I celebrated four months in Germany on Saturday (sorry for the delay!) as well as saying goodbye to my first American visitors. The fourth month of my exchange was filled with traveling and exploring new cities while also playing tour guide in München.

Traveling

While this month started out slowly, I went to one new country in 2023—allowing me to grab two more countries total in the year—and headed into my first new country six days into 2024.

With my two visitors (my eldest sister Elena and her boyfriend Joe) in tow, I visited Salzburg, Austria, again on Dec. 27. We went to a Weihnachtsmarkt in the city and saw many of the important sites in the lovely city. It was really fun to show them around a city I’ve visited rather frequently and show them a few of my favorite places. Elena and Joe caught on quickly that they needed to wear comfy shoes while traveling with me because we were going to be walking frequently and fast. I made Elena try sauerkraut and both of them drank Almdudlers (an Austrian soda). I also bought them Mozartkugeln and took them to the Alte Residenz. I loved sharing the city with them, even if I’m not there too often. I also stayed in my first hostel that was not booked by someone else for a larger group. It was a pretty good experience, but I did forget my larger headphones, but luckily remembered earplugs.

The next day, I took my visitors down to Italy! I had never been (and neither had they) to the beautiful country. We ran into some issues with the trains and there being a bomb found at a small station on our route. What began as a three-train journey (Salzburg to Innsbruck, Innsbruck to Bologna, and Bologna to Florence) turned into a two train then a bus, and then our third train trip. The bus ride turned our two-hour train venture into four hours, delaying us for our third train. We ended up having to pay extra to change our third train which was a bit annoying.

Luckily, we made it to Florence safely and not too terribly delayed. We spent our time doing many things and eating delicious Italian food. I managed to eat lasagna, spaghetti, ravioli, and tortellini alongside several types of pizza. On our first full day, we walked around the city, saw a public art project about water and movement, a different art museum about several Italian artists, popped into a small bookstore, and ate some delicious Italian gelato. The next day we went to Lucca (where Joe’s family is originally from) and Pisa. We ate the best lunch we had at a tiny, locally owned, and handmade pasta restaurant in Lucca and saw various stunning gardens, views of the city, and churches. In Pisa we went to THE Leaning Tower, the Baptistry, the main church there, and the museum about the main piazza in Pisa. We had dinner at a Vietnamese place and slept well after our busy day.

On our third day and the last day of 2023, we went to the Bargello Museum and saw several statues and beautiful art. We moved across the river and ate some good food, including an apple pie dish, and then headed to the Galileo Museum that was stunning and fascinating. We ate gelato and stopped at a few piazzas for new year’s festivities. There was public music, a makeshift dance class, a tango, and fireworks to ring in 2024! I loved the day, but there were some people who set off fireworks in the crowd which was nerve wracking. No one was hurt, though, so all is well!

We went home and started the day a bit later due to staying out late. We went to the Uffizi, which is not normally open on the holiday but was opening a few new exhibits, so it was quite fun to spend New Year’s Day there. It was gigantic and we spent hours in the museum, constantly finding new rooms everywhere we turned. It was well worth it and I’m glad my friends who have lived in Italy before suggested it. Then we grabbed a late lunch and headed to Piazza Michelangelo for the sunset. It was another must-see on my friends’ lists and they were totally right. It has the most beautiful view of the city even if it’s a bit of a hike. Joe was sleepy, so Elena and I did a sister dinner and ate pizza and salad. It was delicious to share, and we enjoyed one another’s company for a bit.

On the second we ventured to Siena. We went to churches and museums, and I think the Duomo there is the most beautiful church I’ve ever been in (Elena agreed!). The views there were unmatched, and the town was quite calm and serene. We ate dinner at our hostel and the food was pretty good.

For our last day in Florence, we started in an ancient library designed by Michelangelo. The stained glass was beautiful, and I loved it. Then we headed to see the David and the Accademia Gallery of Florence. There was a delay in getting in with our reserved tickets, so we stopped for tea and coffee. The museum was fantastic, and the wait wasn’t awful. The first piano to ever be made was in the museum and it was cool to see the evolution of musical instruments in the city. Then we went into the Cathedral (Duomo) in Florence for free and it was stunning. We went to another church (Basilica di Santa Maria Novella) and a museum of the church that the train station is named after there. It was lovely. We ate dinner at the same place we ate on our second day on accident, but it was delicious, and I was happy to return. We packed our bags for our early flight and headed to bed.

We woke up on Jan. 4 bright and early for our flight through Zurich to Berlin! While I have been to Germany once before my grant, the group did not go to Berlin, so it was really fun to visit. I saw a Fulbright friend of mine from the area and our first meal was at a DDR-themed restaurant. Our hostel is close to the East Side Gallery, so we walked past some of it on our first night. We also grabbed Haagen-Dazs which was fun.

