I chose to study in Germany because I feel like it is a
country that would be easy to learn from. With so much rich history it's hard
to believe that I wouldn’t learn at least something. There are a lot of areas
to learn from in Germany, and especially Berlin. Museums, national buildings,
the architecture itself, the inspirations are endless. Germany seems like a
great place to study at because of the culture as well. I have never been out
of the country, and the farthest anyone in my family has gone is South America.
I feel like the German culture is distinct, yet not so alien as to be hard to
comprehend and understand once there. I feel like it is a good way for me to
get my feet wet when it comes to understanding other cultures. I believe that
Americans are seen as arrogant and prideful of their own culture, but I would
like to prove that stereotype wrong by immersing myself in German culture and
learning as much as I can.
 |
| The city of Berlin, where we will be staying on our trip to Germany |
I chose to study in Germany primarily because it seems like
a country that has it all. I am a big car aficionado, and Germany is known for
its automobile engineering prowess. I have heard of the different types of
German food, like schnitzel wurst. I have heard about all of the architectural
wonders like the Brandenburg gate and all of the amazing castles. I am familiar
with some of the history of Germany, from the times of Martin Luther to the
Cold War. Part of my family on my dad's side is said to have some German
heritage. It is not spoken about often in my family, nor are there any family
records that I know of that would lead to more information. Beyond this very
limited exposure to Germany and its culture, I really have no deep knowledge. In
short, German culture and history is familiar to me, but only on a superficial
level.
 |
| 2014 Porsche 911 GT3, an excellent example of German automotive engineering. |
On our trip, I expect to learn about some of the things
mentioned above, with an emphasis on the German culture. I want to learn about
the history of Germany, but in a more immersive way. I want to learn and at the
same time experience and visualize the meaning of the concepts. For example, if
we are talking about Martin Luther I would find it much better to talk about
how he nailed his 95 theses to a church while standing next to the church he
supposedly nailed them to. In my opinion, being immersed in a culture is the
best way to learn about it. This trip seemed like one of the best ways
available to me that would allow me to
be in a foreign country long enough to be immersed in it.
 |
| The church doors in Wittenberg where Martin Luther allegedly nailed his 95 Theses. |
