Blogger: Alyson Kneusel

Program: Reutlingen, Germany – Study Center

Hello again!

Today I went on a day trip to Heidelberg, which is about a two hour train ride north and slightly west from Reutlingen. The thing I valued most about the trip was not the Heidelberg Castle, the Philosophenweg, or even the Altstadt Old Town, although each of those sites was breathtakingly beautiful. More than anything else, I recognized the trip as a marker of my own independence and confidence. Four years ago I would have been too afraid to go to a restaurant in my own hometown by myself and order my own food. I couldn’t navigate from my house to the nearest Panera Bread by myself! Yet yesterday, I traveled by myself to a town two hours away in a foreign country via public transportation with a significant language barrier. Not only did I survive the trip, but I flourished and felt that I grew from the experience.

In order to understand my trip, it is crucial to share some information and images from the city, which is just as well because it is an enchanting place (I would highly recommend visiting if you are ever given the chance). The Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof (the main train station) is about a 2 miles walk from the Heidelberg castle. The castle lies on a hill and overlooks the valley which contains the town, including the Altstadt Old Town. The Neckar River runs through the valley below and is traversed by the Carl Theodor Old Bridge. On the other side of the bridge, there is a river walk and another large hill, which contains the PhilosophenWag, which translates as Philosophers’ Walk. This is a peaceful climb up the side of the hill opposite the castle which provides not only a beautiful overlook of the castle, town, and river, but also an introspective opportunity to the person climbing it.

I began my journey in Heidelberg at the train station, walked the 2 miles up to the castle. After roaming around the castle grounds I descended through the town and across the bridge. At that point, I climbed Philosophenweg and sat for a while on a bench near the top where I wrote in my journal and appreciated the view. Looking back on the experience, in that moment what struck me was the realization that I almost didn’t make the trip and nearly missed out on such an amazing experience. I had sat in my room that morning and came up with every excuse in the book for why I should stay home. I was too tired, I had been traveling a lot, I hadn’t done enough research on the place, I didn’t have enough time, I didn’t speak the language, no one else was going, and so on and so forth. The more I think about it, the more I realize that these are not real reasons to not do things; they are mechanisms by which we limit ourselves.

I took away two main lessons that I think are worth sharing yesterday. The first is that Heidelberg is a beautiful city full of life, people, and nature. The other thing is that I am capable of being independent, navigating, and making my own decisions. This is a confidence which I think I was previously lacking, and this is definitely something which study abroad has given me. It broadened my horizons not just geographically, but also mentally. I encourage you all to not hold yourself back with excuses and doubts, and challenge yourself to (safely) do those things which you might otherwise have lacked the confidence to accomplish.

Until next time,

Alyson Kneusel