What a bittersweet feeling. coming back to the states after this seemingly short trip to Germany.
Side note: I find myself saying things like "the states" and "Americans" as if I'm some random objective third party. I guess that's an example of how this experience has turned my world around a bit.
I've learned to appreciate little things about our way of life, for instance, cheap, plentiful water. And more than one type of french fry. And hospitality. Not to say Germans aren't hospitable (well, maybe...) but I feel that most Americans are more openly friendly. I've missed that.
On the other hand, I've also become super jealous of some aspects of the German lifestyle. Like the way they travel. Trains, man, trains....and trams. and buses. and bicycles. They make it so much easier to travel around the city, and biking is such a healthy and fun way to get around. Also, the plethora (yeah that's right, plethora) of markets, shops, bars and restaurants everywhere. There was always something new to discover, as if some exciting event was just waiting to happen to us.
(Spoiler: I'm about to get super cheese-ball)
So now that I'm back home, I'm able to look at our lifestyle from a more educated perspective. I really do feel more worldly, in a different way than I had imagined before this trip. I have an a growing desire to discover different parts of the world in order to gain an even more well-rounded perspective about living. I've stepped out of our America bubble and though it was challenging - literally not being able to read simple signs made me feel incredibly ignorant - it's hard to describe all the little things I've learned about people that have moved me, in such a short time. Traveling is such a powerful experience that can't be explained unless you do it for yourself. The world is so full and beautiful and overwhelming and crazy, but discovering it is worth more than words.
Alright so if you scrolled through the cheese, get excited because here are some more cool photos:
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| Found this in a train station on our first day in Munich. I knew I would like the city from then on. |
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| Inside the Bunker at Dachau. |
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| A cute baby on the U (train). |
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| WEIN! |
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| This needs no caption because BMW. |
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| View from the top of an old church, on our last day there. |
21 University
of South Carolina, School of Journalism and Mass Communications students and two professors are spending two weeks in Munich and Berlin Germany, as part of a May class. The object is to learn about convergence journalism and develop multimedia stories and communication skills that extend beyond the classroom. During this three-week class students will interview, write, photograph and video Germans and discover how different media's role is in this country.
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