Growth

I learned so much more about WWII than I had ever known before, which was not that much. I had not learned that much and I really liked learning a part about history I felt my previous education lacked. I love to travel so I think this program was really good for traveling to all of the places I had wished to go in Europe. I feel like I grew a lot in my knowledge of the world. I liked learning the different etiquette in the different countries as well, like pointing with your thumb to show you want one of something in Berlin. Also I really liked figuring out the public transportation systems. This was really fun for me and I found myself getting good at it. I also found I missed the public transportation when I left too. I find I liked it better than my car. I also feel like I am a master suitcase packer too. Living out of a small suitcase and my backpack was easier than I thought it would be and now I know what exactly I need to go places. This experience was a unique experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat! The people and friends I have met and kept during this trip was priceless and made the trip amazing!

Krakow

Krakow seemed to be a really laid back city. I walked around a bit of the city and I found that everything seemed to lead back to the town square. Which would make sense. It would have been a place to trade goods and a place to meet and a place to buy food. Even now it is a place where all the tourists go to buy things and is the hub of activity. It was the hub of underground jazz clubs, so a place to go and relax after working in the steel mines all day under communist rule? I wouldn’t say I enjoyed it, but Auschwitz was a very powerful academic experience. My favorite extra-curricular experience was the jazz bar. We ate there, which I highly recommend, and had drinks there too. Karli and I did our first flaming shots. An interesting experience that involved fire and Sambuca. I really enjoyed the music as well, I did jazz band for six years so it was something I was really familiar with. It was also really cool to hear some songs that I knew as well. I recommend eating or getting coffee at the Castor Coffee Club. They have places to sit inside and outside and in the basement too. They have free Wi-Fi and the food is really good too.

Budapest

In Budapest the aspect of the city that I was most fascinated by was St. Stephan’s Basilica. I think the fact that buildings in Budapest cannot be higher than the height of the church is incredibly interesting. The fact that the city cannot really have skyscrapers makes it different from many large cities. 315ft, the height of the church, is really not that tall in this day. Honestly, I think the hand of St. Stephen is kind of odd too. I had heard of the hand and how it is supposed to have healing powers, but I still think keeping a shriveled up hand is strange. My favorite academic thing we did was the Terror Museum. It was really a really information heavy museum, but the exhibits were amazing. The oily tank really set the mood along with the thumping music and sound effects. My favorite extra-curricular experience was the baths. Nothing could have felt better after sweating all day. I loved the different temperatures you could choose and the whirlpool pool was really cool too. I also like the warm pool. It was like a gargantuan hot tub, with backwater relaxers. In all honesty my favorite place to eat was the grocery store. I got a delicious salad and chocolates for desserts along with a cider. It was a perfect meal to end the day.

Vienna

The aspect that fascinated me most about Vienna was how focused it was around the arts. Especially opera. The city really plays up opera. I mean the have an official opera toilet in the station outside the Wiener Staatsoper. Outside of the theater, I think it is really unique and cool that the theater puts up a large television for everyone on the street to enjoy whatever is playing. It kind of reminded me of sporting events in the US. We televise football and baseball and basketball. Austrians televise opera. My favorite academic experience was probably the opera. I really enjoyed the music and the storyline and the performers. I guess I always have loved musical theater. However, I do have a complaint; our seats were just not good. I either could read what they were saying in English or crane my head to see what was going on. My favorite extra-curricular experience in Vienna was the wine tour. This was an amazing and unforgettable experience. And lugging my wine bottle around the rest of Europe was worth it to bring home. I recommend trying the McDonalds here. We went to one in an underground station and it was different than the American version. 

Brno

An aspect that I was fascinated by in Brno was the carnival theme park by the lake. I thought it was interesting that it seemed like a permanent attraction but all of the rides seem like moveable. I wonder if they are taken down and stored in the winter. What fascinated me the most was that the whole thing reminded me of a Wisconsin fair. It was like Elk Heart Lake and Sheboygan County Fair collided and combined to make this area. My favorite academic experience was the Romani Museum. The Romani people have a very bleak but interesting history. The museum was set up well and the exhibits were unique and were enjoyable. My favorite extra-curricular experience was just relaxing. Having more time to relax in my room and then at the beach. The beach was a grass beach and it took a bit to get there, but it was worth it to relax when we got there. It was also great to get to sleep earlier. I most definitely felt more recharged after our trip through Brno. At this hostel there is a tiny half kitchen so I recommend making food here. I find this helps cut down on food costs.

