13.1 miles later

Spring has finally sprung in Bonn...

just in time for the marathon!

Sunday was the perfect day for it.

The sun was shining & the skies were blue!

I was so happy to see how many people from my school participated in the marathon.

Many people ran the full marathon as a four-person relay team,

while a few of us completed the half-marathon.

I was nervous at the beginning, but once I started running,

I had so much fun & felt so accomplished after passing each kilometer marker.

I loved running throughout different parts of Bonn and especially along the river,

but the best part was seeing all of the people outside of their houses cheering for us!

It was so motivating and I loved how the city came together for such a great event!

It felt so great to cross the finish line and accomplish my goal

of completing my first half-marathon in less than two hours.

I loved watching the marathon after I finished my race.

It was fun to cheer on the relay teams and

to see the lead runners complete the marathon in just over 2 hours-- that's incredible!

I am so proud of everyone who participated and am thankful for everyone's support!

Now, on to my next goal: completing a full marathon.

Miles for Marol!

In exactly 8 days from today, I will be participating in Bonn's Deutsche Post Marathon!

I have been looking forward to this day for several months 

& I cannot believe it is almost here...

I am excited to run my first ever half-marathon 

in a city that I have been lucky to call home for the past semester.

I have loved training along the Rhine River.

It is the most serene and perfect place to train

& its beauty gives me the motivation to go the distance!

It has always been a goal of mine to complete a half-marathon

& I know it will be such a joyful and rewarding moment when I cross the finish line,

but the best part about this event is that we are running for charity!

I will be running 13.1 miles to support Marol Academy,

a school in South Sudan that was started by a professor at LMU.

It strives to build a nation where boys and girls are educated equally

& improve the literacy rate, especially among females.

This is a social issue that I am very passionate about!

You can help support this cause by sponsoring me and donating here

I hope that you will consider contributing to this incredible cause.

Thank you in advance & Wish me luck!

Chocolate Wasted

I've visited my fair share of museums these past few months,

but nothing compares to the one that we visited today.

A group of us took the train to Cologne to tour Schokoladen Museum

A Chocolate Museum... now this is my kind of museum!

The second we stepped in, my mouth started watering!

The chocolate aroma that fills the air is delectable.

We were immediately given chocolate upon entering

& the sweets just kept on coming.

A tour through the sections of the exhibition 

is like a journey through the cultural history of chocolate,

from the Aztecs right up to the refinement of the top-quality chocolate products of today.

It was fun walking through the Tropical House!

The recreation of the Amazon region featured the cocoa tree

 surrounded by other exotic vegetation.

The best part of the museum is the chocolate fountain!

It is kept constantly filled with 200 kilograms of fresh Lindt chocolate

& you can have unlimited wafers dipped in it... YUM!

It was fun seeing all the machines used 

& the entire process in creating chocolate bars.

I loved the chocolate studio, too!

Everything is done by hand and you can have your own chocolate made up.

We could not leave without eating at the Grand Café

Everyone ordered hot chocolates, one of the richest & most delicious I've ever tried,

We shared a slice of chocolate and berry cake, too!

What a fun & scrumptious Sunday!

Butzjes & Kamelle!

Before going abroad, everyone told me that I had to go to Karneval...

this fun-filled celebration definitely lived up to all of its hype!

On top of our trip to Switzerland, 

we had the time of our lives celebrating Karneval over the long weekend!

It's a festive season that occurs immediately before Lent 

& the main events are held prior to Ash Wednesday.

The name can be translated to "farewell to meat," 

a phrase embraced by Karneval celebrants 

who encourage letting go of your everyday self 

& embracing the carefree nature of the festival.

Karneval is celebrated around the world and typically involves a parade,

combining some elements of a circus and public street party.

People often dress up or masquerade, which marks an overturning of daily life.

Thursday is referred to as Weiberfastnacht or Women's Day

& is the beginning to the fun festivities!

A group of us girls slept over at a friend's host house the night before.

It was fun to get ready all together!

In the morning, we met at the new AIB with all of the study abroad programs

before crossing the bridge to Beuel for a local parade.

Everyone was decked out in fun and creative costumes!

Bright colors filled the streets and candy wrappers were scattered all along the ground.

As the parade participants passed through, they threw kamelle (candy) 

& other fun things at the crowd.

I was lucky and got a bottle of champagne!

After a few hours in Beuel, we went to Köln Sud for more festivities!

People filled the streets dancing, singing Karneval songs, 

giving lots of butzjes (kisses) and having a great time!

Rosenmontag (Rose Monday) is the highlight of the Karneval period.

