We actually got to go inside the elephant house and walk through the indoor exhibit hall (the elephants were outside) and see all the cages for the elephants. They also showed us where the food is prepared and how the elephants are fed. We also got to see the big traps they have for the elephants that are used when the elephants need special things done and must be held still. We got to get really up close and personal with the elephants too. They remained behind the fence but we got to feed the little male who was 5 years old. That was a really neat experience. The keeper also showed us all the tricks they had taught him and he reminded me of Knight and Pippin because he kept repeating the tricks over and over in order to get food. It was cute. Our next stop after the zoo was the Sports University Cologne, specifically the department of biomechanics and orthopedics. We got to hear a presentation about Oscar Pistorius and wether his cheetah blades gave him an advantage over normal runners. They showed us the labs and told us a little about their research. I thought it was really interesting and I wish I could have heard more about it. Our next day in Cologne was spent at the Gestapo house and the Cologne Cathedral. The gestapo house was really moving. It was just eye opening to see and hear about the horrible conditions they forced people to live in and the fact that they would torture and sometimes kill them. From the US the atrocities of the holocaust seem so far away and old history. However being able to actually go to the places and see where all the horrible war crimes were committed really brings the history to life and gives it deeper meaning. That afternoon we got to take a small tour around the inside of the Cologne Cathedral followed by a rooftop tour. The cathedral is absolutely gorgeous on the inside, the pictures and cravings are so intricate and detailed. I really love that they spent so much time making the cathedral so beautiful. I mean even parts of the floor is done in a extensive mosaic. I wish that my home church was that gorgeous. I mean, it's definitly one of the prettiest churchs in Houston but it pales in comparison to the gothic cathedrals of Europe. The rooftop tour was a little sketchy. We went up scaffolding to the top in an elevator. I know it was safe or they wouldn't have taken us up there but still, scaffolding suspended 100 meters in the air freaks me out a little bit. The view from the rooftop was amazing though and totally worth it. I took so many pictures. It was cool to go inside the roof and see the top of the original church. I really love all the history and the once in a life time experiences that we get to do on this trip. It really is so worth it and I feel like I'm learning so much. I can't wait to see what else is in store!

1st free weekend in Munich!

I'm now in Vienna, Austria! I'm really glad we get to travel so much on this study abroad =) Our entire group of 10 people decided to stay together for the 1st free weekend and we went to Munich together. We had to leave at 3:30am to catch our 6 hour train! (zzZzzZZzzz) but when we got there our group split into two groups to go on tours around the city. 5 of us went on a Mike's Bike Tour around the city and I was part of the other 5 that did a free walking tour with a very funny tour guide. I learned a lot about the German royalty and other fun facts about the city. It was also the Christopher Street parade that day in support of gay/lesbian rights which made the entire city more crazy crowded and super entertaining with live music and people walking around dressed strangely. It was really fun!

Later that afternoon when our group got back together we went to eat at an Augustiner restaurant where I ordered a really gross boiled beef breast thing but counter balanced the experience with one of the greatest beers I've had, and I usually don't like beer.... It was described as the one the Pope liked to drink! After that  we went to the Hofbrauhaus and had a really awesome "legit" German experience ^.^ There were loud groups of people eating giant plates of meat and singing while banging loudly on the tables!

The next day the group split again into two groups, one stayed in Munich and went to the BMW museum and I went with the other group to the Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau castles! We took a train in the morning (that we were almost late for!) to Fussen; the cutest little town that seems to run off the tourism. We had a lucky experience again when the train when the ticket lady forgot to check Mario's Eurail pass (which he didn't have!). To tie up the lucky day we made it in time (without rush) to the only English speaking tour and were able to talk the manager into allowing Sarah to join our group even after it was full! The whole experience was truly amazing. I was so surprised that people lived in castles like that even recently. I keep thinking castles only existed like that during the Mid-evil times but this one had a working telephone supposedly! Although the walking was a real trek.... it was very much worth it and it was one of the many things I really wanted to do on this trip.


Now its time to have new adventures in Austria!

Munich - Free Weekend #1

I'm a little bit sad about the amount of time I will get to spend with my host family by the end of this study abroad session. Since we are travelling, as far as I can tell, every free weekend, I won't be able to get to know my host family much more in Bonn. I have been able to live with them for a little more than a week before we started travelling, but I will have then spent another 10 days away from my host family after this excursion to Munich, Vienna, and Prague. I can't say, though, that I'm unhappy to be going and have gone to these amazing cities, because my experiences thus far have surpassed anything I could have imagined. My family seems to want to hang out with me, but there are just conflicts such as their work, my having class, my travelling, and other random things. Hopefully, I will be able to get to know my host brothers and sister better despite previous time conflicts.

So I thought that travelling with a group of ten people would be a little bit more difficult than my travelling solo through Germany prior to meeting the group in Frankfurt. It really wasn't, though. Everyone was able to get to the train station in Bonn on time, despite the fact that we had to leave at three in the morning. Even with the change of train in Koln, there was no issue with getting everyone on and off the trains. Also, it was very well-received by the group that we had two compartments on the long train ride from Koln to Munich, each with room for 6 people. This gave us all what opportunity we needed to get whatever sleep we could for the upcoming day of travel around Munich. It really felt like we were on the Harry Potter Hogwarts Express, and I was waiting for the candy trolley to roll by the compartment with some chocolate frogs or something. With all the preparation from the girls in planning for the weekend, we were able to easily travel to and find our way through Munich and find our hostel/hotel after figuring out the tram system for the city.

After putting away our luggage until check-in time, we set out for the city center. For the rest of the day, half of us (five) did a bike tour while the rest of us walked around for a little bit and did a walking tour. My group of Alexis, Morgan, Katharine, Jooey, and I did the latter. I ate some cereal (Musli) for lunch. After quickly finding out that the city was celebrating Christopher Street Day in the city center, we found a free walking tour around the city. It was supposed to be only about an hour and a half long, but the tour ended up being around four hours long, bringing us all the way to the end of the day. The tour guide from England brought us quickly out of the city center, showing us parts of the city that had survived World War II and parts that were rebuilt, such as the old and new city halls, the church right close to there with a cannon stuck in the side dating back centuries, a statue of Juliette from Romeo and Juliet, a monument built into the street for Germans resisting the Nazi party, a spot where Hitler was almost killed, monuments and churches built for and by German royalty, and the list goes on. Some of the most interesting things to hear about, for me, were the beginnings and rising of the Nazi party in Munich when Hitler first tried to overthrow the government. It was interesting to hear about the conspiracies that the Nazis came up with after their rise to power to explain the previous failure to gain power in the 1920's. We then ended the day with dinner with the whole group again in an Augustiner brauhaus and then some beers in the famous Hoff-brauhaus next door just to say we did it.

Because some of us were not willing to get up early and spend the whole day in Fussen, six of us went to see the castles like Neuschwanstein while Alexis, Mikaela, Jooey, and I spent Sunday wandering around Munich. Despite the comparatively cold and rainy day, the bird pooping on my shirt, and getting lost for a while, the day was totally worth it to be able to spend time with friends and discover some unknowns about Munich. We were able to stumble upon some strange basketball court with uneven ground and then some car show with all the european companies like BMW, Mercedes, and such before finally finding the BMW museum to get out of the cold rain. Ending the day by putting on some warm clothes and Vapiano's Italian food with a glass of wine definitely highlighted the night and made the rest of the day seem pretty good. It makes it really easy to appreciate the little things by ending the day well. Having that one thing can make the difficult things seem unimportant or easy. That can go with relations with people, too. Being able to focus on the best part of a person, despite the things you might not like about them, makes those things seem unimportant compared to what you may like about them. Then it's just that much easier to get along with anyone, no matter what prejudice you may have had against them.

