Walking onto the University of Augsburg’s campus, the architecture stopped me immediately. It doesn’t look like any American university I’ve seen. Sleek, geometric, almost dystopian in a stylish way. My first thought was somewhere between The Hunger Games and Star Wars, but make it chic. The quiet was the other thing. Morning classes here are apparently not popular, and the campus reflected that. The German students told us most people avoid early slots if they can. The classroom itself was fairly standard once we got inside with no real differences from my classrooms at Pitt. I’d heard Germany described as innovative and forward-thinking, and while the campus has its own distinct character, it didn’t feel as modern on the inside as I expected.
The Mensa, what the students also called the canteen, was one of my favorite parts of the day. Everything was in German, which made navigating it its own small adventure. The menu was more international than I expected. It offered pizza, pasta, asian food, a salad bar, and a german dish. I went with the pasta bolognese, which was pretty close to what I’d eat at home.
The German students continued to be a highlight. At first there was a little nervousness on both sides, but it diminished fast. One student lit up when I mentioned that I was a cheerleader in high school. She couldn’t believe it. She said Prom, Friday night games, and other school dances didn’t exist in their high school experience, and she kept asking how our lives compared to what she’d seen in American movies. It was funny and a little humbling to realize how much of what I took for granted as normal is.
The city tour added more cultural experience to the day. Augsburg feels small in a way but navigating it without a local would have been disorienting. Interestingly, my guide admitted he doesn’t love Augsburg. I connected with that more than I expected. Growing up somewhere that doesn’t have a lot going on gives you a complicated relationship with home.
I also learned that most German students don’t live on campus. Some are in the city while some commute from outside it. The student I spent the most time with is coming to Pittsburgh in the fall, which made the conversation feel unexpectedly personal. He mentioned being nervous about whether the current political climate in the United States would affect his plans. It was a weird feeling. It was almost a reminder that decisions being made far away have real consequences for real people standing right in front of you.
Dinner was at an Italian restaurant. It was good, but having been to Italy before, it didn’t reach those dishes. What I can say is it didn’t upset my stomach (like pizza normally does in America) which I’m counting as a win at this point in the trip. The real end to the day was gelato. I got spaghetti ice cream. It is vanilla ice cream pressed through a strainer to look like pasta, topped with strawberry sauce. My German teacher in high school used to bring it in as a cultural treat, so having it here, in the actual country, felt like a small full-circle moment. Some things are exactly as good as you remember.
