Boston

Where to even begin? First of all, I am relieved that all my friends in Boston and the surrounding areas stayed safe during the mayhem. I am grateful for the police, emergency responders, hospital personnel, and other officials who risked their lives to prevent further violence. I mourn the three marathon victims, the fatally wounded MIT officer, and the transit official, as well as all of those who sustained injuries. It's hard not to mourn for America in general.

In addition to the overall terror, sadness, and general flood of emotions that most Americans experienced this week, it was disorienting and alienating to watch the events unfold from Germany -- primarily from U.S. sources. The German media barely reported the story for the first three days, and when they did, by the time the papers went to press, the details were already out of date. While I usually make a point of avoiding the media when major violent stories like this unfold, this time I was glued to Boston.com and Reddit, watching for updates. I half-expected a question from well-meaning colleagues, asking how far Philadelphia was from Boston or if I had any family in the area. Nothing. It simply was not a big story here until late Thursday into early Friday, when the chase intensified and they finally captured the second suspect.

Many people have written that this kind of violence mixed with geographic apathy is what it's like in war-torn nations around the world every day. Yes, of course it is. I fully recognize this. What left an impression on me is how easy it was to get wrapped up in events on another [my] continent, entirely through online media, and how the effects thereof were still so physical. I barely slept the first two nights; I only slept the third night because I was so exhausted. I think of all the international students who I went to college with and whose home politics we rarely follow. When you're so far away and something happens in your home country, it's hard to pay attention to anything that's happening where you actually are. Your attention is pulled in the direction of the drama.

I could go on and on. Like everyone, I am relieved that this manhunt has come to an end and Boston can begin to pick up the pieces. In time we will see what this tragedy means for the entire nation as a whole.