Today we returned to the Bilbao School of Engineering for a couple presentations. The first was about the process of designing medical devices and all that goes into the development of them. This was very interesting from an engineering standpoint because it showed how there are much different engineering proceedings depending on the product being…
Category: Plus3 2025
Guernica – Day 2 (10)
Today we went on two amazing hikes and saw some beautiful nature. The first hike we took a bus to with our tour guide for the day. We went to San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. This was the most spectacular view I had ever seen. The hike was difficult due to the incline of the mountain…
The Final Chapter of Ecuador
Day 11 After another amazing breakfast from the people of the lodge, we went to paint our pots that we sculpted earlier in the trip. They were finally done firing. we needed someone’s hair for our brushes, so our group chose Sherly for the hair person. With Sherly’s hair, we proceeded to wrap it around…
Day 13 – Sleepless Flights and Lasting Memories
We started our final day in Germany bright and early with a 5:45 AM departure from the hotel. Everyone was tired and honestly a little sick too including me but we pushed through to get on the road one last time. The first flight was long but I was lucky enough to sleep through most…
Day 12 – Pizza Palaces and Parks
Today was our free day and I decided to spend it in Munich with a close friend of mine. We took the train in the morning which was about an hour long and met up with one of his friends who joined us for the day. They gave me a personal tour of the city…
Day 11 – Presentations and Parting Ways
Today was our last full day together as a group and it was time to present everything we had worked on. I started the morning by getting ready and going over my notes one last time. My group had GROB for our final project and I was excited to share what we had learned. Before…
Final Day in Bilbao :(
On our final day, we returned to what felt like the heart of our trip, the Bilbao School of Engineering. We started the day with a fascinating presentation from Mikel about the process of designing a medical device. It was especially interesting to see how closely engineering overlaps with what we do in nursing, especially…
Day 13-Flight Home
My flight home was uneventful, I took one last final picture of the coach bus that was our home for the last two weeks in the sunrise, and got ready to leave. I had an amazing time on this trip, and will remember it forever. I really look forward to seeing everyone in the group…
Day 11-Presentations and Dinner at the Ratskellar
Once again, not a ton to report about this day. our group presentation went great and our one german group member who we didnt have contact with beforehand actually showed up and was super professional and helpful for the project. Her name is Alija and was actually really fun to work with. Our other member,…
Day 10-GROB
Today we visited Grob, and then worked on our projects. Not a ton to report, although the tour of Grob was fascinating. they specialize in extremely finely-tuned metal machining, and have a humongous facility in Mindelheim, Germany, where they build all kinds of industrial machines for other companies and precisely manufactured metal works of art….
Day 9-Hoerbiger + Oberammergau
Hoerbiger was our most boring factory tour/presentation day by a pretty wide margin. They make chips that provide precise timing and cogs for machine parts and cars. It was pretty uninteresting, and the lecture after was very long and spoke almost entirely about the technical side of things (manufacturing, automation, robotics) and the business side…
Final Reflection
Now that I’ve been home for a few days, I can already say I miss Germany more than expected. This trip was truly something special, and I know I will carry the memories with me for a long time. From the places we visited to the people I met, the experience exceeded every expectation I…
Day 8-Dachau
A Harrowing Glimpse into History: Visiting Dachau with Plus3 Germany 2025 As part of our University of Pittsburgh Plus3 Germany 2025 program, our group visited the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site—a somber but profoundly important experience that left an indelible mark on me. Walking through the camp grounds, it was almost surreal to stand in…
Plants vs. Zombies
 Today, the capabilities that I once applied to humankind have been refurbished and polished. At the grand time of 6:30am, the crew and I woke up for a bountiful breakfast. You can tell how rough the day will be by seeing how much food is on your plate. The more, the harder. When the…
I Left a Piece of my Soul in Seoul: My Final Journal
I’ve never had the opportunity to travel far, and with the Plus3 program, I was able to travel across the world. I had the opportunity to become closer to my fellow students, learn about a completely different culture, and gain an inside view into the manufacturing and marketing processes of various companies. Along with the…
TLC was Wrong. Do Go Chasing Waterfalls.
The day is May 16th, 2025, and the mom lore in 30 years has already exceeded expectations. On this day, I started my day by walking out onto the balcony and to my surprise, seeing a family of 6 monkeys jumping around in the trees. This lodge was much less scary in the morning, and…
Channeling My Inner Coyote Peterson
We have finally reached home base for the rest of the trip! We are currently staying at a lodge in Iyarinia, which overlooks the Napo River! Our welcome looked a little like something out of a war movie as we immediately hit the ground running, suitcases gripped until knuckles were white, gravel crumbling under our…
Day 13 – Back to Pittsburgh
Today was officially the end of our time in Germany. It was a long travel day, starting with a 5 AM wake-up to catch the bus to Munich Airport. We grabbed a quick breakfast and loaded up for the last ride with the group. The airport process went pretty smoothly, and security and customs didn’t…
Day 12 – Free Day in Innsbruck
For our free day, a few of us decided to make the most of it and take a day trip to Austria. At first, we thought we had a solid plan with the correct train tickets and a solid itinerary, but of course, it turned into a bit of an adventure. We thought we had…