And So The Rest Of The Story Begins

My trusty bicycle and I. One last ride.

I need to write a very important post...a post that needs to be written right now while the feelings I am feeling are still fresh within me. You have been officially warned. What I am about to write is worthy of the Lifetime channel and I am about to get a little "Oprah" on you. I am gonna be sappy and emotional and if you don't like it then YOU should probably live in Germany for a year and see how you feel when you are about to leave. A post like this can never really be written after the fact; the feelings one experiences are almost indescribable at the time and almost fully impossible to describe afterwards. I am, of course, talking about the fact that it is my last day here in Magdeburg and my second last day in Germany. Where has the time gone? It seems like only yesterday I was in Radolfzell thinking to myself, "Wow, only one month into this journey. I still have almost 11 more months to enjoy in Germany. That is so much time!" Well one month turned into two, two into four, four into ten, and ten into almost twelve. Now I am writing one of my last blog posts in my almost empty room in Magdeburg. All of my things are packed up, save my trusty computer.

When I first arrived in Magdeburg, it seemed I would never reach this place of feeling sadness when leaving it. At the time, that thought was unthinkable. As soon as I arrived in Magdeburg, the weather started to turn cold and all the friends I had made in Radolfzell had somehow been removed from my daily life. I thought that Magdeburg had nothing to offer me...when really it had more to offer me than I could ever imagine. Let me explain...

When I lived in Radolfzell, I lived in an absolute paradise. I lived in a picturesque little town nestled right on the largest lake in Germany. On a clear day, you could see the Alps and in 30 minutes I could set foot in Switzerland. This was the Germany I had dreamt about and wanted to experience. In those two months, I had gotten everything I had expected. When I moved to Magdeburg, I experienced a huge reality check. Magdeburg is a part of former East Germany. It was almost completely destroyed in WWII and was rebuilt under Soviet influence. Because of being rebuilt under Soviet influence, the buildings are all very plain, flat, and industrial looking. The streets are wider than you ever thought a street should be and the land itself is very flat which makes the plain buildings the only thing you can see when you are standing in the city. I found myself almost immediately opposed to living in Magdeburg but told myself, "Clayton, are you really that shallow? Just because Magdeburg isn't 'pretty' it doesn't mean it is a bad place to live." I tried to suck it up and prosper but I always found this sadness creeping into me...at times I even felt envy. I felt envy towards the other people in my program who were placed in, what I considered, attractive, lively places to live like Berlin, Munich, Cologne, or anywhere else really. The one thing Magdeburg had going for it was my awesome host family and my good friend Joe. Magdeburg doesn't have much to do and I found myself getting pretty darn bored. It turns out, however, that I am not the only person in Magdeburg who feels this way. Many of the students who study at the University in Magdeburg leave when they are finished with their studies because they do not want to live in Magdbeurg or Sachsen-Anhalt (the state that Magdeburg is in) for that matter. This is creating a serious problem for Magdeburg. The city has a decreasing population and all those smart, educated kids that get their education in Magdeburg leave and take all of their bright, new ideas with them and benefit other cities in the West. Magdeburg, and most of former East Germany are still recovering from DDR times. Time stood still during DDR time and former East Germany was not able to grow with the rest of Germany when it was separated for all of those years. They need those kids to stay with their education and new ideas. I hope, in time, this difference between East and West Germany will diminish and ALL of Germany can move towards the same future.

So there I was, feeling sorry for myself because I didn't get the Germany that I wanted. I traveled on the weekends to visit other program participants and that made things a little bit better. Traveling reminded me, however, that, even though I was not in my ideal city, I was still in Germany and had so many wonderful things to see. This was probably the beginning of the turning point for me. I started to realize that Magdeburg was not my favorite place in the world but that it was still a part of Germany. Before I left the states I thought to myself, "Get to know Germany Clayton. Experience as much of Germany as you can and embrace it." Well guess what? To embrace something wholeheartedly, you have to embrace the good and the bad. I love Germany and to truly love and embrace this country, I had to embrace all parts of it. The cities I do like and the cities I don't like; it's wonderful present and future but also its dark past. These things all make up Germany and I was beginning to realize that.

