DUSTIN: Final Thoughts

This trip has sadly come down to its final days. Looking back on the whole experience and everything that I had to do to get here, I would have to say it was worth every stressful day. When we first landed in Munich I was terrified, because I had never left the east coast of the United States. When we were going to German customs to get our passports stamped I had no clue what was going on. We filed into lines at the desks and got asked questions on why we were here; I panicked and froze for a second until I remembered why I was in Germany. When we got to Berlin finally we almost died, not really but I thought we were going to. We got on a bus, and headed to our hostel The Heart of Gold. I was in shock I had no clue what was going on everyone around me went from speaking English to speaking German.

Berlin was a lot to take in. My first experience in Germany was in its capital and one of its biggest cities. In the United States the biggest city I’ve been in was Boston. Berlin seemed much bigger. I didn’t sleep any on the plane, so when we got there I was extremely tired. I wanted to relax and go to sleep, but I’m glad I didn’t because I would have missed a lot of amazing things like the Victory Tower and the Brandenburg Gate. The trip to Berlin was a great way to start the trip.

When we got to Magdeburg I felt more at home than I did in Berlin. Magdeburg is more my speed, it’s not big and it’s not fast paced like Berlin. In Magdeburg I met everyone else that was studying with us. I am going to miss everyone on this trip. I may not every get to see some of them again like the friends that I made from Jordan, but I feel like I made lifelong friends. I was put out of my comfort zone a few times while I’ve been here because I am terrified of heights and it seems like everything worth seeing is very high up.

The class here had me nervous because I had no clue what to expect. As it turned out it wasn’t that bad after all. They teacher was nice and the material was explained well and if you were really lost in English. I was terrified because it takes me a second to straighten everything out in my head when someone talks to me in German, but I had no reason to be. Now the class is finished I am sad because that makes the end of this great journey aboard, which is one that I will never forget. I have heard it said that when you go aboard it’s a life changing experience, and it really is. It opens your eyes to everything around you. I will never forget my month in the country that I worked so hard to get to. It has truly been a dream come true for me, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group to spend it with.

 

KIRSTEN: Final Thoughts

Being in Magdeburg for three weeks has made me feel like I live here. I’m so glad that we have stayed in one spot compared to other trips through the school in which students travel around so much more than we have. This trip has gone by so fast that many days it feels like we just got here, and other days I feel like something happened months ago. While I’m sad that I will be leaving Magdeburg, I’m glad that I still have another month here in Germany with family.

Overall this trip has been very eye-opening. We’ve had to adapt to so many different things, such as no free refills or waiters always coming to the table to check on you. The roads are so bike friendly that people are on bikes everywhere, and riders even get their own lane. We have also had the chance to use many different types of public transportation that you can’t really find in the States. We’ve done many different things in three weeks that would not be quite as easy in the States. In a given day, we could hop on a train in the morning, stop in two cities for a couple of hours at a time and still get to our final destination with enough light to walk around, take pictures and enjoy an evening there.

I’m very glad that I took this opportunity that so few people get to have. Learning about a language and culture only goes so far in a classroom in the states, but being in the country that you are learning about gives you a whole new perspective on it. Being in the country forces you to hear the language and learn to listen closely and quickly to what is being said. I know that I won’t come back to the States speaking Deutsch fluently, but I know that I will know so much more than I did at the beginning of the trip. This trip has showed me that there is so much more in the world than good ‘ole Boiling Springs. I know that I have changed so much so far on this trip, although I probably couldn’t tell you how. As much as I miss home at this point, I think that I am going to miss this country even more.

CHRIS: Final Thoughts

Goodbye Deutschland

I have learned so much from this trip. It’s been super interesting to see how people of another culture live. I have also become vastly more comfortable speaking German. When I first got here I was secretly terrified to talk to any of the Germans. Since then I’ve become much more comfortable and have no fear whatsoever with talking to them. I surprised myself at lunch today when the waiter tried to rip us off. Genie and I ate at an Asian restaurant. The food was very good and reasonably priced. I had some curry chicken stuff.

When I went to pay the waiter didn’t have any Kleingeld or at least that’s what he told us. So Genie and I gave him two 10s and six Euros in coin money. He then gave me a five and walked off. The meal was only 15.50 and we soon realized that he was trying to rip off the Auslanders. I guess it was the end of his shift because he changed clothes and tried to walk out. He tried so hard not to make eye contact. I spoke well enough German to call him out about it when he tried to leave. At first he pretended like he didn’t know what I was talking about and that I was speaking another language. Another waiter walked over and I explained what happened. He then gave me a ten and we left. I was so proud of myself.

