BONNito Viaje

After six weeks abroad, the time finally came to say tschuss  to Germany. What bittersweet feelings come with this farewell! My experiences have felt surreal, wrapping me in adventure and new knowledge every single day. Going home, while desperately anticipated, comes with an element of disappointment as the overt adventure ends, and "routine" life begins again. I have much to be grateful for, though, and my many new lessons will continue to serve me in the time ahead.  We ended our program in Berlin, which was a very different atmosphere than our other excursions. The city carried a heaviness that was muffled underneath attempts at satisfied modernity and colorful progress. Understanding the history of such a place helps to interpret the feeling soaked into it; our excursion shared a great deal of landmarks that have left echoes of an irreversible history undoubtedly felt by its residents as well as its visitors. Germany has a very challenging and unique history, one we prim...

 All good things must come to an end, right?  Our time in Europe is coming to a close and with it come mixed emotions. If you had asked me a couple of  weeks ago how I felt about leaving, I would have been disappointed, lamenting all that there was still left to do. However, after several more excursions (Vienna and Prague were two recent highlights), I feel a contentment at having spent so much time here. The idea of going home comes with a happy sigh of relief.  I have a new appreciation for the concept of "home." A long time ago, I discovered that home is less of a physical location, and more of a sensation. Home is family, but it is also familiarity. Here in Germany, I have encountered the feeling of "home" in various ways, despite being so far from it physically.  Home can be language. Surrounded by an unfamiliar tongue is initially surprising and disorienting; it puts into perspective the many differences between cultures and countries. I watch a small chi...

There's a well known, maybe cliché, quote that's been popping into my head over the course of my adventures in Europe: "Not all those who wander are lost." There's an added humor to it, because I didn't even realize where the quote came from and as it turns out, it's a Lord of the Rings verse! I'm currently reading the first book, and while I haven't reached this quote yet, it's funny how it's been on my mind.  Wandering feels like a fitting description for much of my activity in the last few weeks. There is no negative connotation to it, nor sense of misdirection or feeling lost. Even when we have been arguably lost, it has never included the expected sense of panic or confusion. Traveling has been founded in a feeling of surrender, of maybe not knowing where exactly I am, but being okay with that. I have found trust in knowing I will get where I need to be, whether according to my pre-established plan or not.  This go-with-the-flow free...

In regard to the term "study abroad," this past week in Europe was primarily focused on the abroad  aspect of our program. No formal classes were held, because the week was spent all across the continent! This is not to say that there was no studying, but I've come to find that in this adventure, learning often looks very different from a classroom setting.  We began at the northernmost part of Germany, on a spa island called Norderney. It's a quiet destination,  with tourists making up most of its weekend population, and residents typically being 60 years or older. Frankly, I was unsure of what to expect, as it did not seem like an obvious or extraordinary excursion location. How wonderfully surprised I was! Norderney was richly filled with biodiversity, seaside charm, and refreshing exploration. Fun fact: the island is so refreshing that tourists pay a daily fee for the magically clean air, and German healthcare offers two weeks of prescribed "rehab" there...

 Hallo! Regardless of how well you learn a language, the accent with which you speak can make or break your conversing with locals. While pronunciation doesn’t particularly come across in a blog post, the way Germans greet each other is very singsong-y; so, when I write “hallo,” know that I am singing it to you!  Our second week in Bonn was marked with an interesting reflection on traveling abroad. The manner in which we are living- with a host family, in a home, using daily transportation, and going to school- has created a perspective that differs from that of just being a tourist.  Every morning has a very regular routine, like that of being at home or back in College Station. Wake up, find the roommates in the kitchen, breakfast, out the door with backpacks and a “Tschüss!” to our mom (don’t forget the singsong accent). I am very proud to report that we are experts on the bus system in Bonn. We now know which bus stops are most efficient from our various locations in ...

 I've learned to count to eight in German!  This certainly sounds like an un-astonishing feat, but the reality of our travel to Bonn was that I neglected to truly realize the language barrier and cultural differences that awaited me. The eight new numbers I've learned are among many new vocabulary terms that have been gathered and learned from a full immersion setting into German language and society.  I learned the number "two" first, ironically. While our home during these six weeks is across the Rhein in a sleepy neighborhood called Hozlar, our days are spent in the bustling city of Bonn. I can consistently be found with Grace, my travel buddy, as we wander and explore market places and food stalls. One of my earliest surprises in this country was the unexpected diversity in the city. There are the expected biergartens and bratwurst spots, but also a large variety of Asian, Italian, and Middle Eastern restaurants and people. It was at one of these Italian food truc...