Home Sweet Home

I just arrived in the States a few days ago, and it feels so great to be back! I was overwhelmed with excitement and adrenaline rushing through me as my two best friends Brett and Natalie surprised me at the airport! I did not sleep for even a minute on the airplane and had spent the previous day walking all over Paris and pulled two all nighters in a row before I came to Paris, however, even that couldn't stop me from the excitement I felt when I saw all my family and best friends waiting for me outside of baggage claim! After I got back, my agenda was already full as I had to look for a new job, unpack, start looking for a new car, and move things up to my new house! I went to a Shiny Toy Gun concert with Brett, which was amazing as always, and even a little better than the last time we saw them! We also went to this really great Mexican Restaraunt called the Velevet Margarita, which I highly recommend! 

Yesterday I finally got to see my new house which I will be living in with my friends Avery and Faith in August. It is so adorable! I have my own room and attic, and we have a really nice size backyard too! I can't wait to start moving more of my stuff up!! Everybody better come visit me! If anybody has any unwanted furniture or house decor let me know!

More videos from my amazing semester abroad!

Best of My Semester Abroad from Brittany Sobel on Vimeo.

Around Bonn from Brittany Sobel on Vimeo.

Rhine in Flames Celebration in Bonn

Last Weekend in Bonn from Brittany Sobel on Vimeo.

Last Full Day With My Group

For the past 5 months, the school we are going to in Bonn has been taking us on all these really cool excursions in Germany. Our last one on Thursday was probably my favorite! We went to this cute German city right on the Rhine River, where we saw this sweet castle and took a cruise on the river. The Castle dated back to the Middle Ages, and had all of these awesome secret passages and underground tunnels we got to go through. This was quite a challenge as most of us totally forget to bring our flashlights. We had to literally crawl for a good 500 feet in these pitch black tightly enclosed tunnels that ran beneath the grounds of the castle. Almost all of us hit our heads pretty badly as there was not nearly enough light for all 16 of us. lol I took a little video so you can see how dark it was!!! Check it out!  

After the Castle we took a cruise on the River and saw a lot of really neat looking houses on the Rhine. The boat was really fun as it had a playground on the top of it, so we got to go down slides and play on little kids equipment as we enjoyed the view from the river! We took the boat to the base of this hilltop so we could take a chair lift to the very top. The top had an amazing view and a really fun park as well! There were ropes to swing from, ice cream to eat, and a panoramic view to enjoy!

After our excursion we went back to Bonn for the Art show and Farewell Party. The Art show went really well, and I was very surprised to see how much everyone truly enjoyed my artwork. I did a painting, and 5 photo montages that were inspired by the famous German Dada Artist Hannah Hoch.  Take a look at the pics!  Afterward we had an amazing meal, and our host families all came for our last big group dinner!

May Day in Germany

Today I experienced one of the quirkiest German Holidays. The festivities started last night, as all the clubs stay open all night long. It is called Tanz in den Mai, which means "Dance into May", the idea is that you dance all night until it becomes May. 

As we all walked back to our houses at like 5 in the morning, we saw a number of guys carrying these huge trees on their shoulders with ribbons attached to the branches. Then a little later we saw some guys planting these trees in the front yards of these random houses in the earliest hours of the morning. We soon learned that this is a common tradition that has been going on for hundreds of years in Germany. On the first of May, it is customary for a guy to plant a tree in the front yard of a girl he likes. The tree must be exactly as tall as whatever floor of the house she lives in. This way, when the girl wakes up she simply peers outside her window to see if her crush has paid her a visit. We saw some guys planting trees for girls who lived on like the 3rd floor, in which case they had to have a ton of people helping them! 

Some of the guys told us that if there is a girl you really don't like, because you think she is a slut, then you plant a tree in her yard and hang sausages on it. Each sausage represents a guy the girl has had sex with, so you hang as many sausages as guys you think she did. Grossss!! 

Luckily we saw no hanging sausages anywhere, so Germany is keeping classy as far as we know! lol

My host sister told me that since last year was leap year, girls had to plant trees with ribbons for the guys they liked, so every 4 years the tradition switches! 

I got a few pics of some decorated trees, unfortunately none from last night though since I did not have my camera on me, but take a look! 

