Loose ends.

First of all, I would like to thank Starbucks for sharing free wifi with all their customers, even those of us who do not approve of their quest for world domination.

As previously stated, I am no longer in Germany, but rather in the Great AmUHrican Southwest. I still have a few little stories/moments/photos from this summer that I'd like to share before concluding the virtual documentation of a years worth of adventuring, so here we go.

A sprinkling of varied cool happ'nin's:

Our last Smith-financed field trip was to an old convent in Lüneburg, which was still in function today and had some of the most radical paint jobs I'd ever seen. We had a nice tour, which was then followed by an even nicer lunch in their personal restaurant.


Next point of interest: The World Cup. As soccer fanatics could affirm, the German team did quite well in this year's tournament, finally coming in third place in South Africa. The atmosphere in Germany during the games only got more and more hot and bothered as the team progressed. German flags covered cars, windows, restaurants, painted faces, t-shirts, and even doughnuts in bakeries. I just happened to be in Europe during the World Cup four years ago and remembered a similar level of passionate fanhood from all the Italian immigrants in Belgium. Being in Germany experiencing all the excitement for the German team was even more exhilarating. Well, only until they lost in the semi-finals and the streets of Hamburg were bathed in tears. Even the train notification boards kept travelers updated on the score during each game, so that none had to feel left out.

Our last few weeks in Hamburg were also sprinkled with a couple semi-spontaneous classy picnics in Planten un Blumen, one of which was followed by a Wasserlichtkonzert, which I remembered fondly frequenting last fall.

This made me happy.

The shared kitchen in my hall was kept warm during the last few weeks by me trying to use up various baking ingredients. This caused several of my neighbors to try to make friends, even after two semesters of failing to acknowledge my existence. Just proof that stomachs are the easiest way to access one's heart. This was a chocolate/peanut butter chip banana bread, baked for my theater group by request of the producer.

I was quite pleased to leave my dorm one morning in early summer to find that a good chunk of the sidewalk was bordered by yellow, and later red, roses. Always a pretty sight in the morning.

Our very last Smith function was our Abschiedsessen, meaning a big fancy meal that we shared at a semi-swanky restaurant right on the Elbe. We took this group photo afterward, which is complete with Smith teacher-types, but missing two student-types.


Before I knew it, it was time to strip my room of color and personality. This is a sad process and I am always a little overcome by the sheer whiteness of a previously personalified space. It's also a process that I've gotten quite used to in the last year, so it wasn't as difficult as I had expected, though still sad nonetheless.

I was still finishing my coursework for the semester even after my room colors had declined in saturation. Our last classes happened in mid-July. This is usual for German students, but nearly impossible for we Americans who were used to classes being over at the beginning of May. These were my notes taken during the last of one of my German classes, which was preceded by a conversation about Jurassic Park and an episode of Dr. Who.

My last few days in Hamburg whizzed by, as documented in a previous post. The short time I had in Detmold whizzed by as well, as short and delightful times often do. It was a very low-key and relaxed visit with my deutsche Mutti and Vati. Friends came and went, as did the rain. Much of my time there was spent drinking tea with Sabine, repacking, and sleeping. Even though I was only there for a day and a half, it was important for me to go back one more time to say goodbye -- though it wasn't really goodbye because I know I'll be back sometime. It was also a relief to spend my last couple days in Germany only speaking German, perhaps as a final proof of everything I had accomplished linguistically during that year. (Or perhaps just for my pride.) The afternoon before I left, Sabine made delicious waffles, which was rather reminiscent of my year in Belgium. Sometimes it's funny how the world goes in circles.

Sabine and I woke up early early on the morning of the 30th and she drove me to a train station in a nearby town where I would begin my rail journey to Frankfurt and then my air journey to Iceland. We were quiet in the car as we drove up and around hills and fields that were all saturated in morning mist. This was the last picture I took in Germany while waiting for my train. Plain. Simple. Beautiful. Just how it needed to be.

I didn't have much trouble getting to the airport. My trains and transfers went smoothly enough and I finally managed to get to the right terminal with all my goodies in Frankfurt, where I then had to wait an hour and a half just to check in for my flight. Thankfully security was a breeze, and before I knew it, I was descending over that mysteriously green island just under the Arctic Circle. That post to come.