As many of you know, my program consists of studying at a Germany University for 5 months and then interning at a German company after the semester portion. During the semester portion, I kind of just went to class and didn't really take much in because I was sad about where I was living. I would travel on the weekends and slowly started to realize that I was still in Germany and that I could still see and experience lots of things while I was in Germany. By the end of my semester at the university I was not quite fully there to totally embracing Magdeburg and still did not like it. My internship search in Magdeburg was turning out little results. In my defense, former East Germany has less dynamic, interesting jobs than the West (for now at least) because of all the kids running away from it. So I was unable to find an ideal internship match for me in Magdeburg. I had met someone whose father was a professor in a city called Aachen some time before my internship search. When I couldn't find anything in Magdeburg, I contacted her and asked if her father had any internship spots available. Long story short, I ended up getting an internship offer in Aachen working with a Biology workgroup at the University in Aachen. After some emails and conversations with some supervisors in my program, I was approved to move to Aachen. I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited to experience a new part of Germany. Aachen is as far West as you can get in Germany. It is literally on both the borders of Belgium and Holland. I was of course sad to be leaving Magdeburg, my host family, and Joe but happy to have gotten a good internship in an exciting new city.

Aachen was great. It was hilly with little streets to explore and the city is a University city. 50,000 people out of 250,000 were students. It was a cool vibe and I really liked it. I lived in an apartment with two other guys. They were really cool and it was neat to be able to speak German with them on a daily basis. They were my age so we had some of the same interests. We even made Bloody Marys one night. My internship in Aachen was okay...a bit boring at times. They set me up making Excel spreadsheets of information a lot of times but it was okay. Once, I got to go into the woods for 10 hours and helped look for woodpeckers with a radio that played woodpecker noises. Aachen was great but I did miss my host family and Joe back in Magdeburg and I had this overwhelming feeling that I didn't "belong" in Aachen. I kept thinking to myself, "Clayton, you were placed in Magdeburg not Aachen."

One day in Aachen, I checked my email to see an email from a professor at the University in Magdeburg. Something had panned out with an internship there that didn't pan out before I left for Aachen. I was offered an internship in Magdeburg at the University. It was an internship that was comparable to the one I already had in Aachen. What was I to do? I now lived in a German city that was exactly like the German cities I had envisioned but now had a good internship offer in Magdeburg when the only reason I left Magdeburg in the first place was because I couldn't find a good internship. I could just not tell my program about it and stay in ignorant bliss in Aachen. However, ever since I left Magdeburg, I kept feeling like I had given up on something...that I had ended something too soon. The going got tough so I got going...I quit Magdeburg when I never really gave it a chance. Not to mention that I had a host family back in Magdeburg that signed up for this program just like I did and wanted to experience another culture through me just how I wanted to experience another culture through them. I did not want to cut that experience short for them. I have never considered myself a quitter before and finally realized that Magdeburg was the right place for me to be even if it wasn't the easiest place for me to be. So, after living in Aachen for almost exactly one month, I packed up all of my belongings once more and headed back to Magdeburg to finish what I started.

In the following months, I realized that was the best thing for me to do. My internship was really good for me. I got lots of lab experience. I worked in a lab that studies cow samples (cow poo) and worked towards making methane production more efficient. Methane is a renewable source of energy and can be used to power things instead of using coal or gasoline. Not the most glamorous job I have ever had but working towards a goal like that, that could help the planet, made me feel really good. I gained lots of practical lab skills. I am now a master at using micropipettes and can label even the smallest plastic tube with my hand tied behind my back.

Outside of work, I was beginning to see Magdeburg transform. The weather was getting nicer and Magdeburg was really turning into a beautiful city. The parks in Magdeburg are really great and Magdeburg is a cyclist's paradise. The flat terrain allows you to bike easily through the city and the wide streets allowed for plenty of room for bicycle lanes. I started to ride my bike to and from work everyday and the fresh air and green landscape helped me appreciate Magdeburg. By the near end of my time in Magdbeurg, I actually played hookie at work so that I could ride my bike around the city and take pictures all day. I was also beginning to realize that Magdeburg really had given me everything I wanted to get out of this experience. I wanted to learn more about German culture and I wanted to improve my German. I accomplished both of those things by living in Magdeburg. In fact, I would almost say that my German was better than it would have been had I lived in another city. Since Magdeburg was not what you would call a "tourist hotspot" not that many people know amazing English and there are very very few native English speakers in the city.