I ran for Sudan

You will never believe it in a million years, but I jogged 13 miles today for the Bonn Marathon, and I even have a medal to prove it! My friends and I all heard about the marathon and were told that we could be sponsored for running to benefit the children of Sudan, and the building of new schools. We were under the impression that there would only be a few people running with us, but man were we wrong. 11,500 people joined us for this cause. There were also thousands of people on the sidelines cheering us on. I was planning on walking most of it, but it is pretty hard to walk when you have tons of people cheering for you and getting you all hyped up. The best part was when we got toward the finish line, they set out a red velvet carpet for us, threw out confetti, and then rewarded us with a medal and an endless supply of food. 

Afterward we went back to our school field, and the staff barbecued steak and sausage for us! We spent the rest of the day laying out and enjoying the nice warm sun! 

Last Week was Busy Busy

This past week was the first week I did not travel outside of Germany since the beginning of the semester. We did however, go on some exciting class excursions. On Thursday we went to Vogelsang & Monschau, which lie directly on the border of Germany and Belgium.... I even got a picture of the border sign! we went to Vogelsang to see one of the Nazi's training bases prior to WWII, which was interesting, but to be honest it was really nothing more than a few abandoned buildings and a nice field. We then went to this awesome Mustard Mill, where they make mustard and honey from scratch. We got to try all sorts of flavors and I even bought myself some Marzipan Honey which you can all try when I get home. 

We were suppose to go bobsledding in Monschau, but unfortunately luck was not on our side. It literally started raining the moment we got there. We did however find this awesome park near by that had all sorts of fun things that would totally be outlawed in the U.S.. Germany has few safety laws for children it appears, which made for more fun for us. Check out my first horribly sad attempt at running in the hamster wheel! haha (By the end of the day I almost did a 360 in it, but you will never believe me after watching this first part on film hahaha)

Another major thing that took place last week was a presentation that I had to give to the Innovation Project Manager at Bayer. I presented along with two other friends on the best market for Bayer to expand into within China, the pros and cons of doing so, and critical success factors for conducting business within China. The presentation came close to two hours, by far the most intense and stressful presentation I have ever had to give. It turned out great though, and the Project Leaders of Bayer said they were extremely impressed. I feel very fortunate to have had this amazing internship, it will be a great thing to have on my resume. 

On Saturday, we traveled to the city of Mainz, where we got to see the original Gutenberg Press, the same one that printed the first Bible, which we also got to see! We even got to use one of the presses to make some artwork and Prints! I printed a page of the Bible in Latin, and also made some designs for myself and some friends. After visiting the Gutenberg Press, we went to a famous Cathedral and saw the tombs of many famous Catholic Bishops from the 16th and 17th Century.  

  For the next week, I will be studying hard core for finals, so this may be the last blog update for a week or so! 

Only a few more weeks until I come home! May 8th, Save The Date!!!!  I cannot wait to see everyone!!! : ) 

<3

Slideshow from Salzburg

Salzburg from Brittany Sobel on Vimeo.

Vienna

Vienna was a pretty amazing city, we did all sorts of amazing things, including going to the Hofburg Palace, the Schonbrun Palace, the Vienna Zoo, and much more! Check out my slideshow! 

Vienna from Brittany Sobel on Vimeo.

I Went Paragliding in the Alps!

Yesterday was incredible! Our day started with a hike up to the top of a fortress where we had a view of the entire city of Salzburg. Soon enough I had a sky view of the entire city by parachute. We had to hike up the Austrian alps to find a cliff that would give us enough wind to carry us through the sky. We waited for a while on the cliff as I had to get all suited up and my guide had to make sure that the winds were safe enough, by using a nifty little machine they had. Once everything was set to go, I had to literally sprint off of a 1,000 foot cliff. I had to be in charge of running since I was in the front, and my guide was responsible for pulling the parachute over us. Jumping off the alps was the most insane experience I have ever had. Before I knew it I just sat back, relaxed, and enjoyed the view! 

Take a look! 

Paragliding in Salzburg from Brittany Sobel on Vimeo.

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter! My Easter break has been absolutely incredible.... I couldn't imagine things being any better. I am currently in the city of Salzburg, and just got back from a full day of exploring the city. We went on the most hilarious Sound of Music tour, where a quirky British Woman took us to all the famous spots where the movie was filmed, while playing the  music from the movie. Tonight we had an amazing dinner and went to the top of this crazy tower that was inside a cave, to get a good view of the city at night. We have one more day in Salzburg, and I plan to go hang gliding off the Alps tomorrow! 

