We started off on the right note, having just finished up with finals with everyone enjoying that sense of relief that comes with not having the intense academic responsibilities. I loved the bike tour that we took to get to know Berlin. We were able to stop at all the amazing sights while getting a real feel for the geography of the city and the history that pervades everything. I was really surprised with the amount of construction and development going on in the eastern portion of the city. I had gone in with subconscious assumption that there was going to be a drastic difference between East and West Berlin, and although there were distinctions made, the growing unity of the two made me realize how much progress has been made on that front. Other highlights included the tour of Dresden with the market and Frauenkirche, and the zoo. The opera was really great as well, but with my near-nonexistent use of German, it would have been nice to have a few English subtitles.
Then there was the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. I feel like I really can't group it with the rest of our
activities in Berlin just because of the incredible emotional reaction to something with such ethical and historical repercussions. There's a certain abstraction that comes from learning something long-distance. As devastating as teachers portray the Holocaust to be, there's nothing that truly communicates the reality of the imprisonment and genocide of masses of people besides standing on the ground where some of it took place. Although it didn't fit in with the spirit of the other tours and trips, I think this was one of the most valuable. I really appreciated the chance to more fully understand the reality of what went on, and there was just an astounding sense of reverence in imagining who might have walked in through the gates that we entered, and who might never have had the chance to walk out.
In order to not leave my commentary of Berlin on a depressing note, I will say that I really enjoyed the last group dinner. It was great chance to say thank you to Dr. Wasser and Kristin for all fo the amazing work they did on the program, seen and unseen. It just amazes me that this first semester trip went so smoothly! Plus, what could be more culturally diverse than eating Moroccan food in Germany? From there, Andrea, Joanna, Megan, Austin and I all made our way (with some stops on the way) to Paris to begin our westward trek through Europe. It was unreal. I got to view Champs-Élysées from the top of the Arc de Triomphe, take a sunny nap underneath the Eiffel
tower, abandon all sense of time and direction in the Louvre, and wander through the splendor of the Garden of Versailles. From there we started the next leg of the trip—to London! I cannot describe how AMAZING it was to set foot in an English-speaking country! Not that communicating in Germany was ever a problem, but all of these people speaking English! It was brilliant. I could eavesdrop unrestrained, ask for directions unabashed, and read street signs to my heart’s content. Moving on from my disproportional joy on the language front, we did our fair share of touring in London as well. We had the connections to stay with an incredibly hospitable family in the suburbs and just trained in to see everything: Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Big Ben/Parliament, Westminster Abbey, and more…We even got to experience an authentic English breakfast, beans and all! From there, we (sans Austin) took trains and a ferry over to Ireland and finished up the ten-day stretch in Dublin before hopping on a plane and heading back home.
Although I experienced the language barrier wear down while still overseas (German to French to English to Irish English), other differences hit me right away after landing in the US. While waiting for a connecting flight from Newark, I bought a drink and had counted out the exact change to pay with before realizing that sales tax wasn’t included in the posted price. All of my dollar currency looked foreign and strangely uniform, and there were water fountains so people could drink water…for free…novel idea. Still, like I said before, it wasn’t any of these tiny realizations that really reflected how I changed in response to this past semester. Rather, those alterations had taken place gradually, in daily steps throughout the semester, culminating in my being miles away from where I started in terms of independence, confidence and global perspective. Just as I am no longer baffled by even the most complex public transit system, I’m also no longer able to consider distant countries as just a name or geographical unit. I had the chance to be truly integrated into a society that differed so starkly from what I had known. That, I think, I the adjustment I value the most—the ease I know have in considering things in a global perspective. I also know one more thing for certain: I will be going back. It may not be soon, or for months on end, but I can’t wait!
If I could give any advice to my past self, or for anyone preparing to head out for their own semester abroad, it would be:
- Memorize your train/tram stops and schedule. Just as importantly, know what time of night and for what occasions it no longer runs. And if while you’re walking to the stop you hear it coming from around the corner, run! It’ll be worth it.
- Keep a personal journal. Not just for the big impressive stuff, but the little things too, because they’re easier to forget and just as valuable.
- Double check your train tickets at connection points and be prepared to ask for directions when for some reason platform 12 is not between platforms 11 and 13.
- Don’t get too frustrated by the initial culture shock. Expect things to be different in a foreign country, and try to appreciate it.
- Pack efficiently. Not necessarily bare-bone—you need to be prepared for the weather and activities. Just realize that there may be a time when you have to carry all of your possessions through multiple train cars worth of crowded aisles or up several flights of subway stairs.
- NEVER let yourself take the amazing buildings and history for granted, even if you walk through town every day. When you get back to Texas, there are no towering gothic cathedrals.
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