Last weekend was the IES hiking trip to the Vosges mountains in France! We stayed in a cute hotel that fed us obscene amounts of potatoes and cheese, and I kept getting merci and danke mixed up. It was amazing.

We saw cows being herded across the mountains with massive bells on their necks.

We found a cave where I may or may not have smacked my head on a rock with surprising force.

We found an inchworm!!!

Michael got super into explaining something (he’s one of the IES teachers and led the hikes)

We went into an old WWI bunker and I got a bunch of rusty metal in my hair. It was super cool and also dark and creepy.

Day two was full of super cool vistas and lakes.

We found an excellent example of the doctrine of signatures, a lichen that looks like lungs and was used to treat lung diseases. It turns out that this one is actually true!

The sole came off of Rachel’s shoe and Race had to fix it with a strip of duct tape. Very reminiscent of when Garret (also pictured) had his actual toe stuck back together in Portugal by Anna.

It was an amazing hiking trip! And now it’s only 4 days until I meet the rents in Berlin!!!