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Erfurt, Germany

There seems to be a stigma surrounding Germans that they’re stiff, curt, and wildly efficient. That may be true for some, but from my brief encounter with the German culture since arriving last week, it’s been the complete opposite.

I arrived in Erfut, Germany (a town in central Germany) after having spent 24 hours in 3 different airports, with nothing but my backpack. My luggage was nowhere to be found – like, no one could find it… anywhere. While it was a major inconvenience, it was a perfect excuse to go shopping. And so I outfitted myself with an entire European wardrobe in under 4 hours. But the best part about losing my luggage was that I could shop for shoes. Everyone knows I have a sweet spot for shoes, so I wasn’t complaining when every other store lining the shopping district in Erfurt was a shoe store.

Rooftop view from apartment in Erfurt

My time in Erfurt concluded when we left early Friday morning to drive to the University of Magdeburg which is where I am working for the summer. My PhD student (Eyleen) met me – and the entire family – before taking us to lunch with another PhD student. I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived on campus and finally got to meet Eyleen, but I certainly never expected such a friendly, welcoming environment. Eyleen immediately adopted me into her family and loaned me stuff for the apartment, took me shopping, and even invited me on a weekend trip with her boyfriend. I received equally warm treatment from all the other researchers as I slowly became acquainted with everyone. It was a pleasant shock to find so many people willing to help me get around the city, use the train, purchase a bike… and attempt to learn German! The language and cultural differences are apparent, but nevertheless, we all eventually arrive at the same point of mutual understanding. Sometimes things get lost in translation – literally – but we always laugh in the end.

Bright yellow fields of flowering rape plants line the highways

My adoption into the Technical Chemistry research family was finalized when I attended a music festival on campus after my first day of work. I stood in line to get in, cringing in fear as people drank and partied around me. They were drinking on campus! In broad daylight! No one hid in frat houses or drank illegally at apartments. It was apparently “normal” to drink schnapps (similar to a shot) on campus and proceed to dance all night to electronic music that echoed in your body for hours after you left. Talk about cultural differences!

Everything is new here; I recognize nothing. I walk out of my apartment each morning and a simple stroll across campus leaves me stunned. This is my first time out of the United States. I do not speak a word of German (although Eyleen is trying desperately to change that). I’m in a foreign land where people look like me, but that is where the similarities end and the divide begins. I’m in Germany, and every day is a new adventure.