Andrew Bulgarino Bordeaux Exchange 2019

Traveling to France

My journey to France began on the afternoon of the twenty-seventh of May. Because I was the only MBA student venturing to France this year, I flew out of Washington D.C. by myself, arriving the next morning at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Unfortunately, the jetlag did not work in my favor going to France, as I arrived to a fresh, new day at around 8:00 a.m. local time with little to no sleep. After wandering through the airport and claiming my bag, I walked over to the train station to catch the high-speed TGV train to go to Bordeaux. This three and a half hour train ride was probably the most comfortable and smoothest of my life. I was greeted by the English teacher of La Sauque (the exchange school), and she drove me over to the boarding school itself. 

Me with my first host, Lino

Arriving at the School

Once I arrived at the school, my French-speaking skills were immediately tested. The few English words that the teacher had spoken to me were the last ones I would speak for a while. She introduced me to my first host student, Lino, and soon enough I was talking in a circle with his friends. I was shocked at first by the rapid nature of the conversation, which made it extremely difficult for me to follow. Lino, thankfully, realized this and eventually brought us to a smaller group where it would be easier for me to try and understand. He also realized that I was heavily jetlagged, so he asked one of the teachers if we could go to bed a little early after dinner so I could try and catch up on some sleep. After gaining approval, we then went to dinner at the cafeteria, where I was able to eat my first real French meal. The best part for me was definitely the bread, even though this bread was apparently considered cheap by the local students. After chowing down on plenty of bread to fill me, I gathered my bags and headed off to my room to get my first night of sleep. 

Downtown Bordeaux

All of the exchange students

The next day was, luckily for me, a short school day, as Wednesdays usually are in France. It seemed like I had arrived on just the right day, as it was the start of a long weekend due to a bank holiday. Because of these days off, I stayed with Lino’s family for the weekend. This was near perfect timing; I could sleep in and adjust to the jetlag instead of waking up early every day at the school. During this long weekend, we met up with Lino’s friends essentially every day, whether it was at the local shopping center or at one of their houses. This was a great part of my experience in France, as I felt really included and accepted immediately. After a fun few days with Lino’s family, we returned to La Sauque on the next Monday. During this week, I met several new friends, including some fellow non-Francophones. There were other exchange students already at the school, with some from Ireland and others from America. This was also the week that the students from St. Cecilia arrived, so it was really great to see all of these exchanges happening at once. Instead of going to classes for a week, La Sauque had planned daily excursions to local sites for all of the exchange students and their hosts, including the castle of Montesquieu, downtown Bordeaux, a meeting and dinner with the mayor of the local town, and the Dune of Pilat (though the rain actually cancelled this trip). This was a fantastic week full of tourist activities, and I really liked the format of doing all of these touristy-type outings with the other exchange students, and then go to our host families individually to immerse ourselves into the daily life of a French family rather than as a tourist. The last day of school was that Friday, and there was the end-of-year awards program that evening, where all of the exchange students were recognized, with a representative from each school giving a quick speech about their experience. Being the only one from MBA, I had no choice but to give this speech, which was actually not as nerve-racking as I expected it to be–maybe the fact that it was in a different language helped. After the ceremony, it was time to say sad goodbyes to the other exchange students that I would not see again on my trip, as we were all going our separate ways with our host families. At this point, I went to my second host, Jean Baptiste, for the rest of my stay in France. He lived in Périgueux, a small town located more in the countryside about 2 hours away from La Sauque.

Some of the other host students

Last day at La Sauque with the other exchange students

View of the French countryside

One of the prehistoric drawings from inside Lascaux

Overlook of the city of Arcachon

Second Host Family

The first week with my second host family was full of talking, as I was bombarded by questions about American culture, daily life, and politics. I thoroughly enjoyed all of these conversations, as it was great for developing my French, and it really made me realize that as an exchange student, I essentially was the representative of America for all of the locals. Even though I live in Nashville, I was still seen as just as valid as a source when talking about the north or the west coast. Regardless of whether that was true, every meal was full of heavy conversations like these. That is one thing that is remarkably distinguishable in France; every dinner in France is a long, family process with at least three courses. While at some points this was a little tiring, they were for the most part enjoyable. Other than eating and talking, my host family took me out to see many local attractions, including Lascaux, a prehistoric cave that features some of the oldest-known prehistoric drawings. We also visited the beautiful Chateau des Milandes, where we even got to see a falconry show. After this first week of seeing some local sites, the second week was full of a bit more travelling. During this week, my host himself had a required internship, so he was busy during the days. Because of this, his sister and I went to downtown Bordeaux and stayed with her grandfather. As there are so many little shops and stores in this area, it was easy to fill the week. There was also the annual Fete le Fleuve in Bordeaux, so there was many activities going on in the city. On the last day of the week, we went to La Cité du Vin, which is renown for its architecture and of course its wine. After learning a bit about the history of wine and vineyards around the world, we enjoyed a glass of wine atop the building with a lovely view of the city. Later that night, the rest of the family met us in Bordeaux, and we all traveled to the city of Arcachon. This made for a nice last weekend in France at the beach. We stayed at a beach house that was very close to the Dune of Pilat, the largest sand dune in Europe, so of course we had to go and climb it. Though it was a strenuous climb, the view of the bay below was well worth it. That night the parents had some of their friends over for a dinner party, which meant that there were even more people now to ask me questions about America, or what I think of France, all of which I really loved to talk about, even if I was answering some of the same questions again. This made for a fantastic last weekend in France, and once we returned to Périgueux on Monday, I had one more day to just relax, reflect on my trip, and pack my bags. Thankfully, there were no issues with my traveling, so I was able to return to Charles de Gaulle via the TGV and catch my flight back to America. 

