James McKnight: Peru

Part 1- Orientation in Lima

I left for Peru on the 4th of July on a hot Nashville day, and was hit by the first cool air I had felt in months when I stepped out of the airport in Lima.

For the first few days of orientation, we explored the old and new parts of Lima as we went on scavenger hunts, toured museums and churches, and toured a local university to compare education systems in the United States and Peru.

Paso

One of the major parts of the culture in Peru is dance. We actually learned and performed two of the more common dances which were the Marinera and the Festejo. We also learned about Paso, which is Marinera, but one of the dancers is on horseback, and the horses are trained to walk and trot a certain way in order to “dance”. We were able to experience Paso on one of our outings from Lima after a lengthy 2 hour drive.

Part 2- Homestay in Trujillo and short trip to Cajamarca/Pacasmayo

When I stepped off the bus at 7:00 am after a long 10 hour night ride from Lima to Trujillo, I was tired and nervous, but excited to meet my host family. They came to the bus station holding a big sign which said “Welcome James! Make yourself at Home!”. I was immediately exposed to their love of the “selfie stick” as we posed for at least half a dozen selfies in the first thirty minutes of my time in Trujillo. For whatever reason, I was immediately comfortable with my mother, Elisa, father, Kike, and brother, Sebastian, who was also 16 years old.

First Selfie before we left the bus station

During my two week stay, I became accustomed to having small meals for breakfast and dinner and eating close to half a chicken at lunch. I also learned to get used to the erratic driving habits and constant honking as my stay continued. My family was very active in showing me their city and towns surrounding it as they took me to a beach called Huanchaco, ruins of a pre-incan tribe (the Moche) called Chan Chan, and multiple museums about the local history.

When I arrived in Peru, I had no idea what to expect in terms of food. I soon learned that the common staples were rice, chicken, and potatoes in terms of food, and fruit juices (mainly passion fruit and peach) and Chicha Morada, a very famous Peruvian drink made from purple corn which was also enjoyed by the Inca. Yogurt was typical for breakfast. My favorite dish was Aji de Gallina with a glass of Chicha. Aji de Gallina consisted of shredded chicken on top of two large slices of potatoes which were covered in a chile sauce called Aji. There was always a side of rice as well, which was normally prepared with garlic. My host family also exposed me and encouraged me to try exotic foods such as grilled plantains with homemade cheese from the jungle, cow heart, and of course, the famous cuy, or guinea pig.

We had interesting conversations about the dramatic price differences in our respective countries, food, pets, family trees, schools, and daily life in general. I connected with my host brother through music and was surprised to learn that songs such as “Wiggle” by Jason Derulo were very popular as it had been in the states almost five years earlier. I also learned that they loved Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber, but mainly listened to the genre of Reggaeton.

Our group and some friends at the Colegio

Colegio Rafael Narvaez was the school my host brother went to as well as the primary meeting location for my travel group and where many of our daily activities took place. By the end of my trip, I knew my brother’s grade and the campus pretty well by the end of my trip, as my mom was in charge of their version of the mother’s club there.

Plaza de Armas in Trujillo

My brother, Sebastian, and I in the Plaza de Armas in Trujillo

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During our two week homestay, my group went on a three night trip to Pacasmayo and Cajamarca. My personal favorite outing was when we went to the mountain city of Cajamarca, which to me looked like a smaller Cusco but without any sign of a tourist. We went on a hike through the beautiful “Bosque de Piedras” (forest of rocks) which featured incredible rock formations and revealed hieroglyphics and a perfectly straight water canal formed by the Inca.

We were also able to experience the Inca Baths which were hot springs used by the Incan emperor himself.

Bosque de Piedras

After Cajamarca, we journeyed to the beach town of Pacasmayo where we did two days of community service by cooking a delicious meal of Lomo Saltado (more or less a steak fajita) for the local soup kitchen on the first day and repainting the outside of the building the second.

Soup Kitchen service day

Exchanging school shirts

At the end of the homestay, my brother, Sebastian, and I exchanged shirts from our own respective high schools. To me, this moment truly represented the cultural exchange in which I immersed myself for two weeks. I truly believe that my family learned just as much about my lifestyle as I did theirs during my stay.

