Going to Sachsenhausen was an experience unlike anything I had ever done before. I had heard stories from the Holocaust and WWII plenty of times, but there is a huge difference between reading a book in a classroom and actually being on site with original materials on hand.
Week One Afterthoughts
There are many differences between the way I live at home and the way of life in Germany. One of the biggest changes for me has been transportation. I am accustomed to getting everywhere by car and almost never using public transportation, but here our only option is using public transportation. Learning the various systems and routes as well as etiquette on the systems was confusing at first, but I have started to get the hang of it.
Woche Eins
This first week spent in Berlin has been fantastic. Traveling will give you such a different perspective on the world and Berlin is a great city to be in. I never expected I would enjoy living here quite this much. Continue reading “Woche Eins”
Initial Thoughts on Germany
Personally, my first week in Germany has been quite exciting! Since arriving just over a week ago I have learned so much about German culture and history. There was nothing too major that I did not expect of Germany. However, one aspect that surprised me was how clean Germans keep their streets and public transportation systems. Another thing that I find interesting is how many people utilize public transportation and how easy it is to use. At first, it was overwhelming to use public transportation because it is all in German but, I quickly got used to finding my way around the city. From home I mostly miss that English is always spoken and used. For me, it is still sometimes intimidating when ordering food or shopping because I am unaware if they do speak English. This can sometimes create confusion but is more a problem when shops are trying to move fast and I hold them up longer due to the language barrier. Some things that I wish that home has includes, the public transportation system and the amount that people are outside with friends or family. Back home people tend to stay inside with their AC and not socialize as much as Germans appear to. Overall I am loving my time here and think that this trip has been thus far a great opportunity to learn more about others and their culture while studying and taking classes for my major.
Something we can’t fully understand…
The trip to Sachsenhausen was… sobering, to say the least. We’ve all learned about WWII and what happened in history class, but learning about something and actually being in the place that it happened are two entirely different things. Continue reading “Something we can’t fully understand…”
First Impressions of Germany
I was nervous to come to Germany at first. I had never left the country before and didn’t even know where to start when it came to packing, so it’s fair to say I didn’t know what to expect. Continue reading “First Impressions of Germany”
Group Pic
On Sunday we stopped by the Reichstag and took a group picture. Everyone is doing great. Some need more sleep than others and a few have a mild cold.
This picture was made by the “pano” mode on my phone.
First thoughts on Germany
Berlin is fairly different from any US city. The public transportation is much better than any I’ve experienced in the us; it is kept extremely clean and is always on time. Continue reading “First thoughts on Germany”
Blog3
Walking through both the concentration camp at Sachsenhausen and the Holocaust Museum was hard. WWII was an atrocity that is difficult to comprehend. Continue reading “Blog3”
First Week Impressions
The fact that we have only been here a little over a week seems so weird. I have grown rather accustomed to being in Berlin – much faster than I thought I would. Continue reading “First Week Impressions”