This summer was my first time staying long term in a big city, which was a cool experience that I am happy to have had. Taking public transportation, walking everywhere, and everything being so close together is so different from the town where I live. I was very busy constantly, with class, weekend trips, and doing other things like going out to eat and doing laundry. SMH where we were staying had no AC so it could get very hot there, but at least the breakfast was good.
My favorite weekend trips were Heidelberg and Cologne. Seeing Ludwig Castle was really cool, and we got a tour that explained the history to us. Heidelberg also has the longest pedestrian walkway in Germany and it’s very picturesque. The Cologne cathedral is an amazing piece of architecture and worshiping there and climbing up were both highlights of the trip.
Every Thursday our German professor Christoph would take us around Berlin and show us some cool stuff and talk about the culture. One time he took us to a place where people store their super nice cars, and we got to walk around and see all of them. Another time we went to the old airport and walked through it.
For lunch, we would go to a nearby bakery, the Mensa, Doner, or something else. After classes we would all get together in the cafeteria at SMH and grind out the homework. For dinner we would either have the group dinner or eat something we bought from Edika on the way back.
In my last week, I went with some other people to Italy where I spent a few days in Venice, Florence, and Rome. Rome was definitely my favorite, seeing all the ancient Roman buildings and ruins was incredible. Vatican City was also breathtaking to explore. Going through the museums, seeing the sistine chapel, and st peter’s cathedral were amazing. We saw works from famous artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, etc.
Overall, the trip to Germany was an incredible experience. Getting to know everyone on the trip, experiencing a different culture, and visiting all the historic places were unforgettable.