Author Archives: Emily Slaman

About Emily Slaman

Emily hails from Great Meadows, New jersey, and is a junior at Penn State majoring in history, with minors in business and German. She loves her two dogs, Liberty and Yankee, reading, writing, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and traveling! You can find her in State College taking a jog around campus, stopped to pet a dog, or walking backwards giving a tour with the Penn State Lion Scouts!

The Hills Are Alive!

I have been a huge fan of ‘The Sound of Music’ ever since that magical VHS first appeared in my Easter Basket way back in 2002. So when I decided to study abroad in Germany, I knew that one place I absolutely had to visit was Salzburg. In fact, Salzburg was number one on my abroad bucket list. So when the plans for our weekend trip finally came to fruition, it was a dream come true!

Five of my friends and I– all girls, we couldn’t convince any of the guys to go with us for a Sound of Music weekend– headed to Salzburg by bus on Friday after class, and after an hour delay in the Munich bus station, finally arrived in Salzburg late Friday night! The hostel we stayed at played the movie nightly at 7pm, but as we had missed it, we instead watched in our room to truly get into the mood of the weekend.

One of my favorite things about getting to a destination at night is that when you wake up the next morning, it’s a complete surprise as to what the place looks like. This is especially wonderful in a city as gorgeous as Salzburg, for as we opened the windows the next morning, singing along to the Sound of Music soundtrack already, the sky was a perfect blue, the sun was shining, birds were singing, and you could see the Alps in the distance. Talk about a picture perfect morning. We headed out to walk around the city and grab breakfast before getting on our Sound of Music Tour at 2. Salzburg is the prettiest, most quaint city I have seen- it is a relatively sleepy town filled with friendly people, churches, pretty facades, and the most gorgeous views of the Alps that you could imagine. My new future plans involve retiring to Salzburg and becoming a Sound of Music our guide.

Our Sound of Music tour was everything I could have hoped for and more. On a bus, we drove through the city and to the outskirts where the vistas for the opening scene and the wedding scene was filmed, singing along to the soundtrack the whole time. We stopped at both houses used for the Von Trapp villa (they used two different locations for the front and the back), and the infamous gazebo! We ended the tour in the Mirabel Palace Gardens, where most of the ‘Do Re Mi’ scene was filmed, and had a great night eating spätzle and drinking bier before heading back to the hostel to watch the Sound of Music… again.

Sunday we went on a tour or the fortress above the city, which offered amazing views over the Alps and Salzburg itself. It was fascinating to be in a fortress that had been occupied by bishops and cardinals of the region rather than princes, as Salzburg was an important religious city for the Catholic church in the region. Since it was a Sunday, and as we have learned abroad Europe shuts down most everything on Sundays, we took a 3pm bus back to Freiburg. All in all, Salzburg was one of the greatest weekends I’ve had since coming abroad. I now want to retire in Salzburg and become a Sound of Music tour guide! Salzburg truly delivered, and it was hard to leave this little town nestled in the Alps. Next stop: Munich for Frühlingsfest!

‘I have confidence’ in Salzburg!

Rooftops of Salzburg

Sound of Music Tour

16 going on 17 gazebo

Wolfgangsee

Eating one of my favorite things… crisp apple strudel

Alps surrounding Salzburg

Skipping through the Mirabell gardens

Location: Salzburg, Austria

Riga, Stockholm and London!

Classes began again the Tuesday after Easter, and to call to crunch time was an understatement. I had a 16 page term paper due the Wednesday after Easter break, and we left for our next field study trip on Thursday. For anyone wondering “when do you do schoolwork?”, the answer is between the hours of 7:30 pm and 5:30 am on Tuesday into Wednesday. Yes, the reigning Queen of procrastination was coronated once more when I researched, outlined and wrote an entire term paper in one night. Many thanks go to Lindee and Josh who brought down chips and guacamole that they made, instant coffee, my favorite German cereal ‘Crunchy Nut’ and my favorite Haribo candy, ‘Schnecken’ for getting me through those 10 hours. With my term paper submitted and suitcase hastily packed, I headed to get the bus to Zürich with the rest of my classmates in our group for 9 days in Latvia, Stockholm and London.

For this IES field study, we were split into four groups, with two going to the North and two to the Southwest (Rome, Madrid, Barcelona) and Southeast (Athens, Budapest, Bucharest), respectively. This was a odd experience for all of us, since up to now we have gone on every IES trip together. We have quite literally been together 22/7 since we arrived in January. It was nice to see how many close friendships that I’ve made since coming abroad, because we all really felt the absence of our friends who were on the other trips.

We flew from Zürich to Riga, Latvia on the prettiest ascent I have ever seen. Taking off above the alps on a clear and sunny day was absolutely spectacular, and part of me wanted to just circle Zürich in the plane for a few hours. But alas, we were off to Riga! I never in my life thought that I would be going to Latvia, land of the Letts, but if my time abroad has taught me anything, it’s that you should always expect the unexpected!