Part 3- Cusco/Ollantaytambo and Machu Picchu

After departing from Trujillo, we embarked on a long 10 hour bus ride to Lima. After barely catching our flight in Lima, we were off to Cusco where we would begin our journey to Machu Picchu. While in Cusco, we visited many famous Inca ruins including those at Sacsayhuaman, which had a beautiful view of the entire city of Cusco. Another highlight was seeing a church which had been built by the Spaniards on top of ancient Incan ruins, which symbolized the oppression of the native tribes in Peru at the hands of the Conquistadors.

After two days of tours, it was finally time to head to Ollantaytambo where we would catch a train to Aguas Calientes. We arrived in Aguas when it was completely pitch black, so we had no clue that there were enormous mountains just yards away towering thousands of feet above us. When I woke up and looked outside, I literally jumped because the view was so shocking and unbelievable.

Machu Picchu was more breathtaking than I had imagined, even with the historical spot teeming with tourists. It was a fantastic grand finale to a trip that has truly changed the way that I view the world.

Thanks

I would like to take a moment to thank the Wilson family for giving me the opportunity to embark on the trip of a lifetime. Two years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would have not only woken up in a new country, but with a new family as well. I would also like to all of the Spanish Teachers for making this trip happen, organizing the flights, and arming me with my language skills which helped me tremendously throughout the trip.

Mark Lillard: Three Weeks in Bogotá

Ever since junior school, going on exchange to Colombia had been a dream of mine. Going to school and experiencing the everyday life of the people in South America sounded like the best way to learn the culture and improve my Spanish. This past summer, I finally got to live out that dream and travel to Bogotá, Colombia and study at Colegio Claustro Moderno while living with a host family. The group this year consisted of Jack Anderson, Mack Smithing, Patrick Andreen, myself, and for the first ten days, Mr. Berry. We all met at the airport at the ripe time of 4am to begin our journey. Our first Colombian experience came on our flight from Miami to Bogotá, when we took a Colombian airline where the flight attendants spoke Spanish. Once we landed, we met our host families. My host family actually is from Argentina, but is living in Colombia for two years while the dad, who is in the Argentinian military, serves on a base in Bogotá. Having an Argentinian host family gave me, as my host family called it, a  “doble ventaja” or double advantage, as I got to experience the Argentine culture at home, and the Colombian culture at school.

The MBA students, Mr. Berry, and our host families at the airport on our first night.

From the airport, my host family took me to an Argentine restaurant with another Argentinian family that would end up being like a second host family to me. After dinner, we went home to our apartment. The apartment was actually on the military base, and was closely guarded at all times by men in uniform armed with assault rifles. All cars coming in and out were checked thoroughly for safety measures. I was surprised to be out so late on a Sunday night, but my family informed me that Monday was a Catholic holiday, and there would be no school. This holiday allowed me a full day to adjust before school started. I spent my first day getting to know my host family and my host brother’s friends, as well as the military’s equestrian school, where my host brother spent much of his time preparing for competitions.

My Host brother Joaquín participating in the jumping portion of his equestrian competition.  

The next day, I travelled to school for the first time. We took a school van each day. Mine was filled mostly with elementary aged kids that were fascinated by me and the United States. They loved American music although they didn’t understand the English lyrics, so they had me translate songs for them. This time each morning provided me with an excellent opportunity to practice my Spanish with the kids and listen to Colombian radio. Each day, we took a regular class schedule. Our first week was our grade’s testing week, and I completed a Spanish, Math, and Physics test. Their testing system was very different from ours, as each test was ten to fifteen multiple choice questions, with the final grade being on a scale of 0 to 5.

The classroom in which I took about half of my classes.

Each day also consisted of multiple free periods, in which we played a variety of sports. We may have lost to middle schoolers in soccer, but later challenged some guys in our grade to a three game basketball series, which we took in two games. We also took a couple of excursions around the city. The most notable for me was La catedral de sal, a cathedral carved into a salt mine underground.

Catedral de sal

Lake on the campus

We happened to be in Colombia during La Copa America, the annual major soccer tournament featuring teams in the Americas. Seemingly every night we watched a game from the tournament. While the passion from the Colombians for their team was intense, I have never seen more excitement from fans than I saw in my host family every time Argentina took the pitch (in fact the little girl in my family, Pila, claimed she was going to marry star player Messi’s son one day).