Prague

I found the river fascinating and everything along it. So many things of importance in Prague are along or very close to the River Vltava. Yet that makes perfect sense. The river would have been a main source of transportation for people and outside resources. The castle has a prime spot on a hill overlooking much of the river and Prague. Everything can be seen from the castle meaning it was a perfect spot to defend from attackers and to see when guests arrive. My favorite academic experience is most likely the Mucha museum. I really liked seeing the Art Nouveau posters and paintings Alphonse Mucha designed. My favorite extra-curricular experience was the Museum of Torture. We searched everywhere for this museum after getting bad directions and once we got there it was worth it. It was dark with cheesy sound effects and cheesy exhibits, but it was perfect in the midst of all of the academic things. I like learning and history, but I like to do the cheesy toristy things as well. I recommend eating a crepe at Palacinky Pancakes. It’s in the Old Square. I got a sugar crepe and it was really good. I recommend trying out anything in the stands around the square. They usually have good and reasonably inexpensive food.

 

Dresden

In Dresden the Frauenkirche fascinated me. I think it is interesting that it was first built in the 11^th century as a Catholic church but was torn down and made into a Lutheran church. I also find it interesting that when it was bombed in the war, many years and resources were used to recreate the church exactly the way it was on the outside, but then on the inside use paint to decorate it rather than marble. Perhaps because a depletion of funding? I also thought it was interesting that they did not rebuild the original organ either. They decided to put in a more up-to-date style. My favorite extra-curricular activity I did was go to a movie. It was in English, but it was still really cool to attend to see what a movie theater is like in Germany. We got to drink wine and eat chocolate in the theater! The seats we large and very plush, but it was also underground! I don’t think I have ever been to a movie underground. Here I recommend eating at Subway. Weird, I know it’s an American brand, but it was different. I had a delicious veggie burger patty type thing. I am not exactly sure what it was, but it was really good and worth a try. One of the things I enjoy when I travel is to see how different American food chains are in different places. 

Dessau & Leipzig

I thought it was fascinating how focused Leipzig was around music, and Dessau around the Bauhaus. These cities seem to fit everything around what they are famous for. I know this brings tourists in, but do the people who live there acknowledge it? I thought farther and realized I live in a tourist town that brings tourists in with its “famous” golf courses. I don’t really think about it or really acknowledge it either, so I wonder if the people living there do? MY favorite academic activity was seeing the Bauhaus. I really enjoyed the in-depth tour. I liked seeing how functioning yet clever everything in the haus was. My favorite extra-curricular experience was just walking around the city of Leipzig. I walked in their opera house and down a lot of random roads. I really enjoyed seeing some of the murals around the city. I most certainly recommend going to Riquet Stadtcafé. On the outside there are large elephants and lots of windows. This café had delicious coffee and a delicious meal. We went up the second floor and sat there. I ordered a coffee and a tuna salad and then for dessert I had a delicious apple strudel. 

Berlin

Compared to all of the other cities we went to Berlin seems to be more modern. This aspect of Geography fascinates me because it’s so unusual to have such an old city be so modern. All of the other cities seem to play up their old styles and old cultures, but Berlin seems to want to be more modern. In WWII Berlin was bombed profusely and as a result of that, there are more modern buildings, but instead of building them the exact same styles as they were before, they seem to bring in newer architecture ideas. This gives Berlin its eclectic charm. My favorite academic experience was the tour of the Olympic stadium. It was interesting to learn about all the history with the Nazis and how they used it after the Olympics during the war. I enjoyed climbing up the bell tower and seeing the view of all of Berlin too. My favorite extra curricular experience was the zoo! That was so much fun! We went right during feeding time and all the animals were active and excited. Spring was the perfect time to go as well too, practically all of the animals had babies. I most certainly recommend eating at the pizza place down the street from the hostel. Walk left out of the hostel until you get to a fenced in playground walk past it and then turn left and walk two blocks down and it will be on your left. You have to cross a busy street. Its called Rosario Steakhaus and they have amazing pizza and probably the best apple strudel I had throughout the trip. And I had an apple dessert in every city. It’s really inexpensive too and they speak English.

Pre-trip Advice

Pack as light as you can and leave lots of extra space and buy clothes there. Between H&M and Primark anything you can possibly need is covered. I ended up buying an extra bag because I bought too much stuff! Also, you can buy shampoo and conditioner your first day in Berlin (I found Herbal Essence in German the first day!) but bring your own everything else. Stock up on things in the travel section of Target, they have a good selection! I brought Febreze, Downey Wrinkle release, Static Guard, and a whole bunch of other mini products. Another good thing about bringing your own products is when you throw them away on your last day you have a bit more room and a lighter suitcase. DO NOT forget shower sandals, you will need them. I also recommend bringing a towel too, even though I bought mine in Germany for €7 and that worked out good. I recommend bringing a drawstring bag. Sometimes I got kind of tired of carrying my purse around, and even though it worked great most of the time, a drawstring bag would fold up small and the option would be nice. Plus if your towel is wet during a travel day you have something to put it in. Take lots of pictures and have a great time!