Riga was interesting because it still very much bore a resemblance to it’s Soviet Bloc self. The tram cars that we saw looked like they could have been in operation 30 years ago, and it seemed like the Riga police station would still have a portrait of Josef Stalin on the wall. This was the first city where you could see the remnants of their past throughout the whole city; whereas in Berlin they were more isolated to older areas that have not been rebuilt. During our course discussions in Riga, we focused a lot on the threat of Russian aggression, which is actually very real formats Latvians, since Riga has a large Russian minority who retain their Russian citizenship. We were only in Riga for 2 days, however it was enough to see the small city and hear about their future within the EU.

Next, we headed off on a dubious-looking propeller plane to fly to Stockholm, Sweden! Stockholm was a gorgeous city: clean, beautiful people, beautiful stores, but expensive. It was like a city of Fifth Avenue in New York. In Stockholm our course-related discussions became a bit more interesting, as we discussed the infamous ‘Swedish model’ and the fate of Sweden in light of the refugee crisis. Due to their highly advanced social welfare system, Sweden is a popular destination for migrants, but there is still a huge lingual, cultural, and skill divide between the Swedish and the migrants. Stockholm was a gorgeous city with plenty of museums, but I would not go back until I had a six figure salary. As a college student abroad, I would suggest that you skip Stockholm. Especially since our next stop (and favorite city in the world…) was London!

As we descended into Heathrow airport on Tuesday afternoon, I could clearly see Big Ben, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, and the Houses of Parliament out the airplane window. This was my third time visiting London, but the whole scene was just so Parent Trap-esque that I burst into tears. If you’ve been following my blog since it’s first entry, you know my struggle that went into chasing my abroad destination. Going back to London was wonderful for me, and also made me appreciate my time spent in Freiburg a bit more. It was great to be back, but I am definitely glad that I took the plunge and experienced a completely different culture, language and city that I was definitely not used to before.

On Friday when some of our classmates went back to Freiburg or other places across Europe, some friends and I decided to stay and explore the English countryside for the weekend. My friend Jeff had studied abroad at Cambridge previously, so on Friday we spent the day at the historic and adorable university town. We went for a “punt” on the river Cam, which is sort of like a gondola ride, and I really contemplated transferring. Cambridge was gorgeous, and we really lucked out with the weather as well. On Saturday we went on an all-day bus tour of Kent, where we visited Leeds Castle, Canterbury, and got a glimpse of the White Cliffs of Dover. I would highly recommend seeing Leeds Castle, it was built in Norman times for a conqueror who was friends with William the Conqueror, and has housed its fair share of English Queens from medieval times to the Renaissance. Leeds Castle actually became a queen’s residence, because it was gifted to the queen on her wedding day, in case the king died she could go and live safely and peacefully in the castle. Our guide told us that it was known as the “loveliest castle in the world”, and it was easy to see why. Leeds castle has a real life moat, black swans, and a cozy library that I could’ve stayed in for days.

Canterbury was also an exciting destination for me, as a lover of British literature. For those who snoozed through Brit Lit, the Canterbury Tales are an illuminated manuscript written about various medieval pilgrims and the tales they tell on their pilgrimage to Canterbury. Why Canterbury? It was a popular religious site in medieval times because it is the spot of the martyrdom of Thomas Abeckett, the Catholic priest who died because the king misspoke about his distaste for him. While we were inside the cathedral, the choir was practicing, and it was stunning to hear the music and walk the same path that pilgrims would have centuries ago. On our way back to London, we stopped at the White Cliffs of Dover for a photo, however the stellar English weather hampered much of the view.

Sunday morning we woke up early and headed to the airport, as we were catching a 7am flight back to Basel (the closest airport to Freiburg). I was sad to leave London after so short a time, and coming back to Freiburg was difficult because I knew all about the amount of work that awaited me there. The past week has been chock full of papers and projects, really putting the “study” in study abroad. However the week flew by, as by Friday afternoon I was off to another country where the hills are alive: Salzburg, Austria!

Facades of Riga, Latvia

Freedom Statue in Riga

Tulips for sale in Stockholm

Stockholm harbor

Stockholm, Sweden

Good to be back in my favorite city!

Trinity College, the most prestigious of the colleges at Cambridge

Bridge of Sighs from the punt

Leeds Castle

My favorite room in Leeds Castle- the library

Canterbury Cathedral

Site of the martyrdom of Thomas Abeckett

Cliffs of Dover, featuring stellar English weather

Good night, Ben!

Location: London, England

Spring Break on the Emerald Isle

When you think of spring break, one tends to think of sun, sand and beaches. Never one for going with the crowd, two friends (who are also Penn Staters!) and I decided to head over to Ireland for the few days we had off over Easter weekend. That’s right, we headed to a place where, as the Irish say, you can experience all four seasons in five minutes.

We flew into Dublin on Wednesday morning, and were soon exposed to our first dose of Irish culture shock: when the attendant selling bus tickets into the city asked us if we knew what stop to get off at, and where we were going. Seems like a pretty normal thing to ask, but after spending two months in Germany, where everyone assumes that you know what you’re doing and where you’re going and glares at you if you are unsure, this was a welcome change. I really didn’t realize how unfriendly the Germans can be until we got to Ireland!

