I’ve been away for Munich for a couple of weeks, and I still cannot get over how informative, eye-opening, and deeply humbling the whole experience was. Now that I’ve acclimatized to American life again, I believe it’s time to reflect on it in writing.

AN OVERVIEW

In Munich, we had daily lectures and labs from German professors analyzing German business models, manufacturing processes, and the cultural values that established these. They gave a particular emphasis on lean manufacturing and the role of takt and cycle times. We also toured a BMW dealership and factory as well as a Siemens train plant to reinforce the role this discipline plays. I am grateful to see the role of industrial engineering in the efficient and safe development of new technology.

I also received a deeper understanding of another culture, which helped me challenge some of my biases and evaluate my knowledge of German from high school. We ate at several German restaurants, where we enjoyed roast pork knuckle, weißwurst, and other Bavarian favorites. I also received the opportunity to sample other European foods such as Italian Margherita-style pizza and a raw French Bleu d’Auvergne. We attended an FC Bayern München game and reveled in the atmosphere of the home and away sections filled with drums, flags, chants, an impossible sight at an American sporting event. I also took a day to visit Dachau concentration camp to reflect on the atrocious acts committed by the Nazi regime through the Holocaust and the discrimination and tactics that allowed this monstrosity to happen. We even had a day to visit another country via Salzburg in Austria.

MY GROWTH

My time in Germany allowed me to reconnect with what brought me into the field. Like a lot of students, I came into the end of the spring semester feeling a bit jaded from all the academic work. I was worried that dealing with academics in another country might be another challenge, the last hurdle before the summer. Nicht so! When we toured the BMW factory, we came upon a part of the factory with a set of machine arms welding and shaping the bumper to a car. Honestly, I felt it all flood back: what engineering meant, why people used it, why I wanted to do it. I was just mesmerized by the complex yet repetitive movements of such large automated equipment. In short, it and reminded me why I came into computer engineering and product design.

As someone looking to slim down for the summer, I also enjoyed immersing in Germany’s more purposeful style of eating. Without a kitchen, my diet included plenty of heaping six-euro döner wraps and slow after-dinner coffees. You can have a little nibble midday in the morning while chatting with friends. You can also have a massive, pants-loosening plate of food. What you can’t have is “grab-and-go”. Because I spent so much time being busy, there didn’t seem to be much time to “snack,” to have a quick bite between activities, or just for entertainment. I remember eating a döner while walking to class in Münich. Swap the döner for a Chick-fil-A sandwich or Shake Smart shake and you have a daily occurrence for my second semester. But eating and walking in Munich felt wrong. Eating is intentional.

THE TAKEAWAY

I also learned a lot about what it means to speak a language. I took German for four years in high school, and I never had that coveted high school trip. Of course I tried speaking it in Germany. Of course I messed up a lot of times. But every time it seemed like a miracle how I could utter these words someone taught me four years ago, and people would respond, even if in English. It showed me how language is more than a set of words. It’s a tradition. Now, I definitely kept to myself more than was necessary sophomore year; what else would you expect form a computer engineering major? However, seeing language like this really moved me to search beyond the words that people say. The words change, but the emotions and the memories do not. In that sense, I finally realized why people enjoy communicating so much.

Despite all this, there really is an inspiring quietness to Munich. Instead of following four sports at the professional and college levels, there’s just one: Bayern München. The sorts of pop culture topics that seems to grab headlines and social media apps every day in the United States—Drake and Kendrick, the new Game of Thrones season—seemed like blips on the radar in Germany, and there were no real German pop culture substitutes. Car radio gave way to the little to no chatter on German buses and subways. And life went on. On top of what I already mentioned, this trip in Germany has encouraged me to go a bit more minimalist, to think about what I really need. Do I need to keep browsing Instagram? Do I really need that sweet treat? Do I even want any of that? I hope this impression lasts the summer and back to Pittsburgh, so I can focus my time around my studies and my social groups again. Tschau!