The first morning being home after staying in Germany was the first time I have ever been upset to be able to sleep in. I wish I was still staying at the Ibis Hotel in Augsburg among all of the new friends I have made in a country I have come to love! In all…
Tag: Olivia Winters
Day 13- Ich Sprechen Kein… Serbian?
Today was one of the best days ever and such great way to spend my last day here in Germany. I was originally nervous- Anna and I were to spend the day in Stuttgart with her family, who even she hadn’t met until today! I knew I would be welcomed though, because Anna Facetimed her…
Day 12- Gondolas and Goodbye Dinners
Our last full program day in Germany started off in a rush! My phone died while I was asleep so my alarms didn’t go off, meaning that Anna and I were awakened by Bob and Derek pounding on our door while everyone else was waiting for us downstairs. After getting ready at lightning speed, we…
Day 11- The Final Countdown
Big success: I got to moderately sleep in today! I parted with my bed around 10AM to take a shower and get ready for the day. Yesterday, we were given meal vouchers for Mensa, so the Pittsburgh students in my group and I decided to eat lunch together today. We were also joined by members…
Day 10- H&K Day!
Today was finally the day that we visited Hörauf & Kohler, my group’s company. We took a short streetcar ride to the company headquarters in Augsburg, only to hear that the employee that speaks English and was supposed to give our tour was actually on vacation. We made it work, though, as an employee from…
Day 9- Speaking Robot
We ventured to the University of Augsburg at about 9:30 this morning in order to attend a talk about German politics. Honestly, I did not think I was going to find is as interesting and as beneficial as I did! The speaker seemed to be very knowledgable and explained hard concepts in an understandable fashion….
Day 8- Honor the Dead, Remind the Living
Though today took the least amount of physical effort on our trip so far, it took the highest emotional toll. This is an outcome I immediately anticipated upon reading our syllabus and noticing that we would be visiting the concentration camp in Dachau. As a person of the Jewish faith, I have learned about WWII…
Day 7- Missing Trains & a Change of Pace
Today was once again a day that was dedicated to exploring Germany, rather than going on a company visit. With our destination set as the city of Munich, we made our way back to Haunstetterstrasse train station at around 9:30 this morning. We boarded the train, and everything was going smoothly, though the train car…
Day 6- Münster Mission
I started my morning today by riding a train for the very first time! It was a pretty exciting experience, especially since my engineering friend, Josh, has been talking about riding the train since the minute we touched down in Germany. The train was impressive and got us to the city of Ulm in a…
Day 5- House Hunters: Germany
Today brought an earlier morning, and normally I would try to squeeze in a nap while traveling to our destination. I am so grateful that today I decided to stay awake. The view of the Bavarian Alps as we headed toward Neuschwanstein Castle in the village of Hohenschwangau was unlike any other. While sitting on…
Day 4- Pittsburgh vs Regensburg
Today has been my favorite day in Germany so far. It began with a trip to Continental, which was yet another very impressive company. We received name badges as well as bags that included a notebook, pen, highlighter, and gummy snacks. The speaker informed us that Continental offers more than just tires. I remembered learning…
Day 3- Carbon to Cars
Our third day in Germany brought our first company visit! We started the day by departing to SGL Group- The Carbon Company. Our visit began with a presentation about SGL and who they are. Their products include carbon fibers, other materials such as plastic and graphite that are carbon-reinforced, composite components, and more. A gentleman…
Day 2- From the Classroom to the City
Monday morning started off with our first utilization of the tram system as we headed to the University of Augsburg. We were greeted by Dr. Paul, who is in charge of the program for the University of Augsburg students. We gathered with all of the Augsburg students in a classroom for a brief program introduction…
Day 1- A German Welcome
Despite all of our preparation for this trip over the course of a semester, Germany was still new and exciting right from the start! We arrived at the Munich airport ahead of schedule, at around 6 in the morning. Everyone was impressed by the large outdoor area inside of the airport, excited by exchanging currency,…
Germany on My Mind…
Greetings! My name is Olivia Winters and I am a rising sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh’s College of Business Administration. I am interested in pursuing a degree in marketing and finance so I can work professionally in these fields. When I’m not doing schoolwork, I enjoy traveling, working on art projects, and listening to…