I am attending this summer engineering program in Germany to see a little bit more of the world I live in. I never really traveled much through my twelves years in school, so when my parents saw this opportunity for new engineering students to take two college level classes in Germany through a study abroad program, they talked to me about it and encouraged me to go. I originally didn’t want to go simply because it was expensive, but once I heard about the guaranteed scholarships given to students on this program, I relented. Living in America for most of my life, I was quite excited for this chance to visit Europe and be in a foreign environment. I knew that the engineering 202, static and dynamic physics class would be difficult, but I have always enjoyed physics and mathematics, and with many of my friends to help me, I knew that the class wouldn’t be too burdensome. I expected the German class to teach me both about the German language, and German cultures. Among my peers, I feel that I contributed a little bit of help during our homework sessions. On the other hand, I also received a lot of help too, so it felt quite mutual, not unbalanced. My prayer for my classmates and friends during this trip would be that we all come to a better understanding that being uncomfortable sometimes is necessary for growth and improvement, and that our love for others should not at all depend on ethic background, gender, or social status.
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Ava Q4
Worshipping at the Köln Cathedral was my first time going to a high mass. It was fun to participate in because it was very different than my church at home. The service was entirely in German, so it was hard to understand what was going on, and most of the service came from a book that we read and sang out of. My favorite part of the service was how beautiful the cathedral was. The windows and arches on the inside of the cathedral were so pretty and very impressive to look at. Leaving the service was weird because we walked by a large group of tourist waiting to get in, and then we went in again to climb to the top of the cathedral. Going to the service was a good way to get a hands on experience inside the church instead of just walking in and looking at it like the majority of tourists do, and the view from the top is something I won’t forget.
Ava Q5
This is a photo in front of part of the Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery! It was very interesting to see how artists have added to this important historical landmark in a way that admires the history of the place while adding in elements of art and color.
This is a 0.5 picture taken on the M19 bus, which is one of the buses that we took frequently. It was really fun to learn to use public transportation to get places in Berlin, and ended up being more simple than I though initially.
This picture was taken during our day trip to Lübeck. The Calvin students took another bus north so that we could swim in the Baltic Sea during a little bit of free time we had during the day. The water was very cold and salty but the trip was worth it!
Connor – Q8
My time in Germany was an experience that I will never forget. I’ve seen so many amazing things and learned so much about how things work outside of America. Every trip I took I saw something that amazed me or intrigued me. I was lucky that I got to experience all of this while taking classes and getting to experience what it is like top be a student here. I’ve gotten the chance to get to know 16 amazing people that definitely made this whole experience better. It was fun to learn about the culture here and pick up on some german slang that I would have never learned in a classroom. Overall this trip has been something I will remember my whole life and makes me want to not only come back to Germany but to also travel to more places around the world.
Connor – Q5
The Köln Cathedral was definitely a highlight of the trip. I was in constant awe because of how big it was and how detailed it was. We got the chance to climb up to the top of it and look closer at the details. After we got down we had to take a picture in front of it and even had to take a few steps back just to get the whole Cathedral in the picture.
During the first week we went to the University Mensa to get lunch and found a cool rooftop place. But we soon realized that the food was not that cheap if your not a student so we took our money off the cards pretty fast. Now we have just gone to street stands or restaurants around town for lunch where we can get authentic food for a lot less money.
A few of us took a day trip down to Munich to watch Fc Bayern Munich play RB Leipzig in the Supercup final. While it was a long day it was definitely worth it to see soccer at this level. Even though FC Bayern lost it was still something that I will never forget and could never get in America.
Connor – Q4
The Köln Cathedral high mass was definitely an experience that I’ve never had before at church. Throughout the service, I was never really sure what was happening which was probably mainly because it was all in German but the service didn’t have the normal order I was used to. It was interesting to see how everything works and try to figure out what was happening. I liked how beautiful the church was from the inside and it was interesting to think about how people could build something so massive and intricate way back in the day. Im not sure if I can pick out a part of the service that I like most because it all kind of felt the same but over all it was and experience that I won’t forget. I was surprised by how many people were around the cathedral during the day. It felt weird to walk out from the service and have a bunch of people watching you and waiting to go in but I knew that we were about to do the same so that made it less weird.
Caleb Agar Q7
Bremen was a very cool town. It was so fun to see all of the old buildings and town structure. I came to Germany wanting to see an old style town like Bremen. There were bells at the top of one building in a small alley that played a really pretty song and I thought that was so cool. The big church and old town hall were so pretty, and there was live music playing in a few places. I thought it was really cool that Bremen was never taken over by the Romans like so many cities were. For dinner I got a schnitzel and it was really good.
Harry Ottsen Q8
My time in Germany was an unforgettable experience. From the people, the places we visited, to the knowledge and understanding we obtained, it was a truly amazing trip. Even though we were there for school, it didn’t really feel like it. I got to know the 16 people with me better and they helped make my experience that much better. The places we visited on our weekend trips made my time in Germany. They were informational, stunning sites, and so much fun with the people around me. The culture here is unlike anything, from the food, the people, the actually city, it can’t compare to back home. Although I am glad to be back home, I will never forget my time in Germany for the summer program and will carry those memories for the rest of my life.
Harry Ottsen Q4
The service at the high mass in the Köln Cathedral was very different than my home church. All of the churches we have been to here have been very different than my home church but especially the Köln Cathedral. First of all, the cathedral was absolutely massive, I have never seen a church like that in America. The outside and inside were just spectacular and jaw dropping. And secondly, it was a catholic mass which I am not catholic which makes it different from my home church. It seemed to be a lot of religious rituals and seemed like a show they put on every week. Of course, I couldn’t understand most of it since it was in German but I have never been a fan of going to Catholic Mass in the first place. My home church seems to be more personal with each other and our relationship with God. I didn’t like much of the service but the actual cathedral was cool to see the inside and see others worship, nice to experience something different. It was very interesting to see how many people aren’t religious but will still visit and see the church simply because of how massive it is and how well-known it is.
Harry Ottsen Q5
Picture in front of the Koln Cathedral. Had to take a step back and get the angle right in order to capture the whole thing. We climbed up to the very top and were able to see the architecture of the cathedral and see the nice view.
Jumping into the Baltic Sea. On our daytrip to Lubeck during our free time, a group of us went to the coast in order to say that we jumped in the Baltic Sea. Very cool experience, but very cold!!!
FC Bayern Munich Game. A group of us traveled to Munich on one of our days off in order to see a FC Bayern Munich Soccer game. Very cool experience, nothing like that in America for sure.