Our Germany Traveler

It happens every year about this time.  Their current school takes the older kids (3rd, 4th, and 5th grades) on a team building/learning/bonding trip for a few nights at the very beginning of the school year.  This was MadHatter's 3rd and final year and it was a doozy.  For the first time, the school took them for a full week instead of only two nights.  Yep, a full week.  Added to that, they took them on a 7-hour train trip north!  She had been looking forward to since they announced it last year and it was finally here.  She could hardly contain herself.

She packed so carefully making sure not to forget one single item on the list.  She made sure she even had extras just in case she got wet or misplaced something. 

And then suddenly it was here.  We made our way throught he rush hour U-Bahn traffic to get her to the station on time.  We got there, checked in and she loaded on the train with her small group.  And she diligently posed for the picture she knew I would have to take.  And then she turned around and never looked back.  The train pulled out of the station and they were off.  From that point on we (the parents) were at the mercy of their guardians for any updates on what they were doing and how they were faring.  We were lucky that they were very good about keeping us in the loop with photos and quick snippets of their days but we had to wait for the kids to get back before we got any real details.  And boy did we get details.  I am not sure that MadHatter has stopped talking about the fantastic time she had since she got home on Friday night.

Needless to say, we are all so happy that she got to go on this trip.  The memories she made here (and the friendships she solidified) will hopefully last her a lifetime. 

Here is a glimpse - the only glimpse - into our 5th-grade traveler's life in Berlin...

On the train...

Morning 1 - making outdoor shelters.

The soup they made for dinner.

Dinner with Friends.

Bread making.

In Berlin.

Brandenberg Gate.

Selfie time.

Natural History Museum.

Learning to tie knots.

Building the raft.  Boys vs. girls and the raft had to hold two teachers as they paddled around the lake.

It held!

Bear park in Berlin.

Singing around the campfire.

Cleaning out their cabins and heading home.