Mit Einem Lachenden und Einem Weinenden Auge

I think the definition of bittersweet should be something like: “the feeling one gets when returning home after studying abroad.” I’ve been kind of an emotional mess these last several days. One minute I’m absolutely dying to go home, and the next I’m wishing there was a way to freeze time. Seriously, I can switch back and forth between the two extremes a couple times a day. Currently, I’m somewhere in the middle. I’m really, really looking forward to going home; but I know I’m going to miss Germany like CRAZY.

Last week I went to Vienna with Mark and TJ for a few days. Vienna (or Wien) is unlike most large tourist cities that I’ve been to in the fact that it doesn’t have a significantly well know building/monument. I realized this on our first evening walking around trying to figure out what to do the next day. It then dawned on me that I know absolutely nothing about Vienna… Kind of embarrassing, actually. I know virtually nothing about one of Europe’s most popular cities. Not only that, a German speaking city! Then it occurred to me that we never really studied anything in German class but GERMANY. I wonder why Austria and Switzerland are “forgotten about” in most German classes… All of this led to a discussion about how ignorant most people are about the world. There are a surprising number of college students in the States who don’t know where Austria is or even recognize the NAME Austria. They assume you mean Australia. Sick. I was also shocked to find out that there were people in my German classes that didn’t know Hitler was from Austria. Or Mozart, Freud, etc. Anyways, Vienna was just as beautiful as I had always heard it would be. I didn’t actually go in many buildings because there was SO much to see. We did a LOT of walking.

After I got back from Vienna, I used a day to start packing and getting things in order to go back to the States. Friday was my last day trip using my Eurorail pass. I chose to go to Aachen, Germany. When Monica found out where I was going, I got the common, “why?? I wouldn’t even know what to do there.” Germans just don’t get it… I want to see a large variety of places across the country. Big citys, small towns, everything! I don’t necessarily DO anything when I go places for a day. I just want to look at the buildings, hear different dialects, and get a glimpse of the cultural differences across Germany. Anyway, from what I saw of Aachen; it was a cute city.

Yesterday was another day devoted to packing and laundry and such. I borrowed a scale from Monica, and it’s a good thing I did. I keep shifting things around in my luggage and getting rid of things to make sure all bags stay under the weight limit. I don’t really know how I accumulated so much in a semester when I was TRYING to be frugal!? Although, to be fair; not everything in my luggage is for me… lol.

It’s hard to believe that tonight will be my last night in Tübingen. I move out tomorrow morning and will go to Frankfurt for the remaining 15ish hours in Germany. I took one last little excursion this morning to Sigmaringen because it was free with my semester ticket and there is a castle there! On the train ride, as I watched the scenery fly by my window, I scolded myself for not making this little excursion earlier so that I would have had time to get off and explore all of the little towns along the way. Ah well, nothing I can do about it now. In my defense, I didn’t know I could go so far on the semester ticket until a couple months ago… Sigmaringen was absolutely marvelous! It is a charming town with a big castle… maybe one of my favorite castles I’ve toured thus far! Unfortunately, photography was not allowed inside the castle. One of the things I liked so much about the castle is that it had a very “lived in” feeling to it. (Many castles and palaces are too perfectly restored and kept up to imagine that someone ever lived there) Royalty lived there recently enough that there was actually a bathroom, light bulbs, and a doorbell system installed! At the same time, everything else was old fashioned enough that it felt like you walked straight into the 1700s or so. Two thoughts kept running repeatedly through my head during the castle tour (given in German) 1. Why can’t a take pictures?! And 2. Why can’t I be a princess?!

*Sigh* I guess I should get back to cleaning and such…