The Pitt Plus 3 trip to Germany was a unique experience that taught me a lot about myself and about the automotive industry. Looking back on the last two weeks it dawned on me the sheer amount of “stuff” we did in such a short time frame. From touring forging factories, to eating traditional Bavarian…

As we waved goodbye to the German students and administrators this evening it dawned on me that the trip was essentially over. The whole group had met up for one final dinner and after another Bavarian style meal, we gave gifts to the Germans in appreciation for them hosting us and said our final goodbyes….

It is the beginning of the end of my trip in Germany and it has been a delightful experience. The company visits were very intriguing and informative and the cultural excursions were fun and enjoyable. Today was the culmination of the academic part of our trip as each group presented on the business and innovation…

Once upon a time there was a crazy king named Ludwig II. During his short reign he constructed a structure out of a fairy tale: Neuschwanstein Castle the “Cinderella Castle.” Today we visited said castle located on a lake near the Germany-Austria border. After a hot and stuffy bus ride we walked for about 20…

The BMW factory and showroom visit was the culmination of every company tour we had been on so far. There were facets of production from each company and it was nice to see how they all work together to produce the final product. The BMW showroom was a sight to behold, there was everything from…

Today was a somber day in Germany for us. We visited the German concentration camp in Dachau and were led on an informative, but heartbreaking tour through the barracks, gas chamber, and yards of the concentration camp. The say if you do not learn from history you are doomed to repeat it, but genocide, hate…

Munich is a city of two faces, one glamorous and beautiful, the other hideous and vile. I wouldn’t say this is a feature unique to Munich, many cities around the world show the collision of two worlds, however I especially noticed it today in our visit to Munich. As I walked from souvenir shop to…

I was sitting in Henry’s Coffee waiting for my dinner to arrive so I could silence my gurgling stomach when I came to a realization. As I looked around me and listened, I discovered that the moment I was experiencing was special. A crowd of people had gathered in the city square and a man…

When I finally kicked off my shoes and sat against the head of my bed to write this blog I felt weird. Not in a bad way, but just that something was different about the day. I wasn’t really sure what to title the blog and after 10 minutes of thinking I still had nothing….

When I was younger I remember waking up on a Saturday and Sunday morning and grabbing a snack and turning on the TV to a How It’s Made marathon on the Science channel. I would sit for hours watching everything from violins, to Ferrari’s, to yo-yo’s being crafted and built piece by piece in front…

Ever since I was young I was fascinated by high end performance cars. The sleek design and loud engines grabbed my attention and called to me. I was amazed by the precision, speed, and power of super cars and I never dreamed I could own one or crazier yet, help create one. Now that I…

After another 24 hours of precipitation and clouds I have accepted the weather. Like water I go with the flow and my feet tap right left right left, through the streets of Augsburg like the drumming of raindrops on the roof. I am one with the rain. In all seriousness, as  I progressed through the…

A soft drizzle forces us to duck our heads and hurry inside of the B&B Hotel in Augsburg, Germany. After roughly two days of traveling, I was relieved to know we had finally reached our destination. I was tired, and my stomach growled from hunger and I was ready to collapse on the tiny hotel…

My name is Dalind Wilson, I am a first year mechanical engineering major in the Swanson School at the University of Pittsburgh. I was born in Lansing, Michigan, but I’ve lived in Bear, Delaware for most of my life. A few interesting things about me, I’m 6′ 4″, I’ve been to all 50 states, and…