So our travels then brought us to our current place in Vienna after two days in Munich. I think two days was good enough for Munich, but I'd love to go back for Oktoberfest one year. I'm glad we are spending so long a time in Vienna, and I look forward to what else we will learn about the city's medical history and psycho-analysis.

Wilkommen in Wien, Osterreich

Willkommen in Wien, Osterreich

Well here we are in Vienna well Wien in the native Deutsch the first free weekend has passed and I must say I am very please with how it turned out.  We visited Munchen Bayern or Munich, Bavaria in the southern region of Germany and this is true to say that this is what I thought initially of germany lots of sausages and huge glasses of beer with the people wearing those "unique" clothes.  The group split up betwen some doing a free walking tour and some went of to Mike's Bike Tour I went on the bike tour and I even though I had to pay one good thing came out of it...... my feet didn't hurt.  The guide was a most ..... interesting character.... but in a positive way.  He showed us a lot around Munich my personal favorite spots were the four lions bearing the shields that bring good luck, and the english biergarten.  The biergarten astonished me it was so massive and beautiful it literally felt like we were going through a forest in the mountains.  The tour guide stop at a spot in the beirgarten were we can purchase some food and the awesome mass, the large liter glasses of beer, I purchase two one for me and one for my brother.  We also when to the brewery, i dont remember then name but its famous for its large mugs of beer awesome music and super rude waiters.  On Sunday I went to Fussen with Michelle, Morgan, Sarah, and Meredith to the Neuschanstein Castle located about 2 hours south of Munich ( I think that is the right direction) and I must say this trip was probalby the most workout I have done since I goth here to Europe hiking up a hill then the walking back down part killed me since it was so hard to stop myself from running down the hill.  It was really funny though because on our way to Fussen I forgot my Eurorail pass so I'm thinking I am gonna have to pay a fine the train attendant walk up to me and didnt even asked me for my ticket..... I was so relived that I didn't get charge.  Either someone loves me very much or the luck from the shield bearing-lions in Munich came into play and its funny though because of the story that comes with the shields.  There are four shields if you rub all four you are considered greedy but I only rubbed 2 I figured a happy medium would be nice and it looks like it played in favor.  the Castle of Neuschanstein and Hoenshuanga thorougly impressed me the sheer magnificence and splendor of the castle (although the military history nerd inside me was not impressed the castle would not serve a very good defense but thats just an opinion).  But the day in Fussen went very well we all made the train on time, I got away with not paying the first trip, and we made all English tour guides, and we got to see this two beautiful castles and their amazing content a very solid weekend.  

Our first free weekend in Munich!

Hello! I have just woken up from a 3-hour nap on our train ride from Munich to Vienna. Our weekend in Munich was our first time traveling around Europe by ourselves, and I must say we have learned to travel around pretty well in Munich.

On Saturday morning we left Bonn at 3:30, which felt like the worst idea ever when I came to the train stop in the dark and it was cold and scattered with homeless men. However we got to Munich around 9 am, and had a whole day to spend in the city. While some of our group went on a bike tour, I joined some others to lunch in the area and going on a free walking tour of the city. Though the tour was much longer than we had expected, I thoroughly enjoyed the tour guide’s many funny insights and stories about the town’s history and people. We then had dinner at an Augustiner, where most of us tried the Augustiner Edelstoff. We then went to the Hofbrauhaus to drink liters of beer, where we discovered some people’s low tolerance to alcohol. My biggest accomplishment from this night was stealing a liter mug from one of the bar’s windowsills and getting a free souvenir from the biggest beer city in the world. We went back to our hostel soon after that. Though the hostel had sucky internet and nasty-looking mattresses on the bunk bed, it was a decent enough place for us to stay for the weekend.

The next day, most of our group left early in the morning to catch a train to the castle, but I stayed in Munich with Alexis, Caleb, and Mikaela. It felt awesome being well rested for once. We wanted to walk around the main center and shop around for a bit, but found out that almost everything was closed on Sunday. We then decided to visit the BMW museum. Though it took us a while to figure out how to get there and we had to walk in the rain like depressed people, we finally arrived at our destination. We got to go inside the free museum and look at some of the new models of cars, then went home after the rain started pouring. Soon afterwards we went to Vapiano’s for dinner and waited for the other group to come back to the hostel. Everyone kind of just packed up and crashed after that. I spent a while in the lobby uploading pictures from Cologne and therefore was completely dead tired this morning.

Can’t wait to see what Vienna has in store for us this week!

First Week in Europe!!

My first week in Germany was an amazing one.  I didn’t really know what to expect or have much time to prepare mentally so it was interesting to just get on the plane and go.  After flying from Houston to Frankfurt, I was exhausted and jet lagged, so it was nice that we had a day to get our bearings before starting the program.

            My host family is so great. My host mom is a life coach and does a lot of interesting things with her clients and it is always fun to hear about her different adventures.  She has amazing English because she has been housing foreign exchange students for thirteen years.  Right now there are five, including Mikaela and I, a Nicaraguan, a Saudi Arabian, and a Spanish girl.  She is 16 and I have been able to talk to her for a bit.  I feel so guilty though because I can only communicate in English and everyone in the house knows about three languages.  I wish American schools placed a greater emphasis on learning more.

From the beginning, I have adored Bonn.  I think it is a beautiful German city and I love the people and the fact that it doesn’t overwhelm me.  We are so lucky to be able to work with the AIB.  The German classes we had the first week have been extremely beneficial to me and I know they will continue to be so.  At first, I felt uncomfortable because I knew I was butchering the language and I was embarrassed that my seven year old host family “sister” was better at speaking it than I was.  I was also jealous that she could speak it so quickly.  I don’t know how that is possible.  There are so many pronunciations.  However, as I learn more and more I am able to communicate more with her and teach her new words and learn some from her.  I enjoy it.

My highlight of the week was visiting Cologne.  The moment I walked out of the hauptbanhof and saw the gigantic cathedral I fell in love.  The zoo and elephant tour was very interesting as was the trip to the Sports University.  The view from the roof of the Cologne Cathedral left me speechless.  The Rhein and Cologne is breathtaking.  My favorite thing was visiting the EL-DE haus.  The EL-DE haus was very sad but gave a cool personalized history of Nazi Germany.  The basement was the prison and on the walls were so many engravings and notes from the prisoners.  It is difficult to look at something as horrible as the Holocaust and really understand what something like that did to people, but by seeing those notes I was able to see WWII for what it was, and that hurt.

From Somewhere in Austria

Today is day number nine and we’re all on board the DB headed for Vienna! I’ve been exhausting my brain recalling all of the adventures I’ve been a part of in the short nine days that I’ve been abroad.  It feels like a month ago that I was hugging my parents and waving goodbye through the security windows.  It’s been amazing to my expectations exceeded every day , and to be constantly immersed in a culture different from my own. It’s physically tiring always learning and absorbing the culture around me, as well as trekking from the Biomechanics and Orthopedics Research lab at the University to the top of the Cologne Cathedral to Neuschwanstein to Vienna, but I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world…or a lifetime supply of eggs Benedict.

My host family has been one of my favorite aspects of the program because it amazes me to watch how similar and how different a family unit operates half way around the world. The family is something so expected, simple, and universally common but it’s also beautifully intricate and put together so uniquely in a way that gives each family a rhythm all their own. The Wolfe family is hard working, efficient, fairly quiet due to the language barrier (though we are both trying with German and English to meet in the middle!), and extremely loyal and loving. They are wonderful hosts to Alexis and me and they are thankful to us for sharing our culture and our language with their twelve year old twins, Sarah and Philippe.

