Kelsey's Travel Blog!
I travel not to escape life, but to be sure that life will not escape me! Come join me!
Hamburg, Germany
As all of my friends at home finished up their spring 2012 semester and entered into the summer season, full of beach vacations, summer jobs, and relaxation, I had just gotten into my four classes at the University of Hamburg. I knew that attending a university in a foreign country, in a foreign language, would be a challenging experience, but never did I expect it would be as fulfilling as it was.
I firmly believe that the experience a student has in their study abroad semester or year is solely based on the goal that they have coming into it. Those goals can be split into three different categories: Language study, assimilation, and travel. It is often that someone does a study abroad to travel to as many places as possible. These are the same people that are going somewhere new every weekend, and for whom companies like Ryan Air and EasyJet were made for. Then you have those people, like me, who have a goal of language fluency. For these people, having class in the foreign language you are pursuing is great, but more often than not, these classes are similar to “English as a second language” courses, where you are primarily with other foreign students, often from your own country, learning a dumbed down version of the language, filling out packets and doing language exercises. The final category, assimilation, is similar to language study, yet the goal is to actually assimilate into a culture not only using language, but also in your relationships you make, the courses you take, and your cultural mentality.
Assimilation was my goal during this study abroad. I not only wanted to improve my German, but I wanted to see If Germany was actually a place I could live. This really impacted the way my study abroad experience was approached, for both the good and the bad. It was great because my language level increased exponentially, but it was bad since I alienated myself from the other international students. I didn’t want to meet other people who spoke English, but instead, I wanted to meet real German friends, which, anyone who has ever been to Germany and tried to do the same thing knows, is incredibly difficult to do.
Sometime, the weather was cold, and the people were even colder, but overall, Hamburg was the perfect place for me. There was always something to do, new people to meet, and new places of the city to explore. I miss Hamburg more than anything now that I am away, but at least now I know that my life dream of moving to Germany can become a reality. I’m not sure if that means I will move to Hamburg, or somewhere else, but the five months I have spent in Hamburg have been life changing. It’s been an honor to call the city my home, and I can’t wait to return to it as soon as possible!
Hamburg was the best place for me and my study abroad experience. It is the second largest city in Germany and is one of the three German “city states”. It is a major transport hub thanks to the Harbor, but is also known as the news capital of Germany, with prominent newspapers and news magazines headquartered here. The two major universities, HAW and Uni Hamburg, always have something going on, whether it is a faculty sponsored party, a university wide festival, or something going on at a local pub or club.
The city is made up of seven bouroughs, including Altona, Bergedorf, Eimsbuettel, Hamburg-Mitte, Hamburg- Nord, Harburg, and Wandsbeck. I lived in the bourough called Bergedorf, which was located about twenty minutes by train outside of the center, Hamburg-Mitte. I spend most of my time in Hamburg-Mitte and Altona when I came to the city for either classes, night outings, or to visit friends.
It is really hard to express what my experience was like in Hamburg. Even the most routine thing like ordering coffee was exciting. Every moment, I could hear my German improving, as well as my confidence. I could communicate with ease from a social perspective. When I was out, it was easy for me to talk to cute German guys, and I even went on a few real dates while I was there. I learned to joke, be sarcastic and even a bit witty at times, which was an aspect of the German language that is impossible to learn from a classroom. I picked up slang and local lingo, I knew the back routes and the fastest way to get from one side of the city to another. I knew the dangerous parts of the city, and the posh new parts filled with the richest of the rich. It was so unbelievably thrilling. I even found some favorite places that I brought anyone who came and visited me to.
Favorite Activities
Favorite Bars/Restaurants
Favorite German Things
Favorite Neighborhoods