Popular plaza in Bordeaux

Wine tasting at La Cité du Vin

Panorama from atop the Dune of Pilat

A Flight of Reflection
I spent most of my flight just pondering over my voyage. There were so many fantastic moments, and it is quite hard to relate all of them into a blog. This was truly an experience of a lifetime, and it really made me think differently about the world, as I was not only able to witness another culture in action, but I was able to partake in it, and this true immersion into the culture could not have happened without actually speaking the language. I would like to express my extreme gratitude to the Wilson family for making this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity possible. I would also like to thank Mr. Paolicchi and Mr. Trotter, as they allowed me to both begin my study of French and take it to the next level. 

Spain 2019 - William Myers

Salamanca (May 26-June 15)

On May 26 after nine hours, our flight finally arrived in Madrid, and John and I began our adventure in Spain. We took a bus to Salamanca, our home for the next three weeks, and met our host, Genoveva, for the first time. While in Salamanca, we ate all of our meals with Genoveva and would have many discussions about our day, lives, and other things like Spanish politics. For each meal, we had typical Spanish food and ate at the typical time in Spain. Breakfast was smaller, usually bread with jam or chocolate spread accompanied by milk and was around seven or eight in the morning. Lunch was the largest meal of the day with soup and another dish like pasta and was at about two. Dinner was later in the evening, eight or nine, and was a smaller dish like the Spanish potato tortilla.

Everyday, John and I would walk from Genoveva’s apartment to Estudio Sampere where we
attended classes for three hours. One class was focused on grammar, and the other class
focused on conversations. These classes helped me improve on grammar like the subjunctive
tense, and also boosted my conversation skills. Each day, we would also have an activity with
Estudio Sampere in the afternoon. In these activities, we learned about the rich history of
Salamanca and explored its neighborhoods. We also had cultural experiences like cooking
Gazpacho and going to a dance class.

University of Salamanca

We also had a lot of free time to explore Salamanca on our own. Almost everyday, John and I
went to the park and played basketball. Playing basketball was definitely my favorite way to interact with local people. Salamanca truly came alive at night, so every night, John and I would go to the Plaza Mayor to hang out with some of our friends from Estudio Sampere. We also went to many events at night in Salamanca. Our first week, there was an arts festival, so there was a different concert to attend each night. Our last weekend in Salamanca, there was a light festival, and we sat in the Plaza Mayor to watch a competition of projections on the main entrance.

John and I on the roof of Salamanca's Cathedral

Each weekend, we went on excursions outside of Salamanca with Estudio Sampere. Our first
weekend, we traveled to the small village of La Alberca and explored the skinny streets of this
village in the mountains. Afterwards, we went to an Iberian ham factory and learned about the
process of making Spain’s famous ham(one of my new favorite foods). The next weekend,
we went to Alba de Tormes and climbed the remaining tower at the ruins of the Castle of the
Dukes of Alba, went to the livestock market, and walked around the town while taking in the
view of the Tormes River. Our final weekend with Estudio Sampere, we traveled to Caceres and
toured the old town which was full of ancient building and surrounded by a massive wall with
many towers. Later that day, we went to Granadilla, an abandoned town said to a place of
supernatural activity.

Alvaro, my Estudio Sampere teacher, and I in Granadilla

Seville (June 16 - June 18 )

After three weeks, we met with Sr. Paolicchi in Salamanca’s train station to begin our week of travelling. We arrived in Seville and started our experience of eating in Spain’s spectacular restaurants. Our first meals were at two tapas bars, and the experience was phenomenal. Not only was the food great, but the people were nice and the environment was fun. I enjoyed learning how to truly eat like a Spaniard. Our first day, we went to the Plaza de España, a large plaza created to show the identity of Spain, and at night we watched the beautiful sunset over the Guadalquivir River. The next day, we toured the Cathedral where we saw Christoper Columbus’s tomb and climbed the bell tower for an astonishing view of the city. Afterwards, we went to the Alcazar, one of Spain's Royal Palaces, and explored the buildings and the breathtaking gardens.

Plaza de España

Granada (June 18 - 20 )

On June 18, we left Seville and took a train and bus ride to Granada. While in Granada, we enjoyed very good food, and the seafood was especially delicious because of Granada’s location near the Mediterranean Sea. Our first day, we walked through the city and enjoyed the views and sunset from the Plaza de San Nicolas over the beautiful city of Granada. The next day was spent touring La Alhambra, an ancient Arabic fortress and royal Spanish palace.

At the Patio de Leones in the Alhambra

Madrid/Toledo (June 20 - 24)

On June 20, we took a train to our final destination, Madrid. Our first day was spent exploring the streets and plazas of Madrid. In the morning on our second day, we did a scavenger hunt through Madrid, and after successfully completing it, we toured the Royal Palace. Later that afternoon, we toured the Plaza de Toros de las Ventas, Madrid’s largest bull fighting arena. The next day, we went to Toledo, a small city outside of Madrid. We toured the Cathedral and later had lunch on our own. On our last day in Madrid, we went to two museums in the morning, La Reina Sofia and El Museo del Prado to look at works by artists like Goya and Picasso. In the afternoon, we toured Real Madrid’s soccer stadium, Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Our final night, John and I had dinner on our own, so we went to the market and enjoyed many different small dishes.