Another early morning was in store for us on our first full day, when we grabbed coffee and breakfast before going to the Deutschlandmuseum. It was a great start to teach Elena and Joe more about Germany, but the museum was quite busy. We saw more of the wall at Potsdamer Platz nearby and headed to the Brandenburger Tor! It was so cool to finally see the monument and touch it. We did, of course, run into snowy and rainy weather in Berlin. It was still lovely, though. We stopped by the Jewish memorial as well, which was sobering. We saw Checkpoint Charlie (where you entered the American or the Soviet Union sectors of Berlin) and went to a free, outdoor museum about the wall and the Cold War. We stopped for Indian food for a very late lunch, and it was quite good. We went by the DDR Museum since it was open late. The interactive museum was fascinating, and I learned more about East Germany and East Berlin than I ever have. It was also quite busy, but well worth it. I took Elena and Joe to their second Weihnachtsmarkt (Spandauer Weihnachtsraum) and we enjoyed some sweets and looking at the booths.

The next morning, we ventured to Frankfurt (Oder), a tiny town on the border of Germany. We walked into Poland and the town Słubice via a bridge. My mom made me promise not to go to Poland while I was on my grant, so sorry mom. It was cool to see another country and the difference between the two small towns. All the information was in German and Polish, so I had to translate a lot for Elena and Joe while we were there. Sadly, no postcards for me to purchase and add to my collection. Elena and Joe got to try Döner for the first time at the train station before we headed back to Berlin. Then we went to the Museum für Naturkunde and saw the tallest dinosaur on display. We learned lots about dinosaurs, taxidermy, the planets, and minerals. As a former rock kid, I was very happy. We went to dinner, and I bought Elena and Joe their first Kinder Eggs! It was a great day.

On our last full day, we went to a donut place my friend suggested and enjoyed breakfast (sadly no Berliners). It was Sunday and some of the museums were free, so we went to the German Historical Museum and enjoyed an exhibit asking how things could have turned out differently if small things didn’t occur throughout German history. It was quite cool. I purchased my Berlin postcards at the museums, and we then went to the Berliner Dom which has one of the best panoramic views of the city. It was stunning, but a bit of a hike. I loved it. We went to the Bundestag, but I got tickets for the wrong day sadly. I will be venturing back to the city to go inside, but it was nice to see from the outside as well. We also went to the Topography of Terror which is a museum about how horrible World War II was and it was well laid out. It was quite long and a bit of an upsetting museum when you find out that the majority of the horrific actors in the Nazi party were not prosecuted well at the conclusion of the war. We saw the World Clock in Alexanderplatz which was fun, and I took them to their final Weihnachtsmarkt in the Platz. The Berliner Weihnachtszeit was adorable, and I got fried Oreos to stay warm. Elena had fries with squeaky cheese, and I had my first interaction with a vendor who was shocked that I easily slip into English to correct and issue with Elena’s fries. After only interacting with him in German, he asked Elena (through me) to pay a second time because someone else took her fry order. We corrected it quickly, half in German and English to the vendor’s surprise, and she enjoyed her bite to eat. We played Foosball (known as Kicker in Germany) for a bit and packed our things at the hostel.

We returned to the East Side Gallery on our last morning, and it was properly freezing. We saw the paintings in the daylight like I wanted to, and I got a pressed penny after breakfast. The gallery is very cool and I’m glad I got to see it and experience the artwork. I did a little more translating, which made me feel much more confident about my German skills. We took an ICE back and had no hiccups which was quite nice.

This was my busiest travel month by far and it was well worth it.

Exploring München

I started my fourth month with many Christkindlmärkte in the city. On the 14^th, my teachers at Michaeli–Gymnasium München took me to the Englischer Garten Weihnachtsmarkt. It was so lovely! I really enjoyed spending time with my coworkers on a Thursday evening. There were live musicians playing holiday favorites on brass instruments. It quickly became one of my favorite markets because it is spread out with some seating. The Chinese Tower lights up in the evening and the vibrance is wonderful. I tried ox and the classic roasted nuts that are key to the markets.

A Fulbrighter based in a small, rural Bavarian town ventured to München after joining me in Chiemsee in early December for a market. We spent the 16^th venturing to seven different Christkindlmärkte in one day. We saw three markets I’d already been to at Marienplatz (which I first went to on Nov. 27), Odeonsplatz Mittelalter and the München Residenz (which I first went to on Dec. 7), and the Englischer Garten Weihnachtmarkt. Then, we moved on to four I had not been too beforehand which included the Sendlinger Tor Christkindlmarkt, the Pink Christmas Weihnachtsmarkt, and the Tollwood Winterfestival which is held at Theresienwiese where Oktoberfest takes place. It was a very busy day full of fun and enjoyment. In total, I believe I attended 14 Christkindlmärkte in Germany and Austria (you read about that above!). Honestly, I would love to go to another one day. I collected nine mugs in total and am hoping to bring them safely back to the states in the summer.

