Traveling has always been something I enjoy, but this trip felt different from the start. In the past, I’ve moved through airports and planes as part of a group where the decisions were largely made for me from my family. Today, even though we were technically traveling as a cohort, there was something freeing about navigating logistics more independently. Choosing when to grab food, figuring out connections, and making small decisions on my own. It sounds simple, but it added a layer of ownership to the experience that I appreciated.

When I boarded the transatlantic flight to Munich, there was a vast contrast compared to my flight to Newark, NJ. The plane to Newark was small, cramped, and I felt every pocket of turbulence. The flight to Munich was a completely different world. It was smoother, larger, and far more comfortable.

One small moment caught me off guard during travel. The in-flight announcements were both in English and German. It’s such a simple thing but hearing a language that isn’t English fill the cabin made the destination feel real. It also made me quickly aware of how limited my German is to hear a native speak.

What I’m most looking forward to in this program is experiencing German culture in a way that goes beyond being a tourist. Guided tours and sightseeing are amazing, but the real opportunity here is the German students. Getting to know them, their perspectives on education, daily life, business, feels like the kind of insight you simply can’t get from a travel guide. I came in a little nervous about whether connections would form naturally across that cultural gap, but I’m staying optimistic.