During my time in Magdeburg, I got to hear some very interesting stories about how things were in former East Germany and got to have a truly unique experience. There are very few Americans in Magdeburg. It is just not the place that people consider when they decide to study abroad. Because of that, I got to have a German experience that very few people will ever have. I am truly grateful for that. I always considered myself a pretty strong, resilient person before this program but Magdeburg really put that to the test. I experienced untold personal growth during this year. I am still not 100% sure of all the things Magdeburg has taught me that I will be able to use in the future but I am pretty sure even 20 years down the road I will be using what Magdeburg has taught me without even really realizing it. What's really special about Magdeburg is that it is ugly...on the outside. Now hear me out on this one. If you look really closely though and I mean really closely, you realize just how beautiful Magdeburg is. In fact, in order to appreciate Magdeburg's beauty you have to look so closely at and so deeply into it that you end up looking deep inside yourself and discovering things about yourself. I mean honestly. Really what makes you happy? It's not having mountains, old churches, or a beautiful city to look at is it? If it is, then you are a pretty darn shallow person...I must say, however, that I was that person at the beginning of my time in Magdeburg. I was so torn up about what Magdeburg did not have that I did not appreciate what it did have to offer me; a great friend, a wonderful host family, and a truly unique German experience. My first week in Magdeburg, I went on a very small, very short city tour. We came across the statue in the center of the city that basically represents the city. I was not able to fully appreciate it at the time but now can fully appreciate it and even relate to it. The statue is of two horses pulling one ball in opposite directions. The ball is actually a vacuum and the statue represents the experiment that Otto-Von-Guerricke (the university is named after him) conducted during which he discovered and proved the existence of the vacuum. Yes, the vacuum was allegedly discovered in Magdeburg. What is special about this statue is that one side looks like a traditional statue and the other side is open so that you can see the framework inside that supports the statue. This statue represents that  everything has a purpose and that even beneath a seemingly beautiful outer shell, there lies a less beautiful support system but, without this support system, the statue would most likely fall or be quickly damaged. Functionality is not always beautiful but it is needed. You need function AND beauty. In Magdeburg, the functional part is way more apparent than the beauty (wide streets, plain industrial buildings, and a flat landscape that lends itself well to agriculture and wind energy production) BUT the beauty is still there. You just have to look!

The pretty side of the statue.

Other side that shows the functionality.

So, is Magdeburg my favorite city in the world? I would probably say no...BUUUUT because of all the things that Magdeburg represents to me and has given me, it is very special to me. I learned so much about myself and about Germany in Magdeburg and I got to live with the best host family anyone could ever ask for and I got to experience the crazy city of Magdeburg with my very good friend Joe. I think it is safe to say that our 9 months together in Magdeburg has made an unbreakable bond that only people who have lived in Magdeburg can really ever understand. The city makes you go a little crazy...in a good way.

With all that said, I think you can understand why I am sad to be leaving Magdeburg. It has been the definition of a passionate experience. The lows were really low and the highs were pretty darn high. I can safely say that Magdeburg has become a home for me so leaving it will not be easy. Leaving Magdeburg and Germany is almost harder than when I left the states. When I left the states, I knew that in one year's time I would be returning. Sure some things will have changed by the time I return but, for the most part, the life I left in Wisconsin is waiting for me. Leaving Magdeburg is harder because I do not know when I will be able to return and, if I do, it will probably not be for very long. Magdeburg is a dear friend of mine that will probably never again be a part of my everyday life even though it is so meaningful to me. Sure, Magdeburg and I will share the occasional letter or phone call and even the not so occasional visit but it will never again be a part of my daily life as it was for the past 9 months. It is really something that only someone who has sudied abroad for an extended period of time can understand. I have tried to explain it the best I could but I know a website that can do it much better. Recently I saw a Thought Catalog entry going around on the internet that pretty much perfectly explains what it is like. It would be silly for me to try and replicate these thoughts in my own words when they are already explained so well. The entry was written by a woman named Chelsea Fagan who is a writer living in Paris. Here is the link to her entry:
Thought Catalog What Happens When You Live Abroad

