Day 3 Back in the States: The Taste of Freedom

We've been back in the U.S. for three days now, not including Monday night when we landed because most of us went straight to bed. Each group has been working diligently on the final leg of their projects, and the finished product is in sight.

Outside of class, though, there are a few things that we are thoroughly enjoying having back now that we're back in the land of excess and freedom.

Free Water

Most of us have no food in our apartments, so we've still been eating out, albeit not all together. The first thing I appreciated after sitting down in IHOP — one of my favorite American eateries — is being able to order water without paying a small fortune. Free water is one of the few things that America has been doing right for a long time.

Free Bathrooms

This was the most surprising thing to me when we were discussing the quirks of Germany before our initial departure. Why would you charge someone to do an uncontrollable human function? That being said, their public bathrooms were cleaner on the whole than those in the U.S., but I'd much rather have a slightly messier public bathroom and pocket my parking change.

Being Alone

As much as we loved making new friends and getting to hang out in Germany, having more personal time is something a few of us didn't realize we desperately needed. For me, getting ready in the morning has been much more peaceful and involved many fewer elbows around the bathroom mirror.

Friends and Family

This one is a given; we missed spending time with our at-home friends and family while we were away and are excited to catch up on all the drama we were gone for.

Overtly American Foods

As great as German food is, I missed being able to eat American breakfast food at any time of day. Yesterday, I had bacon and egg sandwiches on waffle quarters for two meals and, honestly, I would eat it again today if given the opportunity. Wings, hush puppies, fried chicken, and mac and cheese are just a few of the American dishes we are excited to gorge ourselves in over the next few weeks.

Southern Hospitality

As polite as German people are, there is nothing quite like good ole Southern hospitality. At dinner last night, our waitress checked on our table every five minutes, even after we had finished our meals and she had taken our dishes. It was fantastic. This is not to say that German waiters are not good at their jobs. People in German just have a different way of dining out that I couldn't quite get used to.

Curry and Ketchup is a thing?

May 19th, 2016

Do you ever think about how or why certain foods were ever created?  Like what caused someone to put sauce and cheese on top of bread and throw it in the oven?  Who was the first to decide to throw pretzels into chocolate?  We often eat things day to day and don't really look behind the history as to why we even eat the foods we do or how they were even started.

In light of our journey to Germany, our group of four had the opportunity to do just that.  But instead of researching an everyday American dish, we got to dig into an interesting dish that is based out of Germany.  Berlin, Germany specifically is the most historically confirmed place of the invention of currywurst.  Currywurst = curry + wurst (sausage) + ketchup + assortment of spices.

Most places offer a side of fries with the sauced up sausage, and most always give you your fair share of the currywurst sauce.

Currywurst with a side of fries from Berlin's Curry 36
Photo by: A. Shuler

By any means, today we made our way to one of the locals favorite places in Berlin called Curry 36 and got to speak with Mirko Grossman, son-in-law to owner of Curry 36.

Mirko Grossmann showing our crew inside the kitchen of Curry 36
Photo by: A Shuler
http://www.curry36.de/

Grossmann showed us the ins and outs inside the kitchen and the upward success the company has had since it began in 1981.  It was really such a privilege to be able to get a close look at some really authentic german sausage and really what a phenomenon currywurst has become in this area.

If you don't believe me on how popular currywurst is here, well did you know they have their own currywurst museum?  It is called the Deutsches Currywurst Museum Berlin; we had the opportunity to go there as well!

http://currywurstmuseum.com/en/

Between the sausage shaped couch and an entire room full of the possible spices included in a currywurst dish, the museum sealed any unanswered questions we had about the creation of this dish.

Connor, Amelia and Sam sit on the sausage couch.
Photo by: S. Murphy

Homecoming

When we arrived back to Columbia in the late afternoon I thought I would be exhausted and ready to collapse from our long day of travel, and I was right.  I wanted nothing more than to find a quiet spot to sleep the day away but since the dorms at USC are closed I have to stay on couches until this class is over. So while at the airport, when everyone was seeing their loved ones and making big plans, I was finding a place to stay. Luckily I had no problem with that and was able to get a good nights sleep to help combat the on setting jet lag.

