Wanderung

4. Wan~de~rung die [hiking]: the German word for hiking through Earth’s version of heaven

One of my favorite childhood memories, no actually, my favorite childhood memories, were my hikes through the woods with my Opi (grandfather). Rain, sun, or snow, we would walk side by side, exploring the peaceful beauty of the Northwoods. We would only hear the crunch of the leaves as we walked, a woodpecker knocking on a tree, the symphony of leaves and trees rustling in the wind, and the loon call from the distance.

Those memories were awakened this weekend. On Friday, the IES group went on a hike through Freiburg’s own Schlossberg. I was stupid enough to not bring my camera, but that meant that my own lens captured every second of the beauty before me.  The mountain is mostly wooded, but the sun was always glimmering through the trees. After climbing up the steepest part, we were greatly rewarded with a magnificent view of Freiburg. The majestic Münster church caught everyone’s eye first, but the background of the mountains made the scene complete. We took a break in a little valley that had a restaurant closed for the season. We sat outside, soaking up the sun and toured the little church nearby. Sitting back, welcoming the warm sun, I gazed at the valley that reminded me of the Sound of Music. It was so hard to resist singing “The Hills are Alive….”

Yesterday, Saturday, was probably my favorite day so far in Germany. Despite waking up super early on a Saturday, it was totally worth it. The bus ride was three hours long, but I thankfully woke up just in time to see Switzerland and it was love at first sight. We drove to a little town called Engelberg, a place were tourists can do anything outdoorsy imagined. My eagerness increased, as the bus climbed up the mountain and the ski hills finally showed up.  Although I have never wanted to go downhill skiing this bad in my life, the ride up the gondola and view that it gave, made everything so much better. Looking outside of the gondola, the skiers were just little specks, sliding down the grandiose, snow covered mountain. I loved the stark contrast of the fresh green valley, sparkling white snowy Alps, and the bright blue sky. We hiked for hours and every scene was more breathtaking than the last. The day before, I bought a good hiking backpack and warm hiking socks. A little pricey, but totally worth it, because I stayed dry and warm the entire time.  My time in the Alps confirmed once again there is a God.  The fresh air, the peacefulness, the powerful mountains, and the bright sun reflecting off of the white snow, definitely purifies the soul. I was able to think about my spirituality and my life, each step and each deep, clean breath I took. By the end of the trip, I felt strengthened and refreshed and ready to conquer my fears.

My time here in Germany, especially through my wanderung experiences, has taught me to no longer fear heights, but more importantly, that I have always had a free spirit inside of me. I look forward to seeing how that free spirit will grow even more in the days, weeks, and months to come.