Once you have lived away from your home for as long as I have, you can search and search the house you are leaving abroad looking for things you may have forgotten to pack. This attempt is futile...you will never ever be able to pack up all of the things you have in your home away from home. I am not talking about tangible objects or even things you can ascribe a name to...you will always leave something behind that you can't quite put your finger on...a feeling...a piece of your heart...a memory. This is not to say I will walk through the rest of my life feeling like half a person. I will will have many moments of 100% fulfillment, but, as Chelsea's article mentions, with every accomplishment, celebration, or memory I will have in the United States, I will forever wonder what I am missing back in my second home in Germany because a piece of me will always reside there...the piece of me that I looked desperately for while packing but also the piece that was never meant to return home with me. It would have been really easy to title this last post "The End" but that is so out of fashion and entirely too final for me. At the risk of sounding wayyyyy too predictable, I really do need to say that the end of this year is not an end but only the beginning of the rest of my story. When I started this program I thought to myself, "This is 'it' Clayton. This is the most important year of your life. Live it up since you probably won't have a another year like this. Make it count." I realize now that I was partially right. This year will probably remain one of the most important years of my life but this is not "it" whatever that even means. This will not be my last time in Germany and this year has really only opened countless doors for me. The only issue for me now is deciding which one of the wonderful paths before me I want to take.

Zu Familie Dulz, (Sonja, Konrad, Christian, Andreas, Katrin, und Oma Ruth) herzlichen Dank für eure Gastfreundshaft und für die Offnung eures Hauses zu mir. Meine Zeit in Magdeburg war etwas ganz besonderes für mich. Es ist meine deutsche Heimat. Ich bin echt ein Magdeburger Kind.

Euere Spatz,
-Clayton-

To my family back home (Michael, Brooke, Dad, Danni, Lilly, Jolene, Nana, and all the others that are too long to name), thank you for being so supportive of this journey of mine...or should I say ours. You guys have been with me the entire time and thank you for patiently awaiting for my return. It is almost here. Love you guys.

-Clayton-

Abschluss Seminar

So I just recently returned from a week in Berlin. My program had a mandatory end of year seminar there. Normally the word "mandatory" would denote something boring, stuffy, or unenjoyable. My week in Berlin was anything but that. It was one of best times I have ever had. If you can survive waking up early for what my program had planned for us, then you can have a ton of fun in your free time in Berlin. Now, I am no stranger to Berlin. I have been there countless times while living in Germany. Besides the people who actually live in Berlin, the people who live in Magdeburg (like me) live the closest out of anyone in the program. Lucky us! But having the other 73 participants in Berlin together gave it a new light for me. We all arrived on Tuesday and basically just checked in to our hostel. I was lucky because my last name falls at the end of the alphabet so I only had 5 people in my room as opposed to 7 or 8. Shortly after checking in, our program took us to a nearby restaurant and we got to eat dinner fo free! After dinner we got to do whatever we wanted. A bunch of us decided to go to this wine place where you pay 2€ for a wine glass. You can then drink as much wine as you want and pay only about 2€ per glass. The thing is, this place does not keep track of how many glasses you drink. It is the honor system so you pay what you think you should at the end. Dangerous huh? We had a fabulous evening and really enjoyed each other's company.

Wednesday was pretty uneventful in the morning. We attended an intercultural seminar where we got to reflect on our year abroad and do group activities. Later that night, there was a big soccer game. It was Germany against the Netherlands. Okay, so when there is a big soccer game like that, there is what is called a Fanmeile (Fan Mile) by the Brandenburg Gate. So we got to watch the game on huge screens in the street in front of the Brandenburg gate. Yes, you heard me right. I got to watch the soccer game on a huge screen...in the street...surrounded by crazy German fans...IN FRONT OF THE BRANDENBURG GATE! How fricken cool is that? If that was the only interesting thing I did this whole year abroad I would have been happy. It was so cool and, on the way into the Fanmeile, we all got a bunch of free swag. I got a Thomas Müller T-shirt, a Thomas Müller scarf, and a leis with German flag colors. When I left to go to the game, I had no indications on my person that I was rooting for Germany...by the time I got into the Fanmeile, I looked like a fanatic German. It was so cool! Germany won, of course, and the celebrations continued throughout the city of Berlin. I guess, whenever Germany wins a big game like that, Kudamm Straße basically shuts down because there is just a huge gathering of people there. Kudamm Straße is short for Kurfürstendamm Straße. So that is where my group headed and it was basically a big mosh pit with crazy people. I, of course, joined in the insanity for about 5 minutes and then safely walked away. Before you gasp and fear for my life after reading that I was in a mosh pit for five minutes, please remember that I survived New Year in Berlin when drunk people were lighting fireworks off in their hands in every direction at street level. If I can survive that without a scratch, I am pretty sure I can survive anything. You also forget, that living in Magdeburg has given me mad street cred.

