Todays company visit was to Hirschvogel Automotive Group, a Mittelstand Germany company focused on forging steel. Touring the factory was mind blowing! I watched the gigantic machines press steel using heat or cooling techniques and watched robots work in conjunction with the machines to move the material being dealt with. Once again, robots are crazy. It was also my first time watching operators in a factory perform repetitive movements that were necessary to the production of the products. Personally, I can’t imagine doing the same thing over and over without getting distracted, so it worried me watching people deal with these hot products and dangerous machinery for long periods at a time, especially in the loud, dirty, and thick air of the factory. Overall, watching the machines do work was exciting, baffling, and mesmerizing. After the company visit, we proceeded to Oberammergau, a small tourist town. The village was clearly famous for its wood carvings as almost every store had a selection of items carved from wood to choose from. There were all kinds adorable gifts ranging from nutcrackers, to ceramic mugs, to Christmas ornaments, to cuckoo clocks, and of course key chains. Yet, I still had the most difficult time finding the perfect gift for my family and friends back home! After a short hour of walking around, we headed up to the top of the Alps on a cable car and admired the breathtaking view. I could’ve stayed up there for days. The weather was perfect, the view was perfect, and there was a coffee shop up there. What more do I need? It actually ended up being an even better day because I got a nice bratwurst in downtown Augsburg from a street vendor when we got back from our adventure, and it was so delicious.