Twenty five students. Eight countries. Four months. One program.
When people ask what my favorite part of the trip was, I often hesitate. How can I select a single moment when I have so many fantastic memories to choose from? I usually end up describing something big, such as hiking past numerous "Proceed at Your Own Risk" signs, trying to get the best view of Neuschwanstein Castle; or our time biking around Paris, surviving by the grace of God; or strolling through the Roman Forum, mixing our dust with that of one of the most fabled civilizations of our world; or weaving through rows of the most beautiful tulips in the internationally renowned Keukenhof gardens. Yet there were so many more underlying moments that bound the trip together in a way that only those who went on it will fully appreciate. It takes too long to describe the daily trips to Rewe (the local grocery store) for the salad bar and 59 cent espressos (much needed most days), or the endless games of concentration waiting for buses in Heidelberg, or freezing our toes off in Cologne while admiring the city's incredible cathedral, or ice skating in what has to be the greatest rink ever, or running a half marathon along the Rhine River and throughout the city of Bonn, or participating in the International Big Event, or watching a seven-hour surgery in a German clinic, or seeing an American movie in a bread-factory-turned-movie-theater. There are thousands of things I wish I could convey to people about the trip to make them understand how much of an impact it has had on me, but instead I just smile and say I had the most amazing time.
Briefly above, I mentioned traveling with friends. I had made some of these friends the semester prior to our trip, but most were made during our time in Germany. I could not have asked for a better group of people to spend four months in a foreign country with. Take, for instance, our bus ride from the Frankfurt Airport: I distinctly remember Kendrick got us practicing the German numbers 1-10, and while I'm not sure we ever even made it to ten or if any of said numbers were correctly pronounced, we sure did have a lot of fun trying. In a similar fashion, our engineering classes strengthened our relationships. Defying the common assumption that studying abroad guarantees you a 4.0, we put a lot of effort into our classwork and also our design project for a German biotech company. Many days started at 8am and would end just in time to catch the last bus home for the night, usually around midnight. Yet through it all, we were able to maintain the thrill of living in a foreign country, our sense of humor and, surprisingly, our grades.
When people ask what my favorite part of the trip was, I often hesitate. How can I select a single moment when I have so many fantastic memories to choose from? I usually end up describing something big, such as hiking past numerous "Proceed at Your Own Risk" signs, trying to get the best view of Neuschwanstein Castle; or our time biking around Paris, surviving by the grace of God; or strolling through the Roman Forum, mixing our dust with that of one of the most fabled civilizations of our world; or weaving through rows of the most beautiful tulips in the internationally renowned Keukenhof gardens. Yet there were so many more underlying moments that bound the trip together in a way that only those who went on it will fully appreciate. It takes too long to describe the daily trips to Rewe (the local grocery store) for the salad bar and 59 cent espressos (much needed most days), or the endless games of concentration waiting for buses in Heidelberg, or freezing our toes off in Cologne while admiring the city's incredible cathedral, or ice skating in what has to be the greatest rink ever, or running a half marathon along the Rhine River and throughout the city of Bonn, or participating in the International Big Event, or watching a seven-hour surgery in a German clinic, or seeing an American movie in a bread-factory-turned-movie-theater. There are thousands of things I wish I could convey to people about the trip to make them understand how much of an impact it has had on me, but instead I just smile and say I had the most amazing time.
Briefly above, I mentioned traveling with friends. I had made some of these friends the semester prior to our trip, but most were made during our time in Germany. I could not have asked for a better group of people to spend four months in a foreign country with. Take, for instance, our bus ride from the Frankfurt Airport: I distinctly remember Kendrick got us practicing the German numbers 1-10, and while I'm not sure we ever even made it to ten or if any of said numbers were correctly pronounced, we sure did have a lot of fun trying. In a similar fashion, our engineering classes strengthened our relationships. Defying the common assumption that studying abroad guarantees you a 4.0, we put a lot of effort into our classwork and also our design project for a German biotech company. Many days started at 8am and would end just in time to catch the last bus home for the night, usually around midnight. Yet through it all, we were able to maintain the thrill of living in a foreign country, our sense of humor and, surprisingly, our grades.
The more I talk about the program and all we were able to do, see, and experience during our four months abroad, the more I realize how much of the program relied on the incredible expertise of Dr. Jeremy Wasser, who headed the Germany Biosciences Program. Some might argue he had occasional help from a certain Dr. Schnoebel, but regardless this trip truly would not have been the same without him. If there ever was an honorary German, it would be Dr. Wasser; he has a complete grasp of the German customs, songs of old, and style. More importantly, he loves what he teaches and he did a phenomenal job of presenting it to us students. Some of the best trips of the program, those to Vienna and Paris (ft. slight deviations to Beaune and Colmar), drew heavily on information presented by Dr. Wasser in lecture. He taught from the textbook, from experience, and from his own personal studies - a combination which provided a robust learning environment for all. Dr. Wasser is hands-down one of the best professors I've ever had, and I could not imagine the program without him.
At the beginning of this post, I described a few highlights from many of our trips. The more obvious experiences of the trip can be found detailed in previous blog posts and seen in pictures; however, the more subtle reminders of my time abroad have evolved since I have returned. My sense of direction has improved, and I am more likely to strike out on my own; my understanding, though still quite basic, of European languages has increased; my ability to plan trips thoroughly and research modes/routes of transportation used in other places has gotten dramatically better; my awareness of cultural similarities and differences has increased, as well as the history contributing to many countries' perspectives on a host of issues; last but certainly not least, I have developed a sincere appreciation for German meats and pastries, French bread and wine, and Italian coffee and gelato.
One of the most interesting aspects of my trip centered around the US elections that had just taken place. Since the news was fresh on everyone's minds, I came to hear many opinions from Europeans of various nationalities on the state of not only American politics, but European politics and the relations between the two. Traveling throughout the continent, I also came to appreciate the size of the United States compared to that of its European counterparts. Many of the most prominent countries in the world fit inside the great state of Texas. I believe this is often lost on many Americans. Yes, our country has problems but, in my humble opinion, we tend to overlook how incredible it is that our country is made up of so many cultures and how that has become our strength rather than our weakness.
Twenty five students. Eight countries. Four months. One program.
At the beginning of this post, I described a few highlights from many of our trips. The more obvious experiences of the trip can be found detailed in previous blog posts and seen in pictures; however, the more subtle reminders of my time abroad have evolved since I have returned. My sense of direction has improved, and I am more likely to strike out on my own; my understanding, though still quite basic, of European languages has increased; my ability to plan trips thoroughly and research modes/routes of transportation used in other places has gotten dramatically better; my awareness of cultural similarities and differences has increased, as well as the history contributing to many countries' perspectives on a host of issues; last but certainly not least, I have developed a sincere appreciation for German meats and pastries, French bread and wine, and Italian coffee and gelato.
One of the most interesting aspects of my trip centered around the US elections that had just taken place. Since the news was fresh on everyone's minds, I came to hear many opinions from Europeans of various nationalities on the state of not only American politics, but European politics and the relations between the two. Traveling throughout the continent, I also came to appreciate the size of the United States compared to that of its European counterparts. Many of the most prominent countries in the world fit inside the great state of Texas. I believe this is often lost on many Americans. Yes, our country has problems but, in my humble opinion, we tend to overlook how incredible it is that our country is made up of so many cultures and how that has become our strength rather than our weakness.
Twenty five students. Eight countries. Four months. One program.
Countless memories.
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ReplyDeleteI love it! This is fantastic!
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