The next day the group had to meet at noon to start working on our projects. A lot of people were still tired from the flight and many had jet lag so starting this project was not going to be as easy as I thought. Also when your in Germany for two weeks taking photos and videos of just about everything you see it gets kind of difficult to sort through them all and find what you need. We worked on our project for about four hours the first day and about half of that was just sorting through everything we had from Germany.

After we finished working on our project for the day I went with my friend back to his apartment and we hung out by the pool for a while before we both crashed and fell asleep. We fell asleep early and woke up really early. I set an alarm for 9:30 and woke up at 7:00 and couldn’t fall asleep.  When I came in to work on the project today I heard similar stories form everyone else. So I guess we are all still on German time.

Auf wiedersehen Deutschland

21 students traveling for 21 hours was not easy however we made it work.  At 3 a.m. our day started. Although I enjoyed the breakfast bags that were given to us I couldn't wait to get home and eat Waffle House. As my classmates and I waited half asleep in the lobby we all talked about the cool places we visited, our excursions to the Castles and the unique bike tours. This has been my first time out of the country and I enjoyed every minute of it!
When we got to the airport we were extremely early so I wondered why were were rushing earlier. I politely claimed my spot at the beginning of the bag check-in line and jammed out to Drake's Views album while we waited for the airport to open. I am extremely afraid of planes so listening to music calmed me down some. Once it opened I dropped my bag off and walked through the security check point. It wouldn't be a day of successful travel if I didn't get pulled aside and have my bag searched. I was checked for weapons because my mini lotion looked like it served another purpose than to moisturize my elbows. I was finally free to go and waited on our flight to Amsterdam.
The airport in Amsterdam is the most upscale airport I have ever seen. I know Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport has plenty of nice stores for travelers to stop and shop however Amsterdam Airport Schipol was like a mall and there just so happened to be airplanes present. Walking to our gate I noticed stores such as Gucci, Hérmes and Bvlgari. I felt like I was in heaven but I needed to focus - had a plane to catch. When checking in at the gate I was asked a series of questions by the International Relations attendant that caught me off guard a little. "Did you leave your bag alone?" "Did anyone offer you anything while you were here?" I answered no and with a hesitant smile she handed back my passport and told me to have a great flight. While waiting for our flight to Atlanta I should have been getting snacks but I decided to nap instead. I'm pretty sure I was the victim of a picture with my mouth open.
It was finally time to board and I was so excited. I missed my family and couldn't wait to get back. Once in the sky I took a peek outside. The flight would be long however it all finally hit me that my trip was coming to an end. I finally can scratch off my bucket list that I traveled abroad. I danced, I laughed and I even saw nude people wandering around a very liberal park. This experience is one I will ever forget and I'm excited to see where I will be flying to next.

Bye Bye Berlin

As our journey in Germany sadly comes to an end, we have some time to reflect on this amazing experience and review our thoughts of what we expected Berlin to be like. For the most part, our predictions were pretty accurate, but a few things were different from what we expected.

1.  Berlin was definitely more urban than the city of Munich. We wouldn't go as far to say it is exactly like New York City, but there are definitely more tall buildings and an overall more urban atmosphere. It was also slightly more difficult to navigate because there is more city to explore.

2. We were wrong about fewer people in Berlin being able to speak English. A majority of the people we met knew at least some English, maybe slightly less than the people in Munich, but overall people did know the language pretty well. In some cases, we ran into people who knew English better than a few of the people we met in Munich.

3. As we expected, Berlin was more of a hot spot for fashion. People had a variety of styles depending on where in the city they were and where they were headed. Part of that can be attributed to the better weather here. The highs most days were in the high 60s and low 70s and we hardly saw any rain.

