Arrival
Upon receiving a stamp on my passport from the friendly customs worker at the Frankfurt airport, my German exchange was officially underway. My host brother Valentin and his mother Susanne greeted me at the baggage claim and proceeded to give me a brief tour of Wiesbaden after leaving the airport. At the end of the tour, we ate dinner at a Bavarian restaurant and treated ourselves to the finest sausages and pretzels Wiesbaden had to offer. Once we finished our meals, we went to their house and I quickly fell into a jetlag-induced sleep.
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| Wiesbaden boasted the world's largest cuckoo clock |
First Day of School
The next day, I awoke and was pleasantly surprised to find that I had slept off the jetlag. It was the first day of school, so the mother, Susanne, packed a snack for me consisting of a pretzel with butter and an apple, which became a daily occurrence. She drove Valentin and I to school and the other exchange students and I began our daily German lessons. Once our two and a half hours of lessons had ended, we ate lunch and ventured over towards Neroberg, a place on the outskirts of Wiesbaden overlooking the city.
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| View of Wiesbaden from Neroberg |
The second day of school, I began to note some of the differences between MBA and the Humboldt Schule. The main difference I noticed was the laid back demeanor the students there seemed to have. They informed us that they had finished all of their exams the week prior to our arrival, so they did not share the same eagerness to learn as they did earlier in the school year. They told us that the government regulates when each city has its designated summer break in order to regulate the amount of traffic on the Autobahn. Since they had already finished their exams, their classes consisted of going over material they would cover the next school year in order to get ahead.
Heidelberg Excursion
On the 22nd, we arrived at school around 8:00 and walked to the train station, which fortunately was only a five minute walk, and a three minute slight jog. We departed towards Heidelberg shortly after arriving, and sat in awe as we stared out at the beautiful German countryside during our two hour train ride. Once we arrived, we walked through the center of town, which was between the Neckar River and the historic Heidelberg Castle, atop a steep hill. We hiked up the trails, and as my calves started to disagree with the seemingly endless amount of stairs, we reached the base of the castle. The castle’s architecture as well as the view overlooking the city were nothing short of breathtaking.
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| Atop the Heidelberg Castle |
The Euros
I have been an avid German soccer fan since a young age, so the European Championship overlapping with our time in Germany made for the perfect setting. The atmosphere on game days was unparalleled. German flags flew throughout city as a grand display of pride could be seen and heard everywhere we went. We went with other students from the school to large public viewings to watch as the German national team made its way through the tournament. After each game, the deafening sound of cars honking and fans cheering could be heard all throughout the city. Unfortunately, Germany lost to France in the semifinals, and the celebrations came to an abrupt and unexpected halt. Nonetheless, it was a great experience.
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| Our seats at the public viewing |
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| A tough goodbye as we departed from Wiesbaden |
Munich
After saying our goodbyes at the train station to our host families, we boarded a train and departed for Munich. Despite having an insufficient amount of sleep, the scenic views of rural Germany demanded our undivided attention. As we neared Munich, hop plants could be seen as far as the horizon. We arrived at our hostel and after a few minutes of getting situated, we left to take on all the Munich had to offer.
We visited the world renowned BMW World, filled with cars aging from the the early 1900s to modern day. I have never been a car enthusiast, but even I was taken back by the impressive array of cars.
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| A car made of cheese |
Munich was also home to the English Gardens, a huge park with a small river flowing through it. Tourists and natives alike all came here to cool down amidst the scorching hot summer days. We played soccer and swam in the river.
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| The English Gardens |
Vienna
When we first arrived in Vienna, the Alps immediately caught my eye, as they could be seen faintly on the horizon amongst a misty layer of clouds. We came to the hostel shortly after arriving at the train station and then set out to the town.
We visited the Vienna Prater, which once held the world’s fair. The most famous ride was a ferris wheel that was built in the 1800s. It had to be reconstructed after World War II, but was restored to its original glory.
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| After a delicious meal at Figlmüller in Vienna |
On our last day, we visited an art museum. I became quickly aware that there was something strange about this place when I walked through the corridors, and each room held pieces of art that were just as strange as the prior rooms. Although I was a bit out of my element, I felt that I had gained a deeper understanding of the world around me.
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| Pondering the deeper meaning |
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| Bidding Europe farewell |
I would like to thank the Wilson family for providing me with this once-in-a-lifetime experience. My German significantly improved over the course of the exchange, I gained a more global perspective, and I learned more about different cultures. I would also like to thank Herr Dougherty for sparking my interest in the German language and preparing me for my time in Germany. I am very fortunate and thankful to have received a Wilson Grant, and will never forget the amazing experiences that were made possible due to the Wilson family’s generosity.
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