Safe and sound, and sleepy

All 60 students, and the facilitators made it safely to Germany. After a very long, cold, and wide awake (I won't go into detail as I'm trying to block that lack of sleep from my mind) flight, we made it to Frankfurt. From here, we very quickly rushed to our flight to Berlin..only after I was groped by security, Victoria got yelled at for liquids and proved it was safe by chugging a bottle of water, and we all stretched out and rolled around on the floor. I, of course, left my journal and book (which I had just bought and read part of - it was good!!) on the flight, so I frantically searched for a similar journal (sleep > book right now) and was successful. The flight to Frankfurt was fairly comfortable and we all had fun. It was just crazy how fast we all continued to connect over the flight. I feel like I've known many of my fellow MRHers for years.

I also can't believe we just arrived this morning. I don't know if I'm still on Atlantic time or jetlegged or if we've just done so much it feels like days already.

We all quickly learned there's no time for stolen free wireless in basement Starbucks bathrooms (...guilty) or time for stopping for artistic photos as we did a mad man's walking tour of Berlin with the most fantastic educator and guide, Michael Bauer, who joined us from Israel.

I have so many notes and photos from today I can't possibly go into detail as I'm currently sitting on the floor next to a very odd European wall outlet so my iPod can charge. My plan is to write detailed journal entries, short blog posts (despite what your browser is currently showing you) and then post detailed day by day with heavy info once I'm home, so I can also add related photos which I can't do now.

In short, today's journey took us to some wonderful spots: I stood in the Bebel Platz where the Nazi book burnings took place, I saw where Karl Marx studied, I got my photo taken at Brandenburg Gate and I silently stood in the oldest Jewish cemetery in Berlin: Grosse-Hamburger-Strasse.

This was all an amazing, but also hopeful, experience. It was chilling but beautiful to be able to use my senses at these places as I feel my sight has been exhausted, as we were warned of in a webinar prior to the trip.

My favorite part of the day (other than finally getting to shower just now and putting pjs on) was being at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, which is located in prime, central, downtown Berlin. This was so amazing and gave me chills. I can't describe this experience or the feelings I felt just yet, so bear with me as I use this blog to inform you where I am and what were doing, while the emotional posts will come for journal transcriptions once I am home.

We also had a beautiful ceremony on gay victims of the Holocaust and several participants read and sang and many of us shared our first tears together.

I am absolutely exhausted and still stuffed with delicious food so please stay tuned for my next post, which should be from Krakow, Poland. I have a long day tomorrow and the odd looking European bed is beckoning me.

Peace, and love.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone, from Germany.

Location:Best Western, Berlin, Germany.