The Real Beth R.

Growing up I have always wanted to travel. This was mainly brought on by the fact that I had the chance to travel around the states due to my best friend/Grandma at a young age of 12. We went to Orlando, Florida to Disney World and from then on I fell in love with roadtrips, travel books, travel vlogs, and any thing to do with a new adventure. Through her I was really able to open up my mind to the world. I truly believe that she shaped me into the person I am today. A person that loves adventure and wants to live life to the fullest by exploring the world. There is so much to learn, love, and explore. Going to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower was always a dream of mine. I watched tons of YouTube vlogs about it and I even took French in high school. Eventually, as I got older and I read more books I began to be more intrigued about the thought of visiting Rome, Italy and seeing the historical infrastructures. I am pretty sure everybody in high school have read or heard about the Percy Jackson series or even the heroes of Olympus written by Rick Riordan. During this time in my life I loved reading various fictional novels written about the Greek gods or Roman gods. It is one of the things that drive my desire to visit Italy. So when senior year of highschool came my decision to attend Meredith was not just influenced by the fact it was close to home but also the fact that I could have a semester in Italy. Although, when the time came closer to junior year the pandemic occurred and I was not able to study abroad in Italy.

It is funny how things work because that year I met my boyfriend who happened to be an international student from Germany. Although I could’ve completed a study abroad that year but since I was fresh into my very first relationship I wanted to stay in the states and spend time with him. Here is when it gets interesting. When I first met him he already had a flight back to Germany for the summer but we canceled it so he can spend more time with me and we rescheduled it for December. While rescheduling we joked around about me coming with him. That joke became a reality and I ended up going with him back to Germany and meeting his family. The point of this anecdote is that I went to Germany in December of 2021, specifically Rostock, Germany.

Here is how it went:

The most common places people, or at least when I think of  Germany, are Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Bavaria. I never knew about Rostock until I met my boyfriend. 

Rostock is an important port city in Northern east germany. Based on information I found on the web, the town was originally burnt down but was rebuilt by merchants who grew the town for the construction of ships in the 12th century. Then during the 20th century it was bombed to the ground by allied powers. Afterwards it became a city for manufacturing goods under the GDR. Since then it has continued to persevere and grow. Rostock is currently thriving culturally, economically, and academically. One of the popular events in Rostock is the Hanse sail festival which is when all types of ships gather around the ports of the city. I have yet to experience the Hanse sail festival but when I get to travel there in the summer I would love to experience it. While I have yet to visit the city in the summer there were still wonderful things I got to experience while being there in the winter.

Here are some things to do during Christmas when visiting Rostock Germany based on my experience.