We had enough time on Wednesday to walk around the city and find our bearings, as well as formulate a plan for the next few days as to what we wanted to do and see. High on my list was the Trinity College Library, and the Cliffs of Moher. We decided to sign up for a Paddywagon Tour, which was recommended to me by my friend who visited Ireland last spring. We settled on a trip to Northern Ireland, and early Thursday morning met a giant green bus on O’Connell Street, which took us north of Dublin on a beautifully scenic ride through the Irish countryside, as we made our way up to Northern Ireland. We made several stops on the Paddywagon tour, the first was at a road called the “Dark Hedges” which was also the spot of filming for the Kings Road in Game of Thrones! Next up was the coast and Carick-a-Rede rope bridge! On a clear day, you would have been able to see Scotland, but the cloud cover only allowed us a glimpse of the land of Scotch and kilts. Being at the coast was stunning, and also the windiest place I have ever been! It was near impossible to take pictures of the three of us since we all looked like Cousin It. The rope bridge, Carick-a-Rede was the most impressive; at one point it was only single rope that fishermen eased themselves across on in order to check on their nets of wild Atlantic salmon. Walking across the “fortified” bridge which still swayed in the wind was an experience enough- I couldn’t imagine doing it without handrails! Afterwards, we headed to Giants Causeway, a volcanic rock formation of hexagonal, pillar-like rocks that descend into the sea, and reappear on the other side in Scotland. Celtic legend said that the giant Finn McCool built the rock ’causeway’ to Scotland in order to steal away the prettiest girls in the Scottish highlands! The ‘giant’ part of the name originated because locals believed that giants were the only ones strong enough and large enough to move the massive stones into formation. On the way back to Dublin we stopped in Belfast, home of the Titanic! Sadly, the museum was closed for the day by the time we arrived, but we were able to sit in a cafe and relax, while reading about the surprisingly tenuous political situation that exists in Belfast today. For anyone unfamiliar with Irish history, in 1916 the Easter Rising occurred, where Ireland declared itself free of the British crown and began a long and bloody fight for independence. Although the Republic of Ireland exists now as an independent nation, Northern Ireland remains a part of the United Kingdom, and therefore under British rule. I did not realize that so many tensions still existed between federalists and loyalists in Belfast; the schools, for example, are still segregated between those favoring an independent Ireland and those loyal to British governance. Additionally, there continues to be a lot of gang violence in Belfast that is related to the Irish Revolutionary Army, or IRA. Our guide told us that coming to Northern Ireland even 20 years ago would have been extremely dangerous, and the border between the Republic and the north would have been heavily patrolled and guarded.

Good Friday in Dublin did not pan out exactly as we had expected, since they do not serve any alcohol on this day! So our plans to see the Guinness and Jameson factories fell through, however we did get to see Trinity College Library, which was a dream come true for me. In true Hermione form, I was absolutely spellbound by the massive “Long Room” with arching ceilings, dusty alcoves, and thousands upon thousands of books. I could have stayed in that room forever.

Friday night we got on a bus and headed to Galway, where we would spend the weekend. Galway is known as the cultural heart of Ireland, and that was evident with our visit. A small, coastal town with a big personality, Galway delivered good food and plenty of good Irish entertainment. One night we went on a pub crawl with some people from our hostel, and another night we joined the other people staying in our hostel for live Irish entertainment. The highlight of our stay in Galway, however, was the tour to the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren on Easter Sunday. The majesty and beauty of the cliffs was gorgeous, and the fact that we were standing at the very edge of Ireland was awesome. The weather cleared up perfectly for our visit, and the blue skies and blue sea were striking against the grass and the rock. Being away from home was tough on Easter, since I received many pictures of my family eating pierogis and kielbasa back in New Jersey. But seeing the natural beauty of the cliffs was so humbling, and it made me feel especially blessed to have such an amazing opportunity and to share it with some incredible new friends.

Next destination: Riga, Latvia!

The Dark Hedges or the King’s Road- you decide

Coast off Northern Ireland

Falling for Ireland

At Giant’s Causeway

Temple Bar at night- Dublin’s best known pub!

Long Room at Trinity College Library

Galway harbor

The Burren- stone field with stone age monuments

Gorgeous views at the cliffs

Location: Dublin, Ireland

Friendships and Fortunes Abroad

I remember when I got on a plane two months ago, listening to ‘I Have Confidence’ from the soundtrack to The Sound of Music and wondering if I would make any friends during my five months abroad with eighty strangers. Today it seems silly to me that I ever even worried, as I pack to go to Ireland for a week with two girls who were complete strangers to me before I landed in Germany. To make things stranger, these two girls go to Penn State! Studying abroad is without a doubt the coolest and best experience of my life, and I’m only halfway through! Meeting people who go to the same school as you, yet you have no mutual friends with and have never even seen before is special, and it’s something that you can’t get everywhere. As frustrating as it is that the three of us didn’t meet two years ago at freshman orientation, being part of Penn State in Europe has given us a shared bond and allowed us to become very close friends, with a very important common denominator that is blue and white!