Me and the gang decked out in our free swag! The Brandenburg Gate is on the background!

My awesome Thomas Müller T-Shirt. His head is on the inside of the shirt so that you can flip it up when he makes a goal. Thomas Müller is a very well known soccer player in Germany. He plays for FC Bayern. This is my favorite shirt of all time.

Thursday we were treated to a 3 hour long boat tour of Berlin. I actually really enjoyed it what with the fresh air and all but it did get a little boring after the first 1.5 hours. It was also pretty chilly out that day so we were all a little cold. It was on the Spree river in Berlin. I got some cool picks but mainly just saw some pretty cool graffiti on building and the Berlin wall. That night, however, something amazing happened to me...one might even say life changing. Our program treated us to a live performance called LOFT by Seven Fingers. I was kind of "whatever" about the whole thing at first. Being a retired thespian myself, I can appreciate live performance but I couldn't help but wonder what else I could be doing that night. Boy am I glad that our program took us to see that performance. It was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen...ever. It was like Cirque du Soleil on crack with really good music. There are seven performers and they all did at least one performance of their own where they either hang from the ceiling by ribbons, juggle like 10 balls at once, contort themselves, or do something else completely unbelievable with their bodies. I was in awe for 2 hours and I would watch that show on repeat for the rest of my life if I could. I have never seen human beings make art with their bodies like that...not to mention you can't stop thinking about what amazing athletes they are to do what they do. I literally told someone afterwards, and I quote, "It was like they were entertaining my soul."I stand by what I said...it was that good. Okay, I am rambling. That was my life changing experience. Here is the link to the show LOFT. The show is currently playing in Berlin but keep an eye on it to see if they will come to the US. I am sure the other shows put on by Seven Fingers are also amazing so if anything by Seven Fingers is ever being performed near you, GO TO IT! After the performance, we all headed back to the hostel because we had a very important day the next day. We were gonna go to the German Bundestag! The Bundestag is the German equivalent of congress.

Okay, so Friday we all went to the German Bundestag. We had to wake up ridiculously early in order to get through all the security and still be able to see the Bundestag. The great thing about this day is that it was a CBYX day. What I mean by that is there were people from my program for young professionals AND people from the high school program. You may recall that I mentioned that there are separate college and high school programs within the CBYX program. Participants from the separate programs rarely cross paths simply because we are all doing our own thing. You may also recall that I applied to the high school program when I was in high school and got REJECTED so it was weird to see those kids standing where I almost stood. I am glad that I got rejected from the high school program though. If I hadn't, I would not have met all the amazing people I met this year or have experienced what I did. So we got to sit in on a Bundestag session which was about some kind of renewable energy. The room was very warm, I was tired, and the topic was less than thrilling so my eyelids got real heavy for the half an hour we were listening to the session. In my defense, I never actually fell asleep but oh man did I want to. There was also no opportunity for coffee that morning since we had to be on a bus so early. After the session we got to have a Q&A with some of the big shots in the Bundestag including the American Ambassador to Germany. It was cool. Some of those high schoolers were speaking pretty awesome German...and some of them were just plain acting like...ummm...high schoolers. After the Q&A, we got to eat an amazing lunch complete with Magnum ice cream bars that were served to you by a waiter on a platter. Did that really happen? After that, we got to have an open air meet and greet at the American Embassy across the street. It was lovely weather and it was great to speak English so freely. At the American Embassy we basically learned a lot about the Foreign Service and how to get a job in the Foreign Service. We also had some fun. There was a competition to see who could come up with the craziest German word that is actually used by Germans. Someone from my group won with "Schweinsteiger" which literally means "pig mounter" but it also happens to be the last name of a very well known soccer player for FC Bayern. I would have submitted my word but you had to submit through social media and I had no internet access on my prehistoric phone. My word was "Beuteltier"which literally translates as "bag animal" but actually means "marsupial". How crazy is that? Those Germans have some of the most literal words I know of. After the embassy we were free to do what we wanted and we enjoyed our last night in Berlin.

