Taylor Reutman
So I woke up this morning with a bittersweet rush of emotions. I was super excited to see the next part of our journey through Germany. But at the same time, it was rather sad to be leaving the wonderful Staufen community. My host family was moving the following day, so I (already still being out of my comfort zone, being in a new country and all) was pushed even more out of my realm when a team of big, husky men came barging into my host-home to begin loading a bunch of stuff up. This was just absolutely fantastic. Okay not. It was just downright awkward. So I wake up, shower, and sit down to eat breakfast. Today, like every other morning, was bread and nutella for me. Und ja, es schmeckt sehr, sehr gut. I literally scurry to my room when finished to do some last minute packing. Before I knew it, we were in the car on the way to Faust Gymnasium to say our goodbyes and leave for Munich. So we pull in, say our sad goodbyes, give lots of hugs, take last minute pictures, load up, and pool out.
So we just start driving, many of us are chatting up a storm, some are trying to capture a few more "zzz's" before we made our stop at the castle, Neuschwanstein. We pull in, and I'm actually dreading this tour of the castle. Why? Well, first of all it's raining. Everything is just sopping wet, and it is definitely not cute. Second, my shoes, after arriving in Germany, developed huge holes in them, and I knew I was due for another day with soaking shoes and socks, right after the day at Europa Park. I pretty much was unhappy about the stop. We end up taking a bus most of the way (unlike the previous exchange, where they hiked all the way there). We get off the bus up there, and split into two groups. One is going over a bridge to see a scenic view over the castle, while the other went directly to the castle. I went straight there, hoping to get out of the rain ASAP. We eventually arrive at the castle and wait for our group tour (in English) to start. We eventually go, and we meet out tour guide, named Benjamin Kast. Let me say just one thing about good ol' Benny. He was quite interesting and fragile. Yes, I said fragile. Frail. I thought me might break a bone going up the stairs. However, in the words of the wise Mrs. Wehr, "We are all God's children." I thought he was genuinely a great guy. So our tour takes approximately 45 minutes, and we learned a bit about the king that lived there, and the history of the castle. I'll omit these boring (but interesting!) details. When the tour was over, we made our way back to the bus and continued on our way towards our hostel in Munich.
Let me say a couple of words about the second half of the drive. First, it is really hard to sit on a bus for 10+ hours when you initially thought it would only take 4 to 5 hours. Second, I thank Germany for at least providing us with the entertainment of stopping for an extra hour because there was a wreck about 200 meters in front of us. Third, Germany has some interesting people. Some who decide to urinate on the side of the road, with about 100+ people watching. And third, it is really hard to get any sleep on a bus. The ride was generally pretty much a dreadsome part of the trip. However, if it's the worst, I'll be happy with this.
Anyway, once we finally arrived in our hostel, we immediately went inside, where we were given room assignments. I was with Kyle, Donnie, and Logan. Next to us were the girls (Lauren, Jenny, Allison, Miranda) and beside them were the second year boys (Zach, Jack, Bryor, Tom). Around the corner were the other third year boys (Alex, Clay, Wade, Josh). We had just a little time to settle before going back down to the ground floor for dinner in the hostel. It was some sort of pasta with mashed potatoes and vegetables. After eating, we were permitted to go to the diskotheke that was located in the basement of the hostel. We all made an appearance and dance, but a few of us decided to go back to my room and play cards and Uno. At midnight, we had to be back in our room for a roomcheck from Mrs. White, and then we all went to sleep. Tomorrow's agenda??? Munich!!
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