I love getting to know Bonn and being able to be familiar with it after walking the city enough and enjoying its unique features like the Oxford phone booth, the Italian coffee cart, The Quiet Man’s Irish Pub, and the bakery next to the Hauptbonhof with the legendary chocolate muffins! I feel so blessed to get to spend enough time there to feel a connection to it when I leave.  As for the nine other crazy kids whom I get to spend the next 4 weeks with, I love you guys! Little did I know nine days ago that Meredith is a Bavarian diva and just how serious Alexis is about leather jackets? Mario makes us look cool when we run into Spaniards in Neuschwanstein, Morgan and Michelle are angels with cappuccinos and chocolate croissants, and Katherine has an algorithm of some sort for picking the best spot on the train, and Caleb makes a sassy face every once in a while that has now been coined “the Caleb face”. Last but not least, Mikaela has the fiercest eyebrows of all of us hands down,  and Jooyeon can get confrontational when we need her to. We’re nearing Vienna and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this week of the program! 

A Week Gone By

I can't believe I've already spent an entire week in a foreign country. Sometimes it feels like I've been here much longer, but at others, it seems like I've just set foot in Germany for the first time. Every once in a while, I'll look at Victorian-era building or see something written in German and the fact that I'm over 5000 miles from home will hit me so hard I just have to take a moment to let it sink in again.

Many of those moments occur when I'm sitting at the breakfast table at my host family's house and notice the milk isn't milk--it's milch. Either way though, it still comes from cows, and I'm grateful to Family Schuck for housing and providing me with it amd many other delicious foods. The family all speak English incredibly well, so communication is usually very easy. They're always checking up on me and making sure I'm making it from place to place without problems, that I slept alright, or that I have enough food. They are very considerate and caring, and their experience with other study abroad students definitely shines through.

Being a study abroad student traveling across Germany and the bordering countries is definitely different than just being a tourist on summer vacation. When we go places, we're going to learn things, not just point, look, and take pictures, although there's certainly plenty of that going on, too. We've had historical tours of each of the three main cities we've visited so far: Bonn, Köln (Cologne), and even München (Munich), where we went on our free weekend. We've also visited museums, including the Haus der Geschichte (House of History) in Bonn where we followed the progress of Germany from immediately after World War II to present day, and Elde House, the former Gestapo headquarters and prison where we were able to see the inscriptions left on the walls by the prisoners and learn some of their personal stories. In Köln, we were also fortunate to go on two spectacular tours--one of the zoo where we went behind the scenes and fed an elephant, and one of the Köln Dom, Cologne's magnificant cathedral where we ventured 70 meters high and experienced an incredible view of practically the entire city. Both tours were also educational--we learned some of the zoo's history and how they care for dorm of the animals, and at the cathedral we learned much about its construction and how they are continuing to repair it today.

Learning has definitely been the central theme of this trip, along with incredible of course. We've only had a short time in the classroom so far, but every class has certainly been worth while. With Fenja, we learned much more of he German language, including other useful sayings, verbs and how to conjugate them, and many other words we just wanted to know. We also learned about the culture of Germany from a German's point of view, not the stereotypes applied by us ignorant Americans. With Dr. Wasser, we've only had two class times, but in that short amount of time we've learned much about the different health care systems around the world, and how the US health care system is a sort of mixture of many of those models.

After a week spent learning, traveling, and thoroughly enjoying myself, I can safely say that my feelings of anxious-nervousness were completely unnecessary, and that I'm still anxious-excited for the rest of my trip. I can't wait for Week Two, this time spent in Vienna--the city of music, Siegmund Freud, and, my favorite, the Spanish Riding School.

~Daily Blogs Posted Below Break~

Biking Through Munich

My first free weekend was spent in Munich or “Munchen” with everyone in our group. Though it was not my favorite city so far, it was still a great trip. Our excursion started at 3 am when our train departed from Bonn. Of course I spent most of the trip sleeping. We all loved the ICE train because we got our own cabins with 5 of us in each one. After we checked-in to the hostel, which was easy to find luckily, our group ended up splitting up. Meredith, Sarah, Michelle, Mario, and I went on a four-hour bike tour of Munich, while Alexis, Jooyeon, Caleb, Morgan, and Katherine took a walking tour.

The bike tour was absolutely worth every minute and every cent. Thanks to Meredith for informing us about it and organizing us to take the tour. She has really contributed to our trip with her knowledge and previous experiences abroad. Michelle has brought a lot of knowledge as well and been guiding us around town. During out tour, the tour guide was lively and always joking around, which made it interesting. We biked through the city and a beautiful garden. It was gorgeous! Our tour even stopped of for lunch at a Bier garden. We were able to get cheaper Hofbrauhaus mugs here, which was a great deal. Mario always amazes us on his beer-drinking skills, since he finishes a large mug in 2 minutes. Sarah is always entertaining us and making me laugh with her witty remarks. It was a great time! When it was all over, we were exhausted and headed to the hostel for a nap. Later, we were able to meet the other group at Augustiner for dinner, recommended by Dr. Wasser and our tour guide, before going to the Hofbrauhaus. Sarah, Alexis, and I shared one of the large beers, as well as an apple strudel. It was a great way to end the night!

On Sunday, the group split up again, and I stayed in Munich with Alexis, Jooyeon, and Caleb to visit the BMW museum. We took the long way getting there, but it was entertaining. There was a really interesting basketball court at a school playground we passed by on our way. Before reaching the museum, after asking numerous people for direction, we stumbled upon this huge stadium with car engines roaring. One of the security guards mentioned the entrance was free in about 30 minutes, so we decided to go to the BMW museum first. All of the sleek, powerful cars filling the museum were worth the time we spent getting “lost.” There were even Rolls Royce and some motorcycles. After getting our fill of BMW, we walked back to the stadium in the pouring rain to see what had been going on. We found more fabulous cars, like Audi and Mercedes. The trip would not have been successful without Jooyeon’s courage to ask anyone for help, Alexis’s ability to make us all laugh even when we are drenched from the rain, and Caleb’s Germany street smarts.

Taking a chance at the underground train system, we found our way back to the hostel. We decided on Italian food for dinner at a restaurant nearby the hostel. It was great food and I had some German wine, which I enjoyed with the guidance of Alexis with her broad knowledge of wine.

Next weekend, it is off to Prague with the whole group again. Hopefully we keep staying together on the weekends because everyone has been a pleasure to travel with!

The First of Many

The first free weekend was a success! The whole group traveled together to Munich. Munich was completely different from what I imagined. I was expecting a very busy city center full of beer joints…not correct at all. Yes this is where October Fest is held, but it wasn’t a city of only beer joints. There were a lot of cool things that didn’t include alcohol. 

BMW is based out of Munich. There is a giant BMW Museum full of their cars and other cool products. It was amazing. In our journey to the Museum we got very lost, but it ended up working out to our advantage. We came across a basketball court, but the court was raised a different levels. Almost like it was a court drawn onto a little section of hills. We also came across some type of car festival. Audi, Mercedes, and BMW, all had huge booths modeling their cars and giving away free stuff. The only downfall to the day was the rain. We walked everywhere and everything was outside so we were soaking wet. What is it that Munich is known for again? Oh yeah, the Hofbrauhaus!! Yes, yes we went to the Hofbrauhaus and had a beer. They only serve liters so I split mine with Sarah and Mikaela. A liter is way too much for me! The Hofbrauhaus was an experience of a lifetime, but after one drink we got the heck out of there. It was definitely a tourist trap. We went across to Augustiner another beer hall, but a bit more local. I loved this place. Good food and good drinks lead us to have a wonderful night.

The weekend was full of hilarious moments. Including Caleb getting pooped on by a bird. It was pretty funny since it was the beginning of the day. Luckily it rained all day so it was kind of like a free wash haha. We also had “Bavarian Princesses” return to us after part of the group split off to see the Neuschwanstein Castle one day.

Now we are on the train to Vienna. I am so excited for the beautiful city of Vienna. This has to be the best part of my weekend because I am sitting across the aisle from a nice lady from Budapest traveling with her dog. Lets refer to him as “Christopher” because his real name is not school appropriate. He is adorable. Christopher just makes me want a bulldog even more than I already do. The train ride into Vienna is breath taking. We went straight through the middle of Salzburg. It was gorgeous and is definitely on my bucket list. I am so excited for the adventures of this upcoming week!

