The past few weekends of big cities and major site seeing have been wonderful; however, over the past few days I have felt an urgent need to do something else. I needed to be outside and go walking, rock climbing, scuba diving, surfing, curling, or anything that would make me feel accomplished of something. Obviously, only a few of those options were actually available to me. Perhaps it was the impact of all the nice weather Reutlingen has experienced lately. It was calling people to come outside.

Well, I found the perfect thing to do, two perfect things to do. My roommate and I wanted to get out of our room yesterday since it was so nice out and class ended at 10:45 that morning. An afternoon with nothing to do is not fun… I need either a plan, homework, or activity. Looking outside my window, I could see Mount Baldy (a nickname Cate and I gave the hill). It looked like a decent walk which would lead to a great view of the city. We had no directions and no boys to lead us. It was all on our own. We took a compass and guessed at the directions. After some possible trespassing, we made it to the top of the hill; we went up the steepest parts to get there too. While the pain in my legs was killer, the view was absolutely breathtaking… not only because I was literally out of breath. After a few minutes of gazing at the horizon, we made our descent down the legitimate path we found. Success number one!

Then this afternoon we decided to tackle Bad Urach. It is a city nearby that is on our bus pass, so we could get there for free. Classes ended at 11:45 this morning (doesn’t studying abroad sound great already!?), and we got on a train shortly after. Our goal was to reach the waterfall a few kilometers from the train station. This hike was easier than the previous day, but there were stairs all the way up to the waterfall, which again made my legs not happy. This view was also spectacular. We were able to stand behind the waterfall and look out at the valley below. One of the most gorgeous scenes I have ever witnessed. Success number two!

Although my feet and legs are no longer participating willingly with my activities, I am so glad I have the opportunity not only to see the big cities and touristic sites but I also can partake in outdoor excursions. On a nice day, there is nothing better than picking a direction and walking/hiking/biking. Just get out there!