La Plaza de Toros de las Ventas

Royal Palace

On June 24, we said hasta luego to Spain as we took our final metro ride to the airport and boarded our plane home.

Gracias

I would like to thank the Wilson family for giving me this opportunity. Not only did I have an amazing time, but I also learned a lot and met many new people. I improved my Spanish in many fields like vocabulary, speaking, listening, and writing. I was also able to explore a foreign country and become immersed in Spanish culture.  I would also like to thank Sr. Paolicchi for planning everything and showing me around Spain for a week.  Thank you Wilson family for sending me on a trip I will never forget.

Scott Wallace- Rome 2019

Arriving and Settling In

       The trip started on July 1st with a flight from Nashville to Newark and then a flight from Newark to Rome. I was picked up by one of the wonderful teachers Allison, and we rode together from the airport to the city where the school we were staying at was. The school was called St. Stephens and had a really nice courtyard in the middle with many classrooms and dorms surrounding it on multiple stories. Everyone was split into two groups, Pollux, the group for younger Latin students in high school, and Castor, for the older kids who were going into their senior year or into college. I was a member of Pollux and was fortunate to have some really great teachers like Liz, Greg, and Chris. The first day we went to the Circus Maximus where we learned about the events that were held in the arena and read some Latin. The really neat part about the school was that it was very centralized in the city, so we were only a 5 minute walk to the Colosseum and Capitoline Hill.

A Look From the Middle of The Forum

        After the first day and unpacking and settling in, the trip truly began. Most everyday for the first half of the trip consisted of 3 hours of classtime in the morning at the school, a lunch break, a visit out to a site that related to our classroom discussion, a break, dinner, and then a meeting to talk about the day and wrap-up. Our first day of this awesome schedule included us talking about the Capitoline Hill and the key ideas surrounding it, and then actually GOING to the Capitoline Hill to see it in real life which was one of the coolest aspects of the trip. Whether it was walking under the Triumphal Arches or standing where Caesar was killed, the whole day was really awesome and interactive. Throughout the next couple days, we spent more time in the classroom and then going out to some great sites including the Baths of Diocletian and some really neat museums that mainly consisted of statues of Roman myths or busts of distinguished Roman characters.

Enjoying Rome

A Beautiful View of the Via Appia

        The next eight days, the group followed a pretty similar format to the first couple days, involving seeing some really cool sites and learning new things about them in an interactive way. On our fifth day, we took a day trip on a nice bus out to Ceveteri, a city on the shore that had many ancient Etruscan tombs. We went to these tombs and were given free time to explore them and learn about them, and after that we went to the beach. The beach was incredible and I would have to say Ceveteri was one of the highlights of my trip. The next day was a really great day as well because we got to visit the famous Via Appia. In the morning, we talked about the use of the Via Appia for trade and transportation as well as how there are grand tombs aligned next to the road stretching for many many miles. We walked along the Via Appia, making me feel like a true Roman, and visited some of the biggest and grandest villas ever constructed by Romans. We walked along the Via until we reached a Catacomb site, the Catacombs of St. Sebastian. Here, we took a tour of the catacombs, a burial place underground for the dead, and it was really awesome to learn about their history while we were actually in it. Of course the next day was the day to visit the Colosseum. We read Latin together as a group in the Colosseum and this was surely one of the highlights of my trip.

The Fountains of Villa d'Este

         Moving through the trip, we took another beach day to a town named Sperlonga. Before heading out to the beach, we took a tour of a small museum with some really neat statues including a grand one of Poseidon. This beach was also a really great time and I'll never forget it. The next day was a trip to Hadrian's Villa, where we walked around and learned all about its different aspects with the knowledge of our group leaders. Hadrian's Villa was a true display of the imbalance that sometimes occurred in Roman history between the rich and the poor. This same day, we went to my favorite site of the whole trip, the Villa d'Este. Here, we learned about its history and previous owners, as well as its famous fountains that attract millions every year. The next couple days involved going to the Vatican and all of its museums which was really neat, The architecture of the Vatican and pretty much all of Rome itself was really a site to marvel at and it never grew old. We were given free time at the Vatican, which was the time where I and two of the friends I had made journeyed to the top of St. Peter's Basilica to get an awesome view.

The Trip Coming to a Close

A Great View From The Last Day

        The last four to five days consisted of less time in the classroom and more time exploring and seeing Rome. These last few days involved going out to Ostia, visiting the Parthenon, going to the Villa Borghese, a museum that had some of the coolest paintings and what was easily my favorite museum, the Spanish Steps, and the Jewish Ghetto. We learned about the culture of the Jewish Ghetto, which was really neat, considering all of the hardships they went through and how they all stayed united through difficult times. The very last full day was really a special day. We visited the Palatine Hill where the Vestal Virgins stayed, and went up to a really neat viewpoint to talk about some of the Modern Italian History. Up at this nice viewpoint, we came together as a group and all shared an excerpt of Latin that we had read throughout the trip that meant something to each of us. This was a really nice bonding experience for the whole group and we capitalized on the opportunity by going to a nice dinner together before going back to St. Stephens that night.

