Auf Wiedersehen

I cannot believe we are already back in the U.S.! It is crazy how fast three weeks can go by when you’re traveling across Europe!

This trip has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life and I’m so glad I could experience it with such great people. I think all of us have learned more than we ever thought we would on this trip and we’re definitely all experts on communism/socialism now.

Our last stop was in Berlin, Germany. It was definitely one of the places everyone was looking forward to visiting from the beginning. From the bike tour across Berlin on my bike Tinkerbell, to decking out in German colors for the World Cup, to getting lost somewhere at a U2 train stop, Berlin ceased to impress me with its beauty and the German people only seemed to become more alive with each passing day. It was almost impossible to believe that such a wonderful place could have such terrible history. It is so amazing that a nation can come back from such repression and become such a sparkling place to visit. It takes a lot of courage to come back from such a chilling past. One of the reasons I think Berlin has done so well is because it is the only place we went to that still seems in tune with its past. Berlin has kept so much to remind the people of what is most important. Although Germans are sometimes embarrassed of their past, they still keep pieces of the Berlin wall up for historical purposes and to remind them how much they do not want to regress back to that low point. In the Reichstag, the government officials keep Russian writings on the wall to remind them how devastating war can be on a nation. Germany was the first nation we have been to where everyone admitted that children learn about the socialist rule in schools. I think it is really important that the younger generation learns about the nation’s history with no loopholes. I think the journalist at our last meeting in Berlin and on the trip says it all and explains why the Germans have done so well. He said that the past isn’t what is important right now, what is important is to look the future and look toward the horizon. His optimism was so powerful and his quote was a great way to end our journey in Europe. It is amazing how the German people—even those who lived through the socialist rule can forgive and forget, and have so much optimism toward the future.

For those who followed us on the blog throughout our journey, thanks for reading!

Auf Wiedersehen,

Sandy!

(P.S.- I want to go back already!!)