Brot for Elephants

Finally I have made it to Germany!! After a week, I have learned about Germany’s history, language, and culture with the help of Dr. Wasser, Olivia, and all of the students in our group.  Everyone is so nice, both within the group and the people of Germany, especially my host family.

My host mom greeted Meredith and I with big hugs when we first met. We quickly learned she is definitely a “hugger” haha. She is always hugging us hello and good-bye. We also get the pleasure of living with four children. Each of them are very polite and I am so amazed by how much English they know and how well they can communicate with us. One of my host sisters made sure to include me on the family activities the first few days, which was really appreciated. I enjoyed watching movies with the family and hanging out with the younger children. Meredith and I have been trying to get the children to teach us more German and perfect what we already know of the language. This comes in handy when we are doing our German homework!

German class has been very enjoyable. Fenja taught us all the first week basic German so that we can get by easily during our stay. She is a very sweet woman and patient teacher. We are always asking, “How do you say…” and looking for more German words to say, but she always answers us with a smile. I am very thankful for the German class because it has definitely helped all of us. Sometimes I am hesitant to use German words with the natives because of my pronunciation and knowing I do not know many words. However, all the German people I have interacted with have been so kind. It was a little surprising, but everyone is willing to help and is even interested in talking to you and finding out where you are from.  I have come most familiar with the men who run the gelato stores! One of my favorite foods in Bonn is chocolate gelato. I wish I could take some home with me.

Our major excursion this week was to Cologne, or Koln in German. It was one of my favorite parts of this week! I really enjoyed both trips, one to the Koln Zoo and Sports University and the other to the Dom and Elde Haus. At the zoo, I was able to feed a baby elephant! This was so exciting for me, since I want to be a vet and I also love elephants. It’s not everyday that you can say you fed an elephant, and on top of that fed an elephant in Germany! He was a cute baby elephant and was very obedient with the zookeeper when he did certain commands. The good times did not end at the zoo. We had sat in a presentation done by a professor at Koln’s Sports University.  I wish these universities existed in the States. The students have the ability to both study and participate in sports. I wish I had that talent. I love sports and was completely shocked that this type of studying could exist.

When we visited the Koln Dom or Cathedral, I was amazed at its beauty and size. I noticed all the detail that is done with the architecture and design of the building. It seemed amazing that such a huge building was built so long ago. As a Catholic, I really enjoyed spending time in the Cathedral. It was good quiet time after being so busy for the first week. Of course it was awesome to go to the top of the Cathedral! What an amazing view! I never would have thought I would have that experience.

This trip has been full of awesome experiences and gaining so much new knowledge… and it’s only the first week! I look forward to our next week in Vienna! Tschuss!

Already a week spent in Europe!

Hallo all! It is currently a little past midnight, and I am waiting for our train to Munich which departs at 3:30 A.M. I have just finished doing my laundry and packing for the ten days we will be away from Bonn! Overall I am having an experience of a lifetime in Germany, and I cannot be more thankful for this opportunity.

Our schedule has been nothing but packed, and though it has tired me out this week, I am not complaining because every second on this trip has been worth it. Everyday we learn so much, and I have never stopped opening my eyes to the many incredible sights and interesting s the program has offered us. We not only spend time learning in the AIB classrooms, but also spend a great majority of our time on field trips where we actually get to see the history of Europe in front of our eyes.

My favorite "tour" thus far has been the visit inside the Gestapo prison in Cologne. Learning about what happened in Germany during World War II is particularly interesting to me, especially because the schools in America put a big emphasis on this time of the world. The inside of the prison and the people's writings on the walls were inexplicably amazing to see. It was as if we were actually living during the time of the war and  witnessing what the people had to go through. Stories about prisoners who escaped and lived happily ever after, or those who were counting down the days of their execution...it was so interesting to hear about all of these different people and how what exactly they went through during this time.

One thing I also particularly enjoy about this trip is getting to experience the contrasting lifestyles between Americans and Europeans. Overall, Germans seem to live a "greener" lifestyle than us Americans, and this is very attractive to me. I like that host families have a separate waste container for compost. I like that public transportation is so common here and therefore saves a great deal of gas and money on cars. I like that the showers and toilets can be turned on and off for water-saving purposes. Being a huge fan of recycling myself, I am very fond of a lot of these habits in Germany.

It has only been a week and I have learned so much. I have so many pictures on my camera it is almost overwhelming. We are going to Munich in a couple of hours, then in Vienna for the next week, and Prague next weekend. I cannot wait to see what the next four weeks has in store for me!

It's Not Everyday You Play With Elephants

Hello from Bonn! It is the end of the first week of classes and the weekend has begun! It is definitely a different life here in Germany. Things are a little more relaxed and care-free. The day starts a little later than mine in America, and last a bit longer too.

Sarah and I are living with the Host Family Wolfe. They are wonderful people. The husband is an architect for the city and the wife manages the strawberry, asparagus, and rose farm. They twelve year old twins, Sarah and Philip. I am trying hard to practice my German because my host family does speak great English. It is difficult to communicate, but we have fun trying to figure out what we mean. Mrs. Wolfe cooks dinner for us every night and it is better than going out to eat. Her food taste like it came out of a professional kitchen! We have also had fresh strawberries which are sooo delicious. They make a homemade jam that Sarah and I went through by our second breakfast, and a puree that we put on top of ice cream. Let me just summarize and say that I really look forward to dinner every night. The way the house is set up, Sarah and I almost have our own apartment. We are on the ground floor which has a private living area. We have our own kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom that we do not share with the host family. It is really great!

So far I have had a wonderful time in "class." I have always learned better when provided with a live example and that is exactly what Germany is. In Bonn we visited the "House of History," a four story museum full of charismatic displays of Germany's history. You don't realize just walking around the city that you are standing in a place that has been an active member or the world's history, dating back to early Roman times. In Cologne, we visited the Zoo, Sports Museum, a Gestapo prison, and went to the top of the Cologne Cathedral. The zoo was probably my favorite place seeing as I am a giant animal lover. It was a beautiful zoo that mesmerizes you into believing you have just stumbled upon some animals in the wild. We got the opportunity to go behind the scenes of the elephant enclosure  and check out the operations. Being a equine girl, it the whole set up was almost like my dream barn on a giant scale haha. We even got to meet a couple of the elephants and feed them treats! The next stop was the Sports University of Cologne. Aside from being a university, this is the place that tons of professional athletes come to train and seek medical advice in the areas of biomechanics and orthopedics. Oscar Pistoriuos even got his cheetah blades studied here! The students that attend this school must pass millions of physical sport test to be admitted. You practically have to be an Olympic Athlete to get in. The Gestapo prison was a great way to start studying about the Nazi ruling. It was very personal because we had the ability to see what people had written on the walls during their imprisonment there. Finally, the Cologne Cathedral. The Cathedral was completely mind-blowing. The bones of the three wise men where buried here and we were able to see their gold relic. I also got to light a candle to commemorate my Mimi. I could very much appreciate it from the ground, but unfortunately I had to go to the very top. Personally, I felt more comfortable on the ground, rather than trekking up the steps of the two thousand year old cathedral to reach the very peak, over fifty meters off the ground. It was a breathtaking view, though I barely was able to peak at it while focusing on my death grip on the roof. Overall, Cologne was an amazing city.

We have just arrived back home after going out to eat with our family. I got pressured into eating what looked like to me a fish that had been pulled out of the ocean. It was very difficult not to gag but I managed to chock a bite down. When in Germany do as the Germans do!

