After a long day and night of travel, we arrived at the Munich Airport at 07:00. The differences between Germany and home were immediately present before we left the airport. Instead of facing the sea of concrete of an American airport, we were greeted with lush, green grass outside the terminal.

I think this was the greatest difference between my experience in Germany compared to the U.S. was how green everything is. The highways are bordered by bright green and yellow fields, with some that haven’t yet sprouted scattered in between. Tree lines serve as the property boundary between neighboring farms, with most of these trees on the younger side. Even in the middle of Augsburg, the sidewalks and streets were lined with flowers, ivy, and even more trees.

While Pittsburgh (and Oakland) have their fair share of greenery, they don’t compare to southern Germany. The whole region feels like nature is ready to creep in at any moment, while it’s generally kept at bay in American cities. It makes Augsburg feel like a much smaller town than it truly is, which I find unique and interesting about here compared to home.

We’ve been here for a day, and I’m already so impressed with this city! I can’t wait for the rest of the trip!