Living The Dream

I am speechless when it comes to attempting to describe my experiences over the past three weeks in Europe.  In these three weeks, I have seen everything from the Berlin Wall to the picturesque streets of Prague.  I have sampled world-class cuisine in interesting locations, including Cuban food in Berlin and Czech food in Prague.  I have become more refined with a newfound knowledge on the history of East and West Germany, as well as the Czech transition from communism to democracy. 

In terms of education, I have learned a great deal on two topics that I never even knew existed: The Stasi era in East Berlin, and the transformation of Czechoslovakia into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.  Our program had the unique opportunity of receiving a lecture from a Professor at the University of Economics in Prague regarding Czech’s former socialist economy, which proved to be incredible as well.

The many friends and memories I have made since the start of the program have enhanced my experiences in Europe immensely.  We have partied in the famous 5-story Prague club, Karlovy Lazne, and drank tremendous German beers ranging from Weisbier to Hefeweizen to Pilsener.  To top it all off, we have stayed up until 4am to watch the Giants play the 49ers, and then proceeded to board a train to Berlin a mere two hours later.

And yet my time in Germany (and Europe) has only just begun.   3 months and 12 days from now I will be counting my blessings, and reliving the wonderful memories that Europe has supplied me with.  These memories will include sledding in the Swiss Alps, touring the European Central Bank in Frankfurt, enjoying the streets of London and Paris, and becoming acclimated with a culture that I find amazing. 

Guten Nacht! 

Tip #1: Feel Uncomfortable

In my time thus far in Freiburg, I have become extremely appreciative of the motto “If you’re not failing, you’re not living.”  From an interesting first impression of my residence hall to misjudgments regarding people and places in Freiburg, I now strongly believe in the power of expanding one’s boundaries.

We can all relate to the prospect of standing in front of a large group of people for the first time, nervous beyond words about the possibility of failure.  But what if you had decided to stay home sick that day?  In many ways, I was expecting a lot more guidance and support once arriving in Freiburg from the program’s administration.  In essence, I was left to explore and learn the German culture with 50 of my fellow students who were just as confused as I was.  Through this self-education, we have gained years of maturation and self-confidence in taking on any obstacles or challenges that we face in life.  Fear has turned into amazement.  Anxiousness has led to incredible memories.

My residence hall doesn’t believe in garbage cans.  After 4 days, I still can’t find a store that sells towels (I’m borrowing a small one from my suitemate).  Schnitzel at the dining hall makes Babson Dining look like a 5-star restaurant.  I’m no longer able to get Internet on my phone.  I get lost at least 5 times every day.  It takes me 30 minutes to get to class.

...And I love every second of it.

Goodbye for now.  4 days down, 4 months to go.

First Entry

Hello!  I have wanted to start a blog for the longest time, and finally decided it would worth doing right before going abroad.  In exactly a week I will be embarking on an 8-hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany.  From there, I will be taking a 2-hour train ride to Freiburg, Germany, where I will be studying for the next 4 months.  I am extremely excited and anxious, yet also slightly frightened by the idea of complete immersion in another culture.  As I am typing this, I know less than ten words of German (hopefully I will be able to increase this number over the next week).  For the purpose of this entry, I wanted to delve into my reasoning for choosing to study with the IES European Union Program.  Hopefully future Babson study abroad participants and others can learn from my experiences to make educated decisions on their own.

So here they are.  My reasons for choosing the IES European Union Program:

1) Travel/European Studies- The farthest I have ever traveled in my life has been to Florida.  I am hoping that my adventure to Germany will broaden my exposure to the world in a major way.  If Germany doesn’t put me out of my comfort zone, then I am sure the mandatory field study trips to Brussels, Berlin, Paris, London and others will do the job.  No other abroad program that I am aware of offers the integrated travel approach that this program does.  For 21 days out of the semester, we will be somewhere other than Freiburg in order to back up classroom learning with real-world excursions.  What do I mean?  Well, what better way to learn about monetary policy in the EU than to visit the European Central Bank in Frankfurt and hear from policymakers?  What better way to learn about global financial issues, than to visit the World Bank in Paris?  This series of program enhancements sparked my interest in the IES European Union program more than anything else.

2) Safety- As much as I am jumping out of my comfort zone by studying thousands of miles away from home, I did consider just how much leeway I wanted to give in terms of peace of mind.  Germany is currently the most stable country in Europe, financially and politically.  Unlike those studying in Greece or Egypt, I will not have to avoid thousands of protesters on my way to class, nor will I have to worry about any extreme threats against Americans (at least for the time being).

3) Being the First- As my study abroad advisor at Babson, Samantha Stanley, likes to say, I am the “guinea pig” for this program.  No Babson student has ever participated in the IES European Union Program before, seeing as how this is the first semester it is offered.  And no, I will have no classmates joining me either.  While it was tough at first seeing as how I had to have all my potential courses approved by Babson, I am realizing how thankful I am to the Babson Office of International Program for going out of their way to let me experience the opportunity of a lifetime.  It is also quite exciting that I am leading the way for future Babson students to participate in the IES European Union program, and it is my hope that it will soon become the most sought after study abroad opportunity that Babson offers.

I would like to end my first entry with a quote from German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: “If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse; however if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I help you become that”

It is my sincere hope that more than anything else, this opportunity will open my eyes to a number of new perspectives.  Like any path I take in life, I also hope to become a more educated and well-rounded individual because of it. 

I will be busy over the next week preparing for Germany.  So until then…

Auf Wiedersehen!