Germany will be the first country I
set foot in outside of the United States. I am looking forward to the challenge
of being in a completely foreign environment with no common language. I see
this trip as a test of sorts. I want to see how I will manage the communication
difficulties and how I will adapt to the travel system. I think this trip will
challenge me as a student and as a leader, and I am looking forward to it. I am
also curious to see how I will be received by Germans. What will they expect me
to look and act like? I feel that the health of Americans is something other
countries judge us by and that concerns me as a future health professional. Obviously
obesity is a major problem in America, and I want to see if this problem is
different in Germany, and if so, why.
I feel that it is important to understand the world
we live in such as how countries interact and the challenges they face. Although
I know nothing about economics, I am very interested to see the differences in
marketing and business from Germany and the United States. Marketing tactics
and strategies have always been very interesting to me and I think they will be
very different in Germany because of different ideals, social norms, and
customs.
From a
historical standpoint the most I know about Germany is from eighth grade
history class. I know that Germany is now a very advanced and thriving country.
This first image is from the battle of Berlin from World War II, which took
place in 1945. Images such as these are the first that come to mind when
Germany is mentioned. I want to change my current knowledge/perception of
Germany with this trip.
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| Sanssouci Palace |
The architecture in Europe is like
nothing around here. I have only seen pictures of palaces and castles in
textbooks and on the Internet. I am looking forward to visiting these places
because I have American architecture to compare it to. The picture above is the Sanssouci palace, which was originally
created as a summer abode for Frederick the Great, but now it is home to many
museums and attractions for tourists. I am excited to do the tourist things in
Germany like going to castles and cathedrals and visiting the camp. There is
such a rich history to drink in and experience, I know I won’t be able to
experience it all but hopefully this trip will give me the motivation to go
back on my own to experience even more.
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