I can’t believe it’s already been almost two weeks since I left Germany. I have been catching up on sleep and starting my summer internship with PennDOT back home. Returning to the suburbs of Pennsylvania feels very weird after traveling so far across the ocean to Germany and Austria.
As I reflect on this trip, I am thinking a lot about how it has affected my outlook on my career and my life. I went into this trip looking to determine if Germany is a place that I would like to live and work in the near future for a co-op or a job. After seeing all of the opportunities that Germany has to offer me as a mechanical engineer, I think that I would like to try living here. So many of the people there see their careers at their company as the way that they get to have a real impact on the world. I remember talking to our tour guide at BMW about how he liked the company and how it cares for its employees. He positively loved his job and the company and gave us the honest version of what it was like to work there. The people of Germany in the automobile industry seem very enthusiastic about what they do, and I think that I would thrive in this environment that promotes innovation while endorsing healthy and holistic living. I would definitely have to learn more of the language in order to actually survive there though.
Seeing how each company operates on a daily basis was an invaluable experience in that it enabled me to understand how the automobile industry functions on an everyday scale. German automobile companies lead an impressive balance between competition and cooperation with the other companies around them. I particularly noticed this balance during our company visits. Every company was fiercely competitive, always striving to be the best at what they do and trying to be better than the competition. However, we also saw friendly collaboration in growing industries like the autonomous car market and e-mobility. It made me so happy to see that there exists such a balance in the world and that it is driving our technology forward into the future.
Germany was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. If you read back on my blogs, I comment on this a lot. The buildings and towns are so colorful and full of life. I loved the cobblestone streets and the winding walking avenues. The cities were so clean and well loved. I remember specifically in Munich when we ended our tour in a market. The stalls were selling everything from flowers to handmade gifts to fresh fruit. It was so bright and colorful and lively. Despite being a country of industry like the U.S., Germany maintains an atmosphere of balanced life. While our cities are full of sky scrapers and smoke and cars, theirs are full of little shops and ringing bells and gardens. Not to say that American cities are not beautiful and lively in their own way, but I fell in love with German cities’ colors and brightness.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was getting to meet and work with the students from the University of Augsburg. I believe that this type of partnership with another university is unique to Plus3 Germany, and it is definitely a valuable part of the program. In addition to being amazing to work with, the Augsburg students also showed us around the city and told us about all of the best places to eat and hang out. I had the most fascinating conversations with them about American life and politics, what it’s like to live in Germany, pop culture, and so much more. Despite now being very far apart, I definitely hope to see them again if they visit Pittsburgh or if I am ever back in Germany. This trip not only formed new bonds between the American members of our group, but also created friendships that cross over borders.
Some advice to anyone reading this who is thinking about going on this trip in the future: do it, it is so worth it. You are going to be tired and sleep deprived for two weeks, but they will be the best two weeks of your entire freshman year. You are going to see beautiful mountains and towns while learning more than you could ever possibly need to know about the German automobile industry. If you are interested in traveling and learning from a country that is the best in the industry, this is the best experience you could possibly choose to undertake.