Vienna was also a wonderful city, there were Easter Markets everywhere, which sell mass amounts of decorated eggs and easter decor.  The Europeans are in love with the festivity of Easter, we even saw multiple people dressed as Easter bunnies, who would just roam town and hand out eggs! The highlights of Vienna for me included the Schonbrun Palace, and the zoo. I look forward to sharing my crazy zoo stories with everyone!! I best be off to bed to prepare for a fun day up in the air!!  

Yay for Springtime in Bonn!

This week has been the first week where I can actually where a t-shirt without wanting to hang myself before doing so! It is finally sunny and warm in Germany! woohoo!

Today was a good day, we got to visit the United Nations building and listen to a presentation from one of the communications directors. It was really interesting to get an inside look at the UN operations, and learn some of the intricate details. The building has an incredible view of the entire rhine river and city of Bonn.



After visiting the UN we went to the Beer Garden on the river and got some yummy cheap pizza and awesome salads, and of course a little Beer just for the sake of it. Germany is one of the only places where it is not only normal but 100% expected to drink beer in the middle of the day! haha We then just laid out in the park for about an hour, completely excited for the nice weather. After the park I went to the super cheap market to stock up on food for my 9 hour train ride to VIENNA!! I leave in a few hours, and can't wait!! : )

Pictures and videos await you all!!

Just got Back from Spain and Croatia

I had an amazing past 10 days of traveling! I went to Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, and Croatia!! Check out the two videos I posted and the slideshow up above!

 
Croatia! from Brittany Sobel on Vimeo.


Madrid & Barcelona from Brittany Sobel on Vimeo.

Happy Birthday Brett!!

Wow, the big 20 is here!! I hope you have a wonderful birthday and enjoy the video I made for you! I had to make it last week because I knew I was going to be traveling for the past 10 days. I am currently in Croatia, getting ready to head to those lakes and waterfalls! It is a beautiful day here and I am absolutely in love with Croatia, it is a very cute and quaint little country. I feel like I have turned back in time as all of the buildings are really old and there is a super cute little villagewith people who make their own clothes, and sell fish, fruit, and handmade lace! I will try to give you a call later, I can't wait to hear about how your day is going with all of your weekend extravaganzas! Dressed as any neon ninjas lately? haha

Happy 20th Birthday Brett! from Brittany Sobel on Vimeo.

Miss you!

xoxo Brit Brit

Goodbye Madrid, Hello Barcelona!

So far Spain has been an amazing experience! We just spent the past few days in Madrid, which was incredibly beautiful. We saw all the major sights including the Prado, the Reina Sofia, and the downtown areas. We even went to Toledo for a day to try some of their famous Marzipan and check out the shopping. Yesterday was a big shopping day for me, I bought all sorts of accessories and clothing. Seeing the Guernica in person was quite the experience, it is much larger than I had envisioned!
Today is our first day in Barcelona, which has so far been a little depressing, because the rain has been coming down really hard. We did however, manage to see the Cathedral designed by Gaudi, which has been under construction for over 130 years! They say it won´t be completed until 2030 at the earliest! Gaudi´s house was my favorite thing we have seen so far.... there were cascading pillars with beautiful mosaics and a tropical garden paradise surrounding his Mediterranean house. There were even life size artsy gingerbread houses, which were used as the guest houses!
Tonight we are going to go search for some Paella and check out Barcelona´s famous nightlife.

Off to Spain for the next week!

So tomorrow morning I will be on a plane to one of the most exciting destinations of the semester. We will be spending 3 full days in Madrid, and 3 days in Barcelona. This is a  trip that was incorporated into the study abroad program, so the entire group will be going. In addition we will have guided tours through the famous Reina Sofia, Picasso Museum, The Prado, and a day excursion through Toledo! Should be Awesome!  

After Spain, one of my friends and I will be going to Croatia to visit the capital and the Jezera Lakes (most beautiful in the world.... see pic!)  

So unfortunately there will be very little updates for the next week since I will be without a computer... but I look forward to sharing everything with everyone when I return!

xoxo

A Bountiful and Magical Weekend In Bavaria

Concert and Bavaria from Brittany Sobel on Vimeo.

