Today we returned to the Bilbao School of Engineering for a couple presentations. The first was about the process of designing medical devices and all that goes into the development of them. This was very interesting from an engineering standpoint because it showed how there are much different engineering proceedings depending on the product being…
Guernica – Day 2 (10)
Today we went on two amazing hikes and saw some beautiful nature. The first hike we took a bus to with our tour guide for the day. We went to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. This was the most spectacular view I had ever seen. The hike was difficult due to the incline of the mountain…
The Hardest Goodbye
Plus 3 Ecuador has officially wrapped up, but that doesn’t mean that our last day was uneventful. As always, the group gathered bright and early for our last breakfast together before turning in our lodge room keys and heading on the bus to head on back to the Quito airport. Now you see, the bus…
The Final Chapter of Ecuador
Day 11 After another amazing breakfast from the people of the lodge, we went to paint our pots that we sculpted earlier in the trip. They were finally done firing. we needed someone’s hair for our brushes, so our group chose Sherly for the hair person. With Sherly’s hair, we proceeded to wrap it around…
Day 13 – Sleepless Flights and Lasting Memories
We started our final day in Germany bright and early with a 5:45 AM departure from the hotel. Everyone was tired and honestly a little sick too including me but we pushed through to get on the road one last time. The first flight was long but I was lucky enough to sleep through most…
Day 12 – Pizza Palaces and Parks
Today was our free day and I decided to spend it in Munich with a close friend of mine. We took the train in the morning which was about an hour long and met up with one of his friends who joined us for the day. They gave me a personal tour of the city…
Day 11 – Presentations and Parting Ways
Today was our last full day together as a group and it was time to present everything we had worked on. I started the morning by getting ready and going over my notes one last time. My group had GROB for our final project and I was excited to share what we had learned. Before…
Final Day in Bilbao :(
On our final day, we returned to what felt like the heart of our trip, the Bilbao School of Engineering. We started the day with a fascinating presentation from Mikel about the process of designing a medical device. It was especially interesting to see how closely engineering overlaps with what we do in nursing, especially…
Day 13-Flight Home
My flight home was uneventful, I took one last final picture of the coach bus that was our home for the last two weeks in the sunrise, and got ready to leave. I had an amazing time on this trip, and will remember it forever. I really look forward to seeing everyone in the group…
Day 11-Presentations and Dinner at the Ratskellar
Once again, not a ton to report about this day. our group presentation went great and our one german group member who we didnt have contact with beforehand actually showed up and was super professional and helpful for the project. Her name is Alija and was actually really fun to work with. Our other member,…
Day 10-GROB
Today we visited Grob, and then worked on our projects. Not a ton to report, although the tour of Grob was fascinating. they specialize in extremely finely-tuned metal machining, and have a humongous facility in Mindelheim, Germany, where they build all kinds of industrial machines for other companies and precisely manufactured metal works of art….
Day 9-Hoerbiger + Oberammergau
Hoerbiger was our most boring factory tour/presentation day by a pretty wide margin. They make chips that provide precise timing and cogs for machine parts and cars. It was pretty uninteresting, and the lecture after was very long and spoke almost entirely about the technical side of things (manufacturing, automation, robotics) and the business side…
Final Reflection
Now that I’ve been home for a few days, I can already say I miss Germany more than expected. This trip was truly something special, and I know I will carry the memories with me for a long time. From the places we visited to the people I met, the experience exceeded every expectation I…
Day 12: Free Day
Today was our last day in Germany. It is so sad to think that we have to leave tomorrow. Today we were given a free day to do whatever we wanted to do. Our plan got a little messed up. We originally planned to go to Salzburg, Austria. We got on the train to Munich…
Day 11: Final Presentations
Today was our last day to spend as a group. I woke up and headed to the university to meet with my group to finalize our presentation. When it was time for presentations, we went to the room. We were the fourth group to go, so we had to wait a while to present. Listening…
Day 8-Dachau
A Harrowing Glimpse into History: Visiting Dachau with Plus3 Germany 2025 As part of our University of Pittsburgh Plus3 Germany 2025 program, our group visited the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site—a somber but profoundly important experience that left an indelible mark on me. Walking through the camp grounds, it was almost surreal to stand in…
Korea Final Journal
After spending the last two weeks in Seoul and the surrounding cities through the Plus3 Program , I can definitely say that the trip gave me more than just some interesting memories. It gave me the ability to view future career and myself as a developing professional through an entirely new perspective. This experience challenged…
Plants vs. Zombies
Today, the capabilities that I once applied to humankind have been refurbished and polished. At the grand time of 6:30am, the crew and I woke up for a bountiful breakfast. You can tell how rough the day will be by seeing how much food is on your plate. The more, the harder. When the…
Journal Final Post
Going to South Korea has always been a dream of mine. I always wanted to explore the country, learn the culture, and make some friends along the way. With this plus3 trip, I got all that and more. It’s remarkable to think that many of the members on this trip were strangers before. Now I…