Looking back on the past two weeks, it is hard to believe that this experience is already over. When I first signed up for Plus3 Germany, I knew it would be an opportunity to learn about business and experience a new culture, but I never expected it to become one of the most meaningful experiences…
Author: carlygrimm
Tschüss Germany
Saturday morning came much quicker than any of us wanted it to. Before I knew it, we were packing our suitcases and getting breakfast one last time before heading out of Augsburg to begin the long trip home. At that point, my suitcase was packed with souvenirs, clothes, and so many memories from the past…
Mountains, Matcha, and Salzburg Adventures
Friday was by far my favorite day of the entire trip. We used our free day to travel to Salzburg, and honestly, I was excited just to experience another country regardless of what we ended up doing there. Erin suggested hiking part of the Sound of Music trail, and since I love hiking and being…
Presentations, Farewells, and Final Reflections
Thursday was presentation day, and it honestly felt strange realizing how quickly the trip had gone by. I started the morning by getting breakfast at Picnic with my roommate Erin before heading to campus. I got a bagel and cappuccino, which was honestly the perfect way to start such a busy day. After breakfast, we…
Four Rings and a Final Factory Tour
This week has honestly flown by, and it was hard to believe that Wednesday was already our final company site visit before presentations and the end of the program started approaching. Our last visit was to Audi, and I was especially excited for this one because after spending so much time researching BMW for our…
Automation and Architecture
On Tuesday, we started the morning with a visit to Aumovio, a company focused on automotive technology and safety systems. During the presentation, we learned more about the technology behind everyday vehicle functions that most people rarely think about, including sensors, brake systems, chips, and software used in modern cars. One thing that stood out…
Heavy Machinery and Historic Streets
On Monday, we began the day with a long two and a half hour bus ride to Nuremberg to visit MAN Truck & Bus. During the drive, I spent a lot of time looking out the window at the scenery around us. We passed smaller towns filled with colorful buildings, churches, and green hills that…
A Day of Remembrance: Visiting Dachau
Before leaving for Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site on Sunday morning, I knew it would be a very emotional and difficult experience. Throughout the trip, we had spent so much time learning about German industry, culture, and history, but this visit felt very different from everything else we had done so far. As soon as…
Moments in Munich
Saturday in Munich was one of the most exciting days of the trip so far. After spending most of the week in Augsburg visiting companies and historical sites, it was fun finally getting to experience a larger and much more fast-paced city. I had been looking forward to visiting Munich before we even left for…
A Day Around Augsburg
On day six of the trip, we had a more relaxed day in Augsburg before heading back to the University of Augsburg for a guest speaker later in the afternoon. After spending the earlier part of the week constantly traveling to company visits and historical sites, it was nice having more time to explore Augsburg…
Frolicking in Füssen
It was finally the day I had been looking forward to for the entire trip — our visit to Neuschwanstein Castle, the 19th-century castle built by King Ludwig II as a personal retreat and fantasy escape from the industrial world around him. Leading up to this day, everyone had talked about how beautiful the views…
Behind the Robots: Day at KUKA
On our fifth day of the trip, we visited KUKA, a company that specializes in industrial robotics and automation systems. After visiting BMW the day before and seeing KUKA robots actively building parts of BMW vehicles, I was really excited for this visit because we were finally getting to see where a lot of that…
Day 4: Visiting BMW
On Tuesday, we got on the road bright and early at 7:00 a.m. to head to BMW in Munich. After what felt like a long bus ride, we finally arrived at the BMW facility, which was one of the visits I had been most excited for throughout the trip. Since BMW was also the company…
Day 3: Exploring the University and City
On our first full day in Augsburg, we started the morning with breakfast at the hotel before heading over to the University of Augsburg to meet with our industry analysis groups. This was also our first time using the public transportation system in Augsburg. We took the tram to the university, and I was immediately…
Arriving in Augsburg
After arriving in Munich and taking the bus to Augsburg, my first impressions of Germany were very different from what I expected. One of the first things that stood out to me was how clean and organized everything felt, especially the roads, buildings, and public spaces. Compared to what I am used to at home…
Departure Day: Pittsburgh to Germany
For the departure day to Germany, I felt a mix of excitement and nervousness that made the experience different from any trip I have taken before. Most of my past travel has been either family vacations or shorter trips where everything felt planned out and familiar. This trip feels so much bigger because it combines…
Pre-Departure Germany Diaries
Hi! My name is Carly Grimm, and I am a junior at the University of Pittsburgh majoring in marketing with an overall goal of one day owning my own business. Personally, I would describe myself as someone who is constantly looking for new experiences and ways to grow-whether that is traveling, trying something new outside…