As the title implies, there are no kangaroos in Austria, but rather, Australia. I didn’t originally believe this is something that people got confused, but on our last day in Europe we took a train to Austria, and I saw merch bearing the phrase, “No Kangaroos in Austria”. I got a good laugh from it and bought one of the shirts with a kangaroo on it to prove that I have been in Austria. (Not to be confused with Australia)
My first impression of Austria wasn’t the greatest. When we got off the train my very first impression was that Austria felt like a budget or Walmart brand Germany. However, the further we got from the train station, the nicer the area got. We crossed a river and then eventually went to a fortress on a hill.
The fortress was awesome because it had an amazing view of all of Salzburg, and the surrounding Alps. We took an incline trolley up to the fortress and spent several hours there. We got to explore and admire the view, and it was very large on the inside.
The food in Austria was good also. We got to try Kebabs, which is similar to what we would call gyros, and they were very good and affordable. Later in the day we went to an Italian restaurant which was also very good but certainly less affordable.
On the train ride back, German police stopped boarded the train and were checking passports, probably looking for someone. It wasn’t an issue for anyone, but we were slightly concerned because one of the members of our group forgot their passport. After we got back to the hotel we packed up and then left for the airport very early the following morning.
Plus3 was an awesome experience that I am very thankful for. I have always been an automotive enthusiast, so it was really amazing that I got to experience the automotive industry, professional engineering, and the German car culture. I got to see what Europe and the people there are like and meet students from the University of Augsburg. I got to visit 4 influential companies, that I would love to intern at. I learned a lot about a different culture, and professional environments. I learned a lot about business, and how engineering and business work together. I think my experience in Germany will help to influence my career, and I’m hoping I can use what I’ve learned to become a better, more rounded, professional one day.