As my time in Germany has now come to a close, I sum it up in one word: unforgettable! To give some background, I was originally doing this trip to Munich to fulfill my requirements for international travel. However I now understand that there is a reason that travel is required for us, since it allows us to experience so much of the world! The first week of the program was online via Zoom, and we learned about the school portion of the program then. During our stay in Germany, we took class during the day, and we were able to explore the city in our evening time. There were plenty of events set up for us during that time too, including a cooking class and tours of the city. On our weekend there, we were able to tour the city of Salzburg with our classmates, and then we were given free time on Sunday to explore the city in whichever way we chose. I chose to visit Dachau, the Nymphenburg Palace, as well as the OlympiaPark. I have attached a photo of the OlympiaPark, as it was so vast and beautiful in the city. Our courses finished up with presentations of the projects we worked on, and we finished out the program with a nice dinner with everyone! 

I would say that I developed the ability to be more open to spontaneity and trusting in myself on this trip. That began with simply saying yes to more things that I would typically decline. For example there were many instances that the group wanted to go to a park after class ended, and even though that wasn’t necessarily planned ahead of time, I enjoyed the “go with the flow” mentality. This was a major change for me personally, since I love to plan out my days and stick to schedule as much as possible. I find that I am much more productive and happy when I operate that way, however it was a nice change of pace to just relax and enjoy the time more. I also trusted myself on this trip, meaning that I was more comfortable being in an unfamiliar environment than I thought I would have been. I attribute this to my desire to travel and see the world, however I am very glad that I had the opportunity to go out and experience the beauty and history that Munich had to offer. 

In my classroom experience, I was able to learn that ergonomics is vital to successful operations in the workplace. Personally speaking, I enjoyed this course, since it showed me the importance of being comfortable and safe when working. Even using a mouse at your desk can cause major wrist problems if it is not set up properly. As an industrial engineering student, safety is a major piece of study, therefore I can use this information to implement safe and effective ergonomics in the workplace when I begin working after college. 

The growth and key takeaways that I have experienced definitely goes along with the skills that I have learned throughout my trip. This is due to the fact that I know to trust myself, and to explore every opportunity that comes my way. This goes for personally, academically, and professionally because being opportunistic is a way of life. I noticed myself grow in this category, mainly because I was so much more comfortable being uncomfortable. I was told that line by one of my mentors in high school and I think that it couldn’t be more true. I will use the skills that I have learned on this trip in my remaining time here at Pitt, since I only have one more full year here. I need to ensure that I use that time wisely and fill every moment with things that I enjoy. In my future I think that these skills will play well into my goals, since being happy outside of work is going to be vital. I would like to personally thank everyone that has helped me on this journey and say that I am very appreciative for everything!