Reisen im Ausländer

Hey there! This week I wanted to talk about something a little different. After 10 weeks of discussing food I think by now you should know how to divulge yourself in the culinary culture of another country (I will return to discuss food).

Instead, for my third to last blog I want to discuss traveling abroad, or at least my experience with it. This does not specifically apply to those studying in a European country, however, with many countries close together in Europe it is much easier. In general though, when you are abroad for a semester you are not there for the academics. You are there for the experience of indulging yourself in another culture; this includes their land, their language, their celebrations, their food, and especially the people. When abroad, there are options for you that you would not otherwise get to exercise or experience. I strongly urge you to do as much as you can in the time you are given. You will not regret it and the memories you make will be with you forever.

So far, I myself have slacked with this and wish I had focused on it earlier. I felt nervous and anxious to be traveling alone, wondering what the hell I would do wherever I went. Of course there are places I have wanted to go but I’ve been on the edge because I’m nervous about the experience. What I have realized though is that you have to commit and just do it! I’ve only left Leipzig a handful of times since arriving and now I have less than a month of classes left. I really wish I had taken more action. So if you’re feeling anxious or queezy about it, just do it. You will meet people where you go and find things to do while there. Throughout my term abroad I have been to Kitzbühel, Zermatt, München, Berlin, Dresden, and Dublin. Currently, I have plans to go to Rome, Paris, Split (and other towns in Croatia), Athens, Monaco, Madrid, Bilbao, and I’m hoping a few other places. As you can see, I have plans to go to more places in a shorter amount of time than I have been to already over the past three months of the semester. I would say that I have not traveled to as many places as I have wanted because of school, although I know I am just lying to myself. I am not saying that school is unimportant or should not be a main focus, but don’t allow it to interfere with your abroad explorations.

Let me give you a few tips now. First, before even arriving to your abroad country get a job and work, work, work. Make as much money as you can once you receive your acceptance letter. When living abroad you will have a lot of expenses. Currently, I am paying rent, health insurance, a phone bill, groceries, for school, and of course traveling expenses. This all takes quite a toll on your bank account. By working hard and earning that extra money, you will be safe in covering your fixed costs, but also earning a little something extra to fulfill your traveling dreams. Second, learn how to cook. If you plan on eating out a lot, I promise you, your money will drain quickly. Groceries are pretty cheap here, as you may recall from one of my earlier blogs, so making food for yourself is the most viable way to keep yourself healthy at a cost effective rate. Third, plan your trips out well in advance, and book cheap. The sooner you book a flight, train, hostel, hotel, or anything than the less expensive it will be. This early planning will save you excessive costs and allow you to visit more places. Additionally, when traveling outside your abroad country you are there to see tourist attractions, eat at colloquial restaurants/cafes, experience the nightlife, and any outdoor activities. You are not traveling to stay inside, so book a €60 (or less possibly) per night bed in a hostel and you’re all set. Fourth, do not be afraid of solo traveling. Once you have arrived abroad it will seem scary. You are alone and in a completely unfamiliar setting. It isn’t possible to comprehend how it will feel from home so you will just have to be prepared for your independency. Solo traveling isn’t so much about fear or being afraid, it’s just the element of the unknown that makes it uncomfortable. Although, you will need to realize that this is why you have come abroad and jump over this hurdle. After your first trip, I promise you will be confused and embarrassed of your standoffish behavior and from there-on-out completely comfortable with solo traveling. Hopefully, you already have friends traveling abroad with you to share the experience with, or meet people wherever you end up to take on this adventure. However, there are times when you will want to go somewhere and others won’t. Do not be afraid to do it alone. Going at it alone will help you to discover yourself and learn what you are comfortable with. Especially if you are socially anxious person, like me, then this will help you to grow and push your boundaries. (I had a fifth tip for you but honestly can’t remember it right now. I will come back later if I remember). Anyway, I wanted to inform you that you have nothing to lose in traveling abroad (besides money :), but it is money well spent. You will make some of the most impactful memories of your life, and wish to never have to leave. One such memory that I have made was skiing in the Swiss alps. OMG the amount of snow and powder I was skiing through was absolutely incredible!! I have never been so amazed before. And come on, you can’t beat that view of hundreds of snowcapped mountains surrounding you in all directions. It was pure bliss, a fondness I will cherish my whole life. (For photos check out my photography tab at the top).