4. For the most part, the food in Berlin was more international. Down the street from our hostel there was a burrito restaurant, an Italian restaurant, a sushi restaurant, a burger place, a thai restaurant, a few Indian restaurants, a Vietnamese restaurant, and hot dog stand. There are still options for traditional German food, but there are fewer than in Munich.

5. Judging from our experience here and from our conversations with a few of the locals, people in Berlin are much more open-minded; they do what they want and they don't care what other people think. There is less judgment, and people let other people live their lives the way they choose. There is a very diverse group of people here, so it would be hard for them to not be as accepting of different walks of life as they are.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Today was our last full day in Germany, and what a trip it has been! The memories, friendships, and learning experiences we've had have been worth this trip's weight in gold.
Maybe it's because Professor Farrand has done this for 10 years, maybe he just knows more than we do, but this trip was better than we could have imagined. It was the right amount of time abroad, and the right amount of time in each city to do our projects, see everything we wanted to see, and still sneak in a few naps. We're sad to say goodbye, but it's time to go home, and we're so excited to show the journalism school our projects. Team one is going to have the best title and end credits, but that may be biased, so more on that to come.
So Auf Widershen Germany, it's been a trip to remember. I think we can all confidently say this will not be our last time in this beautiful country. Team one's first interview left us with a quote that I think sums up this trip perfectly: "We will always meet each other twice in life," For this country, and for the friends we've made on this trip, I don't think anything could be more accurate.
Sappy post over.

Pros and Cons of Germany

Germany, the land of sausage, beer and lederhosen. A beautifully green land, full of mountains, history and terrible weather. I have dedicated this blog post to explaining some of the pros and cons of The Mother Land.

PROS:
• Germany is super green. And not just because it rains so much. *cough* Munich. Throughout our travels here we’ve seen quite a few wind turbines and just about every house has solar panels. Go Germany, Go Green.
• As part of Germany’s green movement they allow you to return bottles for a little money back. Which, after stockpiling six water bottles in my room, I could get a free one!
• Tax is included in the price of everything. It’s unbelievably handy to know exactly how much I’m about to pay instead of waiting to figure it out. Get it together America!
• Cheaper food is actually pretty good quality. For example, McDonalds is way more expensive, but I’m pretty sure they use real chicken, and don’t even get me started on those fries. You think McDonald’s fries are good in America? You haven’t even come close to how amazing German fries are.
• Donner Kababs will surely be missed back in the States. The number one junk food of Germany consists of Lamb or Turkey meat, red cabbage, onion, lettuce, tomato and variably Taziki sauce, BBQ sauce, or some spicy stuff. AH-MEZ-ZING.
• Why are Beer Gardens not a thing in Columbia? Like, we’ve got the weather for it, somebody jump on this idea. A nice outside place with tables to chill where people can buy food, or bring whatever they want, that serves beer. It’s perfect.
• Lastly, toilet flushers are perfect for foot flushing. Nobody wants to touch that. Germans have innovated the flushers for the best. Like, its up on the wall and it’s huge. Perfect for my foot flushing.


CONS:
• Everything closes at 8. Germans laughed at me for attempts to get Gelato at 9:30 (a normal ice cream run time at home).
• My laptop was stolen on Day 1. Literally had not been in the country for more than 8 hours and had my life (laptop) stolen. And the fact that this is second on the list shows my true hatred for everything closing at 8.
• They serve cold cuts at breakfast. WTF.
• Germans are very forward. Whether it’s on the street or in the bar Germans love to let you know they interested. They’re degrees of forwardness range from the usual whistles and hollars to telling you about their man parts…
• Water isn’t free! Want to save a little money and get hydrated with some water? Too bad. Coke and Beer are usually cheaper than water.. So why get hydrated when you can just get drunk?

Hallo From Erding!

We began our journey at 10 a.m. from the hostel smelling of excitement and grunge. Umbrellas in hand, because the Munich weather was as unpredictable as a game of Russian Roulette, we headed out to the central station, Hoftbanhof. Public transportation was something that we learned to give ourselves plenty of time to master as it was increasingly out to get us and maps, signs and announcements were in a foreign language.