Nearly two million people fill the streets of Köln (Cologne) 

to watch the parade & join in the festivities!

We returned to Köln Sud on Monday

& watched the parade for as long as we could bare in the freezing cold!

After a few hours, we warmed up in some clubs ;)

and then headed back to Bonn.

We met up with the rest of our group 

& this was my favorite part of the entire day!

We danced the night away in the streets of Altstadt with the locals

and sang along to the traditional Karneval songs.

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend in Switzerland and celebrating Karneval!

Swiss Bliss

We had five days off and took full advantage of the long break.

In between the Karneval celebrations, we headed to Interlaken, Switzerland!

After a 7 hour train ride, we arrived in the beautiful city 

surrounded by the snow-covered Swiss Alps.

The views here were breathtaking & I was in total awe.

We made our way to Balmer's hostel where we settled in before gearing up for night sledding.

Decked out in snow boots, pants, and multiple layers, 

we joined a group of others who had signed up for the activity

& took a bus high into the Swiss Alps.

Once there, we enjoyed the starlit winter panorama 

while zipping down the 1 hour long sled run.

It was so much fun!

Afterwards, we were taken to a restaurant where we served traditional Swiss foods,

including Swiss cheese fondue to end the meal... YUM!

Interlaken is one of the best spots in the world for outdoor sports,

so we knew that we couldn't leave without trying out one of the fun winter activities!

While a couple of our friends went paragliding, 

Carly & I thought it would be fun to jump off of a cliff!

Along with a group of other thrill-seeking students, 

we experienced the rush of jumping & swinging through a glacial canyon!

It was one of the greatest experiences I've had in Europe thus far!

Check out more pictures and a video of the jump in my previous post.

Before heading back to Germany on Sunday,

we explored the town & walked to the most breathtaking lake!

The sun was out and the houses reflected upon the beautiful turquoise blue water.

It was a perfect way to the end our trip!

Hanging out in Switzerland!

This past weekend was one of the best & most memorable thus far!

Here's a sneak peek into what we did...

 On Saturday, Carly & I went canyon jumping in Interlaken, Switzerland!

Attached to a long rope with a harness at the chest and waist,

we jumped nearly 295 feet & swung through a narrow canyon filled with frozen waterfalls.

It was the most invigorating, serene, and peaceful experience.

I loved every second of it!

Eau de Cologne

We took a day trip to Cologne & boy, was it amazing!

We are lucky to be only 20 minutes away from Germany's 4th largest city

& as soon as we exited the train station,

we were welcomed by a grand cathedral, Kölner Dom.

My jaw dropped at the sight of it!

It is the city's emblem, and with six million visitors every year,

Germany's most marvelled monument.

It took 600 years to build and is still under construction today.

It is quite a beauty, inside and out!

We were blessed to have such great weather today-- nearly 10°C

(a 20° change since last week)

The snow is melting & blue skies are beginning to emerge!

 It was perfect for a guided tour through historical sites of the city,

which was originally settled by Romans. 

We later visited the Wallraf-Richartz Museum, 

which featured many paintings that we are studying in my Modernism class.

It was cool to see the art up close and personal!

After a delicious slice of a sweet apple dessert,

Ariel and I went to check out the locks of love that cover the Hohenzollern Bridge.

Strings of padlocks stretch from one side of the river to the other,

creating a rainbow of colors.

Couples from near and far have affixed padlocks to the railings 

& tossed the keys into the river as a symbol of their everlasting love.

I love this tradition & wonder the story behind each lock!

My favorite part of the day was the guided roof top tour of the cathedral...

Yes, we were on the roof of the church & it was unbelievable!

The views of the city lights were spectacular

& definitely worth the nauseating feeling in my stomach 

as we reached extreme heights!

We walked alongside the exterior of the façade,

and even got to see behind-the-scenes of the interior.

It was such a fun day!

Belgian Waffles, Chocolate, & Fries!

 We planned our first weekend getaway & it was a success!

I love how quickly we can travel to other countries...

It took only two hours for us to arrive in Brussels, Belgium.

After checking into our hostel,

we sat down for a classic Belgian dinner--

Moules frites or mussels and fries.

It was delicious!

We had fun exploring the nightlife,

spending the majority of our evenings at Delíríum Café,

The bar is known for its long list of beers.

In 2004, it was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records

for having the "most varieties of beer commercially available."

What better thing to have for breakfast than Belgian waffles in Belgium?

I ordered a waffle with bananas and chocolate...

Nom, nom, nom!!

