When I was accepted into this program, I was very excited, but nervous because I did not know what to expect. All I knew was that I would have to be creating content surrounding the NFL game in Munich. Once we met for the first time in class, I felt like we were kind of like the breakfast club. We were all a little familiar with each other but had never really spoken except for a few people. It was not until we arrived in Germany that a bond was formed. Was it because Dr. C wasn’t there? Was it because of Alicia? Probably a little of both. 

Arriving in Germany with no teacher and a study abroad guide who didn’t know her way around the city was nerve-racking. I was worried something was going to happen to one of us, but we all looked out for each other and stuck together. That is something I won’t forget.

While we were there, I had to learn how to immerse myself in a different culture and use that to my advantage when trying to get content for my article. Being in a different country that sort of speaks English is hard because when you are trying to sort an issue out on a train with a worker that will only speak in German, it gets a little difficult. This was not my first time going abroad. My family likes to travel often, so I have been to a few different countries before. However, this was my first time traveling alone. I feel like I managed the trip there and back pretty well even with the hurricane situation. 

Something I found in Germany is a new sense of pride in American sports. I could never really understand how other countries enjoyed watching American football and other sports because I don’t have the desire to watch rugby or cricket. But I think that since American sports are so publicized it starts to grow a big fan base in other countries. Seeing all these people wearing merchandise and rooting for a team they had never seen play before was pretty cool. 

Throughout the trip, I took clips throughout each day to make TikToks, which will help me remember this experience and look back on it in the future. I don’t think there is anything about the trip I would have changed, but I do wish I would have prepared my story more in class and even on my own time. I got the story done and had the opportunity to do things the rest of the class didn’t get to do, but that was all planned last minute. So the week before traveling, I was stressed out that my story was not going to be able to work out. It did and my mom loves showing all our friends and family what I did while I was in Germany. I am very thankful to Dr. Coche for choosing me to go on this trip. 

Posted: December 5, 2022
Category: CJC in Munich