1. Christmas Markets: One of the things Germany is known for is the Christmas Markets. Sadly we were not able to experience it when we were in Germany in 2021 because of covid regulations but I will definitely plan on going to one or maybe more than one on the next trip. It is supposed to be romantic and easy going. There are tons of treats, decorations, crafts, and traditional carols. I am looking forward to being able to attend one of these someday
2. Walking around downtown: Walking around the neuer markt was one of my favorite things I did while I was in Rostock, Germany. I loved looking at the beautiful architecture of the various buildings. Especially the Rathaus. The Rathaus is the town hall that is as old as the square itself. It is hard to tell that it is old because of the bright pink or peach color that paints the building. Next to the Neuer markt is the church, Church of St. Mary (marienkirche). As we walked away from the Rostock welcome center and down into the alley between the lila Backer and the Jeweller story we get to the Universitat Platz. There is some greenery where people can sit and relax on the green grass. There is also a historical landmark known as the Brunnen der Lebensfreude. Across from the greenery is the University of rostock. We walked by the Universitätskirche and the kulturhistorisches Museum rostock and then through the old city wall, the historische Stadtmauer, that separates the Universität from the green pathway. We kept walking down the path and past the Teufelskuhle to the Kröpeliner Tor. We started walking back using the Kröpeliner str. Did you know that Raleigh, NC had sister cities? Well I did not know that and rostock is one of the sister cities. On our way back to the car we walked to the street pole that has different cities on it with their distance as well and Raleigh was on it. If you would like to see the pole it is behind the Marienkirche and next to Lange Str. I studied at Meredith college which is in Raleigh and so this fun fact was interesting for me. Overall I definitely recommend walking around Rostock downtown if you get a chance. If you can, do it with a local or a tour guide so then you can learn more about the city. I was able to get around because I had my boyfriend and his family.
3. Old Stream: On One of the days of my trip my boyfriend and his mother decided to take me on a mini road trip. He drove us to a little town known as Warnemunde. We first went to exchange our dollars into euros. Then we walked over to the old harbor known as the old stream. We walked across the bridge where we took some photos and I saw a bunch of locks on the railing of the bridge. I thought it was really romantic and cool so I am hoping to return one day and be able to lock our lock there as well. It was a wonderful scenery to see with all of the boats and the ocean as well as the holiday spirit. On our walk we went into a couple of shops where I bought some souvenirs for my family and I tried some hot cider at one of the booths. We walked to the green lighthouse where we can see far out into the ocean. I loved how calm and peaceful it was even if it was very cold. I saw many families going on walks and kids enjoying themselves by walking along the stone wall. As you notice by now, Germans love going on walks. It was one of the main things we did on our trip. Going on Walks is a nice way to see the city.
4. Rostock Zoo: If you have kids or you enjoy zoos then the rostock zoo is something nice to do. Apparently it is one of northern Germany’s most popular holiday destinations. It is the largest zoo on the German Baltic coast as well as the oldest zoo. Although I was not able to visit the Rostock zoo I was able to go on some form of wilderness excursion with my boyfriend’s family. One of the cool things we saw were the wolves. It was a zoo but it was outdoors. Since the Rostock zoo is a popular holiday destination then it must be something to visit and see in the future. 
5. Roadtrip: When visiting Germany you can‘t limit yourself to just one city because there are so many places that Germany is known for. When we went to visit my boyfriend’s family we made sure to include time to see other cities on our trip. Unlike America you can get to various places in Germany in under a day. We were able to visit Hamburg, Lubeck, Berlin, and Rugen‘s Chalk Cliffs.
   • Hamburg: During our stay in Lubeck with my Boyfriend’s friend we spent a day in Hamburg shopping and walking along the port of Hamburg. Here we tried some german pretzels and I had a shopping spree at ZARA. I also learned that you can take a ferry to see a musical at the Theater am Hafen. One of the popular musicals is The Lion King that has been running since 2001. This is on my list of things to do when I return to Germany. There are obviously many things to do in Hamburg but since the trip was mainly for family time we could not really explore the city as much.
   • Rugen‘s Chalk Cliffs: if you like the outdoors and enjoy hiking I would recommend going to the Rugen’s chalk cliffs if you are able. The hike was relaxing and I enjoyed spending time with my boyfriend’s family. You are completely surrounded by trees and when you get to the top there are places you can take pictures with a beautiful scenery behind you. The water looks vast and amazing from above. It is kinda scary when you look down because of how far up you are but when you take in the whole picture or surrounding It is breathtaking. The hike was amazing other than the fact that I wore the wrong shoes and my feet was in pain the whole time.

Overview:

Overall I had a wonderful time in Germany. I was able to meet my boyfriend’s family and friends and basically experience his world. From the airport to the exploration of the various cities of Germany, It was a great and new adventure for me. While we might not have been able to fully experience the German Christmas pre pandemic, we still had a wonderful time. 

WHEN IN GERMANY, Here are the things I learned:

There are no public bathrooms that you could use freely except for maybe at the airport. The bathrooms are about 50 cents. Also there are no bathrooms in the grocery stores or gas stations for you to use. Cash is a common form of transaction in Germany. The clothing stores are sooo much better and there is not a lot of small talks