1 September: Hamburg

Today marks the last day of Sommerferien before Oldenburg schools start up again, so my host family decided to make an Ausflug to Hamburg. 

Though it’s impossible to experience all that Hamburg has to offer in one day, I’m proud to say that we covered a lot of ground. We went thrift shopping in the Schanzenviertel, admired the Rathaus, walked along the canals, and took a break on a playground in St. Pauli (because you’re never too old to go down a slide).  

Hamburg has an energy that’s difficult to describe in a blog post. The city felt like it was humming. Perhaps that’s due to the artsy vibe that Hamburg possesses, the mix of historic and modern architecture, or the adrenaline that comes with visiting a city for the first time. In any case, I hope that I’ll be able to further explore Hamburg in the future. 

Though most of my posts so far have discussed day trips, I’d like to acknowledge that CBYX is not a travel program. More often than not, I spend the day at home or getting to know Oldenburg. Even on relaxed days, I am constantly learning. Going forward I’ll try to write about my everyday revelations as well. 

In general, I feel incredibly lucky. Sometimes I look at my location on Google Maps  and cannot believe that I’m here. Last week, one of my American friends asked me how Germany was so far. The best way I could summarize it was, “It feels like where I’m supposed to be.”