On Saturday, we acted as true tourists

& enjoyed the Hop-on, Hop-off City Sightseeing bus tour of Brussels.

It was a perfect way to explore the snow-covered city.

We visited many attractions, including the Royal Serres and Atomium.

I loved climbing throughout the nine spheres of the Atomium.

Reaching the top was magnificent & it offered beautiful panoramic views of the city!

We could not end the day without visiting the famed Manneken Pis & eating more treats...

This time, I had a waffle filled with chocolate! YUM!

On our last day, we took a quick train ride to Bruges.

The adorable city has many canals, quaint houses, 

& there are chocolate shops on nearly every corner!

It is sometimes referred to as the "Venice of the North."

We rented bikes for the day and had so much fun riding around.

We even saw sunshine & blue skies for the first time in three weeks!

It was a perfect way to spend the day

This weekend was filled with fun, friends,

and a few too many waffles, chocolate, & fries!

But I loved every second of it!

Eifel Excursion

Our group took an overnight trip to the Eifel region of Germany.

The first stop was a Benedictine Monastery in Maria Laach.

We attended an all-German mass here!

Next, we toured Schloss Bürresheim,

a castle that withstood the wars of the 18th and 19th century.

It can even be seen in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade!

For lunch, I tried my first wiener schnitzel,

& I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was!

I did not know what to expect,

but knew I had to try this popular German dish!

We spent the remainder of the day in Monreal,

a tiny village within the region.

We had so much fun sledding (sometimes into trees)

and exploring ruins of castles!

The village is quiet and quaint...

It reminds me of something out of Disneyland!

I loved taking a special nightwalk!

All we had were torches to light our way,

but it was a perfect way to end the night!

Carmelitas!

These bars are little bites of heaven

Everyone should give them a try!

They contain two of my favorite things-- chocolate and caramel,

and the best part is, they are SO simple to make!

I took this "to die for" recipe from Lulu the Baker

but every time I make them, I double her recipe

because they are irresistible and devoured within hours of baking!

I especially love the ooey-gooeyness as soon as they come out of the oven.

My mouth is watering just thinking about them!

Ingredients

64 caramel squares, unwrapped

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 cups butter, melted

1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

2 cups flour

2 cups rolled oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Combine caramels and cream in a small saucepan over low heat
2. Stir until completely smooth, then set aside
3. In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda
4. Pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of a greased 9x13" pan
5. Bake at 350° F for 10 minutes or until lightly golden
6. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crust
7. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips
8. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel
9. Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until edges are lightly browned
10. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting

Give them a try! :)

BONN Voyage

Bonn is such a wonderful city & it feels so unreal to be here!

We were welcomed to a true winter wonderland with freezing cold temperatures,

something that I am very quickly learning to adjust to with layers and layers of clothing.

I love that I will be here to see the city transform throughout the different seasons.

It is so beautiful covered in snow... I can only imagine what it looks like in the spring time!

Bonn is situated along the Rhine River, the 12th longest river in Europe.

The city is full of history, as it was the capital of Germany until 1990, 

& it is a center for politics and administration.

As a group, we were welcomed to Bonn by one of its mayors at the Old Town Hall.

The reception was in a room that previous US Presidents 

and other dignitaries have also stepped foot in!

What an awesome experience!

The school that I am attending is called the Akademie für International Bildung.

It is located in the most perfect location-- nestled within downtown and just steps away from 

the University of Bonn, one of Germany's most reputable institutions of higher learning.

I love exploring the different cafés, bakeries, and restaurants for lunch.

Although ordering is difficult when the menu is only in German,

I have enjoyed everything that I have tried thus far!

One of the best things about this program is that I get to live with a host family!

I believe that this is the greatest way to immerse yourself in another culture.

My roommate, Carly, and I live in the village of Geislar,

which is just over the river & about a 20 minute bus ride from downtown Bonn.

We love our host mother and sister, Beate and Laura.

 I cannot wait to learn more about Europe

 through their perspective and ways of life.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Nearly three years ago, I stepped foot onto LMU's campus for the first time.

Since that very moment, I have dreamt of studying abroad in Germany...

& I am so excited that my dream is finally becoming a reality!

A rush of emotions hit me the day before leaving, 

as I tried to stuff as much as possible into my suitcases.

I was excited for the adventures ahead of me,

yet nervous for the unknown;

sad to leave my family and friends,

but so very thankful for this once in a lifetime opportunity!

I am so grateful for my wonderful parents...

Thanks Mom & Dad for making this amazing journey possible!

I cannot wait for these next four months

& all of the unforgettable memories to come!