This morning we left Pittsburgh for Germany! Waking up in towers for the first time since freshmen year felt a little strange, but I was thankful to be close to Nordenberg where we were getting on the bus as my luggage was quite heavy. I woke up at 5am with so much excitement but also discomfort from the freezing cold. I was thankful to have an early start to the morning to do some final organizing and use the extra time to get ready for the long day ahead.

We headed to the airport and I was so relieved my bag was only 40 pounds, so that means I can buy 10 pounds of clothes (I really shouldn’t). At the airport we played card games and I sat while dissociating for quite some time until it was time to fly to Newark. My biggest gripe with the entire trip is how difficult it was to find food at the Newark airport. By the time we found food and received our orders it was an hour later, but when we finally got Wendy’s and all was well. I zoned out yet again and we walked around until our 2.5 hour layover ended and it was time for us to board our flight to Munich!

I seriously love long international flights. Last summer when I went on the Dublin International Internship Program, I took a 7 hour flight to Dublin and that was one of my favorite flights! I enjoy sleeping in cramped, cold spaces that make the plane feel cozy. I also look forward to the meals that I wouldn’t get on a domestic flight typically. So on the flight on Newark to Munich, I again dissociated, slept, read, and ate all on repeat. I’m not a picky eater, so I don’t mind plane food and I liked everything I ate. For dinner I had butter chicken with rice, salad, and a blondie. For breakfast I had a turkey sandwich. I mostly slept on and off because I was so uncomfortably cold that my body shut down and I was able to sleep easily for most of the flight without overheating.

Once we landed in Munich and got through customs after about 2 hours, we waited for the bus to Augsburg! While waiting, I got Starbucks and I immediately noticed the major differences in the German menu compared to the American menu. This Starbucks had cheesecake slides and ube pound cakes. The syrups were also slightly different and my drink had an interesting flavor (I didn’t love it or hate it).

I got on the bus to Augsburg feeling excited but also so exhausted to point where standing felt difficult. Through this trip I’m looking forward to making new friends with others in this program and also the German students, expanding my knowledge in the automotive industry, and broadening my perspective through exposure to a new culture!