Berlin:

Recently, I made a trip up to Berlin for the day. And yes, I am referring specifically to the capital city of Germany not the entire Bundesland. Berlin is only an hour and a half from Leipzig, so its the perfect place for a day trip (however your will want to stay longer). You might just think its any normal city but city life in Europe is a lot different than in the US. First thing I want to point out in comparison to Leipzig is that there were a lot more english speakers. Either Americans or just people communicating in english as a general language, so the city felt a bit homey. Also, Berlin is huge. While it deosnt have skyscrapers or resemble big cities like NYC, Chicago, or Boston it is very expansive. In terms of public trasnportation, I came in on the ICE (Innercity Express) bahn and had access to the S-bahn, U-bahn, Strasßenbahn (trams), and Busse throughout the city with my IC ticket. The many options allowed me to move about the city rapidly and explore lots of different areas. This Sunday, when I traveled up, was special. On the first Sunday of every month German cities host something called Museen Sontag. The reason it is special is because it allows free admission to many museums throughout the city on that day. To name a few museums on the list there are: Deutsches Technikmuseum, Alte Nationalgalerie, Akademie der Künste, Perganmonmuseum, and many others. One thing I will tell you about myself that I've realized during this abroad experince is that I am not a museum person. Of course I find the history, stories, and exhibitions fascinating, but I never enjoy walking through a musuem solely looking at and reading things. The exhibitions just aren't enough to captivate me and I end up feeling bored. Knowing this about myself I planned only to visit two museums. After arriving around 10:00 AM at Berlin Hauptbanhof, which is essentially a US mall with access to every trasnportation service, I quickly explored some of the cities main attractions that were close in the area. This included the Reichstag, home to the Deutsch Bundestag, Brandenburger Tor, The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, The Berliner Dom, and a few more famous architectural buildings in the Mitte and around Tiergarten. I was interested in exploring the Alte Nationalgalerie, a neighbor to the Dom, however the line for free entry stretched around the block. With it still being morning I though it best to let the museum crowds settle down a bit before heading back. So instead I went to explore a few of the local flee markets hosted by Berlin residents on Sundays. I assumed this would be a great palce to get some local food, practice some german, and maybe bargain for some trinkets or secondhand clothes. I first went to Boxhagener Platz, a short trip south of the Mitte with the U-bahn. At the Platz there were stalls selling everything: Artwork, pottery, clothing, housewares, knicknacks, furniture, childrens toys, coins, costumes, whatever you can think of. I'm disappointed to say I did not buy anything. Nothing stood out to me as worth it to buy, however I did find a number of interesting treasures which I will share. After spending a good while inspecting the market I traveled back towrds the museums. First, I went to the DDR Museum, which covers every aspect of life in East Germany during the Soviet ocupation and Cold War. I beesech you to research the topic yourself and add this to the list of must-go-to places in Berlin. It was fascinating to go more in depth on the topic after discussing it in my German 102 class at HWS with Kira Straub (and we even had the opporuntity to discuss it with her parents, since they are from Dresden). Second, and last, I went to the Museum of Natural History (I won't lie, the dinosaur pictures lured me in). With only a short walk to the Berlin Wall memorial I was able to read stories of peoples experiences throughout the time when the wall stood (1961-1989). Mauerweg itself is enriching. To walk its path you gain a perspetive on what life must've been like and the everyday challeneges that the seperation between East and West Berlin forced on its occupants. I would love to go on a tangent here and dive back into the history of Germany, however, I fear this post is already too long. Spitting out just a few facts:

- Der Berliner Mauer was built in 1961 around West Berlin and fell in 1989 (Der Mauerfall)

- The purpose was to prevent Westerners from entering East (Soviet) Berlin

- Around 136 people were killed in connection to the wall

- Der Berliner Mauer destroyed countless families, relationships, and lives simply by being built

- Der Berliner Mauer was not just one wall but went under continuous construction

(I heavily advise exploring this as well)

As I walked the path along the wall in the mid afternoon I moved up to Mauerpark. One of the main hangout places in Berlin during nice weather. In Mauerpark there was yet another, larger, flee market, food stalls, hundreds of people playing games and relaxing, and a massive karaoke pit called Bearpit Karaoke. I spent the rest of my day there until my train back to Leipzig around 8PM. I met some other internationals just hanging out, scoured the flee market, had a falafel (humus is nasty) and gelato, rested in the park after all my walking, I hit 25,156 steps, and listened alongside hundreds of others to open mic karaoke. It was a truly exciting day and I can't wait to visit again.

(Plane from Leipzig-Halle Flughafen connecting in Frankfurt to Dublin)

(Flea Market finds)

June 23rd, 2023