The Arch of Titus With a Full Moon Behind on the Last Night

        The trip had a few unique aspects to it that really made it an interesting, interactive, and memorable experience, First, we read lots of Latin about a site while we were actually at that site. This teaching strategy made me a better Latin student, as we got to study grammatical structures as well as learning about Roman history at the same time. Although it was tough translating some of the Latin, it was definitely a great experience. Second, we were split into groups within Pollux, where we were given a Roman myth that we had to create a skit out of. We performed these skits in front of all of the directors of the Paideia group as well as many college students. This was a really great aspect of the trip, as we got to make new friends within out groups while having fun and learning about Roman mythology. Another neat aspect was the advisory groups. These were groups we met with at the end of every day to look back on the day but to also talk about any personal concerns and to create new friends. I enjoyed this part of the day because everyone could be honest with each other in a small group.

Thank You

          Thank you so much for yet again another opportunity to visit Rome. I had a really good time and made some new friends whom hopefully I can keep in touch with throughout these next few years. I have learned so much more about the language of Latin, as well as the history or Rome as a whole. This experience could not have been made possible without the Wilson Family and I thank you for granting me the trip of a lifetime.

Marcus Le- Wiesbaden, Germany 2019

First Day

After arriving in Frankfurt Airport, Alex, Luke, Mickey, and I sought our luggage in the baggage claim. Having been awake for more than twenty-four hours, we all were tired and wanted to get to our host families as quickly as possible. After grabbing my luggage, I met my host brother Amadeus and his mother. She drove us home to my family's house which is fifteen minutes away from the city.
There was an easy walk through a park to get to the city, which Amadeus and I walked frequently. When we arrived home, they offered me some food, and I gladly accepted and gave my thanks since I had only eaten a small dinner on the plane four hours previously. After eating, I took a nap because I was really exhausted. After I woke up, we had a light dinner consisting of meat, cheese, tomatoes, olives, and bread. German dinners were typically light while lunch was the heavy meal. Since I have not seen the Harry Potter movies, Amadeus suggested that we watch Harry Potter, in German of course. After the movie, we both said good night and went to sleep.

The School

Because the sophomores were on their last stretch of school and have already taken their exams, we did not have much class at the Humboldt Schule. We went to class but played various games or watched movies in German. One game which we played often was called werewolf. Despite not learning much about varying subjects, we still learned a lot of German words and varying phrases. Class is also different compared to American schools. First, the teacher comes to the classroom and not the students going to each classroom, and second, the grades are different. The students receive a number from one to fifteen, where a five and below is failing. Finally, they have twelve classes a year (some only being semester classes) and only half counting towards the abitur, the application for college. Despite learning much in class, we only went to six days of school, but one of those days was a sport, where I played in a soccer tournament. It was a group stage tournament where each team played each other once, and my team won. I enjoyed learning a different culture about a school in a foreign country and making many new friends.

The excursions

In the three days where we did not go to school, we went on excursions with the Harpeth Hall girls to different cities.

 Heidelberg

Large Wine Casket

After being dropped off at the main train station by Amadeus’ father, Mrs. Vest, Alex, Luke, Mickey, the Harpeth Hall girls, and I went to Heidelberg by train. On the train, I was able to see a lot of the countryside before reaching the beautiful small town. Many of the streets were made from stone. The first place we visited was Heidelberg University and it’s jail cell. In the university, we saw a room where many science related discoveries are discussed upon. Then we toured a little of the university and it’s very fine architecture. Finally, we saw the jail cell where students used to be kept. The purpose of it was to let the drunken students, who fought, sit the night out. The second place we visited was the Heidelberg Schloss. To get to the top of the mountain where the castle was located, we took a tram at a pretty steep angle. Once reaching the top, I took many photos because the view was so beautiful. One could see the entirety of wine fields and houses. Following that, we entered into the castle walls where people hundreds of years ago lived. Within the cellar, there was a massive wine casket which I believe to be the largest in the world. Concluding that excursion, we returned home via train and spent the rest of the day with our host families.

Rüdesheim

View from Germania Statue

Once again, after arriving at the train station, Mrs. Vest, the Harpeth Hall girls, Luke, Mickey, Alex, and I took the train to Rüdesheim. The train went through mountains, wine fields, and very beautiful countryside. However, that was not the most beautiful part of the trip. The view from the hill where the germanic statue was located was the most beautiful view I have ever seen. One could see multiple towns and plenty of green. It took me awhile to take all of it in because it was so beautiful. To get to that view, we took a lift over a winefield, and on that hill, there was the Germania statue which is basically Germany’s version of the Statue of Liberty. On that day, Alex, Luke, Mickey, and I walked through the town of Rudershime and ate some fine ice cream. After an eventful day, we returned home and enjoyed the rest of the day in the city of Wiesbaden.

Mainz

This excursion was a short excursion. It lasted from eight o’clock to two o’clock and not five o’clock like the other excursion. On this day, we took a thirty minute train ride to Mainz, a nearby city. This city is the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate as Wiesbaden is the capital of Hessen. I saw the local market that comes on Tuesdays and Saturdays and a massive church, which burned on the day it was completed and was then rebuilt. I also learned about the history of the revolutionary printing press in the Gutenburg museum. We saw a demonstration of the printing press and saw the printing press in different countries. The Chinese printing press contained so many pieces because of all its characters. That was a short but sweet excursion where I also learned that Mainz was the rival of Wiesbaden. The people of Wiesbaden say that the best part of Mainz is the train to Wiesbaden, and the people of Mainz say that the best thing about Wiesbaden is the train to Mainz.