I would also like to mention that this has only happened once since I’ve been here and I’ve eaten almost every meal out. 99% of the time at restaurants the waiters are courteous and go out of their way to help you. That’s the way it’s been with everyone. If you get lost or need to find an ATM all you have to do is ask someone politely and they will help. The German society is very orderly and polite. Even the homeless people are polite! The first day we got here Kendall and I sat down near the train station and had a snack. Two homeless people approached us and we had a conversation with them. The whole time they used the formal Sie and when I said that I didn’t understand something they took the time to explain it to us. In America if two bums approached us I would’ve feared for my life but here I didn’t feel threatened at all. That’s something I’ll definitely miss. In Deutschland I can go almost anywhere any time of day and feel perfectly safe.

In fact I’ll miss almost everything about Deutschland. The food, the people, the weather, the beer, the beer gardens, the Strassenbahn, and countless other things. I’ll definitely miss hanging out with the group too. The group on this trip has been awesome and I can say without a doubt that this has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. Everyone has gotten along well and I’ve had so much fun.

It is definitely time to go home though. I want to see my family. My sister and Ryan are home from Korea and I want to see them. I also want to play my guitar again. I have missed it so much! I haven’t played guitar in forever the calluses on my fingers are starting to disappear. I can’t wait to go home but at the same time I can’t wait to come back someday. I’ve had such a good time here and learned so much. Everything has been wunderbar.

KENDALL: Final Thoughts

Before I left for Germany, I didn't really know what to expect. I was worried about not being proficient enough. I wanted to become fluent, I wanted to learn the culture, I wanted to build up my application for grad school and resume. I came because my friend Lynn convinced me; she told me her trip to Sweden was the most influential event in her life. I thought that at the very least it would change my perspective on life to come to Europe and see a different way of life. The days leading up to me leaving were tense for me, and it was very hard to say goodbye to the people closest to me for so long; I knew I would miss my girlfriend badly, and my summer vacation with my family also, but I had decided this was the right path for me.

The flight to Germany was surreal, it had been a while since I had been on an airplane much less out of the country. I didn't know anybody I was traveling with except for Jay. When we arrived I started to get to know my fellow students as we made the trek to our hostel on little or no sleep with all our luggage. I never really felt like I had come to Europe; I could see so many things similar to America that it seemed like I was just a skip and a hop away.

Since my arrival, I have become very close to the other students. Several of them are much more confident in their German than me and so I was dependent on them to do basic tasks. We became close as family, sharing rooms, food, drinks, and memories.

When we started class I was surprised I was put in the same level as other students like Chris, Regina D. and TJ, but I figured if I was with them I could survive even if I was over my head. I decided I would stick it out and stay in the upper level course for better or worse because I couldn't settle for not trying my hardest and I wasn't sure what the second half of my trip would have in store for me.

Class was challenging, but I found the change in my everyday routine much harder to deal with. I am used to having lots of alone time, and I have every kind of time but alone. It put me way outside of my comfort zone to attend a class I struggled just to keep up with and spend my time constantly in the company of others. We did many fun and exciting things that I will never forget and while I grew tired of the constant activity I knew I would regret it if I didn't try and participate as much as possible.

It feels like it took until now to adjust, and now the circumstances are changing again. My class is over, and I amazingly enough did as well as everyone else despite the fact I have had fewer classes. I am having to say goodbye to all the people I have become so close to. I will see some people again, back in America, but others I will probably never see again :( .

Now I am looking forward to my next month here, studying in Stendal, and once again delving into the unknown with a new city and new people. Whatever happens, I am sure I will learn much from it, I can only hope as much as I have learned in the past month. For those of you reading this at home, I miss you and I look forward to seeing you.

GENIE: Final Thoughts

Last night a small group of us went to a shisha (hookah) bar downtown. It was very neat and relaxing to sit back and decompress after such a long and stressful week. I had never tried shisha before, and I found that I did not hate or even dislike it as I thought I would. I’m going to do some more research about it before I do it over and over though. Regardless, I’d go back to that place because it had a great atmosphere and décor.

Today we had class at the regular time, but it was much more relaxed. We watched the film Good Bye Lindin, which I had never seen before. It’s a wonderful movie, and it was interesting to watch it in German. After that we took a break and went to the school’s store and purchased some memorabilia (aka hoodies!). Then we watched a kid’s fairy tale in German until it was time for our “award ceremony”. The head of the school talked to us and then presented us with our certificates for completing the class.

After class, Chris and I went to the Asian bistro that is situated a stone’s throw away from the Jugendherberge. It was fantastic. They have lunch specials and I had an 8 piece sushi dish with a small salad that had a delicious mango dressing. The sushi consisted of avocado and tuna, crab, and I think salmon.

