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Hindsight is 20/20

This trip to Berlin and the Netherlands was extremely eye-opening. I learned so much about architecture, as well as the other topics that the other people in the group were covering. There was a sharp contrast from America to Berlin to Holland that stood out to me, in all the different topics that we studied, that I really enjoyed discussing with the rest of the group. It opened my mind to not just the architecture and history, even though I did mostly focus on that, but also to culture, business, politics, art, science, food and many other subjects that I did not realize had such a strong foundation in Europe. As I look back on my trip, I am extremely satisfied with everything that I did. Not only did I enhance my interest in architecture, but I also became interested in all the other aspects of the societies we became a part of as we studied abroad. I was also able to open my perspective to see the world the way the Dutch and the German see the world, and how this perspective affe...
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An Infinite Horizon

Algae with friends at Micropia: A Microbiology “Zoo” American society has many ages that signify a milestone in maturity. At 16, you can legally drive in Arizona (provided you have passed all examinations and can afford to do so). At 18, you are considered an adult in the U.S.. Drinking and renting are prohibited for years after legal adulthood. Brain maturity is rumored at 25, but some adults never grow up in the usual sense. My point is that maturity takes effort: it’s messy, it happens in fits and starts, it’s a long process, and nobody knows whether they’re doing it right. My time abroad was less than a month, but I feel I’ve tapped into an undiscovered chapter of my young adult life that began when I left America. A quiet railway station. Suburbia is a prime example of how poor city planning can stunt the passion and independence of youths. For 19 years I had never been on public transportation without my parents, let alone by myself, until I had reached Berlin. Go...
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Discovering the People and their Way of Life

Each time I visit Europe, I try to gain a new perspective on how people view the world and how they fit into that perceived world. Berlin and the Netherlands have offered me another opportunity to fulfill this desire. I have been to Germany before, but the Berlin experience is much different, and it’s not just because the architecture of East Berlin is simplistic, symmetrical, and concrete. In general, the people’s attitudes are much more negative and focused on preserving the commoner’s way of life to the point that tourists feel mocked. I have never before witnessed a people who more collectively despise tourists because in other cities I have visited, the people are more willing to meet the visitor’s needs and comfort. However, viewing the history of Berlin, I can understand why the people act this way. During the time the Berlin Wall was set up, the people of East Berlin were forced to obey laws that rejected any activity of Western origin. Considering this, I can see why they ha...
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Final Post by Lindsey

I really enjoyed my time abroad. By far my favorite place we visited was Holland. I fell in love with every city we visited. I enjoyed exploring the museums and immersing myself in the Dutch culture. Having Dr. Oberman to guide us was especially exciting. Her love of her country was very clear and spread to the rest of the class as well. We spent several days wandering around Amsterdam going from museum to museum. One day we even visited a cat sanctuary on a boat! There is so much to do in Holland that I think I could spend years there. Even something as simple as renting a boat in Leiden was one of my favorite memories.  In high school, I studied a lot of philosophy. At the time, I disliked discussing any type of political or governmental philosophy. As a young student, I felt that I had no expertise or experience on the subject and could not truly understand the differences between varying societal policies. However, as I traveled through these different countries I felt tha...
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Final Post by Liam

My time in Europe has shown me a great deal about the possibilities of my life and what I can bring to the world. As an actor, I am constantly trying to evaluate my stance on my work and my role, weighing out pieces of the puzzle one at a time. Just as my last experience travelling did, this exposure to other cultures changes how you view those pieces, and makes me think about what I want to do at the different milestones in my life. It's difficult for me to put into words, but the best way I can is to say that my mindset is noticeably altered upon returning to the states. The tiny hidden church courtyard of Begijnhof in Amsterdam When I travel, it is entirely to see how I might change. I'm always looking for opportunities to do this, but there is none I find better than uprooting yourself and moving on from that point. My time in Holland especially showed me one critical change I could make, which is the level of tolerance the country showed both in the present and his...
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Takeaways

There are many wonderful “takeaways” I’ve gained from this travel abroad experience but, so soon after parting ways with everyone, the ones at the forefront of my mind are friendship and community. Signing up for the trip was all about the destinations for me, I didn’t live in an honors dorm last year and prior to this study abroad I had only done one credit within the honors college, so I wasn’t around other study abroad applicants. In the pre departure class everyone was relatively quiet as it was almost everyone’s last class on Friday afternoons, but being popped into a foreign country with each other was an amazing ice breaker. I love that the study abroad covers such a broad range of topics because the diversity amongst everyone on the trip was spectacular but everyone loved to learn and gain new experiences. Throughout the trip I learned about topics fellow student’s were passionate about that I otherwise never would have learned. This idea was imbedded into our curriculum i...
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My Study Abroad

While being abroad, I realized that I am more capable and independent than I previously thought. Even though I did learn how to effectively work with my nineteen other classmates (a very diverse group), I learned more about how I can personally be more confident travelling abroad and that I am capable of coping with many challenging situations. Before the trip I had never been to Europe. I was initially worried about flying to Germany alone, but I had no issues with my flights throughout the entire trip, showing me that it is easier than I thought to visit other countries. My navigational skills improved dramatically as well. The longer we stayed in Berlin and Leiden, the easier it got for me to understand the metro system and the individual cities. I loved learning about the history of each city. In Berlin, I was able to broaden my understanding of World War II and the GDR regime by visiting many famous museums, such as the Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe and the Stasi Mu...
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