After several months of bi-weekly lectures and meetings, we’re finally here! The wait was long but well worth it. After arriving in Pittsburgh on Friday the 6th, our group connected fast as we quickly broke the ice – we even took a bus to see the new Doctor Strange movie with almost all the boys on our trip to Germany. Our initial flight to Charlotte went smoothly, although we started to run into problems after taking off to Munich. I was planning to sleep on the flight and fix my sleep schedule towards the local time in Augsburg, but due to technical difficulties with the radar, we were forced to land and deplane at JFK airport. Our flight continued to delay the departure every 20 minutes, forcing us to leave 5 hours off schedule. Although I and everyone else started to feel SUPER drowsy, the promises that were held in Germany caused us to keep pushing forward.
After barely getting any sleep on the flight, we finally arrived in Munich. Immediately after landing as I looked out on the tarmac, the first thing available to my eyes was “Willkommen in München”. I was thrilled to finally say I was in Germany, but also still super nervous to be in a completely new setting. After walking through this completely foreign airport and picking up my luggage, I was shocked by the number of cars that I had never seen before. Between the different models of cars that I had not seen in America, and the diverse amount of different logos, it had become apparent that I now felt like a true foreigner. Looking out at the unique green landscape that the Germans were known to be proud of, I was amazed by how environmentally friendly it was. There were rolling fields of green, miles of yellow flowers, and beautiful views.
After a brief 45-minute drive to hotel Ibis, we were warmly welcomed by Korbinian Knoll, our University of Augsburg representative. Upon arriving, we were given 160 euros to spend on food and other necessities during the trip. Rolling around to lunchtime, the group was split up into two groups, McDonald’s (Dr. Feick told us we needed to try it at least once, don’t come at me) and the Döner restaurant. I hadn’t originally planned to eat at McDonald’s, but there were limited options nearby, and I was HUNGRY.
After lunch, we visited the Fuggerei, a settlement within Augsburg established over 500 years ago by Jakob Fugger, also known as Fugger the Rich. I was surprised that the cost of housing within the settlement was only 88 euro cents, the lowest costing housing I had ever seen. It was also explained that the Fuggerei was the oldest surviving settlement in the world, reflecting the perseverance of the Germans and the Fugger family throughout the many years.
To end the day, we went out to dinner with the German students at a traditional restaurant. I was satisfied to finally meet our German counterparts, as we feasted on Schnitzel, Spaetzle, Pork, and several other fine German dishes. The students were very welcoming and conversational, making us feel well at home.
Although my first day in Germany kicked off with a bumpy start, the rest of the day was very enjoyable. I’m very optimistic for the rest of the trip, and hopeful that the next two weeks go smoothly!