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend.... we kicked it off with a concert in Cologne, featuring the Sounds and Fall Out Boy. It was packed, and the fans were crazy! The Germans were not too familiar with The Sounds, but they knew every word to every Fall Out Boy song, and hearing them sing the songs with their German accents was an experience with in itself! 

After the concert we stayed up all night to catch our 3:30am train to Bavaria. Our first stop was Munich, which was much more beautiful city than I had imagined. We started off with a stroll to the Olympic stadium, where the Olympics were held in the 1970's. We also walked through the BMW Museum and saw some pretty sweet cars and motorcycles. After the stadium we found a flier for a free bike tour of the city, so we took advantage of this amazing offer and toured the entire city on bike in a 3 hour tour. We saw everything from river surfers to Nudist Gardens and the famous grounds where Hitler battled Bavarian Armies.
We celebrated our completion of the bike tour at the world's most famous Beer hall, where Germany's most exported Beer is brewed. Here we feasted on Weiss Sausage, Bratwurst, giant prezels, and of course beer! It was a massive place, and said to hold over 1,500 people! Munich has so much to see, and is by far my favorite city of Germany!

Sunday we woke up early to go to the most southern tip of Bavaria, where the Neuschwanstein Castle is. This is the infamous castle Walt Disney based his castle off of and belongs to the famous King Ludwig, who unfortunately only got to enjoy it for less than a year due to a mental illness he suffered from. The castle was filled with beautiful murals of King Ludwig's famous legends and crazy gold chandeliers that weighed over 2,000 lbs! Walking through the castle was truly like 

being on a Disneyland ride, there was even a cave room! The hike was an uphill 45 minute walk and was incredibly scenic, as Bavaria lies right along the border of Switzerland, with the Swiss alps surrounding ev

erything. This castle was awesome and definitely a must see in Germany!! 

Frankfurt

Yesterday we all went on a class excursion to Frankfurt, which is large city just 2 hours away from Bonn. They called it the Manhattan of Germany, as most of it is very industrial, however, the town center still maintains some of the old German charm as seen in the pic. While we were there we took a 2 hour walking tour and learned about the reconstruction process of Frankfurt as it was heavily bombed during WWII. After the tour we had an awesome lunch and went to a modern art museum which displayed a lot of Andy Warhol's work. Frankfurt is also where the European Central Bank is located, so we got to take a tour through there as well. This is the central bank for the European Union, and is where all the monetary policies are determined and the money is distributed. Being a finance major, I found this really fascinating!

This weekend will be filled with lots of exciting events.... Friday I am going to see Fall Out Boy and The Sounds in concert, and then off to Munich in Bavaria!! : )

Happy Birthday Mom!

I wish I could be there to celebrate with you right now Mom! Unfortunately I have no Molly Cake for you, but I did send my favorite German Chocolate for you to enjoy! I hope you have a wonderful day and keep smiling! Lots of love from Germany!
<3

Zurich, Lucerne, Basel

I spent this weekend in 3 beautiful cities in Switzerland. We stayed in Zurich for two nights, which was plenty, as Zurich is actually a relatively small city. It is a major Western European Metropolis with upscale shopping, beautiful lakes and scenery, and yummy chocolate shops! We went to a few churches, strolled along the streets, went to a huge botanical garden, where we saw Purana fish from the amazon, the largest flower in the world, and some other really exotic flowers. We also found an awesome lake with the Swiss Alps as the backdrop; this was the perfect spot to chill on the edge of the docks and indulge in the swiss chocolates we bought! 

On Sunday we left Zurich and visited Lucerne and Basel on our way back to Bonn. Lucerne was an incredibly beautiful city, and my favorite of the 3 that we visited. The whole town is adorned in medieval architecture and traditional Swiss homes. There are castle fortresses that surround the whole outer section of the town and even some monuments carved out of Glaciers! We walked the entire city including some of the outskirts, and treated ourselves to some Swiss pastries and Mochas afterward! : ) 

Arriving into Basel was quite the experience. Apparently in Basel, there is a parade of Fifers who play their fifens (kind of like a flute) all throughout the city every Sunday after Karnival, for 3 weeks, or until Easter. When we got there, we only saw a few small groups playing. This however suddenly spawned into over 10,000 fifers who dominated the city streets. We still managed to see a few major monuments here, including the Munster Church and the famous Medieval Guard Tower. So, incase you ever stroll into Basel on a Winter Sunday you know what you are getting yourself into!