Today we left Pittsburgh for Germany! When we arrived at the airport, I was able to see the new Pittsburgh Airport terminal, and it was super beautiful. Last summer, I had the opportunity to visit Poland and The Netherlands with my family, but we traveled through the Toronto airport in Canada. This overseas travel experience was different because I had to go through customs twice: once while driving into Canada and then again in Amsterdam.

Before the flight to Newark, we all got to know each other and played card games to pass the time. It helped ease some of the tiredness and stress from the long travel day. Our first plane was fairly small, similar to other short flights I’ve been on, but the second flight was much larger and even had seats that turned into beds. On the way to Newark, we flew right next to New York City, and I was able to capture a great picture of the skyline thanks to a man I met from the Czech Republic who was traveling back from college.

When we arrived in Newark, we had about two hours to relax and get food. We walked around the terminal to eat and stretch our legs. My biggest challenge was trying not to fall asleep too early so I could get as much sleep as possible on the overnight flight.

During our time in Germany, I am most excited to visit Dachau because of my interest in World War II history and the Holocaust. I am also excited to visit KUKA, the company I was assigned for the group presentations. Based in Augsburg, KUKA builds industrial robots and factory automation systems used to manufacture cars and other machines. Many of the other group projects focus directly on car brands and supply chains, but my project is different because it focuses on the technology and machinery involved in making the cars themselves. It is not something people often think about, so I know the information and experience I gain will be very unique. I can’t wait to get to know everyone better and explore Augsburg!