It really struck me tonight, in the midst of the chaos occurring in Brussels and my packing for spring break, how truly fortunate I am to be where I am, and have the friends that I do. Receiving so many texts from friends and family asking for my safety and wellbeing was comforting, considering that we were only in Brussels 3 weeks ago, and were mainly based in the area where the bombs took place. The Malbeek metro stop was one of our staple stops.

What was just as reassuring as receiving texts of good will was the aura of camaraderie around my fellow classmates and myself. We all felt the removed shakiness of the attack, especially since many of us had been in/near Brussels the past weekend, or were planning on going there tomorrow for a layover or a stopover for spring break. The feeling we all shared was one of sadness, but not of fear. It is evident that being abroad has already been shaping our perspectives on travel and relationships. With spring break starting tomorrow, we all realize that danger exists everywhere, both in places where we have come from and in places where we have yet to go. What is important is that we stay together and stay smart, a fact that we have all taken to heart many a time. These occurrences only strengthen relationships with your friends while abroad, and experiencing history in the making (at least for a history nerd like me) is jointly terrifying and exhilarating. I feel safe with my friends here, and vice versa. In my opinion, attacks like these shouldn’t deter you from studying abroad or trying new experiences. Life is scary. People are scary. Bad things happen. But great things also happen too. I cannot even describe how truly happy and blessed I feel, and how close I am to this group of fellow students I met two months ago. And no act of violence can take that away.

Location: Freiburg, Germany

Friday on the Lake: Day Trip to Lucerne

~This will be a short post on Lucerne, since the pictures do it much more justice than my words ever could!~

On Friday, five of my friends and I took a day trip to Lucerne, Switzerland. One of us had heard that Lucerne was very picturesque, and with Lucerne only being two hours from Freiburg, we thought ‘why not?’ (a typical abroad attitude!). Boarding an 8am train, we headed south through the alps and into Switzerland, which, with Friday’s excursion, has become the prettiest country we have visited, in my opinion.

A view of Europe’s oldest covered bridge!

Sculpture in rock face of “Dying Lion of Lucerne”; symbolizing the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss people

Buildings on the water

Lucerne’s levy system: check out how clear the water is!!

Charming Lucerne

The weather on Friday was a huge plus; not a cloud in the sky! When we arrived in Lucerne the morning clouds were still hanging around the peaks of the mountains which loomed around the city, but the sunshine was able to burn most off my midday. The views by lunchtime were breathtaking:

Gorgeous alpine views and rolling green hills surrounding Lake Lucerne

Swiss flag and stunning blue skies from the boat tour

There isn’t so much to do in Lucerne as there is to see… We walked across the oldest covered bridge in Europe, saw the huge rock sculpture “The Dying Lion of Lucerne”, and went for a panoramic boat tour of the lake! It was a picturesque day; not a cloud in the sky and the lake water was the clearest that I’ve ever seen. We finished off the day by watching twilight set in over the alps from atop the old fortress wall overlooking the city. Switzerland, you are expensive, but breathtaking.

View of the town and the lake from the old fortress

Dusk settling in over the Alps

Location: Lucerne, Switzerland

Feeling Like a Freiburgian

Life has been so so busy the past week and a half since I’ve been back from Brussels and Paris! Coming back to Freiburg this time around really felt like I was returning to a home; from knowing the public transport to seeing the familiarity of the German language (who would have thought!) I believe like I am feeling like a Freibergian!

**Apparently the people of Freiburg are not called Freiburgers, as I previously thought, we learned that is the vernacular for the local beer, and that people are called Freiburg-ians!

I also cannot believe how much my German is improving here. I have really been trying to use it as much as possible and I find myself looking at the German signs and understanding them moreso than the English subtitles. I was having a conversation with my friend Sean the other day and he lapsed into German, which I didn’t even realize until someone else pointed it out! It is so rewarding to be able to use 5 semesters of German in everyday, and feel like I make sense and can understand other people!

Weekend Trips:

With the program I’m on, we’re fortunate to be able to go on so many trips that are embedded with class, however this does cut into what every student looks forward to most when coming abroad, individual travel. Luckily, Freiburg is located in a particularly nice region in Germany, Baden-Würtenburg, with easy access to France, Switzerland and some lovely German towns. Last Saturday some of my friends and I took a day trip to Heidelberg, which was about a 2 hour bus ride from Freiburg. Heidelberg was a beautiful town for a day trip, we were able to walk through the Old Town, climb up to the castle, eat dinner at the house of 100 Schnitzels (a recommendation from my cousin Tom, who lived in Heidelberg for 4 years), and watch the sun set from a bridge over the River Neckar. Great friends, great food, and the weather wasn’t too shabby either! My German was also challenged this day, as I was asked in the train station while waiting for our bus that night to explain the difference between a flex price train ticket and a fixed price, auf Deutsch! I think I was able to get the point across, and it felt really, really cool to use my german skills to help someone who spoke no English!

