After wrapping up a two-day project at Vencon, I took a solo weekend trip to Amsterdam. As soon as I clocked out on Friday, I boarded an overnight ICE train and arrived around 10 a.m. The city immediately captivated me, so effortlessly beautiful. Narrow houses with intricate architecture lined the canals, each bridge adorned with…
Tag: Berlin
Week 3: Vienna Reflections
Over the long weekend, I traveled to Vienna with fellow members of the Berlin Internship cohort, taking advantage of Pfingstmontag (Whit Monday), a national holiday that provided a day off from work. This trip offered an ideal opportunity to step back from daily responsibilities, explore a new city, and gain fresh perspectives. The train journey…
Week 2: Vencon Internship
One aspect of German culture that I’ve found particularly challenging to assimilate into is the country’s strong emphasis on structure, punctuality, and adherence to rules. At Vencon Research, time management is taken very seriously: meetings begin and end exactly on the hour, lunch breaks occur at precisely 1:00 PM, and everyone arrives exactly when they…
Week 1: Settling into Berlin
Arriving in Berlin has been both exciting and eye-opening. One of the first things I noticed is how seamlessly English is integrated into daily life. Even when someone humbly begins with, “My English isn’t very good,” they often go on to provide a detailed explanation of directions or recommendations that far exceeds expectations. It has…
Pre-Departure: Bama to Berlin
Hi! My name is Tracy, and I am a senior at the University of Pittsburgh. I am originally from Mobile, Alabama, and currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a double degree in Psychology and Global Management as well as the Frederick Honors College Joint Degree along with a certificate in the…
When Public Space Isn’t Social Space
I thought I was just laughing with friends on the train, until I realized we were the only ones making a sound. In Germany, I’ve learned that public space isn’t always meant for socializing, and that silence can speak volumes about cultural values. From Ruhezeit to subtle stares, my time here has taught me that sometimes the biggest adjustments aren’t what you eat or where you go, it’s how loud you are when you get there.
The Speed of Slow Travel
My final blog at my fingertips. Before I get into my true closing reflection, I’ll note some quick ones: I tend to go into things as blindly as possible, so I can’t say I had any crazy surprises in terms of what Copenhagen and Stockholm had to offer. Looking inward though, I was extremely surprised…