First Impressions of Germany – Kara LePage

I was still determining what to expect in my study abroad trip to Germany. I kept an open mind and went into this eager to learn. I have never been to Europe and through the different classes I have taken at Mays, I have become more conscious of different cultural customs. I am excited to watch and learn how other countries have a different way of living life than we do in the United States. The first city we are experiencing is Munich, Germany. The main difference I see in culture is that although the people are friendly, they keep more to themselves. They are not a loud group of people and are very efficient in where they want to go. I have seen that if we raise our voices to a typical conversation level, as we might in the United States, the locals will give us strange looks, as we are being too loud. Learning what is normal in Germany has been an adjustment, but it has become easier in my first week here. My favorite part about Germany so far is how walkable the city is and its nature. I wish the United States was more efficient in its transportation and had more walkable cities and trains to take people across town. I also admire their lifestyle as well. There are plenty of parks and everyone seems to enjoy being outside and enjoying the fresh air. Through this experience, I hope I can take some knowledge and use it in my future business career. In Germany, they make compromises with other cultures, and I want to learn to do the same. In the United States, we live in a bubble, and I want to be able to explore outside that bubble to be more respectful and cognizant of other cultures besides my own.