View of Heidelberg Castle from a church

Quaint Heidelberg from atop the Schloss (castle)

Valley awash in gold at sunset, taken from the Alte Brücke (Old Bridge)

This past Saturday and Sunday we enjoyed a very traditional Black Forest weekend. For weekend fun, most Germans hike or ski, so the regional trains leaving Freiburg are usually bustling on a Saturday or Sunday morning. On Saturday, six of us went skiing up at Feldberg in the Black Forest, and I was surprised at how I could keep up fairly well with my friends who had much more experience than I on the mountain! They were great for moral support, they even convinced me to go down a black diamond! Things went well until the last really steep part. I was just exhausted and freaked out, and spent most of my time making good use of my waterproof ski pants. Regardless, I definitely have gotten the ski bug and was glad to have such great company to do such a fun activity on a free Saturday.

A ski run at Feldberg!

Ski squad!

On Sunday the traditional German fun continued when I went with my friends Phillip and Sean on a hike through the Schwarzwald! We got on a train to Triberg, and walked across the tracks and into the forest. We scaled up rock walls, repelled using trees, trudged through snow as we gained elevation, and scrambled down a few small waterfalls. The weather was mild and slightly overcast, and it was great to be out in the density of the Black Forest. Just walking through and not seeing any other people was an experience in itself, although I half expected to find Hansel and Gretl walking down the path toward us at some points.

Hiking in the Schwarzwald, near Triberg

Stopped to build a little snowman!

Beautiful views of the dense Schwarzwald

A hint of blue sky!

A Freiburg study abroad pro tip: you will not regret packing (or buying!) your Bean Boots!

This upcoming week I have two midterms, and the week after is another exam and then off to Ireland for spring break! So far the weekend plan is looking like a day trip to Basel, Switzerland on Wednesday after class, then down to Lucerne, Switzerland on Friday, getting some homework done Saturday, and getting ready for a week in Ireland! Here’s to another week of adventure with just a ~dash~ of school!

Location: Freiburg, Germany

Confessions of a Slacker Blogger

Hello, it’s me.

It has, inexplicably, been roughly one month since my last blog post. I wasn’t sure how this happened until I started mentally listing the things to write about in this entry. Since my last post, I’ve been skiing in the Swiss Alps, visited a place where the official language is Luxembourgish; met with European Council and Committee members in Brussels, and gone on a nighttime cruise of the Seine while in Paris. How is this real life? Since I’ve been so busy andI’m sure you’re all anxious to catch up, I’ll dive right in.

February 20:

Saturday was judgement day; the date of our long-awaited Alps trip! I can say that literally every time I had skied before had led up to this… to be honest when I woke up at 5 AM to catch the bus I had a moment of “what the heck are you doing?!”. I have been skiing 4 times in my life before, and now I’m about to ski down the ALPS?! In true Emily fashion, I shrugged and headed out the door. The group of skiers and sledders excitedly took to the bus and we marveled at the mountains which we were passing as we entered Switzerland, but it became apparent on the Bergbahn in Grindelwald that the weather would not be cooperating. Visibility was near impossible, as we got our ski gear on and headed to the slopes it was difficult to even see the people in front of you!

These near blizzard weather conditions made the Alps a little more reassuring for a skiing newbie, as I couldn’t see just how high up I was, or really how fast I was going. The only way to describe the weather was white. The sky was white, the snow was white, the air around us was white… it was a huge bummer that we couldn’t see any semblance of the gorgeous Alpine vistas that Grindelwald is known for. A huge sightseeing disappointment, however the fun of the day was unparalleled. I really impressed myself with my skiing abilities; I was able to keep up with my friends in the afternoon and go down the blue runs (easiest) as well as the reds (medium difficulty) all day! Not too bad for the fifth time on skis! I guess Slamans really are natural skiers.

It was nice to have a relaxing Sunday in between the Alps trip and our next field study to Luxembourg, Brussels and Paris. Since the weather was in the low 50’s with sunshine, I went for a hike with my friend Sean and tried to work out some of the soreness in my muscles from skiing before our 6 hour bus ride on Monday! Walking through budding Freiburg was a treat; it was a lovely preview as to what will be coming when spring fully arrives here in the next few weeks.

February 22: Off to Brussels (via Luxembourg)!

Early Monday morning we were off to Brussels and Paris for the week! We had 2 stops on the way to Brussels, the first was at the Saint-Avold military cemetery, which is the largest American military cemetery in Europe, and the second was in Luxembourg for lunch and a visit to the European Investment Bank. The stop at the cemetery was very sobering; it was amazing to see the Arlington-esque rows of crosses and stars of David headstones that lined the field. Humbling to think that sixty years ago American students our age came to Europe not to study, but to fight for their country and that most of them never made it back home. On a lighter note, seeing the American flag flying high and proud on the grounds brought a tear to my eye and a homesickness to my heart that I hadn’t felt before on the trip. It felt good to see the familiar stars and stripes overhead.

Lunch in Luxembourg was quick stop, and the talk at the Investment Bank was not as dry as I had anticipated. Did you know that the EIB funded the Chunnel (tunnel under the english channel between Britain and France) and the highway connecting Denmark and Sweden, as well as helping finance the Panama canal? I learned that at the Investment Bank!

