Thursday, June 19, 2014

Bonn/Utrecht/Cologne

Our time in Bonn was wonderful. It was a beautiful city with a really neat, young vibe. Specifically, I enjoyed Bonn because we all got a lot of time together.  Nil’s tour of Bonn was, of course, wonderful and was a good opportunity for the group to see his hometown. I especially enjoyed the Roman relicts Bonn had a beautiful atmosphere and a lot of history; I hope to visit again one day!

Our day trip to Cologne was absolutely the best. The Koln Zoo was an incredibly unique experience that I will remember for my entire life. I learned a lot about how zoos are run and came to appreciate the educational need for zoos. However, while I understand how vital zoos are, I also gained a deep appreciation for the animals that live in a zoo setting. While they are provided with world-class medical care, I realized that they also experience certain health issues that they would not otherwise acquire out in the wild. I am in no way against zoos; our tour just gave me a new outlook on their purpose and a greater respect for animals in captivity.

Additionally, our city tour of Cologne was amazing. The tour guide was absolutely incredible and definitely needs to be used in future programs. She made the city history come alive, and her quirky personality made the walking distance seem like nothing at all! I learned a lot of Roman history and its influence on Bonn and Germany.

Utrecht was a wonderful city. I enjoyed our lectures on Utrecht history and their organization of the education system at the Vet School. I will say that I would have rather had more lectures like the public health presentation. I really learned a lot about our role as veterinarian in terms of public health. As a veterinarian, I feel that I need to be knowledgeable on particular issues, public health being at the top of the list. Not only was his topic important, but he was a truly gifted speaker, and I thoroughly enjoyed his presentation.

Our canoe city tour of Utrecht was an absolute wonderful surprise. It was definitely a great way to end the trip. Although it was lacking on “city tour-ness”, it was an interesting way to see the city. I had no idea Utrecht was such a beautiful city with so much to offer.


Also, our trip to Utrecht was perfectly timed for Holland football! I loved getting to see the city in the midst of such an exciting game! Jen, Val, Joy and I just happened to be in the city center at the end of the game and were able to experience an incredible win. The city was going insane! Not to mention, it was a neat time to spend with the vet students. I really enjoyed getting to celebrate with the hosts and other students. They were incredibly welcoming and a lot of fun!

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