Germany: Unlocking Past and Future
While on a month long program to Munich with the German Department at UC, I was able to spend additional time to explore cultural differences in Germany along with attempting to find connections to a familiar past in the land of my ancestors. Throughout politics, sports, history, and more I found aspects similar to the United States as well as features which revealed more foreign aspects of Germany than I expected. In conversations and observations, I became more aware of of some acute aspects of my own life that were German. This was the second aspect of my trip as I saw my experiences running parallel with the various histories of my family. From the ancestors who boldly left to America in search of freedom and opportunity and even my nuclear family and their various experiences studying German abroad. In these two pillars I attempted to set in stone my thoughts in a creative medium, through photography and poetry, in hoping to find a way to expound upon my experiences. Below I have a handful of photos from my travels and an attached poem. This sample and others were crafted over people watching through towns and on train and bus journeys, times where my creativity seem to peak. Overall, in my time in Munich I gained a desire to return to Germany. I felt an affection for Germany and remain curious to learn more beyond Munich. I am motivated to return before I graduate and hope to discover how the country has changed from my time in Bavaria.
Munich Experience Poem |