Guten Tag! Good Day!
I am very excited to make this post because I get to publicly share my awesome experience on my study abroad trip! So if you remember from last time, and if you don't feel free to check out
Part 1, I just went on a course called "Psychology at it's Roots" that put me in Austria, Germany and England for two weeks.
Since I talked about three main points in the last post, I will do the same here. Instead of the focus being tips and things I was worried about, it will be related to some of my favorite aspects of the trip! If you want to learn more about my trip or study abroad, feel free to contact me (kbrow107@emich.edu).
#1) The History
One of the best parts of the trip was being able to step foot in places that have experienced more history than not only our university, but our state and country as well. Each place we went allowed me to learn more about that location and about the individuals and the stories that took place there. The universities that we toured had been bombed through wars, been some of the first to even have Psychology programs, etc.
For example, one of my favorite stops was the Sigmund Freud Museums located in Vienna and outside of London. Freud was one of the first names I learned in high school Psychology, the course that would change my mind about "what I wanted to be when I grew up". Having this connection to his name and work made it super interesting to learn more about him as a person, his family and the struggles and pain he endured when he was forced to leave his home when the Nazis annexed Austria.
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| Outside of the Freud Museum in Vienna |
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| Photo taken of Freud's Office/Home at time of Nazi Regime |
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| The famous psychoanalysis couch! |
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| All of Freud's items and collectibles at his desk that he moved to London with him |
Another awesome spot was Charles Darwin's house located in the country outside London. Now I know for a fact that everyone has learned about Darwin, natural selection anyone? His house and gardens were beyond beautiful and to see where he made such important discoveries about nature, so important in fact that his face is on the back of the 10 pound currency in England, was absolutely unforgettable.
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| The entrance to Down House |
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| Darwin's gardens |
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| Darwin's Greenhouse |
Last that I will mention, we went to the Bethlam Royal Hospital Museum which is located near where one of the first English Psychiatric Hospital was located back in the 1400s. It was surreal to hear about patient stories and how they used to document "treatment" and cures. The Museum part hosted art made by patients and showcased their individual stories which was fascinating.
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| Entrance to museum |
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| Old patient records |
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| Mixed media art done by a anorexic patient at this hospital. Photo credit: Kara Gardner |
#2) FOOD
Now I know that we all need food to live but not many times in life do you get to experience another culture and their way of doing food that is truly authentic. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous about ordering food in another language and it was strange having to ask for an English menu or trying to Google what the food was. However, I am glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried the food because it was phenomenal! I didn't miss ranch dressing and I could even deal with no ice in the water if it meant I could enjoy schnitzel, German potato salad, pretzels, herb butter, fish and chips, spaghetti ice cream, the list goes on and on!
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| German potato salad. Photo credit: Kara Gardner |
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| Pork schnitzel and herb butter. Photo credit: Kara Gardner |
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| The best pretzel ever. Photo credit: Kara Gardner |
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| Strawberry spaghetti ice cream in Germany. Photo credit: Kara Gardner |
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| Fish n' chips. Photo credit: Kara Gardner |
#3) The People
Before this trip, everyone was pretty much strangers. I can most definitely say that after spending two weeks together, you get to know people pretty well. I think the most everyone bonded was when we received our luggage after it was lost at the Windsor airport. Although we did a lot of our activities in the big group, we also had the opportunity to split off and do side trips. I did the majority of my side trips with the same handful of people and I can say that these are people that are now my good friends! I didn't expect to make lifelong friends on this trip but I am so happy that I did! They all made the experience much more enjoyable and when you go home, they are the ones that will be able to understand fully.
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| My gal pals on the London Eye. Photo credit: Samantha Belanger |
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| Side trip to a castle outside of Vienna |
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| Waiting to go to the Prime Meridian. Photo credit: Samantha Belanger |
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| Capstone dinner with Dr. Lauterbach and our Teacher Assistant David. Photo credit: Samantha Belanger |
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| Honors Group at Darwin's House. Photo credit: Kara Gardner |
If you want any further information about my trip or studying abroad in general, please don't hesitate to contact me (kbrow107@emich.edu) as I would love to help others be able to travel.
Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoyed my photos almost as much as I enjoyed my trip. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience that I will cherish.
Cheers!
Kaylee
P.S. Special shout out to my wonderful friends (Kara Gardner and Samantha Belanger) for being so gracious and allowing me to use their photos for this blog to share with everyone since my phone isn't the best.
