20 Days in Munich, Germany

 When NMSU presented students with the opportunity to go to Germany, the work I would be doing was secondary for me (as long as it was applicable to my master’s program, of course). I was thrilled at the opportunity to travel internationally, something of which I have never done before in my life (unless of course you take Mexico into consideration, but most Mexican Americans in our area would consider that a short trip to visit family rather than an international endeavor).

As someone who had never traveled internationally before, one could imagine my angst as I embarked on this journey, by myself, days before any of my classmates got there. This new endeavor presented me with many life-long lessons and memories. In addition to the new time zone and language, there were other things I was forced to learn on my trip. Luckily, I have a decent grasp on public transportation, but switching cell phone services is another story. Besides the obvious terror, I also felt a newfound sense of independence and overall confidence. I walked the English Garden on multiple occasions, visited the Manchester United crash memorial, swam at Ammersee lake, went to a concert at Olympiahalle, and drank and ate as much as my heart desired. In addition to learning and speaking basic German, I was also presented with the opportunity to practice my much more comfortable Spanish speaking skills at restaurants, but especially with Monica, our social worker who we followed for two weeks. While the content I learned during the actual program speaks for itself, the life lessons and self-discovery I experienced is what will carry my confidence through life for a while. The opportunity to travel abroad should be taken advantage of because the benefits outweigh any temporary hesitations. I look forward to visiting again soon.

 Jenna




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