During our weekends, my host family was able to expose me to a number of other cultures as well. Apart from other Colombians and Argentines, my family introduced me to friends from Chile, Uruguay, and Spain. The school one Saturday hosted a barbecue for all permanent international students attending the school. Here I was able to learn more about the food and customs of these countries. The next weekend I attended a lunch, which lasted about six hours, at the apartment of the family from Spain. I tried a number of typical Spanish foods, and learned the differences in their language and customs, all of which would help me the next month when my family travelled to Spain for vacation (in fact I kept in contact with the Spanish mother via Whatsapp, and she was able to give me recommendations of typical restaurants and things to do in Madrid, the city in which they lived).  

After three weeks of school,  equestrian competitions, meeting new friends, and exploring the city with my fantastic host family, it was time to return home. I had the time of my life all while improving my language skills and learning more about the various cultures I encountered. What I envisioned in junior school finally came true. A special thanks goes out to my host family for teaching me about the Argentinian and Colombian culture, all while taking care me and giving me a place to sleep for three weeks. Many thanks also Señor Paolicchi for coordinating everything and also for being my Spanish teacher and advisor for two years now, getting my language skills more than prepared for this exchange. Finally, the most thanks goes of course to the Wilson family, without whom any of this would be possible. The opportunity to attend school and study the language I love in a foreign country for free is something very few outside of MBA can experience, and I am forever grateful. My Spanish has improved immensely, and the fantastic memories of this exchange will never be forgotten.

Returning back to Nashville donning Colombian soccer jerseys

William Porter - Wiesbaden, Germany 2016

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.

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.

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.

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.

Our seats at the public viewing

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.

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.

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.

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.

Pondering the deeper meaning

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.

Argentina: Community Service and the Great Outdoors, Thomas Carr

Argentina: Community Service and the Great Outdoors, Thomas Carr

After quite a long plane ride, my EIL group and I had finally landed in Buenos Aires.  I had been anticipating this moment for a long time leading up to my first trip outside of North America.  As I expected, I was extremely exhausted after going over a day without any sleep.  Unfortunately for me, it was 8:00 in the morning and my group and I had a full day ahead of us.

My first day in Buenos Aires was filled with a big tour of the city.  I was able to see the Plaza of San Martin in the center of city, and our guide provided us with some interesting culture and background about all the sites we visited.  It was also the very first day that I tried my first media luna, a type buttered pastry that was definitely a staple of Argentine culture.  The next couple of days followed a similar format to the first: tours, sightseeing, and lots of food.

La Boca: a small, colorful part of Buenos Aires

Me with my host family

On the evening of our third day in Argentina, we took a small airplane from Buenos Aires up to Salta, a very touristy city in the northwest region of Argentina.  Upon our landing we immediately met our host families and so began the second phase of the trip.  I was greeted by my host brother, Emiliano, and taken back to his newly acquired house where I encountered his sister, Guadalupe, and their parents.  Things with my host family got off to a relatively awkward start as I was not accustomed to the usual kiss on the cheek greeting and instead went in for an uncoordinated handshake.  Fortunately, my homestay experience went nowhere but up from there.

Over the next two weeks of living with my family, I had many new and unique experiences.  One of my favorite activities was attending dance classes with my host brother almost every night.  Dance is a very big part of Argentine culture and it was cool to see how influential it was the lives of the locals.  Surprisingly everyone in the dance studios enjoyed english pop music, but they were all much better dancers than I have ever dreamed of being.

One of the biggest differences in American and Argentine culture was the pace of common life.  In Argentina, everyone was always super relaxed and laid back.  It is customary to be “fashionably late” explaining why my host brother brought me into class thirty minutes late on the first day.  Another common custom was the afternoon siesta.  After not getting a whole lot of sleep during the nights, I could always count on a solid three hour siesta in the afternoon.

After spending an unbelievable two weeks with my host family, I rejoined the EIL group and we travelled to Chicoana, a smaller town near Salta.  In Chicoana we were able to have a more cultural experience as it was a relatively rural town.  We were able to see and meet gauchos (South American cowboys).  Chicoana was also the place where we got to do the bulk of our community service.  Throughout the few days that we spent there, we managed to paint the entire inside of a school and build shelves and other necessities for the kids that go there.  The most rewarding part was that all the school kids went to school as we finished up on the last day.  We were able to talk with them and it was incredible to see how much of a difference we had made for them.

