Interning Abroad

During my semester in Freiburg, I have the chance to do an internship. The IES staff helped me to write up a German resume and send it to local businesses and organizations that fit my interests. I’m not being paid, because I’m getting credit instead. However, with my student visa, I’m also allowed to work for a …

Public Transportation

Freiburg prides itself on being a “green” city, and one of these points is that more people travel with bikes or public transportation than use cars. My host family doesn’t even own a car! I live in the western-most section of Freiburg, Rieselfeld. Freiburg is relatively compact, though, so my apartment is only three miles …

Schmeckt’s?

Chocolate, sauerkraut, schnitzel, pretzels, potatoes and beer all come to mind when people think about German food- and they’re definitely not wrong! Unlike America, German stores are much more specialized than American ones. There’s no Meijer equivalent where you can get everything (medicine, cleaning supplies, furniture, pets, food, sports equipment- EVERYTHING) you need in one …

Stumbling Blocks

Embedded into the streets outside of buildings and homes all cross Germany are Stolpersteine, or “stumbling blocks”. These small brass squares don’t literally trip people, but are there to cause a little “stumble” as you go about your day-to-day life; to jolt you a little along your way. The stones serve as miniature memorials and mark …

Weekend Travel: Switzerland and Black Forest

IES has been doing a good job keeping us busy. In the past 17 days, we’ve only had 1 day with nothing scheduled! Last weekend and the weekend before that, we’ve gone on day trips to Switzerland and the local Black Forest region. These trips have been great for seeing the area and getting to …

Living like a German

Now that I’ve been here for a few weeks, I’m getting used to my day-to-day life in Germany. The culture doesn’t seem so foreign, but the differences are stark when it comes to the details. I’m living in a newer section of the city with a family of a mother and two young children. The …

What’s Freiburg like?

After 2 months of waiting at home, I finally got to Freiburg this week. Since then, I’ve been exploring the city every chance I get. In this post, I’ll do my best to give some context for my later posts. Freiburg is down in the southwest corner of Germany, in the Black Forest. From here, …

Dealing with life abroad

Today I want to talk about a topic that may be a little different from traveling, learning, and culture within Germany. That being how to cope with difficult times while you’re abroad. If you are anything like me I know it is always hard to admit that something might be wrong and even worse when …

My Disneyland

If you went to Disney World as a child you know that feeling of happiness, courage and just a whole lot of excitement the minute you set foot in the park. After all, Disney is the place where all of your dreams come true. Well, imagine that same feeling, add 15 years to my age …

Porto, Portugal!

Porto is a city of color, history, intrinsic structures, diversity, nightlife, wine and amazing food. This trip has been the first time I have ever set foot on Portuguese soil.     First impression of Porto, it is a maze city! It requires you to have some sort of a map to get around (I …