Kurt Miller ’16 We arrived in Frankfurt am Main shortly after 6:30 AM local time. After a long flight, our bodies felt the creeping exhaustion of jet lag. Upon dropping our bags at the youth hostel, myself and several other Wabash men experienced a picturesque Sunday morning along the river and ended up in the central square eating baguettes, sausages and Italian Gelatto (a treat essential for any American to experience over here).
We quickly realized that Americans speak louder than most Europeans. Experiencing stares, the level of volume had to be lowered multiple times. One of the most surprising things was the difference in general street etiquette between the Midwest and Europe. Back home, I am used to smiling at everyone I see. In Deutschland, this same behavior is met with blank stares.
We returned to check in at 13:00 and I immediately fell asleep. With our fist day done, I am excited for the rest of the week and plan to make the most of this trip and my time in Europe. Learning abroad, in my opinion, encapsulates the liberal arts education and allows young minds to experience the vastly different cultures, institutions, and structures making up the basis of the European way of life. With the grace of the Rogge Fund and the hard working endeavors of Professors Hollander and Mikek, our education has already been furthered on day one. I can’t wait to see what comes next! Aufwiedersehen!