Me and the mountains around Cafayate

After living for a few days in a hostel in Chicoana, we embarked on a journey through the local hills on horseback.  The horseback riding expedition was by far one of my favorite parts of the trip.  We camped for two nights in the mountains and spent the entire day riding horses.  The only downfall of this part of the journey was the extreme weather at night.  Of course it was winter in Argentina and if you mix that with the lack of sun and high altitude, it was obviously very cold.

After a fantastic time in Chicoana, the EIL group travelled to Cafayate, another small, rural, touristy town.  It was in Cafayate that I had my hands down best experience of the trip and that was biking to and from the sand dunes.  The weather in this region was very nice and the town of Cafayate was surrounded by mountains, creating a beautiful and scenic view, no matter where you looked.  On top of the sand dunes, I could see for miles on every side, and it was one of the coolest sites I’ve ever seen.

Running down the sand dunes

Finally, the last steps of our journey were to return through Salta and back to Buenos Aires.  We stayed in the same hotel, Hotel Mundial, as we did on our first night, giving the impression that we had literally and figuratively come full circle on our experience.  As we approached our final day in Argentina the group had many reflection sessions where we remembered all of our incredible experiences and talked about how this trip will change our lives moving forward.  The last day was very sad, but I will always remember my group and we will continue to keep in touch for a long time to come.  Overall it was truly the experience of a lifetime.  I would especially like to thank the Wilson family, Sr. Paolicchi, Sra. Victoria, and everyone else who contributed to giving me this amazing experience.

Jackson Abbey: Living Latin in Rome with the Paideia Institute

Jackson Abbey: Living Latin in Rome with the Paideia Institute

Among the Forum

The incredible Column of Trajan at Dusk

I came to Rome as the only student from MBA and one of the only students from the Southeast in the Paideia Institute. As a student of this Paideia Institute, the expectation was that each student have a prior knowledge and understanding of not only Latin but also Roman cultures and traditions. The first three days of Living Latin in Rome were spent at the multi-faceted Roman Forum as an introduction to the ancient city. Including the Forum of Julius Caesar and Caesar Augustus, we got the full spectrum of Roman history. Ranging from the Colosseum to the Temple of Jupiter to the Capitoline Hill, the Roman Forum gave us students an introduction into the beauty of the Eternal City. While reading Latin multiple times among the bricks and ruins, Paideia gave me a new understanding of reading Latin aloud as a language, not just a transcription to be translated. Beginning each day at the Casa Per Ferie Santa Lucia, a convent in the center of Rome, class usually lasted for three hours and gave us a precursor to our daily activities. On the first three days, we enjoyed the beautiful spectacle of the Forum, which included a daily tour of a new area of the Forum and even a light tour at night. Led by incredible teachers and instructors, Greg, Emma, Skye, Lj, and Chris, our journeys of the Forum started off our trip on an incredible note. I was incredibly surprised every day we enjoyed both lunch and dinner out in Roman bakeries, osterias, and pizzerias which were all paid for by Paideia.

                               The Colosseum                               Lupa, the mother wolf who nourished Romulus and Remus

Ostia, Sperlonga, and St. Peter's

Hallway of the Vatican Museum

A few of our bus trips included adventures to the ancient Roman port of Ostia, the beaches of Sperlonga, and St.Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Ostia demonstrated the incredible scale of Roman cities, with most of the city still visible and able to visit. It was one of the only places in Rome that was not full of tourists. Truly, Ostia was one of the best places we sat down to read Latin to understand to its full potential from authors like Livy and Sartorius. July 4th, the birthdate of our country, was also the day the Americans and one Australian took to the beaches of Sperlonga. The Mediterranean was one of the most beautiful seas I had seen with its incredible water and white sand beaches. Coming from the Latin spelunca, the location is famous for its incredible cave and the villa of Tiberius. Throughout our trips, we saw incredible areas of Lazio, the region that Rome is in, and I learned truly how beautiful the Italian countryside is. Finally coming to our last Friday in Rome, Vatican City loomed over us like the spiritual place it has always been. Our day began with a special tour of the Vatican City and its many offices and departments. Led by Father Dan, a head of the Latin department of the Vatican, we experienced one of the greatest places on Earth. The Vatican quickly became my favorite monument on the trip, and we were even allowed to spend the afternoon shopping as we had done many times before.

