Today is our very last company visit and one I’ve been looking forward to since the beginning! It felt great not having to wake up as early to get ready before our bus left at 8:30, heading toward Ingolstadt for Audi. We didn’t have to go as early because we already had our company talk…
Mountains, Matcha, and Salzburg Adventures
Friday was by far my favorite day of the entire trip. We used our free day to travel to Salzburg, and honestly, I was excited just to experience another country regardless of what we ended up doing there. Erin suggested hiking part of the Sound of Music trail, and since I love hiking and being…
Day 11 – Rewired Perspectives
Our second-to-last company visit is today, and it is different from all the rest. Aumovio in Regensburg makes software systems for vehicles, and I was very excited to compare it to the other factories we have already visited. First, we had a discussion where he went into more depth about the software systems created in…
Presentations, Farewells, and Final Reflections
Thursday was presentation day, and it honestly felt strange realizing how quickly the trip had gone by. I started the morning by getting breakfast at Picnic with my roommate Erin before heading to campus. I got a bagel and cappuccino, which was honestly the perfect way to start such a busy day. After breakfast, we…
Day 8: Making Memories in Munich
Since studying German a bit in high school, Munich has always been a city I’ve wanted to experience. We started around 9am this morning and took the train to Munich Central Station. It quickly reminded me of Penn Station in NYC because of the hustle and bustle before we even went above ground. We all…
Day 10 – Beneath Nuremberg
Another early morning to catch our 6:15 bus bound for Nuremberg for the MAN truck and bus factory. When we arrived at MAN, I was shocked at how big the campus was. I had never heard of this company before the project, so I was surprised. I also began to see many more MAN branded…
Day 15- Heading Home: Full and Grateful
The alarm came early. By 8 a.m. we were out the door and on our way to the airport, bags packed with souvenirs, dirty laundry, and two weeks’ worth of memories. Departure felt organized. Check-in and bag drop moved quickly, and security was smooth. The real test came at border control, where the EU’s new…
Day 14- Off to Salzburg
When we got to choose how to spend our free day, I knew almost immediately where I wanted to go. My favorite sight of the trip so far had been Neuschwanstein, and I wanted to be near the Alps again. Salzburg, Austria felt like the right answer. Sound of Music country, a castle on a hill, water…
Seoul Long, Korea
Final Reflection: Coming into this trip, I honestly didn’t know exactly what to expect besides the fact that we would be visiting companies, universities, and cultural sites throughout South Korea. Looking back now, it’s crazy to think about how much we managed to do in less than two weeks, trust me we were exhausted by…
Gracias y Adios
Well, after 24 hours of traveling home and a bit of procrastination, here we are at my final blog. Looking back on the trip, it honestly feels like a fever dream filled with surreal and unforgettable experiences. We gradually worked our way to the furthest point from society and reality, just to be right back…
Day 13: Touching Grass (and Cows) in Austria!
This was by far my favorite day of the entire trip! We used our free day to go to Salzburg, Austria. When it came to planning the trip I was very indifferent about we did and I was genuinely up to do anything as I was not particularly drawn to Austria for anything specific. Erin…
Day 12: Wrapping it Up
Today is presentation day, we started the morning off by doing extra preparation and adding final touches to the presentation. Once we arrived to the University of Augsburg campus, we went to a study room to practice our presentation as a group. After practicing, everyone dispersed to get food and wait until presentations started. While…
Four Rings and a Final Factory Tour
This week has honestly flown by, and it was hard to believe that Wednesday was already our final company site visit before presentations and the end of the program started approaching. Our last visit was to Audi, and I was especially excited for this one because after spending so much time researching BMW for our…
Automation and Architecture
On Tuesday, we started the morning with a visit to Aumovio, a company focused on automotive technology and safety systems. During the presentation, we learned more about the technology behind everyday vehicle functions that most people rarely think about, including sensors, brake systems, chips, and software used in modern cars. One thing that stood out…
Day 9 – Despair in the Air
Today was an intense day when visiting Dachau. We loaded onto the bus for our hour ride to the concentration camp. Upon entry, we didn’t see much of the camp, and I wasn’t able to feel the true emotions until I stepped through the gate and heard the infamous words, “Work sets you free.” This…
ADIOS ECUADOR
Thursday we visited a cacao plantation and got the full bean-to-bar walkthrough. The coolest part was learning how they graft multiple cacao varieties onto a single tree to pull the best traits out of each one, way more science behind chocolate than I’d ever realized. The drying and fermenting process was dialed in too, and…
Heavy Machinery and Historic Streets
On Monday, we began the day with a long two and a half hour bus ride to Nuremberg to visit MAN Truck & Bus. During the drive, I spent a lot of time looking out the window at the scenery around us. We passed smaller towns filled with colorful buildings, churches, and green hills that…
Day 8 – Glockenspiels and Gardens
A quick walk to the train station and we were on our way to Munich! As I mentioned previously, the transportation here in Germany is much more efficient, reliable, and cleaner than that in America. I think this is because public transportation is much more integrated into everyday life here, like how the students take…
Day 11: Aumovio & Regensburg
We started the day with a company visit to Aumovio. There, we learned about the technology behind products most people never think about. The company develops sensors, brake systems, chips, and software that help modern vehicles operate safely. Aumovio recently split from Continental AG, which completely transformed their assembly lines. Inside the facility, machines and…
Day 10: Aumovio and Regensburg
This day started out very early, 5:15 in the morning early for me. There was a redeeming factor though, breakfast was out a little early, so I did get to enjoy that. Today we were going to Aumovio and Regensburg. Unlike MAN, I actually did have an interest for this one because I was a…