Day 7: Appreciating Augsburg

Today was our first day with some downtime and this was definitely needed. We had a slow start to the morning and went down for the hotel breakfast, which by the way I look forward to every morning! Around 11, most of us decided to explore more of Augsburg and go to the Schaezlerpalais, which…

Day 8 – Exploring Munich

We’ve been here for a week now, and it has already been an incredible experience. We’ve been constantly on the move, doing so many activities each day that it can definitely get tiring, but I know it will be amazing to look back on this trip and remember everything we’ve done. After an hour long…

Day 7 – Almost Halfway Done??

Today was definitely one of the more relaxed and easy days of the trip, which was a nice change of pace after several long travel days. After getting the chance to sleep in a little (sleeping in is 8 am for me on this trip) and enjoy a good breakfast, our group headed to Schaezlerpalais,…

Day 8: Remembrance

This trip was a different experience than any other. Growing up I have learned about the camps and learned about Germany’s history, and it has led me to have this preconceived notion. I was eager to see this place firsthand, and actually experience the history, not just read out of a textbook or off a…

Day 11: The Home Stretch

This week has really flown by as it is the final day before presentations and start of the program winding down. Audi was our final site visit and I was super eager to learn more about the production process after spending over a week researching the company for our presentation. We already had a guest…

Day 6 – The Castle

Today was the day I had been looking forward to the most. After an early wake up, we headed out on the bus to Neuschwanstein Castle, a 19th-century castle located in the very south of Germany. We started the day by taking pictures from the lower area, where we had an incredible view of the…

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…

Free Day: Friday

I decided to stay in Augsburg on the last day of the trip. Ironically, our final day ended up being the nicest weather we had the entire time, and I did not want to spend any more time on a bus or train. I woke up, had our awesome hotel breakfast, and then spent around…

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…

Presentation Day: Thursday

This morning, I was able to sleep in a little, wake up, and enjoy our awesome hotel breakfast while putting the final touches on our group presentation about KUKA, the robotics company we toured the week prior. It has been very interesting learning about them as a company and understanding how manufacturers like BMW and…

Day 7: Trip to Munich

I woke up this morning feeling the best I did the whole trip. Following our chill day, I was able to destress and get a good night’s rest. This allowed me to feel refreshed and locked in for one of the most important days of the trips. We were going to Munich. This is another…

Day 5 – A Day at KUKA

Today was my groups assigned company visit, and we took a quick tram ride to the KUKA factory in Augsburg. I remembered seeing KUKA robots the day before at BMW and being amazed by what they were capable of, so I was excited for the visit. When we arrived we watched a cool video and…

Germany in Review

After seeing my friends abroad this past semester I knew that something was missing from my college experience. While a semester couldn’t fit with my schedule and I could not do Plus3 my freshman year, I am very grateful that Plus3 Germany was available and fit for my schedule. There is something that I believe…

Day 15- Back to Pittsburgh

This experience has completely exceeded my expectations in every way. I came into the program knowing that I would enjoy it, but I didn’t know the impact it would have on me. I have learned so much about German History, automotive companies, and about how to work with those of a different background from me….

Day 14- The Hills are Alive with The Sound of Music

Way before the program started I knew that on my free day I wanted to go to Salzburg, Austria. It has been a bucket list travel place of mine for a while now and having the ability to see 2 countries in two weeks was very appealing to me. The Sound of Music is also…

Day 13- Wrapping Up

I started my morning with a walk around Augsburg, taking in all the sites and landscapes I got to call home for the past two weeks. It gave me a lot of time to think and reminisce about my experience abroad. I was surprised with how many things were connected in Germany. Every site or…