Saturday we had a very short presentation in the morning and then it was all over. As soon as we started the seminar, we were finished with it. I don't think 5 days has ever gone by so fast. I chose to stay in Berlin for a couple of hours longer with some other people. I had my heart set on going to the Ritter Sport store in Berlin. If you don't know what Ritter Sport is, shame on you. They are these amazing chocolate bars that are made in Germany and have a gazillion different varieties. My family has gotten to know Ritter Sport very well because I send Ritter Sport bars home as often as possible. You can buy Ritter Sport in the states but you can only find 3 or 4 varieties. There are so many varieties and even seasonal winter and summer varieties. The big seller right now is white chocolate coconut. At this Ritter Sport store, you can make your very own Ritter Sport chocolate bar. They have all of these fun ingredients to choose from and you can pick out up to 3 to put into your chocolate bar. I made two very fun chocolate bars. I made a dark chocolate bar with chile and pepper. The spicy ingredients are supposed to go well with dark chocolate. I also made a white chocolate bar with marshmallows, sprinkles, and gummy bears. I know the spicy one will be different but how often can you say you ate a piece of chocolate with pepper and chile in it? It is an experience. I can eat "normal" chocolate whenever I want.

That's my white chocolate bar she is making with gummy bears, sprinkles, and marshmallows!

So many ingredients!

So after Ritter Sport, I headed to the train station and headed back to Magdeburg...and so ended one of the best weeks of my life. It was amazing and too short but I am so happy to have had it.

First Soccer Game

I went to my first soccer game at the end of February. I had watched soccer on television a couple of times but had never been to a game before. Magdeburg has a team called FC Magdeburg. I am trying to have pride for my team but they really are pretty bad. They lose all the time. I hope they get better. I am holding out for those kids not just because I live in Magdeburg but also because their colors are blue and white and I would really love to proudly wear an FC Magdeburg scarf. It would look so cute around my pretty little neck. Anyway, I was never really a sports person but I think I could really enjoy more games in the future. Soccer is great. More action than football and baseball combined (in my opinion) and the games are short enough for me to stay focused the entire game. The particular game I went to was in Magdeburg. We had almost one. The score was 2:1 Magdeburg at the end of the game but then in 5 minutes or so of Nachzeit (overtime) the other team scored. For a second I was a little scared. Magdeburg is not used to their team winning so to have the taste of victory so close only to have it torn away was almost too much for the people in the stands to bare. They were really angry. The day, was great though. It was a clear sunny day and it was just fun to sit in the stands, chat, and watch the game.

Schwarzwald

While on the way home from Radolfzell, we had to go through the Black Forest. You can imagine our fear considering that our last trip in the Black Forest consisted of me fearing for my very life. This particular day that we travelled through the Black Forest by train, we encountered no weather problems and we were able to stay safe and warm in our train. Nothing really eventful happened on this trip, thank goodness, but I wanted to take some pictures through the train window to show you a little what riding through the Black Forest is like. The pictures do not do it justice but I did my best. The Black Forest is way more idyllic but the really great pictures were always ruined by a tree in the way or the train going way too fast and the picture being blurry and the weather was really crummy.

Birthday in Germany!

