Back in the US

Hey guys, so I'm back in the states again. Still going to post a few last posts, so keep reading, but just wanted to let you know I'm home. We never ended up going to Paris, since the carpool program we were using didn't end up working out; however, we did go to Munich and it was fantastic. This was by far the best summer I've ever had, I'll miss everyone I met there and miss waking up in Aachen, but life goes on and it's time for different adventures.

Heya!

Hey guys, sorry for the lack of updates, but I leave Germany on the 30th. That means less than 2 weeks of being here, and honestly every time I try to write something it becomes a little depressing. This entire experience has been by far one of the greatest things I've ever done in my life. I've learned about other cultures, practiced awesome lab techniques and met some great people. I'm going to come back more relaxed, more confident and ready to make this year count, but it's still sad to go.
    On a happier note, I still have two weeks left! I hate just wasting time being sad about leaving, so instead of doing that, I'm ending this summer with a bang! This weekend I'll be going to Paris and then next week we'll be traveling to Munich : ) Expect some great updates and fun stories.

Dublin and Stuff

   Hey homies, sorry for not updating I really haven't had much down time in the last two weeks. Research is really picking up now, yay mutant fungi, so it means later days and less time to blog. I was going to update thursday, but I locked myself out of the room....pretty classic me. Anyway, last weekend, a week ago today, we went to Dublin! It was great, probably the most fun bars I've been to yet. They had a lot of live music, and honestly it was just great to be able to understand everyone. I haven't been able to completely understand random people on the bus since leaving the US, since my German is still not really that great, so that was really awesome, but almost a little too much to handle. The last  7 or so weeks have been incredibly fun and incredibly relaxing, not being able or expected to understand anyone who doesn't already know you is kinda peaceful. You can get on a bus tell them where you want to go, ask if you're there and say thank you...but that's about it. That means a lot more time for quiet reflection, which has been really great.
    This weekend I stayed in Aachen for the first time in a while, went hiking in a nearby town yesterday and am probably just going to hang around the dorm and maybe the markt today. I only have a little more than 3 weeks left...it's a bit frightening. I really miss everyone back at home, but I like it here a lot. Oh well, what will be, will be:)