Heidelberg, Marburg, and Frankfurt
LITTLE ADVENTURES IN GERMANY. Truly, a good time!!
Heidelberg: (07.06.2018 – 07.08.2018)
For the DAAD Rise program, we had a huge conference in Heidelberg. This allowed interns, from the US, Canada, and the UK, to meet other interns placed all over in Germany. It was my first time in Germany where I met people that were relatively my age and that I could comfortably speak English with. It was definitely reassuring. And, according to Vipech, you can take the girl out of business, but not the business out of the girl. I was in my ELEMENT.
Since entering college, I have embraced my extrovert qualities, and I was insanely energized by all the new people I met. It made me so happy to meet other students who share the same passion for STEM, yet we each are incredibly unique with life experiences. It truly takes a certain personality and mindset to choose to embark on an international internship. Just imagine a conference of over 400 people from all over the world that share a love for science and traveling and going out of your comfort zone! amazing !!
Not only do I have friends from all over the US, Canada, and the UK, I now have new travel destinations (ex. Montreal, London, Chicago, NY, etc) that include free housing.
Side note: Wow, Heidelberg is incredibly beautiful! It’s a university town in south-west Germany, especially known for its research facilities and highly ranked university among Europe. The river was stunning and the Old Town/Heidelberg Castle was pretty whimsical.
Heidelberg Castle
Neckar River
Highlights:
Watched the Croatia vs. Russia match at a beer garden! It got super intense and honestly, it’s pretty special watching World Cup matches in Europe!!
Ate some quality chicken nuggets with my favorite enthusiasts (Isaac and Victor) from Rochester
Met so many people from all over the world who all share a love for science!
Had a super spontaneous night out with my dear friends Katja and Denzel that included shisha, a currywurst restaurant, and a club that was bumpin’ with American hip-hop music.
Had a super late FlixBus back home on Sunday, and I was annoyed. However, I guess things happen for a reason because I had a lovely coach ride home with a quality friend.
Marburg (14.07.2018)
Marburg is a town known for its castle and picturesque town hall. It’s a 15-minute train ride north of Giessen. While I was checking out the castle, I had a crazy interaction. I asked a couple if they could take a photo for me. The man was super friendly, and I asked him where he was traveling from. Well, I would learn that he’s starting his master’s program at Justus Liebig University in Giessen (the same uni I’m interning at), but he’s originally from Bellingham and graduated from UW a few years ago. CRAZY SMALL WORLD. I keep on meeting people from UW/Seattle and it makes me so happy!
St. Elizabeth Church
View from Marburger Schloss
Old Town
Frankfurt (7.15.2018)
With Giessen located 45 minutes north, Frankfurt can be an easy day trip for exploring. I decided to check out the city on my own and visit whatever interested me. While I love (more like need to be) surrounding myself with people, I have discovered perks to solo traveling or being on my own. Either, you feel more inclined to meet new people and strike up conversations with strangers OR you seem more approachable to others.
Even though Germans are known to be strict about punctuality, the train was late as usual, and it took over an hour to arrive in the city. I had a few recommendations from a coworker, but I didn’t have much of an agenda. But, the one day I chose to explore Frankfurt, the World Cup final match was happening. Everyone was intensely drinking their beers. The city was booming with live updates through speakers. And, you could hear the cheering by fans and see the faces of disappointment as well.
It was kind of odd being in Frankfurt. It was one of the first times since moving to Giessen where I saw tourists and other ethnic groups besides Germans and Middle Eastern people. I appreciate the small town feel of Giessen, but it was also refreshing to see people from all over the world.
A few people I encountered that made my day:
Johannes the Cute Gelato Boy
I was walking toward downtown from the train station and found a cute gelato shop along the way. Met Johannes, a cute gelato boy, who was flirtatious in an endearing way. The mans gave me his number and honestly, maybe he can give me a tour of Frankfurt, ya feel!
Polish Lady
I went up to Frankfurt’s Main Tower (only 5 euros for students!!) to get a cool view of the city. While I was there, I asked a lady from Poland to take my photo and we totally hit it off. It turned out we were both heading to the Hauptbahnhof afterward. We ended up grabbing dinner together and chatting about our different travel experiences.
Yousef the 8-year-old boy from Giessen
As I attempted to go home, I got myself in a tricky situation. I had booked a ride home through BlaBlaCar, but my phone was dying and I couldn’t find the driver. I was told that all the direct train rides to Giessen were canceled, and I was freaking out a tiny bit. But, my friend Dan came to my rescue as he told me which platform to get on so I could head home. So all was well! I was feeling pretty cheap that day and I was not a fan of spending 16 euros for a one-way ticket. While using the ticket machine, some guy asked if I was heading to Giessen (and stressed out Cathy decided to answer “yes”), and he offered me a spot on a group ticket for 7 euros. Honestly, not the smartest thing, but I was stressed and decided to say okay as I followed him along the platform. He directed me to a family of four, and I would meet an 8-year-old boy named Yousef. Literally, this kid was the cutest thing ever, and he REFUSED to leave me alone. I was exhausted and stressed out. Yet, as I was waiting on the platform, he kept on talking to me about football as he named an endless list of football players and teams. We waited on the platform for 20 minutes until the train arrived. When it finally arrived, I hopped on the train and to my surprise, Yousef sat next to me, despite his parents scolding him in German to leave me alone. He would respond, “NO, I WANT TO TALK TO THE GIRL.” So, for an hour on the train, we played games on his mom’s phone and he tested my knowledge about football players which is non-existent. Literally, that boy made my day, and I spoke to his sister and apparently, he learned how to speak English by watching a ton of YouTube videos. Pretty neat!
