Study Abroad Update

Next Tuesday I will be embarking on my final academic field-trip of the semester to London, Stockholm (Sweden), and Riga (Latvia) with 20 other students.  This is the first time that our program will be splitting up, with other groups going to Spain and France, as well as Greece, Bulgaria and Romania.  Interestingly enough, I will be celebrating my 21^st birthday in Latvia, a country that I did not even know existed before I came to Europe.

Directly after this 8-day trip, I will be flying to Palma de Mallorca, an island off the coast of Spain, for Spring Break.  Before the semester comes to an end, I will also be traveling to Amsterdam and Croatia.

While the title of my last blog post states this point pretty clearly, it’s been hard coming to terms with the fact that we have passed the halfway point of the semester.  We are no longer in a position in which there are more days left than have surpassed, which is slightly saddening.  It’s remarkable to think back to my first day in Germany some 70 days ago, and to realize how much I’ve learned and grown since then.  I never expected to mature even more and develop a stronger sense of self, but I am so glad that I have.

Looking back, here’s how I’ve changed since coming to Europe:

I’ve grown a keen interest in International Relations, and plan to become fluent in German and Spanish upon my return to the US.

I’ve become a more well-rounded person.  Before coming to Europe, I was overly focused on the goal of earning my degree and taking as many Finance courses as I could fit into my schedule.  Now, as I register for courses in the fall at Babson, I find myself intrigued by the interesting liberal arts electives that Babson offers, including “Coming of Age with the French Revolution” and “Economic and Political Integration in the European Union”.

I am more empathetic towards people of all walks of life, including those traveling in foreign countries.  I never imagined how difficult it could be to live in a country that speaks an entirely different language.  The French undoubtedly have a bad reputation for not accommodating foreigners, but I am almost certain that the US is a far worse place for foreigners seeing as how we are ignorant to most foreign languages, and truly care more about our work schedules than helping those who are perplexed by American society.

I only drink tap water.  You won’t see me holding a plastic bottle anytime soon.  It’s free and easily accessible no matter where you are.  And once you’ve survived off bathroom sink water in Prague and Berlin for 7 days, you tend to not stress about how purified the water is.

I walk more…a lot more.  So much of Europe is extremely friendly to pedestrians, and the cities are easily accessible by foot.  Throughout the semester, I have also gone on at least 10 hikes with my friends to explore the Black Forest and the entire city of Freiburg.

 I will never complain again about laundry, in fact, I enjoy doing it.  After going 3 months without a dryer, and having to air-dry every single item of clothing that I own, I don’t expect to have any difficulty with the much-simplified American system of doing laundry.  At times, my room looks like a dry cleaner’s because of the way my clothes are scattered around my room drying, but nonetheless, this practice has taught me that first-world problems are not worth complaining about.

I care (more) about the world.  After attending an information session at the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) in Geneva last week, I have learned to appreciate the idea of devoting your life to helping others whom have grown up in dangerous and depressing civilizations.  Then again, here I am typing quietly on my Apple computer, while 10 hours away children are starving and fighting for their lives.  None of us chooses where we are born.  Being Americans does not give us any right to ignore the atrocities in other countries, where innocent children are given no opportunity at a decent life whatsoever.  For all we know, we would be child soldiers in the LRA had we grown up in Uganda.  While it’s great that we can recognize the downfalls of society in many corrupt and dangerous countries, it doesn’t help to let the empathy stop there.  This could be us.

I certainly don’t want to end on a depressing note though so…..I’m extremely excited to travel over the next 2 weeks.  As the weather gets nice I begin to enjoy living in Freiburg even more.  But then again, I have also come to miss America more and more with the passing of each day.  I am sure that this semester will give me a great deal of perspective once back home in the good ol’ USA.

Counting Down

This week marks the halfway point of the semester, meaning that I have already been in Germany for 2 full months.  Wow.

To honor this milestone, I have decided to create a guide to help students understand why this program is so remarkable.  Without further adieu….

Why any and EVERY Babson student should study at IES: European Union:

• Freiburg- I can guarantee that more than 95% of Americans have no idea that this city exists.  Boy, are they missing out.  There is so much I enjoy about this city including its size (200,000 people), weather (sunniest and warmest city in Germany), food (bakeries and restaurants galore), and so much more.  My daily runs are like running through postcards, with amazing sights at every turn of the corner.  The Black Forest, and its breathtaking mountains are literally at my doorstep.  The fact that Freiburg is also a predominantly college town with great nightlife makes it even more enjoyable.  The beer gardens are tremendous in every sense of the word, and the festivals here put Memorial Day celebrations to shame.  I can guarantee I will be back here even after going home to the States.
• The Alps- Just when I thought I’d seen everything….I was blown off my feet.  The pristine beauty of these natural monuments is second to none.  Everyone should visit the Alps at least once in their life to stand above the clouds and take in the most beautiful natural landscape in the world.  Oh, and sledding the Alps was definitely the most exhilarating moment of my life.
• The Size- The program is comprised of 60 students from all over the US.  Contrary to programs with 200+ students, you will actually get to know each and every one of your classmates.  A great part about the size is that you are able to interact with a diverse group of people that you would normally not hangout with at home.  Colleges in the US, while preaching diversity, tend to be breeders of homogeneity and cliques that isolate entire student populations.  I have never appreciated diversity and differences in thinking so much in my life after coming here.
• Germany and its culture- Germany is an amazing place, and has a modern history that trumps that of any other nation.  Berlin is a historical landmark to the entire WWII era.  The most amazing thing about the history and culture of Germany is how they go about reflecting about it.  Everywhere you look in Berlin, there is another reminder of the violent terror that swallowed Europe in the 1940’s.  From the Reichstag to the Brandenburg Gate to the world-class museums like the Jewish Museum and the Topography of Terror, it is incredible how much of history had been preserved an reflected on.  Oh, and the Berlin Wall is pretty interesting too. 
•  European Union Studies- I went from knowing absolutely nothing about the EU, to being an EU extraordinaire.  Not only do you travel to the European Central Bank in Frankfurt with the program, but you also visit the extraordinary Reichstag (Germany’s “Capitol Building”), the IMF offices in Paris, and each one of the major headquarters of the EU in Strasbourg and Brussels.  You become an absolute expert on the politics, history, and economics of each European country, as well as the European Union as a whole.  If you want to expand your horizons and knowledge of the world, join this program.  How else could you learn the difference between the Council of Europe, European Council, and Council of the European Union?
• Traveling- Berlin, Prague, Paris, London, Riga, Frankfurt, Geneva, and Brussels are just a handful of the places I will have visited with my classmates as part of our academic field study curriculum.  I also plan on traveling to southern France, as well as Amsterdam, and Budapest to get a full breadth of European culture.  While it can be extremely hard to navigate and learn about an entire city in 3 or 4 days, it is probably the most fun thing I have ever done.  Before I came to Europe, I had only been to one foreign country (Canada).  After I leave, I will have been to 12.
• Maturity-You will be thrown into a completely unfamiliar country with the clothes on your back and a suit case.  It will be your job to navigate the German culture, and you will never have a prouder moment in your life then when you realize you mastered a completely new and different lifestyle.  If you can handle this scenario, there is nothing in life that you won’t be able to adapt to.

Study Abroad has done much more than change my life.  It has given me the confidence to conquer any obstacle I face in life, the passion to learn and enjoy new experiences, and the satisfaction of making the right decision to come to Germany in the first place.

Thank you Germany.  Thank you Babson.  And thank you IES: European Union for transforming me into a more refined and educated member of global society.