The list of reasons why I would redo this whole experience grows more and more every time I talk about this trip. The Plus3 program gave me an experience I will take with me for the rest of my academic and personal career. The first few days of adjusting to our new life for the two weeks were challenging, but by day 3/4 I was completely immersed in trying new things and making new connections with everyone on the trip. The number of trips to new villages and towns was something I did not expect and I am so grateful to have seen places like Landsberg, Dachau, Regensburg, Oberammergau, and Neuschwanstein. The castle was one of my favorite days because it marked the switch in the trip. This day was a day where I felt like I was in a routine with everyone and I could fully enjoy everything around me. I was surprised to experience such a tight schedule at the beginning of the trip, but I soon realized that it was better that way because we got the important trips out of the way and had more fun later on in the trip.
Augsburg as a city was amazing. the amount of food available and shops made it so exciting and happening. I found the tram system to be really easy to understand, even better than the port authority in Pittsburgh! The other cities in comparison give off the same feel, but Augsburg to me was more advanced and newer than towns like Landsberg. I enjoyed how each city had its own culture, traditions, and ways of life. Something unusual was the way that some cities had their own legal rules on what ingredients could go into beer. We heard about this in Regensburg specifically.
As for the academic side of the trip, I believe that the work reflected a well-deserved 3-credit course. We did have a lot of presentations and assignments throughout the semester and trip, but it was all for the benefit of us getting to experience a car supply chain in Germany. For someone who was very much looking forward to the Audi factory and museum tour, it was so much better than what I could ever expected. I had no real thought of how the production line worked until I saw the factory tour and everything started to click. I enjoyed how the company visits were organized in a way where it followed the supply chain and we ended with Audi, a full car manufacturer. The company visits gave an inside look at what they do but also German culture in the workplace. I noticed a lot of space dedicated to mental health and good work-life balance. Working with the German students was challenging at some points but still a great experience in learning how they approach an assignment. At the end of the presentations, we all said our goodbyes and it was sad to see them go after working closely with them. Another aspect of the trip was staying in the Ibis Hotel. My personal experience was great considering the people were very welcoming and excited to host us American students and the breakfast was also great in their variety of foods.
Reflection: I learned to try as many new things as possible because who knows when you will be there again with the German students. I took full advantage of new drinks, foods, and social hangouts throughout the trip. The class specifically taught me the OEM, tier 1, tier 2, and raw materials supply chain and then a real-life example with the company visits. I knew we were learning about car companies, but I did not expect to learn about companies that fall specifically in those tier 1/2 categories. All the companies we visited integrated more than I thought. I thought it was particularly worthwhile to spend a good amount of time at the university. I thought it was interesting to see their campus and culture. Especially having to eat lunch there and to experience that whole process. I learned that I prefer doing the most on a trip like this. I preferred reaching out to everyone to do something and making plans every day for free space we had in the day because those are the memories we will look back on. However, on the contrary, I learned that some classmates prefer not to fill their schedules up and that is ok. You can tell who is more of a homebody and a stay-in type of night and who is more willing to go out every night and both are perfectly ok.
Finally, the most memorable aspect of the trip was the German culture. The food that Bavaria is known for, the traditions they have, and the lives of the German students, were all so new to me and I feel like I truly got to experience the Bavarian culture in the short time of two weeks. I would love to see more of Bavaria and Germany as a whole as well sometime in the future. My favorite moment on the trip would have to be getting to experience everything with the new friends I made while on this trip. I came in not knowing anyone and left knowing a whole new friend group. I cannot thank this program enough for teaching me patience, hard work, and persistence in trying new things every day. The academic and personal aspects of the trip were challenging but so worth it and I feel more traveled after this trip. I believe that this trip sparked a further interest in traveling to new countries with friends. From trying new foods to talking with new people and witnessing the everyday production processes of some companies, this trip put me out of my comfort zone and I only benefited from it! I would like to thank all of the program directors from the University of Augsburg to the University of Pittsburgh but making this trip happen.
Feedback: The best thing about this trip was the friends I made while experiencing everything. I can not express how much I loved making new friends on this trip and the impact it had on my experience. It made everything better by laughing, taking photos, and trying new things together really bonds a group. I would change the level of detail when it comes to the itinerary. I think during the trip a lot of us were confused about what to expect throughout each day and I wish the itinerary had been more detailed and explained more thoroughly to us in person; specifically on the company visits. Besides that, the trip was wonderful and I am eternally grateful for this experience.
