Germany

So as some of you know, I studied abroad in Quedlinburg, Germany two years ago and spent a total of 6 months in a small town called Quedlinburg. Quedlinburg is about two hours South-West of Berlin and holds a population of around 20,000 people.  I loved my time in Germany and since leaving, I had a desire and return and visit the people with whom I had built relationships. When I left I was not sure of when I would have the opportunity to return so Skype and letters would have to suffice. So when I found some extremely cheap  tickets from Turkey to Germany and my dad offered to pay for my flight as a birthday gift, I jumped on the opportunity.

            I arrived in Berlin and made my way to Antonia’s place for the night before heading to Quedlinburg; Antonia was my host sister when I lived in Quedlinburg. And before I continue, I have to say that I was beyond joyful when I found out that my friend Josefine who studied at Tech last year would be arriving in Berlin, her hometown, the same day as me. So I would get to see her before continuing on to my final destination.

            Waiting for me at the bus station near Quedlinburg were my friend Anne-Marie Rzymek and her family waiting to pick me up. I would be staying with them during my stay in Quedlinburg and I am forever grateful for their wonderful hospitality. I experienced a family barbeque with them, they fed me lots of ice cream and they took me to see some old windmills in a town near by. When I was not out on excursions with the Rzymek family I took advantage of the time to visit other friends. These included Anne a friend who I used to take walks with on Sundays and has since married and now has a beautiful little girl named Amelie. An Oma Elfi who basically became my adoptive grandma. She had taught me to cook German recipes and invited me over for a great lunch during my return. Memo, a great friend from Mexico who has been living in Quedlinburg since before I studied abroad there. And I cannot forget to mention my visit to Michaela who was my host mom when I lived there. Going back to the place I called home for six months was a bit strange. The first thing I noticed upon entering was the smell of the house. Had I walked in with eyes closed, I would have thought time had gone back two years. After two years the wooden smell of the house remained the same and that fact alone made me feel like I was coming home from class . Everything else around the house was pretty much as when I left with the exception of a moved piano, a new painting on the wall and a completed chimney. Among my many visiting experiences, I had the opportunity to visit an elementary school two days in a row to give a presentation on America during their English hour, and to teach a dance class during their gym class. This came about through Anne-Marie's father who is a teacher at this school. 

            At the end of my stay in Quedlinburg my friend Katharina came from Erlangen to see me for a couple of days. I was beyond grateful that she was willing to make the journey to Quedlinburg and made sure to show her the best spots in town. It was a great last minute decision on her part. Thanks Katharina!

            My short week in Germany was bitter sweet. I had not realized how much I had missed the little things about Quedlinburg until I returned. Walking on the narrow cobblestone streets, hanging out at the park when the weather was nice, meeting at the much frequented cafes with friends and taking a walk up to the castle for a view of the entire town.  All these were once part of my life and now there I was not as a regular, but as a visitor. The hard thing about traveling for extended periods of time is that too many place begin to feel like home and you’re torn between not being able to be at all of them at once. Nonetheless, it’s a great experience to know I can travel so far from home to home.