Today was the day I had been looking forward to the most. After an early wake up, we headed out on the bus to Neuschwanstein Castle, a 19th-century castle located in the very south of Germany. We started the day by taking pictures from the lower area, where we had an incredible view of the…
Postcards from Morocco: Farewells, Connections, & Intuition
Days 12 and 13 in Morocco flew by fast! Day 12 started off bright and early with a trip to women’s cooperative! Rather than a traditional site visit, however, we were enlightened with a cooking class! After some tea and biscuits and learning about the women’s cooperative, we got straight to business. We got to…
Coming to an end
On this trip, I have learned so much about myself in many different aspects. I have always thought about myself as someone open to trying new things and putting myself out there, but also unsure if that is the reality I portray. This trip has made me realize that I am more outgoing than I…
We Love You Morocco
My featured image represents my time in Morocco the best because it shows both the strong personal connections I made on this once in a lifetime experience, as well as the cultural emersion I was lucky enough to experience in Morocco. These two things are what I took out of Plus3 Morocco the most because…
Day 14: From the Streets of Morocco back to the Burgh
When asked to pick one picture that summed up my trip to Morocco, I had no clue which one to choose because each one told a story of its own. From shopping in the souks to relaxing by the beach, and making new friends to exploring different businesses, Morocco left me with a lifetime of…
Adios Ecuador
Today marks the last day of Plus3 Ecuador. This trip has truly been life-changing for me. It really opened my eyes to a brand new culture that was completely different from back home, which was really cool to see. I got to meet new people, go to new places, and build new connections with people…
Wrapping Things Up
Today(5/19), we were very tired from our adventures with the Waorani yesterday, so we took it easy today with another travel day back. We woke up pretty early and had breakfast before going on our last canoe ride of the trip. This time, the canoe ride took us a little bit longer since we were…
Frolicking in Füssen
It was finally the day I had been looking forward to for the entire trip — our visit to Neuschwanstein Castle, the 19th-century castle built by King Ludwig II as a personal retreat and fantasy escape from the industrial world around him. Leading up to this day, everyone had talked about how beautiful the views…
Behind the Robots: Day at KUKA
On our fifth day of the trip, we visited KUKA, a company that specializes in industrial robotics and automation systems. After visiting BMW the day before and seeing KUKA robots actively building parts of BMW vehicles, I was really excited for this visit because we were finally getting to see where a lot of that…
Day 4: Visiting BMW
On Tuesday, we got on the road bright and early at 7:00 a.m. to head to BMW in Munich. After what felt like a long bus ride, we finally arrived at the BMW facility, which was one of the visits I had been most excited for throughout the trip. Since BMW was also the company…
Day 3: Exploring the University and City
On our first full day in Augsburg, we started the morning with breakfast at the hotel before heading over to the University of Augsburg to meet with our industry analysis groups. This was also our first time using the public transportation system in Augsburg. We took the tram to the university, and I was immediately…
Free Day: Friday
I decided to stay in Augsburg on the last day of the trip. Ironically, our final day ended up being the nicest weather we had the entire time, and I did not want to spend any more time on a bus or train. I woke up, had our awesome hotel breakfast, and then spent around…
Arriving in Augsburg
After arriving in Munich and taking the bus to Augsburg, my first impressions of Germany were very different from what I expected. One of the first things that stood out to me was how clean and organized everything felt, especially the roads, buildings, and public spaces. Compared to what I am used to at home…
Last Moments in Ecuador
To start off the day, we had breakfast and then joined back in the common area at the lodge for a lesson on chocolate making! We had a great guide come and show us his process of turning roasted beans into melted chocolate which was a super cool experience to see up close. Then I…
Departure Day: Pittsburgh to Germany
For the departure day to Germany, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness that made the experience different from any trip I have taken before. Most of my past travel has been either family vacations or shorter trips where everything felt planned out and familiar. This trip feels so much bigger because it combines…
Presentation Day: Thursday
This morning, I was able to sleep in a little, wake up, and enjoy our awesome hotel breakfast while putting the final touches on our group presentation about KUKA, the robotics company we toured the week prior. It has been very interesting learning about them as a company and understanding how manufacturers like BMW and…
Day 8: Trip to Munich
I woke up this morning feeling the best I did the whole trip. Following our chill day, I was able to destress and get a good night’s rest. This allowed me to feel refreshed and locked in for one of the most important days of the trips. We were going to Munich. This is another…
Final Blog: Back in the Burgh
My trip was defined by people. My picture represents all the new friends I made and the shared experiences have. Before travelling to Morocco, the only person I knew was Vinny. By the end of the trip, I was planning to go to Sai’s Temple. I have memories for the rest of my life from…
Hasta Luego, Buenos Aires.
Now that the time of our stay in Argentina is near its end, I have been reflecting on all we have learned during the past 2 weeks. This course was instrumental in my realization of how complex the whole health care system actually is and how important the various aspects such as the differences between…
Day 5 – A Day at KUKA
Today was my groups assigned company visit, and we took a quick tram ride to the KUKA factory in Augsburg. I remembered seeing KUKA robots the day before at BMW and being amazed by what they were capable of, so I was excited for the visit. When we arrived we watched a cool video and…