Epic Trip

Gosh, I'm a terrible blogger. Honestly, I haven't had the time to stop and even think about all the awesome things that we have done here in Europe. I apologize for not putting up pictures or keeping everyone updated :(

So today is my last day in Germany. We have been in Munich for the past two days and what a great place to round out the trip. Munich is full of huge beer halls and delicious food. I thought I might be loosing weight from all the hiking and running around we have been doing but I think I packed all the pounds back in with the multiple liter beers and schitzel I have been eating for the past few days.

One of the things we decided to do while here in Munich was to go to the concentration camp, Dachau. What a chilling experience--very intense. I was pretty uneasy about going but am really glad that I did just to put in perspective what happened during that time in history. Walking through the showers and the cremation chambers was--I can't even find the words. I'm left only with chills running through my body. The weather was cold and rainy yesterday and all I could do was imagine myself having to walk in a straight line through the roll call field with no clothes on and having not eaten for days. Not quite the way to finish a trip to Germany but I think it was important to see. Here is a picture of a memorial statue that sits on the grounds of the concentration camp, I couldn't even look at as I walked by...ashamed of the power of man.

On a brighter note--we have had the most amazing time. I don't think I'll be able to put into words a thorough reflection of all of our experiences but perhaps I'll be able to put up some pictures soon and you can get just a glimpse of the beauty of the European countries I have traveled too. Not only did we see a lot but I feel as though I have learned so much about National Parks and protected land management in Europe--which is very uniquely structured in comparison to the United States. I can't wait to go home and synthesize all of the interesting facts that are bouncing around my head and really put everything into perspective.

I will be sitting in an airport for an extensive amount of time this evening so maybe I'll be able to write a more detailed post about our trip but until then....I'm off to Italy!!! Ciao!