Hello everyone!
This is my final blog entry for my year abroad in Germany. I am not quite sure how I should summarize everything, it all feels like a crazy, epic, vivid dream that I just woke up from. I will do my best.
GREEN DAY
After our trip to Switzerland, my host aunt, host sister, two friends of theirs and I went to see the punk/rock band, Green Day, in Hannover. I had not listened to their music in years, but all the songs came back to me and I ended up having a great time. I had forgotten how much I love concerts. I fought my way to the front, quickly sprinted through the mosh-pit and landed about a meter away from the lead singer. It is a completely different experience when you can see the beads of sweat on the performers as opposed to seeing their entire bodies only as a tiny moving speck.
NEW HOST SIBLINGS
That week we welcomed my host cousin (who lives in the same house), Moritz, home after his year abroad in Arizona. A week later Luzie, my other host sister, came home too after her year abroad in Utah. The atmosphere of the household was so different after they came home. The house was already lively to begin with, but with both kids back, there was a lot more laughter, affection and playing around. On the 8th of June we held a big Welcome Home/Farewell party for the three of us. It was pretty successful except for the weather. We McGyvered the patio up with some plastic sheets, rope and umbrellas. Good thing it was warm because I was soaked nevertheless.
BERLIN SEMINAR
The day after the party I head out for my final program seminar in Berlin. The first day we had free in order to see things in Berlin that we didn't have time for in January. I wandered around the Museum Insel and through the streets in Hackescher Markt. On Friday we all had to wake up at 5:00am and get ready to go to the German Bundestag (Parliament). We were all told by our program director, Hartwig, to look sharp and I think for the most part we did. What I wasn't expecting to see were many of the other 350 kids from the other government-sponsored exchange programs wearing jeans, t-shirts, strapless summer dresses and flip-flops. It was an embarrassment. At least the CBYX team looked good. Anyway, I am saving my big rant for the last paragraph. All of us sat in on the Bundestag parliamentary meeting and then were taken to another room to give out awards, hear speeches and meet our representatives. We were also given an excellent lunch then we headed over to the US Embassy which is right next to the Brandenburg Gate. We enjoyed some american soft drinks and listen to a great speech given by the humorous US ambassador for Germany, Phillip Murphy, followed by a talent show by the students. Our guy played the bag pipe and knocked the socks off of all the other performers. The rest of the stay in Berlin consisted of watching world cup games (which I will be following this year although USA has already been eliminated) and exploring the city more.
SAYING GOOD-BYE
There were only two day left to be home, finish up saying good-bye to people and pack before we had to make the final trip to Frankfurt. I did get to spend some quality time with my family, but I was still feeling a little stressed trying to get everything packed and dealing with my anxiety dreams of missing my flight. The day came a lot faster than I wanted it to and I guess the final good-bye happened in the best way it could have. There was not enough time to cry at the train station seeing as the trains pull in and out with no slack for passengers with 4 heavy bags. Schlepping those around was a pain. When I arrived, I met up with all my dear fellow program participants in a hostel and then we proceeded to explore our last european city together. We went up to the Frankfurt Turm and looked over the city and then walked along the Main (pronounce mine) River. We settled down on a nice grassy spot to enjoy some good German beer and Frankfurter apple wine while we reflected on our year together. It was a very special evening.
FLIGHT HOME
The flight the next day went very smoothly and we landed on time in Dulles Airport around 1:30 pm Eastern Standard time. It was weird flying into the past. I then jumped on a plane to Boston where my dad picked me up and took me home. I was home by 7:30 that evening where my mom, Stephen and my dog, Opal, were waiting for me. Home sweet home Rhody, but some how I could not stay in one place for more than a few days.
MONTREAL+ RANT
Five days later I took a bus, then a train, then a Greyhound to Montreal to visit a friend. It took the entire day. Why are there no good intercity connections in New England? It is completely unfathomable for americans to get to Montreal from Providence by train in 4 hours? In such a developed country like the United States of America, debatably the most powerful country in the world cannot have such as simple a thing as intercity trains? Hundreds of thousands of people are traveling between cities everyday and there is no form of mass transportation? Would you believe it if I told you that there used to be a Boston-Montreal connection but it was later torn up in favor of the New York-Montreal connection which takes 11 hours? No, we could not afford to have two rails to Canada!!!!!! It is completely unexceptable. The US should do a priority check and learn something from German public transportation system. I suppose I became too used to the efficient, clean, fast, reliable public transit in Germany, that it made me actually angry that we don't have as good of a system. Anyway, I can hardly believe that I have been home for over a week now. Sometimes it feels like I am waking up into reality: school, work, hanging out with the same kids from high school. It's fun, don't get me wrong, just not as exotic and in another language. I having been getting the feeling lately "I've heard to much english today! I need to hear some familiar German!!!" The good news is that University of Rhode Island (URI) has a german language courses in connection with the engineering program. Maybe I can do some tutoring or take some classes. Skyping is also a good way to keep it up. Now I have to worry about keeping up two languages. >.>
So all and all an AMAZING year in Germany. I love and miss my host families and friends dearly and I hope they all know that they are always welcome to visit. Mi casa es su casa. :) That goes for my american friends and family as well! ICH HABE EUCH LIEB!
Hope you all are doing well, staying healthy, supporting your local farmer and making every day an adventure!
Peace,
Elena