Sperlonga and its incredible beauty from the cave

From the top of the Vatican, St.Peter's square is fully visible

The Final Days: Lake Nemi and the Fons Bandusiae

As the final days of our trip came upon the group, we visited the most beautiful place on our trip, the ancient volcanic lake at Nemi outside of Rome. It was truly the most incredible place we had visited with water as blue as the Azzurri, the name of the Italian national soccer team. Interestingly enough, the Azzurri were playing in the European Championship, and the whole country rallied around their team. At the lake, we enjoyed the most amazing meal of our trip, enjoying a lakeside view sunset dinner that featured four courses. In between these two places, we spent a day at the Villa Borghese and the Borghese gardens. Perhaps the greatest shopping I did on the trip came in and around the Villa as I was able to journey to incredible shops on the Piazza del Popolo. The most fabled day of the trip came on the very last day where the entire Paideia group journeyed to the Villa of Horace for an incredible picnic lunch that featured Italian meats, breads, cheeses, and luscious figs. With the Villa of Horace, the Fons Bandusiae, or the fountain of Bandusia, featured in Horace’s “O Fons Bandusiae” was the stage for our incredible picnic. The fountain was one of the most incredible places I had ever visited. With its immense beauty, splendor, and cold mountain water, it became the highlight of my trip. Surrounded by new friends I had made on the trip, the beauty of the fountain englufed my senses. As we journeyed home, I felt a sentimental gap in my heart. I had made incredible friends from all over the country who I will always remember.

The group photo of the Paideia Institute Pollux group with the Fons Bandusiae in the background

Thanks

On a trip I could never forget, Mrs. Ellery truly made it as great as it could be. She provided the program I was associated with, and she did incredible planning to get me to Rome. I could not thank her enough for her incredible work over the past six months to allow me to skip the immersion program and go straight to Rome. I also want to say thanks to the Wilson family for their incredible donation to fund me and all the other students around the world. I will never forget this incredible experience, and especially, I will never forget the amazing Paideia Institute. Paideia made Latin incredibly interesting and exciting as it could be as a language.

J.P. Mappes: German Travel Grant 2016

Arrival

I arrived in Germany around noon German time after not having slept the whole time. That was not a good choice. This was my first international travel, so I had had no previous experience with travelling for so long. I was greeted by my host brother and host father, Nicolas and Bardo. I was extremely exhausted to the point of delusion. The head first dive into the German language was almost like a dream because of how drowsy I was. My host family lived in Eltville, which is west of Wiesbaden and right on the Rhine. The drive over there took about 30 minutes, and on the way the fact that I was in Germany really sunk in. The first thing that I noticed was the sheer amount of grape fields in Eltville, which is the white wine capital of Germany. It just looks like the earth is combed with grape vines. The extremely old architecture along the Rhine was also amazing with the multitude of castles and churches along the countryside:

I arrived at the house in Eltville and was greeted by the mother, Janice, and the older son, Noah. Janice is from New Jersey, so the family wasn’t too curious of the American lifestyle. I tried my best to stay awake and essentially passed out when nighttime came. One thing felt familiar though even in a foreign country: the gratuitous amount of portions, which made me feel truly at home.

My host family. Nicolas, in the navy blue, was my host brother.

Daily Life

Nicolas and I did not have the same interests, but we got along well enough. We warmed up to each other pretty quickly. We would have to get up about 6 am and eat and go to the train station by 7 to catch the train to Wiesbaden. For all the efficiency and punctuality that the Germans brag about, the train was late a couple of times. From the Wiesbaden train station we would either take a bus or walk to school. School was interesting because we had three hours worth of German class in the mornings and then the rest of the day we stayed with our host brothers. German class varied from reading about a grown man stealing money from a child to watching Two and a Half Men in German. Occasionally we found time to go into the city to explore, which was amazing because Wiesbaden was not bombed during WWII. According to my host mother, it was because the Allies had spies in Wiesbaden, which makes sense because there’s a huge American air base there. There were three main churches in Wiesbaden that you could see from about anywhere in the city. The more physical attractions had to be the the food such as the currywurst and bratwurst, which was amazing no matter where you went.

