my goodbye to Germany picture
Well it’s official. We are back in the United States. It is. definitely an adjustment. Lol the first thing I did before I even got off the plane was FINALLY turn my phone on to except messages. Lol oh how I missed my messaging notification. As all the messages were coming in I worked to wrap my mind around the fact I’m not in Germany anymore :(. But the funny thing was after we got of our flight and got in the Atlanta airport we got right back on the subway and I ssmelled the must scent in the air. It was as if a little bit of Germany came back with us. Pretty funny. But I couldn’t help but wait to run to the public restroom and use it free if charge and get the feeling of hospitality, ohhh and I can’t forget finally not being starred at was a relief. Lol
After getting our bags it was time for everyone to part their separate ways, sad because we ask grew to become friends in this experience we shared together. But it will all be good because just about all of us exchanged numbers so we are able to stay in contact.
I. promise I will never forget this. eye opening experience. I already felt that I had an open mind and after going on this trip I feel that it has only been opened more. This is a experiene that EVERYONE should endeavor whether it is through school or not. Experiencing another lifestyle/ culture will help one to appreciate and respect things so much more.
Well I that’s all I got
P.S
- I can’t sleep past 730 -____-
-I. got my pedicure to treat my tired feet
- I’m craving a brawstwurth and steak sandwich
-I saw an American Dollar for the first time today and it was weird
Last day- leaving a bittersweet feeling
As I was sitting at our Departure dinner I couldn’t help but feel like we were JUST sitting having our arrival dinner. This trip went by EXTREMELY fast, too fast. It was soo much and I met a lot of cool people including our ancient teachers. lol jk !! But really though. Some of the students and I were talking about how this experience , in only two weeks has changed our outlook on a lot of things and we are so glad that we were given the opportunity and we all plan to continue to travel and continue to experience different cultures.
Im getting ahead of myself. We first started out our day with our final tour of the city outside of Berlin called Postdam. A beautiful city that was said to be used by royalty when they wanted to get away for the summer or just to relieve stress. After seeing the peaceful scenery I wouldn’t mind escaping there either. Shoot! It was full of palaces and condo looking houses coming complete with a nature filled background with what seems like every neighbor in the complex exercising with one another.
Unfortunately, at the start of our tour it started to sprinkle and only picked up heavier from there. The rain worked as a downer because with the rain came wind, and I do mean cold wind. I felt like it had dropped from 67 degrees to 30. I tried to keep positive though. Our last stop of the tour made it all worth it. We went to the summer castle of Fredrick the Great. And OMG it looked like something someone could only dream about. It seemed like he dedicated 25 acres only to the garden and the rest of the 75 acres to the actual estate. It was gorgeous ( pictures coming soon).
Ending the tour we had 3 hours of free time until our goodbye dinner and some of us went out and did some last minute shopping then met up with the rest of the group and reminisced and simply enjoyed each others company. I can say I will never forget this experience and look forward for more to come.
Second to last day
OMG. I cant even pick a day that I would choose to be my favorite. Everyday has offered something different for me to take away. Today we traveled two hours to Dresden and once again it was mind blowing how beautiful it was. I cannot imagine all the time and money that went into making these buildings and all the bits and pieces that went into making the city what it was. We had the opportunity of seeing the heart of the city, which was A-mazing,from the waterfall with the statues, to the murals, to the architecture of the buildings. I was talking to one of my friends about how much time it took for them to get each of the bricks and cobblestones to complete the project. And Lord how much money!!! I say money because our tour guide saying how a flood came and wiped out the entire theater/museum and it cost 2.7 million dollars alone to repair the damages. I know these Germans have to be paying some healthy taxes cause that money doesn’t come from anywhere. But another cool thing is the way they have preserved the town to still look like it did in the 1900’s even after the reconstruction because that was one of things I didn’t like about West Berlin. The fact that they rebuilt the town to look so modern, I felt like I was in just another city in America. Which is funny to me because the rest of Germany looks like it did years ago trying to reminiscing on how things used to be to appreciate what they have today
But on to the next thing. We got a break after our tour and Myself with some other students sat at a sausage kiosk and had very good conversation followed by ice cream. I genuinely enjoyed the time I got today to get to get to know some of the people I didn’t know before. Following the tour we got back on the bus .Everybody was KNOCKED OUT so quick, that sun beat us up.
