To kick off this GeoBlogging program – an introduction is in order…My name is Casey Repasy. I’m currently a senior (ah!) majoring in Art History, with a concentration in Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo art, and I am pursuing a dual minor in Architectural History (with a concentration in Meso-American architecture) and German. As you can imagine, there are many factors that have influenced me and drove me down this multicultural path. For starters I live in a small town about 45 mins. outside of Philadelphia, PA. I have been lucky enough to travel multiple times to Mexico and Europe (that’s me in Rome over spring break!) in my life and am proud to say that I am about to embark on my most exciting journey yet – studying in Berlin, Germany for 6 weeks during the summer. 
Although I am nervous, I’m not taking this journey alone: from Penn State there are a total of 8 of us going to Berlin. One of them being my best friend – so far we have planned everything we can, and now I find myself packing and getting ready to go off. My program starts on June 10th, however, before I go to Berlin, I’m making a pit stop in Istanbul, Turkey.
Yes, Turkey. This is what makes me tick: I want to see as much of the world as I possibly can while our great monuments are still standing. I want to explore the great cultural connections that have followed and plagued societies since our conception as a race. This includes what I am studying – art, architecture and language. Germany is the perfect place for me to study as a great deal of art is housed in Germany, specifically about an hour away from where I will be staying in Berlin at something called Museum Island. An art historian’s dream, Museum Island is exactly what it sounds like – an island with 5 museums housed on its shores.
But for now, I’m dreaming of the Islamic art and architecture that I’ll encounter in just two short days when I touch down in Istanbul. From there, I hope to take some of what I learn about the architectural techniques of the Mughal Empire and find some sort of connection (as far-fetched as it sounds) to the great German Kaisers that built the Germany we know today.
I hope to use this GeoBlogging opportunity to document the cultures I will encounter this summer within the city limits of Berlin, as well as beyond the borders of Germany. I hope to take everyone with me and be able to inspire someone to think critically about how important cultural diversity is in our world today.
Until Next Time,
Casey R
Location: Paoli, Pennsylvania
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