As many of you know, I recently celebrated the big 2-4. My birthday in Germany was wonderful. It was one of those days where so many little wonderful things happened that the day just ended up being spectacular. The weather was perfect and every walk signal turned green as I approached it on my bike ride to and from work. Work was great as well. Yes, I worked because I honestly did not see a reason not to. I didn't tell my coworkers that it was my birthday until the day of because I didn't want any commotion. Once they found out it was my birthday though, they dashed off to the university cafeteria and bought me a chocolate muffin as a makeshift birthday cake. That was so nice of them and I really appreciated it. Work was very relaxed that day and I got out early and enjoyed the weather. When I returned home from work, I found a birthday card waiting for me. It was from my grandmother. I don't know how she does it but as long as I can remember, she has always mailed my birthday cards on the exact right day so that I end up getting them on my birthday...and this year was no exception. I don't know how she does it but at over 90 years old, she somehow knew when to send my birthday card so that I would receive it exactly on my birthday even though I am over 4,000 miles away from home. That night my host family and I had Greek food and ate outside because the weather was perfect. My friend Joe also came over and ate with us. My host family got me a German breakfast set as my gift. I got 4 egg cups (to place your egg in while you eat it out of the shell), 4 egg spoons (little spoons to eat your soft-boiled egg out of the shell with), 4 small breakfast boards (these are literally small plastic boards that you eat your breakfast off of), and an egg cracker (a fun device that perfectly cracks the top of the egg shell off). My friend Joe also got me a little something that included my favorite flavored beer in Germany; Birne-Ingwer Schöfferhofer. It's beer that tastes like ginger and pear. The stuff is only 2.5% alcohol so calling it beer is kind of a stretch. I also got to fit in a Skype session with my dad and got other messages from friends and family. As I said, it was just a wonderful day filled with many things that I am still thankful for.

Presents! Side note, "Gift" in German means poison...my host family did not get me any poison.

My host family and I were treated to a beautiful evening sky.

My favorite Bier!

Amsterdam

Ever since I found out I would be living in Germany for a year, I made it my goal to go to Amsterdam just once. Who doesn't want to go to Amsterdam? You don't even need to partake in the craziness to enjoy it...simply witnessing the craziness was enough for me. Well I finally got my wish. I went to Amsterdam the weekend before my 24th birthday as a early celebration of sorts. It was great. Three friends and I decided to rent an apartment for three nights instead of getting a hostel because hostels can be expensive in Amsterdam. If you can get enough friends to come with, renting an apartment for the weekend can be just as affordable as getting a hostel. *Disclaimer* As it is an important and interesting part of Amsterdam's past and present, I DO mention prostitutes in this post but don't worry, no pictures and no personal experience on my part.

Our apartment was the perfect size with everything we needed. It had a bed big enough for two people to share, a fold out couch, and a fold away bed. So nobody had to sleep on the floor. I took the fold away bed...it was the most comfortable bed I have ever slept on. I tried to figure out a way I could fold it up and take it with me but it was just too big. The name of the apartment was Plancius Bed and Breakfast. I highly recommend it if you are in Amsterdam and have at least four people. It is within walking distance of everything but away from all the craziness on a quiet little street.

We made every breakfast and dinner we ate to save money...plus we had some great cooks on the trip. I let them cook and then I washed all the dishes as my part.

Self timer semi-success. We christened the apartment by having a glass of wine.

The first day we explored the city on our own and the second day we took the SANDEMANs New Europe free tour. Both days allowed us to get some great pictures.

Group photo.

Just ridin' the tram.

You have to take a picture in a giant clog when in Amsterdam. 

Holland is now officially the tallest country in the world...they have the tallest people on average. This is ironic because their houses are also very tall and narrow. Space was expensive in Amsterdam so people built up. Because the houses are so tall and narrow the stair cases are frighteningly narrow and steep...I wonder how all those tall people get up and down the stairs. The houses are also built on a slant and usually have a hook on the very top. This is because people wanted to store their goods in their attics but their doors and staircases were too narrow to carry stuff to the attic. To remedy this, the people built pulley systems at the top of their houses. The forward tilt of the house was to prevent the heavy goods from hitting the house and wrecking it...afterwards, the people realized that they could have just built the pulley further away from the house. Oh well, it is cool to see tilting houses.

Do you see the hooks at the top?

We found the "I AMsterdam" sign! Dogs be playin' in the water behind me.

Group shot on the "S" and "T"!

Magdebruderly love. If you don't get it...you never will.

Dam Square is where it is at. It is basically the center of the city where everything goes on and where people just chill out.

The National Monument of Amsterdam. It is a WWII memorial and is located in Dam Square.

