As a German major, I was fortunate to participate in the Arizona Summer Study in Leipzig program, a transformative experience offered by the University of Arizona.
As part of this trip, I studied with UA German professors at Universität Leipzig. In my German 392 class, we studied the fall of the Berlin Wall to the modern day and how it has affected German culture and history while also learning about contemporary political issues in Germany. I have been studying German for almost five years, and studying German topics in Germany was a super exciting experience.
In addition to studying, we took multiple field trips around Germany. As a group, we traveled to Berlin, Dresden and Weimar.
In Berlin, I got to check off a bucket list item to see parts of the Berlin Wall and the Reichstag, the German parliament building. I also fell in love with the beautiful architecture of Dresden.
Berlin was also celebrating its 75th anniversary of democracy. While there, we participated in celebrations, fully immersing ourselves in German culture and historical moments.
Weimar was especially interesting as we visited museums relating to the Weimar Republic, the German government between World War I and World War II, and Buchenwald, one of many concentration camps memorialized in Germany. It was a haunting experience, but I am very honored to have been able to experience it and pay my respects to it.
Outside of group field trips, our group explored Leipzig and beyond. We visited cat cafés around town, went to water parks, bought fresh strawberries and even visited the Baltic Sea on our free weekend. We stayed in a quaint German village and spent a surprisingly freezing afternoon on the beach and in the water, even if it was about fifty degrees in the water.
One of the most exciting aspects of traveling to another country is experiencing its cuisine. My favorite German dish is Eiskaffee, a cold coffee with a scoop of ice cream reminiscent of a root beer float. America needs to adopt this delicious trend. I also indulged in plenty of Wienerschnitzel, Weißwurst (white sausage) and a lot of Döner, a Turkish kebab that has become extremely popular in Germany.
Visiting a foreign country always has its ups and downs. Students frequently have to deal with cultural and social differences as part of a study abroad program. There are different etiquette, social questions and, in my case, a different language. It quickly gets you out of your comfort zone and helps build independence and confidence.
While the program only lasted about a month, it was a significant learning experience for me. I met many people from Germany with whom I had in-depth conversations about complicated topics, which helped my German-speaking skills. I had many instances of navigating complex situations in German, improving my language skills and confidence in solving problems in America. Now that I am back home, I feel more mature and independent than before the trip.
I had the experience of a lifetime, and I would not change it for anything. Bis später, Deutschland!
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