The Experience of a Lifetime, Day Three

I've been waiting to make my first blog post for one simple reason: There aren't any words strong enough to properly express the thrill of being in a new city, in a new country, on a new continent. Germany bears almost a magical quality for me - my family members have spoken fondly of their past visits to Leipzig, so being physically present in a place I've only been able to imagine up until now is almost like fulfilling a prophecy, as though it is now my turn to make memories for myself. Thankfully, Leipzig has been welcoming to a weary traveler like me, so making unforgettable memories has been the easiest thing to accomplish so far.

Elegant and beautiful, Leipzig impresses me with its unbelievable combination of older and modern architectural styles. Our hostel, located only a block away from Bach's church, is in the middle of it all - trendy restaurants, gorgeous churches, modern concert houses, and historical coffee shops are only some of the many sights to be seen.

(The modern facade of the university contrasts heavily against one of the doorways to Bach's church!)

As we've traversed down beautiful, old cobblestone roads, my friends and I have discovered delicious bakeries, amazing museums, adorable candy shops, intimidatingly gorgeous government buildings, and more. Our meals have been delicious, our waiters and waitresses kind (and patient!), and each new thing we've discovered only added to our positive impression of Leipzig. After two days, we are already overwhelmed by what we've experienced, if not a little saddened things are not quite the same in the United States.

Tonight, we attended our first of many concerts; casual but intimate, a lounge within the Gewandhaus served as the stage for the Gewandhaus Brass Quintet, which many of us had eagerly anticipated since before our travels began. Pieces by Debussy, Stravinsky, Brahms, and others delighted our ears for an hour as we sipped our wine and beer, thoroughly enjoying the professionalism of the performers. Though I know little about the world of brass instruments, even I found many things within their music to be thrilled about, and when the concert ended I found myself wishing their program had been twice as long.

While there are plenty of other memories I could elaborate on, I will save those for another time. It is late, and the tapping of my keyboard is keeping the other people in my hostel room awake. Until next time, folks!