When one thinks about studying abroad, they think of a semester of traveling to elaborate places and seeing all the famous sites. I spent my winter break looking up places around Europe, trying to create a checklist of all the must-see sites throughout the continent. I was so determined to see and immerse myself into the rest of Europe that I completely forgot about the country I would actually be living in for the next four months.

Within hours after arriving in Germany, I was in love. All the months leading up to this study abroad experience, I never once thought that I would want to waste precious travel time to just spend time traveling around the region and exploring its culture. Why tour around a small Southwest German region when you had Paris and Rome calling your name. However, it is the complete opposite for me now. I am in love with the Baden-Wüttemberg and its Swabian culture. And I’m not alone. One only has to ask any native about their Swabian culture and you will hear more about their history, where one should go visit, and what food to eat, than you ever thought possible. We decided to take their advice and thoroughly scope out the Swabian culture. Naturally, we started with their chocolate, more specifically Ritter Sports chocolate. We explored the medieval city of Tübingen, as well as, hiked up to see the Hohenzollern Castle. We even took a spur of the moment train ride to the end of the tracks and explored the town of Herrenberg. All while eating and drinking traditional meals and talking to random people on the trains about the area around us. Never once did the idea that I could have been somewhere else in Europe cross my mind.

 

Within just two weeks, I have been able to see why Swabian culture is spoken so highly about in this region and to think that I would have past up this opportunity to indulge in a culture, in order to just be able to check another place off my list appalls me now.  This would definitely be the biggest surprise for me these past two weeks.  As my first initial reaction to finally experiencing this fantasized dream of studying abroad, I would definitely say that being here is very different than my expectations, but in a good way. I feel that not only am I seeing amazing sites that I would have over looked had I kept my original mindset and checklist, but I am beginning to understand a whole new culture and society. Though I still cannot wait to venture into other parts of Germany and Europe, right now I am satisfied with just exploring this whole idea of Swabian culture.

 

 

Check out more pictures of my cultural excursions at https://plus.google.com/photos/113496106333285759017/albums?banner=pwa