Good Times in Bonn and Koln

My experience thus far in the Deutschland has been nothing short of spectacular. Before the study abroad even started, I had spent about a week in Germany, travelling to Heidelberg, Freiberg, Lake Konstanz (called something else that slips my mind by the locals), and Fussen all in the span of about 7 days. Though this was definitely a wake-up call to new culture and heritage, living with a German family and spending even more time engulfed in their social lives has opened my eyes to completely new styles of living. Just because someone spends what time they may have on this earth doing things differently from what you may be doing, does not mean that they are living incorrectly. We have no right, before experiencing what someone else has experienced, which in itself is nearly but not always totally impossible, to judge the actions or motives behind actions that may only seem to be negatively directed towards you. One cannot assume to know the motives of the hearts and minds of a completely different people group, so one must focus on what is best and most favored in something or someone that is different. I believe that when you fully understand and know someone, you cannot help but love them, no matter how they may differ from you. Taking the time and will power to overcome the obstacles in a relationship that may seem impossible shows true devotion and love for that person. This may go unnoticed, but unlikely. People can usually tell when you make an effort to overcome differences there may be between you.

Seeing this relational side of a new culture for the second time this summer in a completely new country has most definitely made me more universally aware in my daily actions. Every little thing doesn't make me want to just go back to the states, rather I want to learn even more about the world outside of the United States. I feel almost ashamed for not having put forth enough effort to have learned the language of a people group other than my own. I hope, now, to be able to find a nationality or dialect that I can personally connect with, because I want to at least learn a second language and then a third. This makes me want to be able to communicate globally with people that may be polar opposite from me, converse with them in ways that make both of us contemplate on the reasons behind what we may do and believe every day, and ultimately know and understand them for who they are in this world.

It is hard not to have fun in a country like this, especially when you have as good a group as ours. Alexis, Sarah, Katharine, Mario, Morgan, Mikaela, Michelle, Jooyeon (Jooey), and Meredith. These people are a blast and make the trips worth while. Then there's Olivia, who seems to have everything planned perfectly for our sake and devotes herself to helping us further understand German people. Dr. Wasser, for sure, adds experience and history to the trip with his descriptions of historical background on almost everything we encounter. It's really a joy to see these two interact and guide our group along with the sincerity and devotion that is obvious to me. Fenja helps us literally understand with language, Maggie shows us where to go, Timo brings us chocolate and bananas (haha! along with tons of other things), and the whole AIB team has been nothing short of ecstatic to help us out and show us around. We could not have had this much fun and learned this much at all without the efforts of all these people. This makes things like Koln, the dom, the zoo, the bier garten, etc. so much better. I'm having a blast, and I can't see the end!

Hallo from Bonn!

I can't believe I'm finally/actually here in Europe!! It's been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. And I think I picked the best country to start my journey with; Germany. It's just beautiful. I live with my host family near the Rhine river and nothing in Bonn is too far away to walk to or take a tram or bus to. That is one of the most contrasting things I've noticed or experienced from America. I've rarely ever had to take a train or long distance bus yet in Texas but here they have an entire road system set up revolving around them! I actually really like the convenience. However, if I lived here I'd probably revert to my old ways and still get one of the cute small cars just because I like the freedom of going where I want when I want to.... and the transportation system can get confusing!

The group discovered the confounding problems with trains when planning the weekends. We know now that we're going to Munich, Germany the first weekend and Prague, Czech Republic on the 2nd weekend (with our scheduled trip to Vienna, Austria for the week between) and I can't wait to see all the new places and really explore Europe! But booking hostels and reserving seats after choosing good train times is getting knit-picky. For instance, we're leaving for Munich at 3am tonight! It will all be worth it though, I knew coming here that I really wanted to become immersed in the culture and this is just part of it!

For the past few days after spending some time with our host families we began to learn German, and can I say, it has really helped a lot! Our host mom only speaks German so having some handouts and practicing the language has been a wonderful experience I wouldn't have wanted to miss out on. I've also learned a lot about the German culture and we toured a History Museum and an old Gestapo prison (in Cologne) which really felt more personal since I am currently living in the country where all this history took place.

I have also learned more about current events occurring in the medical field which I really wish would be stressed more in school. We visited the only Sports University in Europe and learned about Oscar Pistorius "the fastest man with no legs" and have recently been discussing the different health care systems of Germany and other countries and how they differ from America. Being pre-medicine I am really excited for this information so I have the ability to make an informed decision and hold a well educated discussion.

Besides all the educational festivities, our group also took a trip to the Cologne Zoo and Cologne Cathedral (the Dom)!! They we're both amazing and everything I could have asked for when coming on this trip! I am killing my camera battery by taking all these pictures (it died when we got to the top of the Dom yesterday!!) but I am so excited to show everyone back at home all my wonderful adventures =)

First Entry in Deutschland

Well this has certainly been an experience many first for me.

first time on a plane
fist time running late to catch a plane
first time in Europe
first time getting lost in Europe
first time ever inside a massive cathedral

This has certainly lived up so far to be in an experience and I am very grateful I am traveling with the group that I am a lot of them are very knowledgable as far as traveling in Europe and I have their expertice to rely on but I am learning as well, and learning the meaning as to why the Germans are so punctual.  This whole concept of using buses, trams, and trains is still some what a little strange for me to grasp but I am adapting pretty fast to the nature of running for the buses or making sure you give yourself some "buffer time" in order to make it on time.  So far my nature as another kind of foreigner has not payed out but I am hoping my roots as a latino and a native spanish speaker will help me get out of a problem, if need be, in the future.  I am most please with my host family they are very caring, very communicative, and always try to show me or teach me a little bit of the culture not just of Germany but of the Rhineland and Bonn.  They are also very interested in learning of my own culture considering im not just your average texas a&m student but a native Mexico.  I brought my family some classic mexican candies and a traditional artisan piece for them in addition I will later give them the newest version of the jersey for the Mexican national team as my last good bye.  I have had minimal contact with my family back home I mostly text my niece through and online application I have on my phone but that is all, but it has not been an issue so far.  I have begun my collecting souvernirs that I will take back to the states a large glass mug, a german hand fan, and classic thin glassware from Gassel for drinking beer so far are the only ones collected so far.  I still need some for my niece, mother, and my sister's boyfriend but that will come as I continue my travel to Europe and I explore more of what Germany, Austria, and Czech Republic has to offer.

Ich liebe Bonn!

Well I've survived my first couple days in Bonn! It's an absolutely gorgeous city, I really love it. The flight went good and I arrived on time. Lufthansa was a really awesome airline to fly, the service was great and the food was good. The weather is perfect! It has been a little rainy off and on but overall it's much nicer than the triple digit heat I left in Texas. Germany is definitely not exactly like I expected. On our way from Frankfurt to Bonn I saw lots of fields that reminded me of Texas and trees that reminded me of Seattle. I was surprised. I don't know why but I thought that Germany would look completely different from the states, and in many ways it is, but I found some things strikingly similar. My host mother doesn't speak any English so that's been a challenge, since I don't speak hardly any German. Although I think that it's really good experience living with someone with a language barrier because it helps you find better ways of expressing yourself to get the message across. It's also really helpful in my learning of the language because it's the only language that's spoken so I think I'm starting to understand it better. I'm not very good at responding properly in German but I feel like I can generally get the gist of the conversation, but sometimes I'm totally lost. The food I've had here so far is very good, I haven't found anything yet that I don't like. Everything seems to be cheaper than the states and the food seems healthier. There is a market in the city center during the week and all the fresh food looks delicious. The strawberries are especially fragrant, I think it's the first time I've walked by fresh strawberries and actually been able to smell them. Class has started and I really love it. German class is fun and I feel like I'm learning a lot but I know there's way more I won't have time to learn. I need to practice more. Our first class lecture was on other countries approaches to healthcare and I found it really interesting. I feel like now I'm more informed and can make a better judgement on universal healthcare and what would work best. I think that all the things that we're going to learn on this trip are really going to help when it comes to doing well in PA school, and hopefully will provide me a competitive advantage for getting in. I'm really excited to continue learning. Thus far I have not gotten lost and I think I've mostly mastered the tram. I haven't tried riding the bus yet but I probably will at some point. I'm generally good at finding my way and I'm not directionless so hopefully I won't get lost, but I'm guessing at some point I will. I've already been shopping and got some of the souvenirs for my family and friends but I still have more shopping to do. Thus far I'm really beginning to see the value in this adventure and I'm really glad I decided to come. I cannot wait for the rest of the trip!

