Reflection on Regensburg

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My time in Regensburg has been nothing less than amazing. Having been here for only five weeks I have had so much and fun and life changing experiences that I must say I need to stay longer. It is true when they say that time fly by when you’re having fun. Although it has been five weeks it still only feels like five days.

Arriving here I had no idea what to expect. The language was strange, the people looked at me like I was an alien, and I moved into a small hotel with 8 strangers that were as wide eyed and nervous as me. The first thought I had was thank goodness that I am taking German classes here so that it will not be too much of an Ausländer. I would soon find out about the Bayerishe dialect. If aliens could speak a language that would be it. But with the help of awesome instructors and an extremely enthusiastic roommate this became no problem. By the last week here I was able to buy a pair of Leiderhosen in German from a Bavarian woman at a discount. As was the motto in our conversation course it is all about effective communication.

I feel as though I assimilated fairly well and quickly into the culture here. I believe it is because the German people and I share a common obsession for food and drinks. Although it is not just a love for benevolent café lattes and bratwurst it is that we can both appreciate the effort and quality put into the meal that we pay so much for. Not only is the food cooked to perfection and undoubtedly heathier here, the dining experience is designed for one to enjoy their meal and forget about the stresses of the day. There is no underpaid waiter pushing you out the door trying to fill your seat ten times over just to make ends meet. While you will not receive free water and bread on your table, the meal makes up for it and after a few Maß the Beirgarten resemble an image of I think heaven might be like.

The people you travel with can make or break your trip. Thankfully those 8 strangers I talked about earlier made it for me. If we ever needed help with translating or change for 100 euro bill, without question one of us would jump in. I was not accustom to the amount of sarcasm that was being thrown around but I was easily able to adjust because at the end of the day everyone here is a really person. The fact that we have no doubts about meeting up in back home and that Jason is already throwing a party only solidifies my belief that the 8 strangers I got to know at the Spital Beirgarten will be lifelong friends.



This study abroad trip had the perfect mixture of good times, stressful times, and times that made just sit down in astonishment and think for a while. This trip has only fueled the fire inside to travel and experience more of what Deutschland and the rest of the world has to offer.

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