Why go to Germany?

            I have previously been to Canada, France and Belgium, from those trips I became fascinated by cultures in other countries. My favorite thing about traveling to France was the architecture, for this reason I’ve chosen to go to Germany. I’ve heard so many amazing things about the buildings, castles and cathedrals. Since I’m an Interactive Media Studies: Graphic Arts and Psychology major I really enjoy looking at how cities are presented. Are they old and rustic or new aged with neon lights? I want to see how they’ve modernized the buildings throughout Germany.            

            I’m also looking forward to seeing how the native Germans interact with us Americans. I found when traveling to France they’re not too fond of us. I will be taking German 101 next year to help me on the trip, it will be interesting to see how far one terms worth of a language will go.

            I hope to learn more about Germany’s customs and culture while there. Things like what is polite and rude, do we tip at restaurants, or just trying the local cuisine? I want to learn about the history of Germany and its buildings, also to experience a concentration camp first hand. I had seen images, read books, and watched movies about what happened at those camps but I don’t think I’ll fully understand it till I see a camp first hand.

            I’m not entirely sure which castles we will be seeing but I’ve always wanted to visit Neuschwanstein Castle. Just looking at the pictures it seems so unreal, like a castle in a Disney Princess movie. I want to know why the castle was made, what its purpose was and any other detail. I’m probably most excited to see a castle, then a cathedral. I’m not really a church going girl but going into the churches in France took my breath away. The large stone statues that seemed to be guarding the building and the stained glass windows blew my mind. I’ve seen a lot of great images of the cathedrals in Germany but the one I want to see the most is Cologne Cathedral.

            There’s so much I want to learn and experience in those three weeks. It’s hard to decide what I’m most excited about. This isn’t just another stamp on my passport, it’s a once in a lifetime experience and I intend on making it a trip I’ll never forget!