Main churches of Wiesbaden

The Euros were going on in Europe, so that meant that every other night there was a soccer game to go and watch in a public viewing area or in a restaurant. We would always have at least ten people at every game, and Nicolas wanted to go to every one. He was extremely energized for every game and lost his voice nearly every night. I was never really attracted to soccer, but due to these experiences it really grew on me. It was almost entertaining enough to watch the Germans celebrate after a win.

The most extremely shocking thing for me, never having been to Europe, is that they firmly do not believe in air conditioning. So the days there were some of the hottest and most humid days that I’ve experienced. But I eventually got used to it, even though it took some time. What did help was the pool that was on the large hill in a part of Wiesbaden called Neroburg.

The weekends were usually pretty mellow. On Saturdays we would usually go to a public viewing with friends, and Sundays were just relax days. Nicolas and I would sometimes play soccer together, but he would destroy me every time.

The MBA guys also took a trip to Mainz, and we saw the Gutenberg Museum and some incredibly old churches. One church was even built in the 5th century. It was almost completely made out of stone and marble, with multiple statues with latin inscriptions. Apparently it was one of the first Catholic footholds in Germany.

St. Martin's Cathedral in Mainz

Munich

The train to Munich went by quickly. We only changed trains once, and the second train that we were on went 300km/h, darting us through the countryside. The closer we got to Munich, the more hops we would see growing on the country for the beer that they make in Germany. There were just fields of them, similar to how there were so many grape vines. We took a tram to the hostel, and since it was Sunday, none of the stores were open. In Germany it’s mandated by union laws that businesses cannot be opened on Sundays, aside from private businesses. We just walked around Marienplatz for a while and then met for dinner at the Hofbrauhaus. The Hofbrauhaus is huge and can sit up to 1300 people on these long benches. It’s also a very photogenic place. We had some Schweinshaxe, which is something along the lines of pig joint. It was surprisingly good for something that seems so disturbing. We had a lot of free time in Munich, so we could wander around and explore the city. What was probably the coolest part of Munich was the English Gardens. It was a nice cold stream going for more than a mile where you could relax during the hot summer days. You could also just relax and play soccer on the banks next to the river. Floating down the river was extremely relaxing and cooling. I also had my first Leberkaese, which was actually very delicious for its name. We watched the Euro Cup Final in a public viewing, and I had some of the best pretzels ever.

Hofbrauhaus

In Munich, we also went to the concentration camp Dachau for a couple hours. It’s almost indescribable how I felt walking through that place, seeing how the prisoners slept and how the Jews were exterminated. It was just very impressive in a sense that it will leave a deep impression on my life just walking through that place and trying to imagine what pain and torture those who were there experienced.

Monument at Dachau

We also saw Olympia Park from up high, where the 1972 Olympics were meant to take place but never occurred. We also got to see BMW World and Museum, which was very impressive in scale and detail.

Olympia Park 

Vienna

Vienna was probably the most beautiful city that I saw on my German Travel. It was a city rich in culture and architecture. The main church, the Stefanskirche, was amazingly huge, and took a while to get to the top because there’s no elevator. Vienna is also the home of Mozart, and there’s a real emphasis on Sisi, the Austrian Princess who was the wife of Franz Joseph I, the man who turned the Austrian Empire into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. We went to Schoenbrunn Palace, which was the royal residence of the Hapsburg. We couldn’t take pictures of the inside, but it was massive in scale. We spent one whole day just walking around the city and going to the parks and just taking it all in. There was almost too much to take in on Vienna. The Architecture was probably my favorite, along with the small little authentic German restaurants that were out of the way and hidden.

Stefanskirche 

Schoenbrunn Palace

This experience was unlike any other and will probably be unlike any other in my entire life. I know that I probably won't get a chance to make such connections as a did this past Summer. The cultural and sentimental value of this trip was immense, beyond measure. I got to see more of the world than even my parents have seen, as they have not even been to Europe. I am incredibly blessed to have been able to have this opportunity to share this experience with other people. This is an incredible opportunity that reminds me ever more that MBA is an amazing institution that emphasizes not only learning but enjoying learning. Learning German in Germany is something that alone is impressive because not everyone can say that they were granted to do so. Thank you so much for this once in a life time experience.