Brussels

At long last, we arrived in Brussels on Monday night. Brussels, along with Strasbourg is a capital of the European Union, and the city definitely felt like it. Brussels felt a lot like Washington DC, which was a consensus among my classmates and I. Many young, international professionals working on an enormous scale: Brussels was a very promising city. Walking around dressed in our business professional attire I actually felt like we could run the world.

Most important in Belgium however, was the free time. On one sunny afternoon after our meetings, some of my fiends and I walked around the city and found a Belgian waffle truck in a gorgeous park, and stood eating Belgian waffles and watched dogs playing. These were the first friendly dogs I have seen since home (German dogs usually keep to themselves), so I did shed a tear when one jumped up on me in the park. No mom and dad, I did not take him back to Freiburg with me!

I feel like we really hit all the major points in Brussels: ate waffles, fries, mussels and oysters, and drank some famous Belgian beer while talking EU politics! And how could I forget the Belgian chocolate that was worth every euro? Brussels goes high up on my cities list after this trip.

Paris

Parîs! Ooh la la! Not my first trip to Paris, but every bit as exciting as when I first visited last summer. Paris is so huge that there was no shortage of things to do, even for a second time around. On Friday we had some discussions with foreign policy advisors and a reporter for Politico Europe, which was very cool, before getting on an evening boat tour of the Seine! Pictures along the Seine at night really didn’t do the city justice; you truly understand why they call it the city of light! After the boat tour, a few of my friends and I went to the Louvre before it closed to poke around and see some famous artwork. Afterwards, we enjoyed wine, crepes, and creme brûlée in true Paris fashion.

Saturday morning there was a tour of Versailles organized by IES. The grandeur of the palace is so amazing; it’s hard to believe that anyone legitimately lived there! The Hall of Mirrors is definitely my favorite part of the palace, and since the weather was nice we had ample time to explore the gardens before the bus headed back to Paris at noon. As soon as we returned to Paris my friends and I decided to visit the L’Orangerie, where Monet’s Water Lillies are. Monet is definitely my favorite artist, so seeing the scale and serenity of his original works was really something. Afterwards, we got hot chocolate at Cafe Angelina, which was literally molten chocolate with thick whipped cream to dilute the cocoa! On Saturday we also saw the Musee d’Orsay and the Catacombs before meeting up with other friends for an authentic French dinner.

Unfortunately, we left Paris early on Sunday morning. I would have loved to stay another day, since I didn’t have time to get to Notre Dame or the Champs d’Elyse on this trip, but the train tickets to stay till the night were too expensive. Freiburg is only 3 1/2 hours by train from Paris, so it wouldn’t be out of the question to do a weekend trip!

Just writing this post has worn me out, and I really don’t know how I’ll be able to recover for midterm assignments this week and next! The hardest part of study abroad is definitely remembering that you are still going to school, and not on a four month vacation, no matter how much it may feel like it!

Tschuss!

Sad Alpine views 🙁

Some visibility going up the Bergbahn

Signs of spring in Freiburg

Saint-Avold military cemetery

At the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium

Old town square in Brussels

Neuhaus chocolate: original Belgian chocolatier!

Brussels afternoon in the park

Belgian waffle!

Bonjour!

Seine boat tour

Hall of Mirrors at Versailles

I see dead people: the Catacombs of Paris

Location: Paris, France

Berlin, Prague, Ski, Schule!

What a week. It is wild to think that a week ago today, I was getting back from a week long trip to Berlin and Prague, with my first full week of classes, and another weekend of skiing ahead of me! Sorry in advance for the lengthy post, but let’s recap:

Berlin

Berlin was exactly how I had always imagined it would be. When we arrived it was overcast and grey, and the city was modern, graffiti-laden, dark, and honestly, a little depressing. What saved Berlin for me was the history. Although most of it is a very sad one, Berlin is a hotbed of history, especially within the past century. Walking through the streets was like every lazy Saturday documentary about the Nazis I’ve seen come to life; I could easily imagine what life would have been like in a militarized capital like Berlin. This hit home especially hard during our city tour, where the guide took us to places like the Lustgarten, where Hitler delivered many of his speeches, and a square behind the library which was the site of many Nazi book burnings. Lots of chills seeing these places in person.

One of my favorite things that we did in Berlin was visit the Reichstag, where the seat of the German Parliament is. The Reichstag was not used during the Third Reich due to a huge fire of mysterious circumstances that made the building unusable for most of Hitler’s time in power. What was interesting was that the building was taken over by Russian occupiers of Berlin after World War II. Most of these soldiers left their names and messages scrawled on the walls of the Reichstag, and through years of modernization and reconstruction, the Germans have decided to keep these there. A very interesting move in my opinion, to keep such a lasting reminder of those who came in and took over your government.

Among the other sites we saw in Berlin were the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and a former East German prison (terrifying). With our time in Berlin coming to a close, we were off to Prague by 8am on Friday morning!

