A normal Wednesday for me consists of teaching, some time with the Judson kids, and a soccer practice in the evening. This past Wednesday went a little differently. I caught a train right after school heading up to Hannover, and by late afternoon I was with a group of friends from Camp Abbensen. It's a CVJM camp (Germany's version of the YMCA) and has been part of a fifty-one year exchange program with Camp Dudley. I spent the summer of 2009 in Germany through the exchange, attending the camp and touring with other visiting international groups. Many of my friends from the camp have made it to Dudley, and others I remembered from 2009.
Our group of twelve ventured out to the Herrenhauser Brewery on the west side of the city. The buildings were big, old, and a bit foreboding. Although the atmosphere of the tour was quite friendly, I was happy we skipped over the basement to get up to brewery's pub on the top floor. It was nice to sample the different types of beers and rid my palate of some of the smells from the production rooms. They made a big deal about the Icebeer during the tour, claiming to be one of the few German breweries to produce this type of beer. Nearly everyone wanted to sample it first, and I would say that most, myself included, were unimpressed.
Still, the atmosphere was warm and friendly. Like Dudley folk, Abbensen friends tend to be the nicest of people. I enjoyed seeing friends, some of whom I hadn't spoken to since my last time in Germany, and reminiscing about the camp. It's a special place, and though it will always be difficult to pass up a summer at Dudley, I would love to lead the exchange program when I get a little older.
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