It's Time!!

As I write this blog post the morning of my departure while eating a wonderful breakfast and drinking my much needed coffee, I am doing a mental checklist of everything I need to do before my flight leaves at 4.  I feel remarkably peaceful but I can feel the butterflies as well so some anxiety is definitely there.  It just seems as though my summer has flown by already and I cannot believe I get to do the thing I have been waiting to do for so long TODAY!

I spent the first half of my summer in College Station taking summer classes and volunteering at a hospital, which left me with much less time to pack and research everything that I wanted.  I have lived overseas twice and travelled extensively because of that.  My family lived in Scotland from 2000-2003 (during my 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade years).  We travelled throughout the UK, France, southern Germany, Austria (we did the Sound of Music tour like tacky tourists.. haha), Switzerland, and Italy.  I absolutely LOVED it and so going back to Europe after 8 years makes me very excited.  My family also lived in Jakarta, Indonesia but only in 2008 so we were not able to travel as much in Asia.

Although I feel like the seasoned traveller writing that out, I have never travelled by myself so that aspect has me nervous.  I do not like planes at all.  I credit that to watching Cast Away with my father the day before I rode my very first plane.  Not a smart idea at all.  However, I know that I will be fine and I have obviously been on many planes so I keep giving myself pep talks.

I first learned about the History of Medicine tour at a study abroad fair my freshman year of college.  After talking to a girl who had been on it, I knew that I really wanted to participate.  Finding funding and prepping for this trip has really added to my independence and I expect that will continue once I get to Europe.  Because I am a biomedical engineering major, I am really looking forward to touring the Otto Bock center and the Sports Museum of Cologne.  I am a premed student as well though so of course I am excited to visit the medical schools and watch surgeries.  It still hasn't hit me that I am leaving today and I assume that it won't completely until I board the plane!  I am looking forward to an unforgettable five weeks.  I feel as though it is Christmas is July.

Finally Ready to Go!! (Pre-departure)

I know I'm probably the last one to post this... seeing as its technically the day I'm flying out to good 'ol Deutchland in the morning!! I guess its because leaving to fly over seas for the FIRST TIME didn't really hit me until I was running around trying to pack everything today. Oops!

This past month has been pretty hectic in all honesty though. I took statistics in summer school, shadowed a Physician Assistant every Monday, volunteered in a clinic every Wednesday, and ran the New Student Conferences every day with the program Aggie Orientation Leaders (AOLP). I've only been home from College Station to Houston twice in the past month and each time my parents tried to talk to me about packing for Germany and whatnot but I just wanted to relax and spend time with my brother and sister. This held true again when I finally got home on the Fourth of July after taking the GRE on Tuesday (oh, did I mention I also spent the beginning of the summer applying for PA school? THAT took a good chunk of time...) So, here I sit, at 1:30 in the morning writing my pre-departure blog. Good thing my plane doesn't leave until 4pm tomorrow! I've never kept up with a blog before so this will be an interesting adventure along with the other new things I will discover on this excursion.

As I mentioned, this will be my first time (that I can remember) to ever leave the country. I went to Mexico and Canada a long time ago even before you needed a passport for either and I was too young to recall anything about those vacations. I am very excited to learn about new cultures and I want to become fully immersed in all Germany and the surrounding countries have to offer! I'm looking forward to all the museums we will be visiting since I'm kind of a fiend for antiques and history, even though I usually can't remember dates and names.... I still enjoy the stories! I am also very interested in medicine and would love to be able to place older practices into the modern world and compare the usages from then to now.

Even after all the meetings and emails, I still don't feel fully prepared to travel to another country where I will have to fend for myself (without my parents!). I know the last couple weeks I was in a little bit of "stress-mode" as I was discussing with people on the facebook group about how to book hostels and where we wanted to go on the weekends, and if we could make it there, and what we would do when we got there! I also had my mom at home in Houston calling me almost every day from some store asking me if I needed whatever random nick-knack she had happened to find for me. Now my backpack/rolling luggage combo (which has taken some stress out of choosing between the two luggage types...) is over 30 pounds!! I hope I'm able to just roll it everywhere and not look like an idiot with a huge backpack :P I also spent the last week finishing up statistics and saying goodbye to all the friends I've made through AOLP. Through the program we went on a retreat two weekends ago to the ROPES challenge course and I really got to know everyone even better. And after spending at least 20 hours a week together I know leaving right now is a little bittersweet. I had to say goodbye to all my new friends, my family who I haven't seen for about the last month, and my boyfriend of over 4 years who I've spent almost every day with this summer. However, I can easily say that an opportunity like this to study abroad will greatly surpass anything I could be missing in The States.

Yes, I am nervous, anxious, worried, but most notably EXCITED!!

Auf Wiedersehen Y'all.

It's quite natural that I find myself at the kitchen table past midnight sitting down to complete my pre-departure post. I know that I might be sorry tomorrow morning when I wake up to board my 7am flight but nonetheless here I am: and I'm glad that I held off writing until just now. I've had 9 months to think about how I would feel right before leaving for Germany but it's not until now, 6 hours and 26 minutes before takeoff that I'm able to put everything into words. I count this program as an esteemed privilege to be a part of and I could write for hours about all of my anticipations, nervous anxieties, and childlike excitement, but seeing that I only have a few hours left, I'm going to do a quick summary.

I first heard of this particular study abroad program during my senior year of high school and at the time, though I hadn't even decided to attend Texas A&M, I was intrigued by the sound of it. I have always known that I wanted to study abroad but I just can't believe that this desire that I've had for a number of years now is suddenly taking shape and materializing right in front of my sleepy eyes. I think the thing that causes me the most anxiety is the trek to Frankfurt tomorrow. My flight leaves from Houston at 7 am and I have a 5 hour layover in Philadelphia before boarding my flight to Frankfurt It will be the second time that I've flown on my own but this is my first solo trans-Atlantic flight so I have a little bit of anxiety. I know that the hardest thing will be saying goodbye to my parents. They have provided so much for me in my life and I know that it's hard for them to let me go on my own tomorrow but I'm thankful for all of their love and support and I would not be getting on the plane in the morning without their unceasing help. This is by far the longest that I've been away from home and though I genuinely love to travel, I suspect that I will experience some home-sickness somewhere along the way. I know that we'll be busy learning and seeing wonderful places so I trust that I will be distracted from that most of the time, but I will be in pretty close contact with my parents through email and Skype throughout the trip. I also stagger a little bit when it comes to learning a new public transportation system, and being cut loose on the weekends(however exciting the idea is) but these are ways that I know I will be stretched and I hope to see that by the end of the trip I am a cool as a cucumber when it comes to hopping on a night train to Vienna.

Anxieties aside, I am chalked full of excitement at the fact that I get to live with a host family and truly experience what life is like in Germany. I have traveled abroad to England and Germany during high school and even stayed in a Castle on the Rhine. Aside from that, I've traveled extensively throughout the US with my family and through my church's student ministry on mission trips. I love to travel and given a long enough period of time without traveling, I start to miss it dearly. This will be the most extensive of all of my travels and will allow me to delve into a culture that's so different from mine. I feel so blessed to get to experience Germany this way and to get to know everyone well and develop new friendships, all while being given the opportunity to see firsthand a country that has shaped the world of medicine as we know it today. I am so exited to see everyone in Frankfurt and I look forward to the next five weeks of learning and adventuring together! I wish everyone smooth flights and safe travels!

