PSA and FYI: this post has 2 photo galleries and a link to more photos. After each gallery, continue scrolling to read more. Keep in mind, there are more pictures on my Instagram travel account! Both accounts are linked to my blog. Something fun you could do would be if you go on my main account, go to "story highlights," and click one the one that says "Germany tour." You'll get to see some pictures from each day. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading :)
Part one:
The first few days of break for me were spent with my host family in Bremerhaven. We went to visit Michael's parents and stay with them for a night. They had two dogs who quickly became my friends. The first day was spent driving around the town and sightseeing. We visited a synagogue, which of course was closed because it was 3:30 on a Thursday. We also went to the harbor and saw some crazy big ships that are used to transport cars. I confirmed that the ship from my visit to Meyer Werft is the one that my grandparents will be going on this winter. I also remembered that Bremerhaven was one of the cities/towns that my grandpa went to went he was in the military.
At some point during that day, we spent time in a mall. I loved the interior because it was decorated like a small European street. The "town square" of this mall had many places where you could buy ice cream. I got this thing called Spaghetti Ice which I must say was one of the most amazing creations I have ever had. It was a mound of whipped cream with ice cream on top made to look like Spaghetti. Right before heading home that night, we stopped at a pier like thing. I had Noel take a picture of me doing the heel click thing. I did it. I did the heel click thing. No words can describe how happy I was in that moment because I had accomplished it. Part of me believes that I was only able to do it because of my socks. They were a gift from one of my best friends, Jovi, who I miss and love like family. They're knee high purple socks with Tinker Bell on them; and Tinker Bell's wings stick out. I think the wings helped me fly. The next day we went to an antique/thrift store kind of place. After that, we began our trip home and I packed for my Deutschlandreise.
Gallery from Bremerhaven:
Deutschlandreise:
My Germany tour. One of the most amazing weeks of my life. I saw so many new, beautiful, and incredible things; so much history. The first day was spent on a bus and then in the city of Köln/Cologne. We went to the Cathedral first. After we got group pictures, we were allowed to break into small groups and go explore for a couple hours. This kind of set up was how the whole tour was and I loved it. The group that I was with went off in the direction of a famous spot; colorful house like buildings with an ice cream shop, fountain in front, and the cathedral in the background. When we met back at the cathedral, we got a tour of the area. The tour guide mentioned how there will be a Jewish history museum opening in a few years; so now I really have to go back. We then had about 10 minutes to go inside the cathedral. I did and it was absolutely beautiful. I didn't have as much time as I would have liked because some friends and I needed to go to the bathroom. But the bathroom was worth it. I know that it's crazy to be so interested in a bathroom, but this was one of the nicest bathrooms ever. Each stall was made of windows which was fine because when you went into the stall and locked the door, the glass would fog and you couldn't see in or out. I'm a child for being so fascinated with this but it was magical.
Day two was spent at a museum in the city of Bonn. There, we got a tour and the man told us about Germany during the split and reunification. In the museum, I got to see my spirit car; one of those old VW buses, painted light pink with a rainbow and flowers. I was compelled to steal it but that would have been highly illegal and I don't know how I would've gotten away with it. After that, we continued on our way.
Day three was spent at the Wartburg castle, getting a private tour. This big, old, beautiful, and historical castle is mainly known about because it is where Martin Luther translated the Bible to German. There were so many incredible rooms and areas within the castle. My favorite room had a ceiling that was completely covered in shiny gold mosaic tiles. After the tour, we had more time to get pictures before we drove to the town to explore a bit and get food. When we got back to the hostel that we were staying at, we walked into the city of Weimar for a scavenger hunt. Again, we got into groups and walked around, but this time it was to find Rotary wheel symbols. My group came in second despite thinking we won. It was a lot of walking but we got to see some fun things, so that was good.
The next day, day four, we left Weimar and headed to Berlin. On our way there, we stopped at a concentration camp. Buchenwald. It was heartbreaking. Since I am quite well versed in most things Holocaust, I didn't learn too much but I did get to learn a little bit about that camp in particular, and discovered that some concentration camps (like Buchenwald) had smaller connecting camps. I knew that it would be hard and sad to be everything. I wasn't expecting to cry because I haven't cried in months. I knew that it would be harder for me than all of the others. Going into it, I thought I was prepared. I was wrong. At first, it was just sad; purely heartbreaking. I finally broke when we got to the crematorium. I'm trying to write and find the words to describe how it felt, but there aren't any words. It got worse when I went into the basement. I walked down the stairs, saw a chute and thought to myself "I bet I know what these were used for." I then turned around and read a plaque on the wall. It confirmed my believe for the use of the chute, and continued to talk about the room. I was standing in a room where thousands had been murdered. That was when I couldn't handle it anymore, so I went upstairs. One of my friends could see that I wasn't okay. When she gave me a hug, I finally started crying. Being there was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Knowing what had happened, and seeing where it happened, was nauseating. To make the day even harder, it was cloudy and rainy. I don't even have words to describe how that experience made me feel.
