It’s almost Christmas and I’ve finished most of my projects and completed two finals. I’ve also managed to find an internship for next semester, which is only forty-five minutes away. It was incredibly challenging to juggle my family coming into town whilst studying for some of my finals but now it’s over and we are in Cologne for Christmas. The Christmas markets have been beautiful and filled with gorgeous local crafts and dishes from the region. My family isn’t used to walking around so much, and have been exhausted by 2 o’clock. It’s going to be difficult to carry all of our suitcases when we leave! There are four main Christmas markets in Cologne. There is the neumarkt, or new market that most of the locals go to and has trendier items and a more vibrant air to it. The altstadt market is in the older part of town and has more traditional items and medieval looking booths. Then there’s the market by the Rhine river which is similar to a fishing market and by the chocolate museum. The final big market is right outside the cathedral and is very Christmassy. The cathedral has been the best part of the trip. It took over 600 years to build, which began in 1248. While we’ve been here we located a theatre that plays movies in English, and we ended up seeing Star Wars twice because it was so good. The city is the perfect blend between new and old culture and I would love to come back again, perhaps in February during fasching, a crazy holiday in Germany where everyone dresses up and celebrates in the streets. 
