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My first few weeks here have been so much different than I have expected. Coming into it, I thought that Germany would feel like a whole new world and it would be such different people, places, etc. but my expectations were a little wrong. It felt like a fever dream the first few days being here but in all reality it kind of felt like just another city in America where the people spoke another language. I did not expect the foods to be as good as they are no matter where you go. I did not expect to have to pay for a restroom almost everywhere. I did not expect people to speak as much English as they do here and be able to communicate with them very well. Some things from home that I miss are: air conditioning, my family and friends, being able to drive, public restrooms, English, my bed. I wish that we had amazing public transport back home in every city like there is in Berlin. I wish there was the amazing food in America from the bakeries to doners, etc.

I will choose to reflect on our visit to Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp. This was a very somber and eye opening experience for me. The difference between learning about these events and seeing pictures online from history class versus seeing it in person is immense. Berlin is such an interesting city simply for all of the history that happened here and how well the city chooses to acknowledge it and display it. During my whole time touring Sachsenhausen and listening to the audio guide, my stomach felt uneasy and I just could not even imagine how it was like not even 100 years ago on the very ground we stood on. It was awful to see the conditions and the treatment of these human beings simply just for being another race than an evil man who despised their kind. I think this has a very negative impact on Germany and how people portray them today. My mom lived in Germany as a young girl and her grandfather from Switzerland refused to come visit them based off Germanys actions during the war. I think that overall, Germany has done a good job of not just trying to throw the whole thing down the drain, but they acknowledge it and they show the full history to it.

This picture is a group of us eating Gelato in Bremen. So far we have gotten Gelato in almost every city we have visited. It is very tasty and cheep. My favorite flavor so far has been After Midnight, it tastes just is like mint chocolate chip.

This BrReal was taken at the Baltic Sea. Almost all of us Calvin students were able to jump in the Baltic Sea for 5 minutes during our trip to Lübeck. It was a quick trip but definitely worth it.

This picture was taken right outside of St. Micheals Heim after a big rain storm. I have seen a few rainbows since this, but this one is by far my favorite. If you look close you can see the double rainbow!

This .5 was taken at the Heidelberg Castle. This was my favorite place we have visited so far. Behind us you can see the whole city and the mountain. It was a rainy day and we got soaked, but it was worth it.

Getting off the train at a huge train station just to see every window used to see the Koln Cathedral was breathtaking. After admiring it for 5 minutes I decided this Gothic piece of art was my favorite piece of architecture I’ve ever seen. Going into the Cathedral was a great experience, seeing all the art and experiencing a catholic mass was interesting. This was a giant switch from my home church of 100 people, yet while my home church is much smaller and just a square building I love it much more than this materialistic home of falsehood. A church is the body of the believers, not the building. I did not enjoy most of the service yet it was a great experience I believe everyone should witness; personally I believe you must learn about other cultures and religions to be able to defend your own. Seeing all the tourists waiting to get into the church after service just defended my point, the Koln Cathedral is an art piece, not a house of worship. We even had to pay to sit in on the mass.

Visiting the beautiful Cologne Cathedral was an experience I will remember for a while. It was much different from my church service back at home and what I’m used to. For example, they started the service by having the priest and some other high members of the church walk around with incessant, swinging it around. The church was all in German, but we sang hymns in Latin, so I didn’t understand much of it at all. Towards the end of the sermon, people in the congregation got on their knees during a prayer. I really enjoyed the organ playing. The church had high ceilings that made the organ echo, it was a beautiful sound.
It was also very interesting having a church service while hundreds of people come in behind us looking at the church as a tourist attraction. During the service they had someone at the back of the aisle letting people in to join the service. Some people were allowed in and other were not. I wonder why they are selective in who can go in. It amazes me that the church has become such a tourist attraction but they still hold services even while hundreds of people stop in. Even outside the the church more people gathered around to look at the beautiful building. It amazes me how many people come to see the church but only a few come in and worship in the church.

I’ve been living in Germany now for about a week. I have learned how to get around, some good food spots, and the cheapest stores. Some things I did not expect were the reusable towel things to dry your hands off in the bathroom, it took me a few days to learn how it works. From back home I miss my friends, my dog, and my guitars (even though I’m not that good). I wish there would be a lot of things from Germany in America: more public transit, cheaper food and everything, reusable towels, more porsches’, etc etc etc…

Why am I on this summer program?

I’m here to get an extra credit done to lighten my load during the fall and spring semester. But there is more to it than just that, I was able to attend this program with the generosity of my donors, the assistance of my parents, and my hard work. Without others’ help, I would not have been able to attend. But I am here to learn about other cultures, meet new people, strengthen relationships with friends and God (and get credits). 

What’s my hopes for the class outcome?

I hope I pass (lol). I hope that I can remember my time here for the rest of my life with my friends, I hope I am able to use what I’ve learned in the real world, and I hope I can appreciate German culture, architecture, landscape, and life.

What are my strengths that I can contribute?

 I feel I can contribute my straightforward personality. I believe sometimes you have to give it straight to people when it comes to all sorts of things, even if it lowers people’s views on me. But I also feel like I am the type of person someone can lean on for advice or just someone to listen to.

My prayer for this summer?

My prayers this summer have been mostly thanking God, he’s given me the ability to come on this program, the strength to do my classwork, and to make good decisions that push his agenda. I pray he can continue using me however he seems fit.

The Holocaust Museum of Berlin, or known as “The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe” was a very evocative experience to me. Walking from the Brandenburg Gate, joking and laughing with friends had a rapid switch once we arrived at the 2,711 uneven sloped geometric pillars. These pillars are located above the ground where I would tread to learn more about the mass murder of innocents around Europe. 

Waiting in line and taking the time to quiet my heart was not enough for the vast amount of information I would learn that happened during the time of the Holocaust. While reading the information in the entry room, I felt lost and questionable about humanity; starved, tortured, executed, worked to death, how can one do this to another, even after watching their horrid actions continue to do it. I had to keep repeating to myself that this happened less than 100 years ago, this wasn’t just some story. 

Going into the next few rooms came even harder to me emotionally, reading all the notes found by the innocent during this time of genocide overcame me with a waterfall of tears that I could not stop, I had to turn around to compose myself just to break after reading the next few words. I found it extremely hard to take this all in, this was a time where horrible things happened.

Finishing off my time here came with more reflection. I find it extremely important, and glad I was able to come here and experience this for myself. History is an important part of the world, it helps our system not make the same mistakes. A time fueled by hatred and barbaric actions, I pray nothing of the such can happen ever again.