I'm not even hungover... does that mean I didn't go hard enough?? LOL.
WOW! What an amazing weekend I had. I can't even begin to explain all that I have experienced. No matter how many pictures I post or how many stories I tell the reality of Munich can not be perfectly described.
To start the weekend, my two roommates and I explored the grounds of Dachau Concentration Camp. That short two hour experience is something I will never forget. The minute we stepped foot onto the grounds I could feel a shift in everyone's mood, including mine. I wasn't sure if it was okay to be excited to finally see the place so notoriously known and taught about since a young age. We missed the tour but its okay we got a student discount and rented the audio headset. As we walked through the original gates that changed the lives of many I had felt so many emotions. The gate was shut behind me I felt the chills, my heart beat a little bit faster and I got a lump in my throat. I automatically put myself in the shoes of the prisons through the audio tour and the physical items still remaining (which is a lot). As you walk the grounds you begin to realize how harsh the conditions were. As big as the grounds looked to me I reminded myself there were 100x more people during the camps operations. No matter which part of the camp you are at you get an eerie feeling that I can still feel back in Barcelona. I can say that visiting the camp has for sure left an unexplained stamp on me that I will remember for the rest of my life. The moral I learned from being there is that life is an incredible gift that many lose too early. I am constantly reminding myself that not only am I incredibly lucky to have the life I do but that I am able to be a study abroad student. Not many can say that they have traveled the world at the age of 19. When I am down I use the camp as an inspiration to continue to push through the difficult times because there is always someone who is having a much harder time in the world.
![Picture](/uploads/3/7/7/2/37723387/4571900.jpg?250)
Now to totally change the subject.. OKTOBERFEST!
Its so weird to think that in the same city within 2 days I experienced such opposite situations!
Saturday was the day I had been looking forward to! I was about to experience something that many don't ever get to do in their life! 5:00am came around and I was getting up and putting on that oh so pretty dress! We arrived at the festival around 6:45am just to wait in line for about 2 hours! I was so exhausted but couldn't wait to see what as on the other side of those doors. It's something that many talk about but I would never understand unless I experienced it myself. The clock struck 9:00 and the pushing and shoving started.. I am not exaggerating when I say that my little 5 foot body could barely touch the ground. This so called "line" was bigger than any mob I have ever seen. At one point I couldn't breathe.. I just thought to myself its so worth it Brye!! Right as we made it to the door I was able to get to the edge of the mob.. YAY ME! Oh but wait! Some kid in the middle of the mob did something that the body guard did not like so what did the body guard decide to do? TACKLE ME. Yes this gigantic (6'6 foot.. which is huge compared to me) body guard decided to jump "over" (on top) of me to stop the kid... It woke me up for sure! Well its Oktoberfest so there's no stopping me.. I was ready to get into that tent! Next thing I knew I was in the tent and all the tables were already being claimed by kids jumping and standing all over the tables... This sight is one that I will never forget.. It was a mad house in there. We finally got a table and at 9:05am I was served my first beer!! Those waitresses don't mess around! They are carrying like 10 jugs of beer at a time with just their two hands. I give them props because just one jug of beer is heavy!! I hadn't eaten anything and I knew if I just started drinking beer it wouldn't be good for me. SO what else to turn to but a gigantic pretzel :))) I definitely needed to try a pretzel from Germany. I mean who can say they went to Germany or even Oktoberfest and didn't have a Beer and Pretzel.. I mean even my gluten free roommate had some! Well as the day.... MORNING.... continued people began to get drunk.... fast! So its like a thing that if you step on the table you have to stand on it and chug you beer and if you can't finish it then people are allowed to throw food at you. It was so funny because randomly everyone would start yelling and chanting and you would look one way and see people on tables chugging beer. The atmosphere was incredible and unexplainable. I will forever remember this experience and it was definitely one that I hope my future kids will try.
Well for now that is all.... I have three days of school then I am off to my next country... AMSTERDAM! I will write again soon and update you on my incredible journey through EUROPE!!!
With much love,
Brye Barna :))
Its so weird to think that in the same city within 2 days I experienced such opposite situations!
Saturday was the day I had been looking forward to! I was about to experience something that many don't ever get to do in their life! 5:00am came around and I was getting up and putting on that oh so pretty dress! We arrived at the festival around 6:45am just to wait in line for about 2 hours! I was so exhausted but couldn't wait to see what as on the other side of those doors. It's something that many talk about but I would never understand unless I experienced it myself. The clock struck 9:00 and the pushing and shoving started.. I am not exaggerating when I say that my little 5 foot body could barely touch the ground. This so called "line" was bigger than any mob I have ever seen. At one point I couldn't breathe.. I just thought to myself its so worth it Brye!! Right as we made it to the door I was able to get to the edge of the mob.. YAY ME! Oh but wait! Some kid in the middle of the mob did something that the body guard did not like so what did the body guard decide to do? TACKLE ME. Yes this gigantic (6'6 foot.. which is huge compared to me) body guard decided to jump "over" (on top) of me to stop the kid... It woke me up for sure! Well its Oktoberfest so there's no stopping me.. I was ready to get into that tent! Next thing I knew I was in the tent and all the tables were already being claimed by kids jumping and standing all over the tables... This sight is one that I will never forget.. It was a mad house in there. We finally got a table and at 9:05am I was served my first beer!! Those waitresses don't mess around! They are carrying like 10 jugs of beer at a time with just their two hands. I give them props because just one jug of beer is heavy!! I hadn't eaten anything and I knew if I just started drinking beer it wouldn't be good for me. SO what else to turn to but a gigantic pretzel :))) I definitely needed to try a pretzel from Germany. I mean who can say they went to Germany or even Oktoberfest and didn't have a Beer and Pretzel.. I mean even my gluten free roommate had some! Well as the day.... MORNING.... continued people began to get drunk.... fast! So its like a thing that if you step on the table you have to stand on it and chug you beer and if you can't finish it then people are allowed to throw food at you. It was so funny because randomly everyone would start yelling and chanting and you would look one way and see people on tables chugging beer. The atmosphere was incredible and unexplainable. I will forever remember this experience and it was definitely one that I hope my future kids will try.
Well for now that is all.... I have three days of school then I am off to my next country... AMSTERDAM! I will write again soon and update you on my incredible journey through EUROPE!!!
With much love,
Brye Barna :))