I have spent plenty of time in more libraries over the month, including some new ones. Most recently, I checked out Münchener Stadtbibliothek Neuhausen and it has a soft vibe with a really nice view. I stopped there to spend some time organizing and reading while my sister went to Schloss Nymphenburg. There is a great Indian restaurant next to it called the Taj Krishna Indisches Restaurant. We went for lunch there and it was one of the best places I’ve been to and actually add some spice. For those who have never been to Germany, find spicy food is difficult but a welcome surprise in my life.

As a small Christmas gift between my partner and I, we trade books. This became a bit difficult to do when we’re in different countries, so I took a trip to a used bookstore called The Munich Readery and sent photos to my partner of book options. I ended up with a beautiful edition of Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I bought him Tomorrow And Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. It’s a nice tradition and led me to a great bookstore that I hope to go back to soon.

My sister Elena and her boyfriend Joe came to visit on Dec. 25 and showed them around Kirchseeon (where I live) and München. I went into Frauenkirche for the first time since I visited Germany for the first time in 2017. We also went to a few other churches in München which was nice to see what the city has to offer. We also went to the Englisher Garten and they tried Weißwurst. Surprisingly, they loved it! It was really nice to share one of my favorite German foods that I’ve found on my grant with them, even though many Americans don’t like the dish (according to one of my mentor teachers).

We ventured to Olympiapark for Joe and Elena’s first Christkindlmarkt. We went to Märchenbazar, a circus-themed market. It was lovely and quite colorful with circus tents and many vendors.

I left München on Dec. 27 and did not return until Jan. 8. I went straight into teaching and acting as a tour guide for my guests. As I showed them the ropes, I didn’t venture to many new places until their last night.

They went to see the “Cinderella Castle,” as Joe called it and I went back to teaching. I showed them Schloss Nymphenburg and saw people skating and playing hockey on the manmade canal. I made them drink Spezi and enjoy a true German meal at one of the Augustiner brewhouses in München (Augustiner-Bräu München). I now plan to take most if not all of my visitors there for at least one good, traditional German meal.

My eldest sister is graduating from law school in May, and I will be unable to attend due to being in Germany wrapping up my grant. I surprised her with FC Bayern tickets, the main soccer team in the city. We went to the game on Jan. 12, and it was a hit! Bayern won 3-0 and we had two goals on our side of the field. Our seats were great and on the corner of the field, which was nice. I really loved the night and Joe and Elena got some merchandise and are slowly becoming fans. We did get stuck with the trains as there was a train driver strike, but we made it home safely so they could leave the next morning.

München is my home and I love it. I am quite happy here and it was nice to finally share it with some people from home even if the holidays were a bit weird being away from home. I’m excited to see more and experience more winter specialties over the next few months.

Extending my education

I have attended a few classes at LMU and have really enjoyed the linguistics course I’m taking. I’ve learned a lot about language and am more interested in linguistics. The course is easier to follow now that I’ve been attending regularly.

Most of my applications to graduate schools are in and I am now staring down the waiting game. I have two last applications that I’m wrapping up this week and will finish submitting them later this January. While this process has been redundant and occasionally tiring, I am glad I completed these applications. I hope to pursue a higher degree soon and am looking forward to hearing back from these schools over the next few months. I’m hopeful for good news!

Cultural exchanges and volunteering

I have yet to hold my second Battle meeting for the Deutsch-Amerikanisches Institut in Nürnberg, but it is coming up soon and I’m quite excited! I am also officially volunteering with the Amerikahaus in München through their Ask an American program. I am waiting to hear more about dates and am preparing for my Meet U.S. meetings across Germany in the new year. I am looking forward to all these opportunities soon!

I also started tutoring a woman in München. We had two sessions to work on her English-speaking skills. After the second appointment, I decided against continuing sessions as her learning style and my teaching style clashed. It is rather hard to find tutoring gigs in München in my experience, but I’m hoping to find a student to work with and make a little extra money on my grant. We’ll see!

Bis Bald!

I am still loving my time and experience in München and beyond. The next few months have lots of traveling in store as well as many visitors which I cannot wait to see! I’m becoming closer friends with some Fulbrights placed around the country and my teachers. Hopefully, that will continue over my last six months. Bis Bald!