Prague

If Genovia was a real place, it would be Prague. There was a time where I had no idea what to expect when I stepped off the train and into the Czech Republic, but Prague was beyond magical. Imagine going on a city tour at dusk, walking through winding cobbled streets with gorgeous buildings surrounding you, and church spires looming overhead. Then, suddenly, you’re in a huge square, with facades lit up around you, a clock tower chiming in front of you, and soft piano music floating through the air. Just when you think it can’t get any more surreal than Prague’s old town square, you walk over the Charles Bridge at twilight, when a flock of doves flies off into the waning light, as the lights from the castle on the hill twinkle in the reflection of the Vltava (river which runs through Prague). Absolutely magical.

Whereas Berlin was everything I had anticipated, Prague was everything I had not. It was truly a storybook come to life. We ate dinner in the Old Town Square, outside, in January, thanks to space heaters and wise outfit choices. While in Prague we enjoyed some traditional Czech cuisine, which is not too far off from my familial Polish roots, so the sauerkraut was a welcome familiarity on the plate.

One of the best but most confusing things about Prague was their currency. They are not on the Euro, so converting Czech crowns into Euros proved to be a bit of a hassle. This hassle was well worth it however since Prague was so cheap! Inexpensive, I should say, Prague was too beautiful to be cheap. Most meals we ate in Prague amounted to less than 10 Euro for a good amount of food. Although It was bizarre paying 100 of anything for a coffee and a sandwich, 100 crown was equal to about 5 Euro. Prague was a tough one to leave, but one that I will definitely return to ASAP.

Schule

Back to school this week! Classes finally started, and this is why my post has been delayed. A lot of reading and writing assignments already, but I’m enjoying being back in school mode and having a schedule here in Freiburg. Up until now, everything felt a bit like an extended vacation. There is truly nothing like a 24 hour deadline for a 5 page paper to force your thinking cap back on. This week we also took a day trip to Strasbourg, France for class to visit the European Parliament! For a political geek like me, watching the deliberation about Syria and meeting an actual MP (Member of Parliament) was surreal. Oh, and Strasbourg was pretty beautiful too.

Ski!

This wekend was our last weekend of lessons before the Alps, and boy was it a good one. Skiing has quickly become my sole reason to love the season that is Winter. Yesterday the weather was perfect, sunny and warm, and from the top of the mountain we had fantastic views of the valley and the Alps in the distance, all pointed out to us by our trusty instructor and aficionado of all things German, August. Today the weather was “nicht so gut”, as it was foggy and windy, with a persistent icy rain which eventually turned to snow. We skied down a lot more trails through the Schwarzwald today rather than the beginner slopes, and it was incredible gliding in between pine trees as snow fell around us. Everything smelled like pine needles, and I finally understood what everyone meant when they said that skiing was as close you’ll get to flying. I cannot believe the progress that I’ve made in 3 weeks, and I cannot wait to continue skiing for the rest of the trip and when I get back home!

Another week of adventures starts tomorrow, let’s see if I can stay awake for the Super Bowl, or if skiing knocked me out! Tchüss!

Picturesque Strasbourg, France: home to the European Parliament!

Hitting the slopes!

View of the valley from the top of Feldberg!

Sunset in magical Prague

Beautiful dusk facades in Old Town Square, Prague!

Hello from the other side… of the Berlin wall!

Brandenburg Gate

Reichstag

Soviet scribbles in the Reichstag

Lustgarten, where Hitler delivered many of his speeches

Location: Freiburg, Germany

“Slaman are Natural Skiers”

My Aunt Deb once told me that “Slamans are natural skiers”. That was put to the test this weekend, as yours truly was suited up with ski gear and headed out to into the Schwarzwald to learn how to ski.

I was originally terrified that I would be the only one who had never skied, since all of my friends that I have talked to were competent skiers or snowboarders. There were, however 6 of us who needed either a learn to ski lesson (I’ll refrain from calling it a crash course, bad taste), or a refresher ski lesson, since we are preparing to take on the Swiss Alps next month. So after an exhausting first week of “intensive” classes, our little troupe of 6 met up at the Freiburg Hauptbahnhof early Saturday morning, headed to Feldberg, unsure what to expect.

I had no idea how I would feel about skiing. Of all the sports I’ve tried, skiing has never been even close to the spectrum. I kept holding onto Aunt Deb’s words, hoping that some supernatural ancestral power of my great-great-grandparents skiing through the mountains of Switzerland would help me make it through my first ski day in one piece. At Feldberg, we were outfitted for ski boots, skis, helmets and goggles, then trekked up to the slopes to meet our instructors.

Here we split into 2 groups; people who had been on skis and those who had never been on skis. My seminar professor was chaperoning the trip and had brought along his 2 young children, who upon first glance I knew would be skiing circles around me. My first inclination as to how the day would go came when i clipped into my skis and began sliding backwards, only to be pushed back forwards by my professor’s 7 year old daughter Julia, who thought I was hilarious. A great start to the day.

