The immediate culture shock was the atmosphere of the city. Instead of the hustle and bustle of a classic American city I had been to like Pittsburgh and New York City, people seemed to be more laid back and relaxed, going about their days less oriented on work and more balanced than the average American. As we went on the first tour of Augsburg the thing that struck me the most was that it was the meeting ground between Catholics and Protestants where their softening of their relationship had taken place. As a Protestant myself, it was interesting to realize that some of the more accepting and softened views I hold toward my Catholic friends can ultimately be traced back to the history rooted in the very place I was standing. 

As for the city itself and the mark history had on it, the wealth and the commerce still was present to this day. The fact that it was common to see what were some of my dream cars just strolling along the street was insane to me. I’m not talking about a standard BMW or a nice looking Audi. I mean there were at least 2-3 $600k porsches I saw just strolling on the street with people barely batting an eye. Meanwhile I was going nuts in my head seeing cars I thought I never would in real life. Along with that, the detailed architecture and emphasis on preservation still carries the same feeling of the city being a staple of commerce and financing to this day. 

The question I was thinking was “what does this city think of Americans and tourists?” The thing is I went to Italy last year and I can confidently say there were definitely mixed opinions on tourists as it was a very historic city and they were not exactly fond of all the Americans vacationing there, so traveling to another very historic city, this was a prominent question on my mind. That made me want to experience the culture more in the moment and put forth my best effort to understand their history, rather than just being a tourist passing through.