Our last week in Germany started with an excursion. Monday morning, I met the rest of the students at the central train station (Hauptbahnhof) where we rented bicycles. Our caravan then made its way to the Rhine River, and we followed the trail south along the river. Although it was a little cold, I loved the views, and biking had been on my bucket list for Europe. After about twelve miles we arrived in the small town of Remagen. There, we received a tour of an old castle-bridge from the early nineteen hundreds. That bridge was the last bridge to span the Rhine River during World War Two, as the Nazis destroyed the rest. Before they could destroy the bridge of Remagen, Allied forces discovered the bridge and attacked the town. For the first time in the course of the war, Allied forces crossed the Rhine into Germany. It was an event that meant certain defeat for Hitler, and the existence of that bridge saved many weeks and lives. General Eisenhower said that it was "worth its weight in gold". In addition to learning about the bridge's role in World War Two, the structure housed a museum dedicated both the the war as well as to peace. Certain rooms listed all the conflicts since the Second World War and all the Nobel Peace Prize Winners. I must admit, some of the names on the list seemed very out of place; but the idea of the museum was very admirable. It is truly heartbreaking how many conflicts have occurred just in the last half-century.
After the museum tour, we biked back north a few miles and ate lunch at an Italian restaurant on the riverbank. After Easter weekend and the week of my host family being gone, I thought I had had enough Italian, but turns out that isn't possible. Lunch was delicious, and afterwards we had gelato. Most of the students then returned to Bonn by train, but I decided to cycle back with a handful of others.
That evening, I enjoyed dinner with my host family before studying and heading to bed. Tuesday was my final regular physiology exam, which went very well. Afterwards, I worked on training modules and the Enmodes booklet until that evening. Then, a group of us students went to Zebulon to watch the Champions League Semifinal match. Tottenham was playing Ajax, so naturally we were cheering alongside Park for his favorite team, although his player was suspended for the game. Although Tottenham lost, we had a great time and repeated the activity the next day. Our only class Wednesday was a test review for our physiology final, after which I worked until that evening and returned to Zebulon for Barcelona vs Liverpool. It was our last time watching a Champions League game at Zebulon, which had become one of our favorite traditions that semester.
Thursday morning was my physiology final, which was surprisingly easy. I left the test feeling confident, and to celebrate, spent the afternoon with Sebastian and Sean at the Biergarten discussing politics. Despite our different backgrounds and world views, we had some engaging discussions that I enjoyed very much. It is a pity that often in today's political climate, people of different opinions cannot converse in a civil manner. Too many people view a disagreement with their views as an attack on their person. The breakdown of civil discourse, facilitated by social media, has contributed largely to our current polarized political climate. One thing I have learned to respect about the Germans is that, although they often disagree and are not afraid to speak their minds, they do not take anything personally. They can have a heated debate about anything, and then quickly move on and be friends or family with the person they disagreed with. After our discussion, the three of us grabbed some Mexican food (which, while not anywhere near as good as back home, was better than I expected) and returned to the AIB. There, I worked more on my final essay for my writing class and the Enmodes booklet, which was nearing completion. That evening, I went out with some of the other BIMS students who were finished with finals (besides History of Medicine) to a bar called Voyager. Their, we played cards and I tried to teach them the domino game 42, one of my favorite games of all time and an Aggie staple. After a few hours, we returned to AIB and played Phase 10 in the basement until around 2:00 AM when most of us went home. Friday flew by. I arrived at school at 11:00 and filled out evaluations for my classes, AIB, and my host family. After, we performed exit interviews to talk about our experience. Once that was complete, I worked with Reagan, Sean, and Madyson, and we completed the Enmodes booklet. I also finished my final essay and turned it in, marking the end of my homework for the semester. I went home to have dinner with my host family, and went to bed early to prepare for the next morning.
Saturday morning we had to be at the Hofgarten by 7:00 AM to take a bus to Bacharach. There, I hiked to the top of a hill during our free time while we waited for our boat to arrive. We were taking a Rhinecruise (another bucket list item for Germany).
Once the cruise arrived and we had all clambered aboard, the boat set out. Sailing along the Rhine was absolutely beautiful. Although the weather was not great, I enjoyed the experience. Because Germany used to be divided into many tiny kingdoms and duchies, there would be a castle every few miles we sailed. These castles would serve as strongholds and a way to toll those traveling the Rhine for medieval rulers. Towards the end of the cruise, Dr. Wasser gathered us on the deck and divided us into four teams for our History of Medicine final. Once we were "sorted" into our "houses" (from Harry Potter, I was a Ravenclaw), he began asking questions which we competed to answer. In the end, my team was victorious, but all the students got an A.
Shortly after, we arrived in a small town where we disembarked and ate lunch. It was German schnitzel, which was very different than the Austrian dish I had had earlier this semester, but still good (I preferred the Austrian version, however). With full stomachs, we walked to the top of a nearby hill for a tour of Marksburg Castle, which is the only castle along the Rhine to be completely intact and never conquered. I loved the tour (the boy in me was having flashbacks to childhood hours spent as a knight or king living in such a castle), and it was probably my favorite castle to have seen (although Edinburgh gives it a close run).
Once we finished the tour, we boarded our bus and returned to Bonn. There, I returned to the Biergarten with Sebastian and Sean for another round of conversation. As the weather worsened, we grabbed dinner with some other students at a small Italian restaurant before returning to Zebulon one last time. From there, we headed south to watch the German celebration Rhine in flammen. The Germans kick off summer with a big fireworks celebration on the Rhine, which was a really fun way to celebrate the end of the semester. Honestly, it could not have been a more perfect way to spend our last weekend.
It was a late night, but we had alot of fun, although because of the crowds we could not take the tram and had to walk over a mile to get to a station we could board at.
Sunday, I slept in to make up for the previous few nights' lack of sleep. At 1:00, all of the programs went to the Bonn Theater to watch the LMU students put on a play called "Spring Awakening". The students did a fantastic job, although I personally did not like the play very much. It was an interesting choice by the director, but again, the students did very well with it. The play was followed by the AIB farewell party at Old AIB (where I would have class). Dinner was served, and everyone's host families came as well. It was a fun evening, followed by a litany of goodbyes. Although feeling nostalgic, I had to remind myself we were all going back to College Station for the most part, and I was sure I would see all of my friends again. I knew, however, that it would be different. We would never have full days of classes in that small little building on Adenauralee 7 or gather at the Hofgarten to board a bus for an excurion. We would not go to Zebulon for Champions League games in the evenings or to the Biergarten for a drink after a test. We would not make random trips to Uniburger for fries on tough days or pepper the volleyball in the AIB garden. As I returned to my host family's house for the last time, I thought about all the lasts. My last walk to the bus stop; my last bus ride; my last dinner with my host family; my last night in the bedroom. It seems like a situation that would seem very sad, but I did not, which perplexed me. I realized, however, that instead of being sad, I was thankful. I was thankful for all of those things. The long class days at AIB and time with my classmates in Bonn and meals with my host family. Even the things that annoyed me, especially at first, like the bus rides, were experiences I looked back on with gratitude. As I packed my bags Monday morning, I was thankful for my experiences this semester, and excited for the future experiences coming my way.