Split perfectly down the middle, myself and 2 others met our ski instructor Augustine. If you have ever heard a stereotype about Germans, it is probably along the lines of mean, stubborn, unfriendly and impatient. August defied all of these! I’m sure that I was a hot mess the first couple runs down the bunny hill, but he was patient, calm, and very easy to talk to. He also did a pretty good job teaching us how to ski, because after the first day I could make it down the mountain without falling! Credit either goes to those skiing Slaman genes or August- but I’ll give it to him.

Day one on the slopes was warm, making the snow slushy and the mountains very foggy, so that the tips of the pine trees disappeared. On Sunday the view was so much better, as the weather was clear, crisp, and cold, and at the top of the mountain you could see the majestic Swiss Alps rising from beyond the green sloping mountains of the Schwarzwald, with the sun breaking through the clouds overhead. I’ve included some pictures, but they truly don’t do the view justice. I think that Germany has been the most beautiful place that I’ve been so far.

The travel bug has been beginning to bite our group; as the 6 of us went skiing all weekend, a lot of my friends went to my ancestral homeland, Basel for the day, which is a free train ride on our regional train card (Regiokarte). They all had nothing but great things to relay about Switzerland, and I can’t wait till I can find a free afternoon or weekend to make the trip myself, and look up our last name in the city hall! Last night, exhausted and sore after 2 days of skiing, my friends and I headed to the bar to watch some of the Patriots-Broncos game, and then left early to pack and try to get some sleep, since we needed to catch a 6:35 AM train to Berlin in the morning!

I’m on that train as I write this, which is great news since I was terrified of oversleeping (ya girl is NOT a morning person by any means). I was able to sleep about 3 hours on the train which is good news, and also warn my new friends about early morning Emily, which anyone who knows me knows is not a pretty sight. So far, I think they’ve decided to keep me around despite my early-morning grumpiness.

I am excited to see Berlin, and Prague later in the week! Berlin will be especially exciting for me, since last spring I began research into what I hope will become my senior thesis; exploring themes of eugenics and how they played out in Nazi propaganda and politics. I’ve always been a huge World War II fan, and Berlin is steeped with history. I’m sure it will be a moving and fascinating experience, and if I could get some researching done at museums and the like, it would be superb. Excited to see what another busy and travel-filled week will bring!

Tschüss!

Location: Freiburg, Germany

First Impressions of Freiburg

It is difficult to come up with an opening for a blog post about first impressions of Freiburg, since I really can’t remember the last time I’ve been this caught off guard by a city and by the new people that I’ve met. Freiburg itself is a lot more built up than I originally expected, but the cobbled streets and the imposing, intricate cathedral are exactly as they have appeared online. Although the weather has been cold and overcast the first few days, Freiburg is charming its way into my heart. After only being in Freiburg for a few days, I finally understand what so many people were saying when they told me how much I would love Germany. Freiburg is truly a magical place.

After a tearful goodbye to my parents at security, the bast part of my journey began. Without a doubt the best part of the last five days has been the people that I have met. Every single person, from friends I met waiting at the gate in Newark to my neighbors, has been so friendly and outgoing. When I left for Germany, I had met 5 other people on my program who were on the same flight as I was. After collecting our luggage and buying a train ticket from Frankfurt, our little troupe was 13 strong by the time we reached Freiburg. We had spent the afternoon helping one another load luggage onto and off of trains, hail cabs, and try to chip away the language barrier, and considered ourselves friends by the time we reached our destination. When I received my housing assignment, I was a little disappointed that I would be living in a single studio apartment, and not in a shared apartment with German and IES students. However, there are about 10 IES students living in our apartment complex, and 4 who live just 2 short tram stops away. Each one is nicer than the next, and we have all been making the 10 minute tram commute to the city center together daily, and tonight we headed to an Irish pub to cheer on the Seahawks, as 3 people with us come from Washington. I feel so lucky to have made a great group of friends only a few days into what will be a wonderful semester!

As far as my German goes…

I’ve still been adjusting to a new city and getting my lay of the land, but I’ve been trying to use German as much as possible. It is a little hard when I say that yes I speak “ein bisschen Deutsch”, and the Germans launch into a quick sentence that I don’t have a prayer of following. Although I keep practicing at bars ordering dinner and listening to the announcements on the tram, here’s hoping that I can get more comfortable and confident when I speak!

Today was a welcome break from the confines of indoor info sessions and headed out into the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) to Lake Titisee and Hinterzarten for a hike. It is only about 30 minutes outside of Freiburg by train and a popular destination by the locals. This morning the train was packed with people of all ages who were headed out to the forest to hike, ski, or sled! Yesterday we had some snow flurries which continued through the night, and by the time we left on the train this morning there was a fresh 3 inches throughout the city. Up in the forest was 6 inches of fresh powder against a blue sky, and we hiked for miles through a landscape so gorgeous that words truly do not do it justice. Thank goodness for cameras. I felt as if I had stepped into the set of ‘Santa Claus is coming’ to Town’, and was waiting for a winter warlock or a talking woodland creature to pop out. Instead, we only saw a lot of Germans cross country skiing and hiking through the Schwarzwald. We completed our first real German outing with ‘Kafe und Küchen’, a traditional Schwarzwald snack of coffee and black forest cake! Sehr Lecker!