These past weeks have been amazing! In my time in Germany, I had the opportunity to visit many German cities, including Heidelberg, Koblenz, Koln, Lubeck, Bremen, and Hamburg, in addition to an extensive period of time in Berlin I believe living in Europe has helped me develop the skills I need to be successful in almost any city- how to navigate local transportation (trains, planes, buses- you name it), find access to amenities and enjoy the sights. Through our German language class, I’ve grown in my ability to communicate in another language, and have even been able to support in-depth conversations that lead to meaningful interactions and relationships with locals- an ability I’ll continue to work on in the future. I’ve met people from all-over, whether an immigrant couple from Afghanistan, a gaucho-turned-HVAC repairman from Argentina or a nice music store owner in Bremen- everywhere I’ve found friends and learned to see the world in a new perspective. This time in Germany has helped me grow as a person, a student and friend, and as a global citizen in our community.
Author: Isaac Spackman
A few photos…
Taking the train from Koln back to Berlin-
We didn’t have seat reservations, but we made things work
Sachsenhausen Reflection
Visiting Sachsenhausen was an eye opening experience. I’d always learned about the holocaust in school, but shear extent of the organization and planning required never really hit home. Despite having general knowledge about concentration camps, after visiting Sachsenhausen the infrastructure in place was downright shocking. From the roads to the walls to the buildings themselves- everything was designed for mass production and efficiency.
First week auf Deutsch…
It’s only been a week and already it feels like so much longer. Our travel here was successful, but not without hiccups (we ended up accidentally going out of security in the Amsterdam airport, and had to be escorted back through) which just adds tot adventure.
Second Thoughts
This summer has been a great one so far- but its not over yet! Later this morning we’ll be hopping on a bus to Detroit to make our flight this evening. As a red-eye through to Amsterdam, most of us have been staying up late to hopefully (fingers crossed) sleep on the plane, though some still have homework to do….