As my study abroad semester in Esslingen, Germany comes to a close, I look back on all my memories with fondness and gratitude. I remember first arriving and being incredibly anxious about the adventures ahead of me: I was about to dive into a world that, even though I had prepared for, could not fully imagine without being directly in there.
Hochschule Esslingen, my university abroad, was filled with so many wonderful experiences. All of the faculty and professors were incredibly helpful and kind; they were so encouraging, even when I made mistakes in lecture, and were always open to any questions I had.
I was also able to make friends not only from Esslingen, but around the world. The international office of Hochschule Esslingen had many events for all international students – I met friends from Mexico, Spain, Finland, England, and many more countries.
I had so many experiences that I could never get anywhere else in the world – like when I celebrated Fasching in February and saw the parades of witches in wooden masks. Or when I celebrated Frühlingsfest in May and walked around the fairgrounds with my friends in our Dirndls and Lederhosen. I’ll forever remember walking through town, shopping at Rewe (a supermarket chain) for pretzels and Brötchen (a specific type of bread roll).
All of this is to say, if I could encourage anyone to take a semester abroad, I would do so wholeheartedly. It is genuinely a life-changing experience, and one that you will never forget.
Chilling at the library in Stuttgart, a large city that's a 10 minute train away from Esslingen, my abroad town.
Beautiful walkway in Esslingen next to the old area of town. I felt so peaceful whenever I would walk this path.