 The charmingly small town of Erding waited for us at the end of the outer line. Mini deer and cows filled the lush, green countryside and was a refreshing change from the bustlingly city of Munich. Our hosts for the afternoon, Holger and Mary, were waiting at the train stop for us with gleaming smiles and welcoming handshakes. As we followed our new friends through the streets of Erding, we were able to become familiar with the workings of a quaint suburb of Munich. We reached the flat that they share, drank our still water (which we've come to learn is not the norm for water in Europe) and got to know each other. The flat was a mixture of Indonesian and German styling, as a perfect reflection of the life they built together. 

Following our interview with them about daily life in Germany, we had lunch together at a Mediterranean restaurant down the street. The meal began with a hearty "prost!" and twenty rounds of "cheers" were shared between us over our delicious dishes. 

Our dessert was coffee made by Mary in the flat accompanied by music played by Holger on his harmonica. His talent is unmatched and we were so grateful for the time we spent with them. Parting gifts included Indonesian statues, hugs and well wishes for the future. After saying our goodbyes to these precious people, we knew they would be a apart of our experience and hold a tiny place in our heart forever. 

Castle Climb

That is a view of the first castle we visited. From the top of the second castle we visited. Climbing up to the Neuschwanstien castle was quite the work out, but getting lost on the way down was more fun. The quaint little town of Schwangau was perfect for reasonably priced souvenirs and getting your shoes wet in the puddles between cobblestones. (The streets here are still better than I-20). In all, despite the cold temperatures in the Alps, and the on-and-off rain, we enjoyed seeing some very cool castles of the Maxmillian family and eating very delicious and very warm Bavarian food. Overall, our perilous climb was worth the rewards.

ESMOD Berlin

Today our group of Allie, Cali, Tori, and Zach went to the ESMOD Fashion School in Berlin for a tour and interview. The people at the school were very hospitable, and everyone we talked to had an interesting story to tell. The school was located about 30 mins away by train. Since it was our first day in Berlin, it took us some time to use the subway system. The subway here is a lot more strict than Munich, and they aggressively bounce from train to train to make sure everyone's ticket is legit. We could not figure out how to buy one on the way there, so we rode without one. However, on the way back to our hostel, we did buy one and as soon as we got on the train, our ticket was checked.

The school itself used to be an old boarding school, and they intentionally left elements to give the building character. Each floor was dedicated to a different year of study, and you could see the progression of the students as they moved from year to year. The final year they create their own collection with 5 full outfits. We had a panel of 4 students and one professor who were kind enough to show us their work, and tell us more about their inspiration for their pieces. They all drew from different areas like music, different cultures and street art. It was clear that the students were very talented, and we were very impressed. One student was even kind enough to tell us about different districts and clubs were we could see different subcultures.

Ich bin ein Berliner

Today was sadly our final day in Munich, and tomorrow we leave at 10 a.m. for the second half of our trip in Berlin. We are all very excited to go to a new place, but we are not entirely sure what to expect. Here are a few things that we are curious about:

1. We are visualizing Berlin as more urban than Munich, with higher buildings and an overall larger city feel. We have been told that Berlin is a city more like New York, whereas Munich is more like Charleston. We are also expecting Berlin to be a lot more spread out and have more transportation routes, making it more complicated.

2. Another thing we are expecting from Berlin is fewer people speaking English. We have been spoiled here in Munich as many restaurant owners and tour guides speak English, so we have had to do very little translating. Fortunately, one of our team members speaks a considerable amount of German, so we should be able to manage.

3. We also picture Berlin to be more of a hot spot for fashion. In Munich, people dress pretty similarly, but we're expecting Berlin to have more of a diverse group of people with various, more edgy styles. We expect the weather to be a little warmer which may allow for more fashion freedom.