Auf Wiedersehen Y'all!

Flying away in less than 24 hours! (pre-departure blog)

Howdy all!

This trip is still so surreal to me...I can't believe that in less than 24 hours, I will be flying overseas and staying in Europe for the next five weeks. Living by myself in a completely different world for the next month or so...it's crazy to think that this is actually happening. I could not help smiling when my host family first emailed me. I was afraid to email them at first because I had no idea how comfortable they were with English, but then I quickly realized that these people would probably not have signed up to be host families had they not known English. Nevertheless I cannot wait to finally meet them.

I've been traveling a lot this summer already...constantly driving from Austin to College Station, and then from College Station to Houston and Dallas. I was also in California for a few days and went sightseeing with some of my friends. As much fun as it is, traveling is also very overwhelming and tiring. I realize that there is so much to see in the world outside of us, and when we are in Europe there will be even more things to see and places to check out. There is just so much to explore, and yet so little time to experience every single thing there is to do overseas. I know this is something I will definitely have a hard time taking in when we are overseas.

Going to Europe is a big deal for me. One of the biggest things I am looking forward to is meeting my great aunt for the first time! I had no idea I actually had a relative who lives outside of Korea until I told my parents about this trip. I actually just talked to her on the phone today, and she told me that she is only a couple hours away from Bonn. Hopefully when I find some free time, and once I get more familiar with the way transportation works over there, I will have an opportunity to go visit her during my stay in Germany. However, I am a little anxious and embarrassed to say that I am not only a very poor speaker in Korean, but also an extreme beginner in German.

I am pretty much finished with packing now. About to spend my last night in the States with some friends in downtown Austin. Although I am going to miss everyone here, I know I am going to have a blast in this experience because I am open-minded to all places and cultures. Except maybe the food over there...I am quite the picky eater. I remember the last time I visited Spain, I ended up losing a few pounds because the only thing I liked over there was bread. Though I am a little nervous that I may not like the food overseas, I am beyond excited to enjoy what is going to be one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had in my life!

Auf Wiedersehen America!

It's my last night in America and I will most definitely be spending it with my parents. I really appreciate this wonderful opportunity they have given me to study abroad. Since I have never travelled abroad, I am both nervous and excited to spend six weeks in a new environment. Traveling with a group of Aggies will make me feel at home in a place so far away from home. I look forward to all the amazing things we will see and experience.

My host family seems very nice and outgoing. It seems like there will always be something going on because she has quite a few children of her own. I hope they all enjoy the gifts I will be bringing for them. I am not too worried about not knowing enough German because my host mother seems to know a lot of English. I hope to brush up on my German skills that Olivia taught us on the plane ride there.

Speaking of the plane, that is probably one of the bigger hurdles for me on this trip. It is such a daunting nine-ish hours... over an ocean... in the dark night. But I know I will have plenty to do. I hope I sleep the majority of the way!

Besides the fact that I know it will be a fun-filled trip with all the traveling and spending time with other students and meeting new people from other countries, I realize we have the opportunity to learn in an amazing environment. I am excited to take this History of Medicine class with Dr. Wasser. With my passion for veterinary medicine and strange interest in school, I know it will be a great experience. I'm eager to learn more about Germany, as well, and how the medical field has been impacted by German history. I have to admit Germany was not my first pick of countries for a study abroad program. However, from our program meetings and small conversations I have had with family and friends, Germany seems like a wonderful place to spend six weeks, even a six weeks full of school work.

The last hurdle that I have been worried about is the length of the trip... the actual six weeks. I have never been gone that long from home so naturally there are nervous emotions. However, I am reminded  from the busy, exciting schedule planned for us that it will be one of the most memorable times of my life. With that, I look forward to having a wonderful experience with everyone. Safe travels!

Not Really a Normal Summer: predeparture blog

I guess this would have been more meaningful and useful if I had written prior to my leaving the US of A in mid-May. Nonetheless, I still have a large mixture of jumbled feelings leading up to this adventure. Leading up to my previous trip where I spent about 6 weeks in another country, I had almost no time to even think about being anxious about the upcoming summer, because finals consumed my life right up until it was time to pack. I think this was all for the better, because this gave me no time to build up huge expectations. This helped in dealing with being content with what I have and will have, no matter where I am. I can't even begin to go into detail about those wonderful 6 weeks without writing and thinking for hours and hours. Pages upon pages would not suffice to describe the full amount of what I experienced and learned their in dealing with understanding a new culture and sharing with people what it is that I believe. In a very small version, I got a glimpse of what it is to love someone by understanding the reasons behind what they may believe or not believe. As a result, I was able to also learn how to share my faith, that is in Jesus Christ, without jamming a Bible down anyone's throat or anything of that sort. I was able to really become friends with these locals despite our drastic differences in almost every aspect of lifestyle, because our blood still runs red.

That being said, as that trip came to a close, fear and anxiety set in. I didn't want to leave these people that I had built such great relations with, but I really think it again for the better that I was forced into another culture shock. This time, though, I was forced into it by myself. There was a short period I was really excited to be on my own, travelling where I want and doing whatever I want. This didn't last, and I was quick to miss the people I had spent about a month with in close quarters. Now that I've spent several days virtually on my own, I'm okay with how things are but still so excited to finally get to meet my host family and have some order to my life. Also, I can't wait to have some people back in my life that speak Texas English. German English is good compared to much of the world, in my opinion, but there is nothing like being able to use "y'all" and be understood.

I think I want to work on enjoying the little things and being content with what I have on my plate. I mean this metaphorically and actually, because I love food. There is not much that I won't eat and enjoy. I expect to learn even more about molding myself into a culture that is not my own. I want to learn how to make it my own and fully understand the people for who they are. The same goes for getting to know the people on the study abroad with me; I want to get to know all of them individually. I want to work on team building skills, so that each person has an equal part of the group. I want to reach each person on a level where their individual needs are met for the sake of bettering the group and increasing our comraderie.

All in all, I literally cannot wait for the next few days to go by, so that I can meet everyone again and get started on this new adventure. I realize that this second half of summer may be hard, because I've already been away from home for about 7 weeks. I will try to just not think about that fact for most of the session, rather I'd like to just look forward to what joy I will experience on returning to family and friends. Also, I will focus on what joy I experience with new friends and learning experiences. I want to remember the very best of people and places, rather than focus on what I did not enjoy. I like to look for the very best parts of people I meet and encourage them in that way.

While there are people and things that I miss from my previous summer adventures and Texas, I look forward to the adventures that have been placed before me. I know that I will learn much in my field of study and about people from other countries and my own.

Nos vamos para Alemania !! pre-departure blog

The time has come and I am finally back in the States after spending two weeks in my native Piedras Negras, Mexico with my mom, dad, and siblings.  I didn't do much that is worth noting in Piedras Negras due to conditions Mexico finds itself in.  It is kind of scary to observe an armor vehicle drive by very slowly in front of your house with a 50 .cal machine gun mounted turret, but nothing happen and everything is well and I got to enjoy many of the Mexican dishes I will never get to enjoy in Germany or U.S.

 I am still having a hard time grasping the idea that I will soon be in Germany considering all the little obstacles I had to deal with and to think I was about half of inch of backing out from the program and now here I am and ready to learn and explore.  The least of my worries for the trip is being in a culturally different environment I am extremely adaptable as I myself was a foreigner who came to the U.S not being able to speak English and everything turned out well. I will probably will feel right at home amongst the German people.

The biggest concern I have as far this whole study abroad program is the whole travel idea, nobody in my family has been in Europe or even been on a plane. I don't have much advice to go on then more what the study abroad advisors have given me and what a few distant relatives have mention, I am relying on my adaptability, and my fellow classmates travel experience to get me by on this trip.