Weekends

On the first weekend there, my host family took me to a museum of science. It was called the Technik Museum. There I saw old cars and airplanes that were real and not models. One of the cars looked like the car in Back to the Future. Outside of that museum, that weekend was not that eventful because I was still recovering from jetlag. However, the second weekend was very eventful. On Friday and Saturday, Amadeus and I went to the Wilhelm Strasse Fest, the biggest street festival in all of Germany. There, we saw many of Amadeus’ friends. There was loud music, fresh food, and a lot of fun. On the final weekend in Wiesbaden, I went with my host parents and Alex to Cologne. The main thing we did there was the Cologne Cathedral. We climbed five hundred and thirty-three steps. After climbing those stairs, I had a headache. However, it was worth it. Not only did we see the beautiful architecture, we saw a view of the entire city.

Last week

After saying sad good-byes to all of the friends I made in Wiesbaden, it was time to tour Munich and Vienna with Herr Dougherty. 

Munich

Neuschwanstein Schloss

This city was a beautiful city. The people were nice and the architecture was beautiful. However, because it was a long train ride and all of us were tired, the first day in Munich was relaxed. We went sightseeing in the streets, viewed a local church, saw a market, and ate at a massive restaurant with a massive hall. However, on the following days, the days became more intensive. On average, we walked at least fourteen miles a day, sightseeing and touring the city. One day consisted of going to a very cool BMW museum. There were old cars and idea for new cars, while also showing advance of technology. On another day, we went to the famous german science museum with six floors of old and new technology. That museum was the most interesting science museum that I have ever been too. There was so much information, that that museum required more than one day to be at. However, we only went there one day. On the second to last day in Munich, we went to the Neuschwanstein Castle, which was a beautiful castle. It was on a hill overviewing beautiful countryside and a lake. Some other sites we went to were the 1972 Munich Olympic arenas, the Munich soccer stadium, and plenty of good restaurants. On the last day, we woke up early and took a train to Vienna, where we would spend the rest of the trip.

Karlskirche

Vienna

Upon arriving after another long train ride, the entire group was tired, but we fought through the tiredness with excitement for seeing the entirety of Vienna. We arrived at our hostel, put our belongings in our rooms, and used the rest of the day to tour Vienna. This city had very many historical buildings and beautiful architecture. We learned some of this history in the Sisi Museum where we learned about the life of Princess Elizabeth and some other royal members. We also went to Dachau, a labor camp during World War II. That museum left us with sympathy for what those people endured. However, that museum was there to remind us of a mistake which we must not repeat. Following those sites, we visited the Karlskirche where we climbed yet another set of spiral stairs to the top of the church that would leave me with a headache but yet another beautiful view of Vienna. Despite receiving a headache, the view would be worth it, and I would recover in a quick five minutes. Towards the end of the week, we ate at a local market where there were a variety of cuisine around the world. Since we have eaten mostly European food the entire trip, we decided to eat some Asian cuisine, which was delicious. On the last day of touring, we all became sad to go, but acknowledged the fun we had and the memories that we had mad. However, we had the chance to make some last memories. We went to the oldest zoo in the world, where we saw plenty of animals including wolves, and we finished the day at Prater amusement park. Alex and I raced in some go-karts, and the entire grouped enjoyed the ferris-wheel, in which we saw the entirety of Vienna. On the last day in Vienna, we said took a plane ride home without Mickey because he stayed in Europe with his parents to view colleges. However, we missed our plane from Toronto to Nashville, so we waited six hours for the next plane ride. Upon arriving home, my entire family met me at the airport where they waited to hear about my experiences.

Danke Schon

Thank you the Wilson Family for allowing me to go on this wonderful trip. Without your help, I would not have been able to make new friends, see a new culture, and enhance my German abilities. I am very thankful for your help, and very gratefully enjoyed the trip. Thank you! I also want to give thanks to my German teacher Herr Dougherty for touring us the last week and teaching me for the past two years. I also want to give thanks to Sr. Paolicchi for running this program and making things run as smoothly as possible. Thank you!

My German Experience: A Blog by Alex Phillips

Week One

We arrived in Frankfurt at around lunchtime on a cool Saturday. Having been up for nine hours already (after a night with only a few hours of sleep), my cognitive abilities became more and more impaired each hour. Thankfully, as Holger, my host father, and Jonas, my host, picked me up, they took it easy on me. We departed Frankfurt Airport, and I was greeted with my first truly German experience - we were riding on the Autobahn! We discussed various topics, and they asked me about my life and my home. We were off to a great start. When we arrived home, I finally met Henrik, Jonas’ older brother who happened to be closer to my age than Jonas. Meanwhile, Jonas’ mother Susanne was in the Czech Republic on a hiking trip with her friends. We promptly departed for lunch after I had finished bringing my things to my room. Henrik and I drove the Renault Twizy, a small two seater, through the forests of Wiesbaden. We met up with Jonas and his father at a Germam restaurant owned by a family friend. After lunch my struggle to stay awake became a real threat. I am known for being clumsy, but it was fully unleashed during the latter half of the day. Henrik and Jonas proceeded to give me a tour of Wiesbaden. We visited Kurhaus, the theatre, and various churches.

Me at the Kurhaus of Wiesbaden

After we toured the city for a couple of hours, we returned home and had dinner. Not long after I proceeded to go to sleep. The next day we went to Neroburg, a hill overlooking Wiesbaden. Upon it was a Russian Orthodox cathedral. Later that afternoon we briefly met with Mickey and Linus. Thereafter, we went to a horse race/competition. When we returned home, we watched football and ate dinner. After the game ended, we decided to meet with Jonas’ friends and go to a party. Jonas’ mother finally arrived by the third day. That morning and afternoon we went sightseeing in Frankfurt, primarily Altstadt. When Jonas’ mother arrived that night, we were treated to Sushi. The remainder of the week was planned by Harpeth Hall’s Mrs. Vest. The week had three day trips planned. The first day trip was to Heidelberg, home to one of the oldest universities in Europe. During the trip we visited some castles.

