Looming | Mutterday

I am back in Germany, so this week it is Mutterday. Next week will be Mèreday again, but for now...

Topeka, United States

Cologne (Köln), Germany

Herz-Jesu-Kirche Freiburg | Sabbeth Sites

Last year I was able to take a trip while studying in Germany. I had made sure I would see all the sites I was hoping to see. The last thing to plan was getting back to the town where I was staying.

I had to change buses in a city called Freiburg. Freiburg had not been on my list of places to see, but I had time to look around while waiting for my next bus to come.

I found the town to be a very nice place that is surrounded by nature as it is between the Rhein and the Black Forrest. Freiburg might not have been on my radar, but I look forward to the next time I end up somewhere that was not in my initial plans. 

Back to Germany

Next week is fall break. As the students I have met here were beginning to plan their trips to different cities and countries in Europe, there was one place that stood out for me. Germany.

I studied abroad in Germany last year, but was unable to see the northern part of the country.  I will be taking advantage of my time next week to see Cologne, Hamburg and Berlin. Although I was plenty excited at the being of this week, my excitement has increased throughout the week as I have seen Germany mentioned repeatedly in the news.

There was a recent comment made by a world leader stating that Adolf Hitler's intentions towards the Jews were to only have them driven out of Germany until a non-German gave Hitler the idea to follow through with the "final solution". Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, and her spokesman responded by affirming that the Holocaust is a German crime and stressing the importance of the subject being covered in schooling systems.

Germany has also been a leader in the struggle of Europe reacting to the refugee crisis. As some European nations pledged to taking in relitively small numbers of refugees or even opted out of an EU attempt to address the crisis, earlier this year Germany stated that it plans to take in 800,000 refugees in a one year period and Merkel encouraged other European nations to take in more refugees.

More recently there has been German pressure to create a solution to help more refugees across Europe.

I understand that this nation I love and respect so much has a history with extremely dark segments, but I am still extremely proud to call Germany the land of my ancestors and am ecstatic to be returning so soon.

If you would like to read recent news articles about Germany, I have included some below.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/21/germany-refuses-accept-binjamin-netanyahu-claim-adolf-hitler-holocaust

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/23/refugee-crisis-germany-push-compulsory-eu-quotas

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34131911

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/31/refugees-found-suffocated-lorry-austria-syrian-family-of-six

Fresh Air | Mèreday

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Kansas, United States

Passing Time | Mèreday

Topeka, United States

Paris, France

Tall and Thin | Mèreday

Montparnasse, France

Topeka, United States

Missing Germany

As fall and October begin, I can't help being reminded of my experiences last fall and winter in Germany.

 

It wasn't until I had left Germany, that I realized how much I had fallen in love with the language, culture, cuisine, cities, towns, countryside and the people.

There was something magical about being able to go the country that has the roots of my heritage. 

I never felt out of place. It was new, but welcoming.

Planning my return to Germany will have to be enough, for now.