This is a church in the middle of the Red Light District. This is no coincidence. I would call it a symbiotic relationship. The prostitutes did not have modern technology way back when to tell time so they needed the church's bells (which rang every 15 minutes) within earshot so that they could time their sessions. The church also made lots of money by being in this location because men would immediately buy indulgences after their shack-ups with prostitutes so that they would not go to Hell. So it was a win win for both. Our tour guide told us that the oldest prostitute in Amsterdam is 83 years old...and she has a 2 week waiting list. Crazy! No pictures of prostitutes for a couple of reasons. A) Why would I want a picture of a prostitute? and B) If the prostitute sees you taking a picture of them they will open their door and will try to break your camera or they will throw a cup of pee at you.

Amsterdam is great. Normally in Europe there is no way to go to the bathroom for free but Amsterdam has these outside stalls. No running water but still awesome if you really have to go. Sorry ladies, there is not a women's version.

We got to see Anne Frank's house...the line went around the block so we opted to just walk by it.

I almost forgot to mention that our apartment had a balcony and we could see our neighbors balcony...they had the creepiest looking cat ever. It's yellow eyes would burn a hole in your soul if you dare make eye contact with it for more than 10 seconds.

Look away!

In Amsterdam you will see XXX on flags, coat of arms, and in many other places. At first, you would think that the triple X is very obvious. It's because of all he sex, porn, and drugs that the city represents right? The answer is yes and no. The triple X's origins are much older than people think. It's origins are not 100% known but you can hear a bunch of stories as to it's origins but one thing is for sure...it is an old symbol. One of the stories I heard was that it was the three crosses of St. Andrew. St. Andrew was a 1st century AD fisherman who was apparently crucified on an X-shaped cross. There are other stories as well but the modern meaning has, of course, become that of all the "naughtiness" that Amsterdam represents. And no, it does not represent the horrible movie XXX that Vin Diesel starred in. Even Amsterdam wouldn't be associated with that.

We knew it would probably be lame but you can't go to Amsterdam without doing a canal tour. Amsterdam's canals are famous and you need to ride around in a boat in them. The water is terribly dirty so Lord help anyone who falls in. We also learned that about one car per week falls into the canals even though there are curbs and guards along the canal. Haha silly drivers.

I was amazed by the number of Bicycles when I arrived in Germany but Germany has nothing on the number of bikes in Amsterdam. It is a little unbelievable how many bikes and bike riders there are in Amsterdam especially with all the tourists and narrow streets. The traffic is also a bit crazy so I got the feeling that riding your bike in Amsterdam was just a little bit dangerous. Not something I would want to do. The riders themselves are also very aggressive when they are on their bikes. They will call you names and even run into you if you get in their way.

And, of course, we had to partake just a little bit in the local night life.

Uncle Sam Wants You...To Dance!

So children, the moral of the story is go to Amsterdam. It is fun, beautiful, and interesting plain and simple. Do it!

Leipzig

Seeing as I live only 1.5 hours from Leipzig, I am asking myself why I didn't go sooner. It is a pretty happening place in Sachsen which is also in former East Germany. Because, I live so close I was able to make a day trip with a friend. My current boss works in Magdeburg but lives in Leipzig so he gave me a list of things to see when I was in Leipzig. One of the first things we saw was St. Nicholas Church. This church is kind of famous because it was where some of the first protests were held where people voiced their dissatisfaction with the DDR (East Germany). The protests began in September 1989 and, as we all know, the Berlin wall fell in November 1989. Yay!

St. Nicholas Church. It is kind of hard to get a great picture because it is in the city center and has other buildings very close to it.

The other place we needed to see was St. Thomas Church. This is home of the most famous boy's choir in all of Germany, the St. Thomas Church boy's choir. The choir director of this famous boy's choir has been held by many notable people but, most notably, by Johann Sebastian Bach from 1723 until his death in 1750. This church is also where his remains are kept.

St. Thomas Church with a beggar in front of it. 

My boss suggested we see one other thing while we were in Leipzig. It was a monument called Völkerschlachtdenkmal also known as the Monument to the Battle of the Nations. It is a monument that commemorates the bloody battle that led to Napoleon's defeat in Leipzig. The monument has over 500 steps and leads to a platform where you can see spectacular views in all directions.

Inside

Over 500 steps to the top and I still pull it together for a photo op.

We visited the monument on May 5th. Me and Joe realized after seeing this that the 100th anniversary for the monument was only 8 days away!

Leipzig was pretty cool but me and Joe were getting tuckered out. So after getting dinner at the local Vapianos we headed back to Magdeburg.