The next day we travelled along the Rhine in a river boat, and we went to small villages such as Rüdersheim. We were greeted with beautiful views of the countryside, and we got to see the statue of Germania, which once overlooked the border with France.

Germania

That week we also experienced German schooling. The Humboldt Schule welcomed us with a ceremony, and we were given an official tour of Wiesbaden by a few teachers from the Humboldt Schule. That weekend Jonas, Amadeus, Marcus and I went to Wilhelmstraße Festival twice. Wilhelmstraße is the main street in Wiesbaden. The festival consisted of many attractions, and it spanned many city blocks. After the festival we met with Jonas’ friends. That Sunday we went to a former monastery which had since been converted to boutiques and art galleries. We spent our evening at a castle with a scenic view for dinner. The first week came to a close.   

Week Two

Monday was a quiet day. We had our first full day of school, and we met all of our teachers.

Rowing Trip Along the Main River

School was almost over, and everyone had finished exams. Therefore, it was quite uneventful, but I conversed in German and learned about varying topics in German. Later that day Jonas and I went to football practice. On Tuesday we had a day trip to Mainz, Wiesbaden’s twin city. In Mainz we visited the Johannes Gutenberg Museum. We also saw the city center of Mainz and its street markets, which were located beside the Mainz Cathedral. After returning from the Mainz day trip, Amadeus, Jonas, Marcus and I went to the Opel factory and museum. We toured the production process of the cars, and we saw the history of Opel. On Thursday of that week, we met Jonas’ grandparents in the town of Hanau, known for the Brothers Grimm. Later that day we went to Schloss Philippsruhe, a palace on the outskirts of Hanau.

Me and Jonas at a Church in Hanau

The following day we went on a rowing tour along the Main river. We invited Mickey to come along. The task was a punishing one for us Americans. We ended up travelling twice the distance of Susanne and Jonas because we could not travel in a straight line. On Saturday we visited

Cologne.

The Cityscape View from the Top of Cologne Cathedral

I went with Marcus’ host family because Amadeus had an unplanned tennis tournament. On our visit to Cologne we saw the Chocolate Museum, where we indulged in confectionery bliss and saw the history and process of chocolate making. We visited churches of course, such as the Cathedral of Cologne. The 533 steps were a challenge, and we began wheezing as we reached the top. We enjoyed our final few days as we sat in a park beside the Rhine. That Sunday was full of events. In the morning Mickey, his host mother, and I went to the Art Museum and the Natural History Museum of Wiesbaden. In the afternoon, Marcus, Amadeus, Jonas and I played a German version of The Escape Game. That night Henrik, Marcus, Amadeus, Jonas and I shot pellet guns in the backyard. I used this as preparation for the Rifle Championship… That concludes the second week. 

Me, Jonas, Amadeus and Marcus at the Escape Game

Week Three

The third week gave me an underlying sense of melancholy. I knew it was soon time to leave. Monday was class trip day. Our class advisor organized a biking tour that began in Mainz and ended in Wiesbaden. We biked roughly twenty miles that day, through parks, industrial parks, and on the roads of the twin cities. We took a break at a pier, and we enjoyed cold glasses of herbal lemonade. The following day we took another class trip to an archaeological site. When we returned, Marcus, a few Harpeth Hall girls, our hosts and I took one last time to enjoy Wiesbaden. We sat in the park as the sun set below the horizon. We talked about our time in Germany. The last day was very emotional. We went to a community pool atop a hill which overlooked Wiesbaden. Hours passed, and all which went through my mind were memories of the great times I had. That night we had a get-together at Amadeus’ house. Some Harpeth Hall girls came as well. It was all surreal. In the morning we went to the train station, and we said our last goodbyes. I was leaving behind family.

One of Our Last Meals

Munich

The Alps

The first few days outside of Wiesbaden were somewhat tough for us. We reminisced over the fun times we had with our hosts, however, we knew Herr Dougherty would provide us with many great experiences - we were not wrong. Our first day, the twenty eighth of June, was spent touring the city of Munich. Our first destination was Marienplatz, which would act as a rendezvous point. We went to other locations such as the street markets of Munich. No European city tour would be complete without visiting churches, which we did plenty of. Climbing the countless stairs in the cathedrals was excruciating, especially during the heatwave. We also saw other landmarks that day such as the Imperial Palace, and Holocaust memorials. That night we dined at Hofbräuhaus, a restaurant which dated back to the 1500s. Upon entering we saw a dining area with no end in sight. There were no doubt thousands of people within the restaurant. After dinner we were given free time to explore the city - we did so. I was excited for the following day, for that day we had planned to go to the BMW Museum and BMW World. Unfortunately, BMW World was closed for maintenance, however, this was no big deal since the BMW Museum entertained us for hours. It was breathtaking seeing all the achievements of BMW under a single roof. After visiting the museum, we went to the Olympic Village, which was built for the 1972 Winter Olympics. We had an amazing view of the city and the Alps from atop the hill adjacent to the Olympic Village. Later that day we visited the Deutsches Museum, the largest science museum in the world. We spent hours exploring the museum, and we still managed not to finish seeing all the exhibits due to its vast size. The third day was dedicated to Neuschwanstein Castle. After a couple hour train ride, we arrived to the small village of Hohenschwangau, which was overlooked by Neuschwanstein Castle.