I was so excited to get back to finally get the people out to all hang out for the last night. And it was so worth the wait. I am so glad I met the people I met on this trip and the time that I have spent with them. I wouldn’t interchange anyone for anyone who isn’t already here
Welllll, sadly tomorrow is our last day and I intend to go out with a bang and make the last day one to remember. :) :( ( bittersweet,last day)
Day 10… Most moving day
Today was a day that put things into perspective as I said before. As we were walking down the same road that the prisoners of the camp walked to reach the camp I couldn’t help but imagine the thoughts they had going through their minds as they grew closer and closer to the gates. I was shocked to be reminded today that some of the prisoners who were brought to the camp though they were coming to a reformation camp to help them become a better person.; Little did they know the doors they entered in they will not be exiting alive. It was hard to take in that we were walking on the same ground and looking at the same wood and stone of those some 70 years ago.
This was one of the days I was most worried about because I didn’t know how I would take in such a traumatic moment in our history. I was talking to some of my fellow classmates and we couldn’t rap our minds around how anyone could think of the things the Nazi’s did to do to these thousands of people. I learned they used to infect some of the prisoners with Hepatitis and leave them to suffer and eventually die, lead the prisoners of the camp to think they were going to a check up with the doctors when really when they were being measured they were soon to be executed by a shot to their head causing instant death.
Walking through the different housing cells, prison cells, kitchen etc I couldn’t believe to what measures they were given to live. In the kitchen they were served only one hot meal every three days and the remainder of the days they were given less than minimum calories, something like 600 calories. Its ridiculous.
I will definitely work to not complaining about some situation I feel is bad and revert back not only to the concentration camp victims but also those who are less fortunate than me and remember that I am blessed to have what I have.
Leaving the concentration camp I fell into a comma of sleep on the way back to our hostel and then met up with my friend Maria and got some ice cream and a snack to hold me over until dinner. We then met up with Denise and Drea downstairs to talk , people watch and just relax.
During our relaxing time, MINDING OUR OWN BUSINESS we saw these nice cars pull up in front of our hostel, pictured previously on my blog and in the car got out several buff men and some dolled up women. I really liked the cars that they were driving so I took some pics but as I was taking pictures, in my peripheal I saw that some women were walking into a mysterious building and 30 minutes later the girls came out dressed in their escort attire. My girls and I have not yet closed this investigation but we do have leads on who the leaders of the colt are and how the escort service of Berlin works. And yess it is very similar to the movie “Taken”
Andddd I am outty 50000
P.S I miss home and my friends and family
lesson learned today putting life in clearer perspective . we must watch what we. choose to complain about. Our ancestors didn’t even have the ability to complain and endured pains we. can’t. even. imagine… it’s always. someone. that. has it worse
Mini Synopsis before the Big Synopsis
Okay I plan to do a pros/cons/wish i did/ wish i did differently/ what I learned later but I want to do one now while its on my mind
Through having not only this experience but any experience where someone is opened to another culture I think it is a oppurtunity for them to appreciate what they have elsewhere or just life in general. And in this case while there are many things I envy about Germany and their pride for their history and how they rebuilt their city. I wish that you could walk around America and it not look so lazily put together in comparing to what I have seen in this past week. Everything I see here has something it represents or a significance. I love it . While back home it just seems it is what it is. And after visiting the concentration camps today I will appreciate my life that much more. It is not only those victims from the concentration camps but also slavery, poverty, those still in dictatorship governments that SHOULD leave most , myself including finding a hard time to find something to complain about
#1 We are a group of young adults 20 years old and in another country- blessing
#2 Whether we have been through our share of trials and tribulations we are still alive and living well and I am sure it didn’t amount to some of the things the victims of our history went through
#3 We all own a numerous amount of shoes and can eat more than a PIECE of bread or soupy water with vegetables
I can go on but im not having a sermon, you catch my drift lol
Now some things I will go back home and appreciate,
-FREE refills
-FREE bathroom use
-CHEAP
-Southern hospitality
-less staring
- less walking
