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The beautiful picture above depicts a castle we saw in Heidelberg while on a weekend trip. We got to tour a good portion of it and it was so neat to see a glimpse into the history that took place there. I have never been to a real castle before so it was very cool to be able to knock that off my bucket list!

Above shows a scenic view of a little nature trail we walked on during one of our German class outings. This was our first outing and we got to see so many different things, from markets, to historical buildings and of course this beautiful park. Even though I was baking alive in the sun I still really enjoyed the taste of nature as being in the city has really made me miss the outdoors even more.

My final picture was taken in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Now this was not a planned group trip with the class but a last minute decision made by my roommates! We had a free Sunday and decided to make the most of it. We left at 11pm the night before and got to Amsterdam bright and early around 9am. It was a little hectic but once we got there it was all worth. The canals were so beautiful and the buildings had such charm. We spent most of our time visiting a museum, just walking around and taking in the scenery. It was definitely a fun change of pace from Germany and now I can say I’ve visited the Netherlands!

My 5 week journey to study abroad in Germany turned out to be an experience that I didn’t realize I needed. From Wittenburg to Hamburg, to having one professor and then another, the start of something new each day always ended as a 10/10 trek. I went from not using public transport barely at all in my life, to, I think, becoming an expert of getting around Berlin using a bit of internet and old fashion map layouts. While I was hoping to view more of God’s wonderful creation of nature, this didn’t stop me from having unforgettable moments. Those moments ranged from astonishing memories such as the German Museum of Technology, or the Miniatur Wunderland or the Cologne Cathedral to remembering the fallen while visiting the Holocaust museum. These moments serve as core memories, as I enjoyed them with friends and took others as a reflection for myself. I also enjoyed the moments studying and going out to eat with friends, while enjoying the moments by myself exploring and studying alone. 

The value I learned from being in a completely different place while participating in events and other times being independent gave me a better relationship in understanding myself. The commitment to studying hard, enjoying free time, and being adventurous has brought me to the conclusion that I’ve really enjoyed my time studying abroad. These commitments to being out-going and a hard worker has led to experience Germany and Europe through the best possible way I hope to better view the world. 

I want to thank Calvin University for giving students this phenomenal opportunity to see the world beyond the books, images and stories we hear from another continent and observe the reality of a place across the globe, for ourselves. 

Question: You all have visited Wittenberg, is Wittenberg different from what you imagined before the trip. What’s the most impressive thing you found in Wittenberg?

Before this trip, I did not know the existence of Wittenberg at all. Yet, after my visit to Wittenberg, I quickly grew to love it. It was such a peaceful, beautiful and clean town. The most impressive thing about Wittenberg is how much more calm and enjoyable I found the place to be compared to Berlin. In fact, I had a faster adoration when seeing Wittenberg at first sight compared to Berlin. The second most impressive thing about Wittenberg was the various shops– I saw through the windows–all around.. The one thing I would’ve wished for was to shop. However, since it was Sunday, everything was closed. Additionally, although I wasn’t able to attend the church because I missed the train stop, the experience of walking all around Wittenberg was satisfying enough . And never once did I feel uncomfortable in a specific location. 

Are you a fan of all things bread, beer and various unknown cold meat slices? Well then Germany is the place for you. It has all that and more. Everywhere you look there’s a bakery stocked full with glutinous treats waiting for the average customer to succumb to their delectable looks. I, for one, regularly succumbed and found that most of my money was spent on various baked goods. Money well spent if you ask me. Besides the wonderful smells wafting from the plethora of bakeries, I found Germany to be such a beautiful city. It has a diverse and rich history. I thoroughly enjoyed walking around and being able to pass by a building that was built in the 1800s and then down the block seeing a newly built skyscraper. The contrast in architectural styles made sure that I was never glued to my phone while walking. To add to that, Berlin is one of the cleanest cities I’ve ever been to. I don’t know how they do it, but I was thoroughly impressed. I mean I wouldn’t eat off the ground but I didn’t feel unbearably disgusted whenever I got back to our home base. Public transport can really do a number on your own perception of hygiene but in Berlin, mine remained unchanged. Besides the cleanliness, the German people themselves are so kind. Most people meandering along the streets look happy, but maybe that’s because everyone just drinks a little too much beer here. Regardless, it was really refreshing to be in a big city environment that radiated positivity instead of gloominess. I could envision myself living here after college. 

     So let’s talk about beer. I had my first sip of alcohol ever in Germany and let me tell you it was not pleasant. I was not a fan of beer. I was a little upset about it but decided the next time I would try a different type. Through trial and error, I grew to have an appreciation for the taste of beer near the end of our trip. Regardless, it was a very cool experience to be able to drink a little beer every now and then. 

         Now at the end of the day, none of the wonderful bread and tasty drinks meant much if it wasn’t for the fun crew of people I was too blessed to be surrounded by. I was rooming with 4 other girls from Calvin and it was the best experience I could have asked for. By the end of it, we all felt like family. We did so much together and laughed a ridiculous amount. We always knew how to have fun despite the intense class work we were undergoing. Every night we would do some sort of group hangout whether that was playing cards, watching a movie or making dinner together and talking. These are some of my fondest memories and I am so grateful to have roomed with such lovely people. So, overall Germany was a success! I learned so much whether that was about cultural history, or learning how to adapt in a foreign in country. At the end of the day I would not have traded this opportunity for the world.

I really enjoyed Bremen as it was a whole different style of town as some of the others. While several of our trips have seemed like pretty modern areas, this seemed to be pretty old. It had things like really narrow streets that were only walkable, and many old churches. I really found the history of the churches and the events that occurred there so long ago fascinating. There were also more statues in this area, and those were really cool to see, and some of them were very large. I also really enjoyed the boat tour around the city and the schnitzel we had for dinner! Overall it was one of my favorite trips.