Neuschwanstein Castle

The hike up to the castle took roughly an hour, but under heatwave conditions the task was grueling. It was worth it. The view we had was absolutely gorgeous - it highlighted the beauty of the Alps. Our next day was somewhat somber due to our visit to Dachau Concentration Camp. We reflected on the horrors of fascism and the Second World War. The rest of the day was spent at Allianz Stadium, home of FC Bayern. Thereafter, our first leg of the journey with Herr Dougherty came to a close. 

Vienna

We were finally approaching the last stretch of our trip. After traveling by train for hours, I was happy to make it to the hostel. Thankfully, the hostel provided our room with a fan. We rested for some time, and we proceeded to tour the city with Herr Dougherty. We saw many historical buildings which were the remnants of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The heat was beginning to reach intolerable levels, however, it was worth it to experience the city and its architecture. On our first day we visited the Sisi Museum which gave insight on the life of Empress Elizabeth and other royal members. Later we saw Karlskirche which provided us with a good view of the city. After sightseeing, our first day came to a close. The next day we met one of Herr Dougherty’s old colleagues. We went to explore more of the city, and we eventually went to a museum which displayed cutlery and fine china used by the Imperial family. Our group enjoyed dinner at a restaurant located within the street markets of Vienna. 

The remainder of the day was used as free-time. We decided to enjoy one of Vienna’s many parks. Our final day was filled with bittersweet feelings. We wanted to stay longer, however, we knew that we were satisfied with the experiences we had. Our first destination that day was the Schönbrunn Zoo.

The Gardens of Schönbrunn

The zoo was impressively large and it contained many different attractions. During the latter half of the day, we went to Prater Amusement Park. Being designated as an amusement park in 1766, Prater is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world. After an amazing view from the top of the ferris wheel, we visited many other attractions and we had a night of fun.

A group photo from atop the ferris wheel

That night Mickey departed with his parents. Luke, Marcus and I discussed the fun we had during our trip as we packed. As expected, we left the next day, but our plane to Toronto arrived thirty minutes late. Therefore, we missed our plane to Nashville, and we had to wait six hours for another plane. As we arrived home, I was picked up by my parents, and I told them about each experiences I had and how the trip changed my life. 

Special Thanks

There are many people that I want to thank for making this trip possible. First and foremost, I thank the Wilson family for providing the opportunity to travel abroad and to improve my understanding of the German language and culture. I want to thank Herr Dougherty and Mr. Paolicchi for coordinating the trip and itinerary. My deepest gratitude also goes to the Poth family, my host family. I am grateful for the extent they went to provide me with great memories and experiences.

Germany and Austria 2019

Germany and Austria, 2019

The adventure began at BNA. It hardly seemed like a year had passed since the last time the four of us were about to board a plane to leave home for a month, but at the same time, we all felt that a lot had changed in our lives during the previous school year. After a quick and uneventful plane ride to the Chicago Airport, we were quickly faced with the task of selecting a dinner destination. Chile’s turned out to be the most agreeable, and we tried as hard as we could to wolf down the deceptively large quantity of food we ordered there. Unfortunately, there was a minor mishap regarding my seating, which I discovered after our time at Chile’s. Instead of being booked for seat 11C, I was booked for seat 49A - nine times. A few phone calls later, everything was sorted out, but I was left in even greater anticipation of the stereotypical German efficiency I would surely experience in a few hours.

Wiesbaden

The plane ride was peaceful. I watched Into the Spiderverse, with which I was pleasantly surprised. We deboarded and were greeted by a quick trip through customs and baggage claim, followed by our host families. I met my host brother, Linus Strube, before coming here, which eased in my entry to Germany. Sadly, for the first whole day, I was very sick to my stomach, so it had to wait another day before I could properly enjoy German cuisine. I did, however, have the privilege of meeting what felt like half of the population of Wiesbaden, Germany, on the first day. Realistically, it was closer to twenty people, but the number of people Linus introduced me to was nevertheless stunning. As I write this, I can feel the nostalgia creeping through my mind as I remember the sights, the sounds, tastes, smells - everything. We toured around the downtown area and finished the night by a little pastry stand in the park. As the first few days played out, I was increasingly thankful for the Strube’s hospitality. Linus is truly a very warm, welcoming person, who I think did a fantastic job getting me as involved with the German youth as possible. His parents were both fun and relaxed people and took us out on fun excursions to Frankfurt, Mainz, a jazz festival, and more. Their house was lovely, I felt right at home at all times and we were only a short walk from a bus station. Speaking of buses - I was surprised at how much better my life was in the presence of an effective public transport system. I feel almost trapped back here in Nashville, in comparison. Similar to how the buses made mobility around the city a breeze, the kindness and warmth of the Wiesbadener youth made getting around socially perfectly easy. Whereas back here in America, I only have a few real friends, most of whom are pretty similarly-minded, but Linus and some of his acquaintances went out of their way to introduce me to people from all walks of life, people I probably never would have met otherwise. I am very thankful to Linus for that. To put it in perspective - I think most of the other American students looked forward to the days when we would go on an Americans-only excursion for an opportunity to see their American friends and be in a more English-friendly environment, and while I am not going to lie and say I don’t like my American friends or was more comfortable speaking German than English, but my host brother did such a fantastic job immersing me in the culture of the German youth that I wanted to savor every minute of it. But while I am on the subject of the day-trips we took, our visit to the vineyard-town of Rüdesheim offered the most amazing views of rolling hills, lazily sweeping wind-turbines, and of course the Rhine that I could imagine. Additionally, the food there was excellent, even by German standards.