The second part of the day, once we got to Berlin, was much better. We arrived, ate dinner, and went to a club! That's right, your girl went to a club. We walked. So. Incredibly. Far. To get to that club. We also took a train which was cool because as the fun exchange students we all are, we sang a lot on our way there. We sang on the train platform and in the train too. As it was all happening, I thought "this is what being an exchange student is all about." Being in the club was fun too, I guess. It was really loud and hot, but it was fun. Also, my bad dancing skills matched all the Germans, so I didn't stand out. Except for the fact that basically all the other exchange students that weren't from the US or Canada knew how to dance. Once we got back to the hostel, the other people on my floor stayed up and we ordered pizza and played Uno. When most people were then going to sleep, me and a few others decided that we didn't want to go to sleep. At some point that night (probably around 3:30), the 6 of us decided that it was just going to be an all-nighter and we wouldn't go to sleep at all. Only one of us made it the whole night without even a minute of sleep. I wasn't the one. I got about a total of 30 minutes.
Day five was all about Berlin. We took a bus into the city and were first let out at the Brandenburg gate. Soon after, we stopped at the East Side Gallery where I saw a famous painting that my history teacher showed us last year. After seeing the gate and the gallery, they did the same thing as we had done previous days; split into groups and sight see. First, my group and I went to eat at a Mexican restaurant that was really good. We then made our way to the Holocaust memorial and museum. The memorial was beautiful with so much meaning behind the architecture. Something I found very upsetting was the people who were running around, shouting, laughing, playing. I would have said something if I knew they spoke English. Inside the museum was much more somber though. It was underground, beneath the memorial, and told so many stories. One of the rooms had quotes all along the floor. Reading some of them and then finding out who wrote the quotes was one of the hardest things about that museum. As a whole, that Holocaust museum was probably the best one that I've ever been to. After the museum, we went to a site where Nazis had burned books, and then another cathedral. Seeing the architecture of all the buildings was incredible. After we all met up again, we got to see the parliament building, Reichstag. We got to see the room where many decisions are made and we learned about the government system. After we were done, the Rotex (rebounds who organized the trip) told us that we had to find our own ways back to the hostel. Because I'm smart (and was tired) I went with two other kids straight back to the hostel. It's a good thing I did that too, because the other group that I almost went with had to walk 2 hours in the rain to get back.
Day six was the last day. We woke up early and hit the road, heading for home. We stopped in Hamburg and got some time to walk around. I saw Hard Rock Cafe and walked around with my group through small streets to get to a small cafe. After that, the whole group got to go on a boat tour down the river. Our tour guide pointed out something very rare; a tug boat pulling a cargo ship. I must admit, it was quite the scene. We then got to go inside the Elbphilharmonie. I didn't go to the lookout outside because it was cold and windy, and I had already been there. Then, we finally headed home. All the pictures I got on my good camera can be found here: << https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-1R7_m0mDlsKId5XP3jESSCQMYsLoaqu >>
My return:
After I got back, I went with my friend Julia to Gallimarkt in Leer. It's this carnival/festival like thing. There, we met a bunch of my exchange student friends from Rotary. Julia, despite not wanting to, joined me on the swings. I really wanted to go on that ride because it's always the ride that I do with my mom whenever we have the chance. It was so much fun even though it was raining.
On Sunday, I went with my host family to the Netherlands. There's a small fort like kind of neighborhood that has been around for centuries. It was this small town surrounded by a moat and there was a synagogue too! I got some soft serve ice cream that I made into a smiley face. Because I'm still a child. And then I got peppermint tea too, and it was made with real mint leaves!
Gallery from Leer and the Netherlands:
Rhapsody 5:
It's recently occurred to me how much I took some things for granted in my old life. For example, car rides with my mom. Even if we were just going to the craft store of the grocery store or a dentist appointment, I miss it. I miss talking to her. I miss the loud music and car rides with my dad and it's sad not being able to see him play the drums with his band anymore. I miss some games that I used to play with my sister and I miss the weekends with my best friend. These are just small things that would pass me by without me paying any attention to them. Often, I think I found myself getting upset with my family (especially Amelia) when I should've been happy that I had that time with them. Not having that anymore has made me realize what a blessing those little moments are. Moments spent with friends and family, especially your parents, are moments that you will never get back, so you need to cherish them while you still can. Thankfully for me, I'm realizing it now, when I still have time left to do those things and appreciate them. For any of my friends or young people reading, be thankful for your family. Recognize that the time you have with them will be over soon.
I think that some people take their parents for granted and only realize the small things once it's too late. I'm realizing that I did that with everything. While I'm enjoying my time and working on bettering myself here, I'm also thinking about ways that I can better myself in the future. I want to be appreciative of the small things that I used to not think about. Even things that would make me upset, like my parents forcing me to walk the dog or having to wake up early to go to school. Instead of thinking "I don't want to do that" or "Ugh, I hate this," I want to think "it's a beautiful day to go for a walk" or "at least I have the opportunity to go to an amazing school." In my opinion, there are not enough optimistic people in the world. As humans, it's so hard for us to think about each individual moment and find something good about it. So let's start with life as a whole. We should all look at the life we're living and focus on the good parts, because I promise you, there are so many good parts. Think about the small things you do and imagine if you couldn't do that anymore; like running and walking, or painting, or playing an instrument, or spending time with your loved ones. These are all things that make life good, we just need to be able to recognize them more often.