At the end of the meal, Chris gave the waiter two 10 euro bills to pay for 15,50 €. The man said (auf Deutsch) that he didn’t have any small money for change, so we pooled together some small money and gave him six euro in jingle. He then gave Chris five euro back and left. “Hmmmmm,” we thought, “that doesn’t make sense!” So we immediately realized the man owed Chris five more euro seeing as in total he had been given 26 € to pay for 15,50 €. We sat there for a good while, discussing the possibility that he had done it on purpose, just to mess with us because we’re American. When Chris saw him next and called him over he had changed into his street clothes. He was going to dip out with the money! Chris explained to him, very kindly I might add, in German what had happened, and one of the other waiters gave him the money needed. It was hilarious, in a ‘he’s such a disgusting person for trying to steal’ way.

And here I sit now, contemplating the rest of the day. All we have left is to meet at 5:30 to go to the park for our cookout, which is our goodbye party. After that, we plan on going out dancing together, including the lovely Frau Weber, whom I will miss terribly. I can’t help but think about everything I will miss about this city. I can’t think of a single thing that I dislike here. When I say I want to, or rather will live here, I’m not joking. For at least a few years I am going to live here after graduation. It feels so right to me. And it’s not just the city that’s made me feel so comfortable, it’s the experiences I’ve had here. It’s almost as if being here and doing what I have has been a way to self-discovery. I feel as if I’ve found pieces of myself that have been missing for all my life. Everything will be different after this trip, but not in a negative way. Definitely not. I find sorrow in having to leave, but joy in being able to return, which is a definitely in my future.

REGINA: Final Thoughts

Do we really have to go back?

While I’ve been missing the conveniences of home, and missing the people that I’m close to, there’s a big part of me that is not looking forward to going back to the United States. I feel as though, having had this experience, that when I go back there, the people will seem incredibly uncultured and just inferior to the people in Germany. I kind of wish that I had been born in Germany and grown up here speaking German as my first language, instead of having been raised in South Carolina and speaking English.

I just… after having been here, I fail to see why America thinks itself so superior to everybody else in the world. While America has a lot of benefits, I feel that the way that its set up is incredibly backwards and inferior to how countries like Germany have set themselves up to be.

I guess that while you become more worldly and independent when you travel, it makes you see the negative aspects of where you come from (although, to be honest, I have already doubted for a long time how great America claims itself to be). In all, I’ve been very happy with my experience here, although now I worry that I will find America lacking as compared to all that Germany has to offer. Not to say that Germany doesn’t have its bad points. It’s incredibly expensive to buy things over here (clothes and shoes, for instance). In the school system, you don’t have as much of an ability to change your mind about what you want to do and what you want to study as you do in America. Overall, though, I’ve enjoyed Germany a lot more than I’ve ever enjoyed America.

I think that studying abroad is incredibly beneficial, and that if given the opportunity to do so, everyone should give it a try. This has been a life-changing experience for me, and it’s one that I don’t think I’ll ever forget. It’s allowed me to see things on more of a global perspective instead of just worrying about what’s going on locally. I think that a lot of the world’s problems would be eliminated if people were given the opportunity to study abroad and observe a different culture for an extended amount of time. If everyone thought on a global perspective, I think that countries would be able to work out existing issues and many potential issues that could come up later could be prevented.

ANNABELLE: Final Thoughts

As our time in Germany comes to an end I have mixed feelings about my experience in Germany. Although I am looking forward to seeing and sharing my pictures with my family, friends and kitty, I am sad that our adventure is coming to an end. I want to take in as much as possible, from taking random videos of our group going out to dinner and skipping down the street to filming the outside of our Jugendherberge (Hostel). There is nothing that I regret or want to forget from this trip and experience. I now understand what Herr Coffman meant when he said that going on this study abroad would change our lives, as it had his. This trip has taught me so much about not only myself but everyone on this trip. I feel like I’ve gained so much during my time in Germany; from new, close friendships to my German improving exponentially. It was interesting to see how being immersed in the language and culture effected all of us. Genie told me that one night she heard me talking in my sleep in German which I found amusing and surprising. Words I had learned years ago would come to me at random moments. It was as if the more time I spent here the more my mind opened up. I also couldn’t have asked for a better teacher at the Hochschule, Frau Weber was so sweet , spunky and gave us amazing insight into German culture and perspective. I wish that she could come back to the U.S. with us. I also loved my time spent with Bo and Hendrik. I will miss them both so much, but thankfully for Facebook we can keep in contact easily. I feel like we are all bonded by this experience, including our Minnesotan and Jordanian friends. I wish they too could come back to Upstate with us. We often talk about how we haven’t realized that we’re about to separate from one another because we all feel like one big family. We have a real understanding of one another because we’ve seen one another at every level of exhaustion, low blood sugar, happiness and moodswings. I’m not typically one to be overly affectionate and gushy, but I love everyone on this trip and am so glad that I met every single one of them. I am so glad that I had the opportunity to study abroad this summer. So I thank Herr Coffman, Hendrik,Bo, Frau Weber, my parents for sending me on this trip and everyone who came on this trip. I would also like to thank everyone for putting up with my own mood swings, and to Genie for waking me up every morning and being my roommate. I will miss this experience.