Munich

On the day we left to Munich from Wiesbaden, I truly came to appreciate how saddening a drawn-out goodbye can be. The levee holding back my tears must have been on par with the Hoover Dam that day. Once we tore ourselves away from the wonderful city of Wiesbaden, we were quickly filled with anticipation. We arrived in Munich after a four-hour train ride. Seeing the München Hauptbahnhof (Munich Central Train Station) as we stepped let me know I was in a place unlike anywhere I had been before. I loved it at once. I just had to bear through the heat for a bit until we got to our hostel room and put on new clothes because I was thoughtless enough to think it wouldn’t be absolutely blazingly hot in the middle of summer. But I digress. After a short bit of downtime, we took the subway to Marienplatz, the plaza next to the town hall.

Mr. Dougherty was kind enough to treat us each to a Leberkäse sandwich, a sandwich basically made of a thick piece of bologna-like sausage with sharp mustard. As in Wiesbaden, I was stunned by how affordable all of the food and how high-quality in Münich was. After our snack, Mr. Dougherty told us we would have fun climbing a two-hundred-and-fifty-stair spire of a beautiful cathedral near the city center. I think I burned every last calorie in the Leberkäse during the ascent, but the view was definitely worth it. For dinner that evening, we went to the famous Hofbräuhaus, which was livelier than I could have imagined. I had the Schweinshaxe that Mr. Dougherty had been recommending since my sophomore year, and while it did surpass my expectations, it probably could have served two people.

Over the next few days, we saw the stunningly artistic BMW Museum, toured the saddening remains of Dachau, bought exotic fruits at a huge open-air market, strolled through the English Gardens and Olympia Park, saw the world-famous Allianz Arena, and more. Out of all of the things we did, I was most impressed with the Deutsche Museum, an enormous and complex science museum that tops the Science Museum in London easily. Although, Schloss Neuschwanstein, the beautiful and exorbitant castle built by the Mad King Ludwig, situated in the Bavarian Alps, might actually be my favorite thing we saw, depending on when you ask me. Both were amazing.

In terms of what we ate, it is hard to say what I enjoyed the most. Hofbräuhaus certainly was an experience, but I think the plethora of Turkish street-food restaurants provided the most unique experience. I was expecting Turkish food to be similar to either Greek or Indian food, but it was something completely unlike any food I had eaten before. Hopefully, a store that makes fresh, high-quality dürüm’s and döner’s opens sometime new in Nashville. All in all, Munich proved to be one of the coolest cities I have been in.

Vienna

When I stepped out of the train into Vienna, I immediately felt that I was somewhere different. I asked my friends, and they could feel it too. Something that was hard to put my finger on felt different about the entire setting - the people were ever so slightly different-looking, the buildings were styled differently, the accents were just barely noticeably different, but it all added up. Perhaps the most noticeable difference was the abundance of pastries. It was madness. I think I cast my eyes upon more chocolate, bread, and frosting during my three days in Vienna than I have during the rest of 2019. Not that I am complaining, of course - I have a bit of a sweet tooth. Speaking of food, I had not one but two delicious, real-life Wiener Schnitzels in the home of the Wiener Schnitzel, as well as some cheese-filled sausage that I, unfortunately, forgot the name of. But we didn’t get to enjoy any of that until we accomplished the most important task at hand - climbing over three hundred more stairs. This view was nice, but I can’t help but wonder what sadist designed the spiral staircase. It was so steep and tight that I was climbing on all fours for the final third of the way up, and there were no windows to see how much progress we were making as we climbed. As we reached the top, we got to see Vienna from a nice little gift shop, where I realized with horror that the gift-shop employees cursed to climb those wretched stairs every day. As for what we did day to day in Vienna, we visited the world’s first zoo (which definitely is on my top-three zoos list), a couple of royal palaces filled with relics from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Prater Amusement park, where two of my comrades were yelled at by a friendly Russian park-worker because they didn’t know how to turn a Go-Kart. Sadly, my phone ran out of storage space so I was unable to take any pictures while in Vienna. I did have enough room to take a video of an enormously rotund seal at the zoo, but as I cannot attach videos to this blog, you will just have to imagine an obese seal making a thunderous coughing noise. In conclusion, I still like Munich a little more than Vienna, but my experience of the German-speaking world would have been horribly incomplete without such a charming and singular city.

The Experience..... and Danke Sehr!

The time I spent in Germany and Austria this summer was, in my opinion, the most formative four weeks of my life. Before I left for Germany, I was expecting to spend most of my time inside and to make maybe three friends at most. Linus worked really hard and brought me out of my comfort zone, and I think the experience of meeting and hanging out with so many new people who I would never have known otherwise was an education like no other. The bonds I made in Germany are some of the strongest in my life. And of course, my German friends' patience with my initially broken German smoothed out the language-learning process considerably. As I mentioned previously, The time I spent in Europe this summer proved to be more life-changing than I could have imagined. I cannot say enough how thankful I am. Programs such as these are the ones that set MBA apart from other institutions and make it the life-changing place it is. Danke Sehr, Wilson Familie!