Lauren Bayer, Pitt in Munich Summer 2023
One challenge I faced during my first couple of days in Germany was feeling integrated in the daily life of the city. The hustle and bustle of Munich every morning was so intriguing, but I felt like a viewer and not a partaker. There was such a different atmosphere on the trains; everybody just wanted to get where they were going in the most quiet and efficient way possible. I am a people person, so I love to talk to new people in public, but in Munich, those conversations were saved for the biergarten and pub. This was the way I knew how to feel like a part of a community and without this, I was a little lost. To overcome this challenge, I looked for other avenues in which I could become the average German! Every morning, I read the screen on the U- and S-Bahn that shows global, German politics, and social and celebrity news. At first, it was interesting to read and see what I could gather from the short paragraphs, however as my German language acquisition increased from my daily classes, I read it for the actual news. In addition, relating historical and current topics to the tours that were a part of the history class was invaluable to my learning. Through these little screens, I felt like I was a part of something larger. I started to notice how many people were actually reading them and just taking that time for themselves in the morning. My advice for others who feel someone left out of their new world on a study abroad, is stay present and go out of your comfort zone. You may be able to learn activities from the locals that, in turn, help you find your new self in the city.
Another challenge I faced was getting overwhelmed with all the classes and activities that were planned for us. I forgot to take time for myself to relax and do things that I enjoy, like taking walks and exploring the neighborhood. A lot of study abroad programs are jam-packed with tours, travelling, classes and meeting new people, so finding time to stop and take everything in can be put on the back burner. I found days with pockets of time unscheduled to seek out parks and, specifically, beaches on the Isar River to people watch! It is very important to not forget to do things you enjoy while on a study abroad, so you can make memories with yourself 😊
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