A soft drizzle forces us to duck our heads and hurry inside of the B&B Hotel in Augsburg, Germany. After roughly two days of traveling, I was relieved to know we had finally reached our destination. I was tired, and my stomach growled from hunger and I was ready to collapse on the tiny hotel bed and nap until the afternoon, however my day was just beginning. I am not sure what it is about the landscape, but it simply feels like something’s different. Maybe it’s the legions of small economical cars from foreign brands such as Opel and Peugeot, or the constant rumble of public transport, but something about Augsburg makes it unique and alien to everything I know; and I like that. I wanted to do study abroad so that I could grow and experience something new and so far Augsburg has offered plenty such opportunities. As we toured the city I saw the history of the land around me through the clash of the old and new. Wherever ancient stone met modern materials there was a story to be told, whether it be a World War 2 bombing, or an architect’s failed idea, there was always a secret to be discovered. As we continued to walk through the city, the transportation system interested the engineering side of me greatly. It was incredible to watch how smoothly the public transport system operated along side pedestrian traffic. Crowds, buses, and trolleys flowed through intersections and around city streets as if they were a collective mind. It made me reflect on the constant traffic jams and delays I noticed on a daily basis in Pittsburgh, and wonder why there was such a great difference in the two systems. As much as I enjoyed being led through the Fuggerei by a friendly tour guide and a curious cat, my favorite part of the first day here in Augsburg was the group dinner. Sitting with the German students and discussing everything from YouTube videos, to global politics, to our favorite tourist destinations, was a very exciting experience. It was fun figuring out how certain words translated between languages, or what kinds of stereotypes we each had about each other, and we both learned something new from each discussion. I am a picky eater, but trying the traditional German dishes was surprisingly delicious and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone is what study abroad is all about. Today was a great first day of the trip, and a good beginning to a life-changing journey.