My mom is still kind of shock I will soon be exploring far off lands on my own and at the same time I feel she is not considering she sort of experience the same situation since I am her only child to go to a university far away from home and only be allowed limited contact.  For me this study abroad opportunity is more then a chance to explore Europe, get ahead in classes, and have fun for me this trip is about learning a little bit more about who I am and to grow as a person.

Now being so close to the beginning of the trip the only thing that keeps popping into my head was when I was having a conversation with my relative as far as traveling to Europe.

 My cousin said, "so your traveling to Europe are you paying for it or the school ?".

 "I am paying in loans that's why I am stuck in a bind to go or not ," I said.

Then he said those words that made up my mind about going on this trip " Don't think of it as a financial burden think of it as an investment, an investment on yourself to help you grow as person and as a professional".

It's about that time!

It's about that time to pack up and head home from the ranch again. The lake house is the best place to come relax. There is never a shortage of things to do, but just sitting on the porch looking out on the lake is one of the best. Its currently overcast, but regardless of the weather the view is hard to beat. We spent the morning out on the lake water skiing and wake boarding. I think we're about to head out on one last 4- wheeler ride before we leave. It is the last time I'll get to be here until late August because on Friday I leave for Germany to spend 5 weeks studying abroad. I have been to Europe once before back in 2007. My brother was invited to play soccer in Amsterdam so my parents decided to make it a family vacation. We got to see lots of the sights in Amsterdam and managed to completely avoid the red light district. The majority of our trip was spent riding trams, buses and trains to get everywhere we needed to go. Oh, and walking, lots of walking. I think that is going to be one of the biggest adjustments to staying for 5 weeks in Germany. Here it's a simple get in the car and drive to wherever you want to go, but there you have to actually plan out trips and look up the schedules for all the different forms of public transportation. It will definitly be an adjustment from just getting in the car and driving somewhere. I guess for me it will be a nice change since this summer so far I've visit Dallas twice, Austin twice and been going back and forth from College Station to Cypress multiple times a week it seems. I'm slightly burned out on driving.I wanted to study abroad, one because I really wanted to see more of Europe and really get to learn the culture. I think by fulling immersing myself in another culture I will learn more about the everyday life, traditions, and norms. I also hope to pick up on the language quicker. I know that 5 weeks will not bring me anywhere near fluent but I think I will learn more, faster since I'll be forced to use it. I've also heard that studying abroad is a life changing experience and I really did not want to miss out. I really love Europe and I have the strong desire to see as much of it, in as much detail as I can. My dad frequently travels to many places in Europe and has the whole international travel down to a fine science. Well, and I guess being an Engineer has something to do with that too. He has already mapped out all my trips, given me multiple sample iteneraries for my free weekends, and has looked up train schedules for every place possible to visit. He wants an hour by hour breakdown of my trip before I leave, it's not going to happen. I'm really glad that he's so supportive and excited about my trip. It's now less than a week before I leave and I'm starting to get really excited. I know that this will be the adventure of a lifetime and I'm blessed with the opportunity. I've had my bag pretty much packed since last week, although I've packed and unpacked it multiple times already. I was pleasantly surprised that thus far all my stuff has fit no problem. I still have a couple things left to get but other than that I feel pretty much ready. It's just a weird thought for me to be going somewhere for 5 weeks and only have a backpack full of stuff. Normally I'm the queen of overpacking. I feel prepared for my trip as of now. I think I have everything I need to survive and I think I have enough knowledge about travel to get where I need to go. However, I am still terrified about traveling to a foreign country where I don't speak the language and I have to function for 5 weeks. The thought seems rather daunting. I'm not a super outspoken people person so this will be a big change for me. I think that it will be a really awesome experience that will help give me a more global perspective and teach me a lot more about myself. Overall, I'm more excited than anything. Only 2 days left!!

Happy Fourth

Independence Day. It's the quintessential American holiday--remembering national heroes, fireworks, cook-outs, games with the family. But is that really only American? Having never traveled outside the US, I can't really say for certain what is truly American and what is something we have claimed, but which began as part of another culture long before "American" existed. How many of these values are singly American, and which are common to multiple cultures? This is just one of the many reasons I am so captivated by the idea of studying abroad and all that comes with it. There's the excitement of traveling somewhere new, the fear of leaving home and family, the eagerness to meet new people, the strive to gain new knowledge, the anxiety of the unknown...the list goes on and on. And with only two days left until the grandest adventure of my life so far, trying to pin down any one emotion or thought about my upcoming trip is nearly impossible. 

I'm certainly excited to meet my host family. They've hosted over 100 American students over the past 18 years, so any naivety on my part will hopefully be overshadowed by their experience. Furthermore, I'm looking forward to directly learning about the modern German culture, and making new friends along the way.

I also can't wait to actually be in another country. I've always loved the summer road trips with my family, so travel in and of itself is something I adore. But the actual sensation of crossing a national border, albeit in a plane, is something I've always longed to do. However, this does bring up the issue of staying someplace where English is not the primary language. I am so grateful to Olivia for teaching us enough German to hopefully get by, but I still wish I knew more. I'm definitely going to study those handouts more before landing in Frankfurt.

Then of course there's the actual studying part of this study abroad trip. I can honestly say there's no other subject I'd rather study in a country as rich in history as Germany than history pertaining to medicine. My entire life I've been interested in some form of medicine, be it human or animal. Usually I lean more towards the veterinary field, and working this summer in a clinic with three full time vets (all of them Aggies) has done nothing but foster my desire to be involved in veterinary medicine. The history of Germany itself is also interesting to me not only for the large role it has played in the development of the current world status, but on a more personal level as many of my ancestors were German.

All told, I think I'll settle on anxious as my current emotion, but whether it's anxious-nervous or anxious-excited depends on the moment. For now though, I'm going to put my ambiguous anxiety to the side and concentrate on spending time with my family this Fourth of July.

Pre-Depature Blog

I just got back to College Station from being at home to spend time with my family. After my conversation with my parents last night I am even more thrilled about this adventure. I have never flown alone or traveled without my family. My mother has prepared me with advice that would fill the library of congress. Yes, we are all very excited but a little nervous as well.

I signed up for the study abroad class because I love to travel, meet new people and study their cultures. I have traveled to Italy, Great Britain, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Alaska and Canada with my family and each time I have learned more about different cultures and about myself. Before making my decision I read a lot about it on the internet and one reoccurring theme was what a life-changing experience and one of the most rewarding things students have ever done kept coming up. That information helped me make my final decision to apply to study abroad.

My first challenge is to fly alone. Of course my parents are taking me to the airport but once I pass that security area I am on my own. Am I scared? No. Am I nervous and anxious? Yes! I am not very good at talking to people I don’t know but that is one of my personal challenges for this study broad program. It is also one of the reasons I chose to live with a host family. I want to force myself to connect with people I have never met before and I also want to be as involved with the culture and language as much as possible. My German is bad but I know if I immerse myself in it I will learn much faster. This will also allow me to experience the food, appearances and personal habits of a typical German family. Living with a host family will let me experience their culture in a deeper way by seeing their beliefs, value and perceptions as we all interact.  I have contacted my host family and sent them a picture of my family and me. I also Goggled their address and learned that I will be living on the Rhine River. At least that is what it looks like from the map views.

I am excited about learning in a new classroom setting. I have always learned in a traditional classroom setting and being able to have hands on opportunity for learning is very exciting. I think I will learn more about how I learn and retain information in a different way. I will have to learn how to quickly adapt and be effective at the same time. For example, I have never blogged before. After this trip I can check that one off my list.

Overall, I feel privileged to have this opportunity. The meetings that I attended prior to this trip helped so much in the preparation but mainly in making me feel comfortable. I feel that not only my educational experience is going to be great but my personal safety and wellbeing is going to be taken care of as well. I hope to make some new livelong friends during this experience and I look forward to working with everyone.