4. Food is another thing that our group is wondering about. In Munich, there are tons of options for traditional German food, but we haven't seen a lot of places that offer international options. They exist, but are greatly outweighed by the German food options. We expect that because Berlin attracts more types of people, there are likely to be more international foods available. Additionally, we are excited to see if they have any traditional German foods we have not tried or heard of yet.

5. The last thing that we expect to see in Berlin is to see a more modernized way of life. Catholicism is a very central part of Munich. For example, in celebration of the Pentecost, most businesses are closed today. From what we've seen, the only things open are the train stations and chain restaurants, and even then there are fewer trains running. from what we're feeling based on what we've been told about Berlin, we anticipate that Berlin will be a more secular city with greater diversity overall.

An Exciting Day at the Castle

On Thursday we traveled to a town in Southern Germany called Fussen where we toured two castles. Hoheschwangau was built by King Maximilian II of Bavaria and the second, Neuschwanstein, was built by his son, King Ludwig II. Just our group traveled that day because we had our interviews with the Fashion Journalism program at the AMD school in Munich the day before. Our interviews went really well and we got to meet a few very talented students to speak about their program. It was nice to not travel in a large group, but the trip still stressful. There was only one direct train home, but we made it just in the nick of time.

The castles were beautiful, though it was quite the hike to get to them. The first castle wasn't what we expected. The rooms were quite small but still prestigious nonetheless. Neuschwanstein was absolutely gorgeous. Though the tour was limited to only a few rooms, it was breathtaking. King Ludwig II died during its lengthy construction so much of the castle's interior was left unfinished. Overall it was an excellent adventure that we will always remember. But the wifi in Europe is still on our bad side.

Hofbrauhaus

On Sunday night, the group trekked to Hofbrauhaus to eat dinner, enjoy the culture and celebrate Amelia’s 20^th birthday. Thinking that most restaurants are calmer and emptier on Sunday nights in America, the Hofbrauhaus was anything but. Today (Monday) is a religious holiday, so it was packed with people enjoying their night and day off. We found out that the overcrowded atmosphere wasn’t even due to the holiday. This place is packed every day and every night with tourists and German people drinking, eating and singing to authentic German music played by a traditional German band. Women and men were up and dancing in open spaces between tables to the music. A little, old German woman grabbed Wesley and Anna, and dragged them to the dance floor. The cute lady spoke to us in German after we told her numerous times that we only spoke English. After a while, we just learned to smile and nod.

The Bayern Munich soccer team also won the Bavarian division Sunday to obtain the title for a league, so many people dining and drinking were decked out in soccer gear and happily drinking, eating and chanting. Every couple minutes the German band would play a tune and Germans would stand up in their booths with their beer mugs and chant a fight song. The team will now go on to play a different team in another division. It was a fun and exciting atmosphere to say the least.

            Now…onto the food. Traditional German food was served at the Hofbrauhaus like spaetzle, their famous ½ of roasted chicken, pretzels, potato and vegetable soup and traditional sausage dishes. Also, we can’t forget the beer. It was served in 1-liter mugs in constant flows to everyone of age in the room… The drinking age is 16-years-old, so it was almost everyone. You can even drink at 14-years-old if you are with your parents. Each restaurant in Germany typically sells one brand of beer, and the Hofbrauhaus serves its own brand in mugs that say “HB Munchen”.

            Women and men in traditional German clothing served the food. The men wore thick leather pants, high socks and a white shirt known as lederhosen. The women wore long, busty dresses known as dirndl. Women carried around baskets of pretzels and other bread to hand out to each table if people wanted to buy it, kind of like an appetizer. The atmosphere, food and good company attracts people from all over to come eat at the old brewery and now beer garden for a typical German meal and experience.

Zugspitze Mountain Means Snow in Germany

Today we woke up earlier than before in order to make the 2 1/2 hour trek to the Alps. Our final destination was to be the Zugspitze mountain summit, the tallest point in Germany and a part of the German Alps. We took two trains: the first to get us to the mountains, the second, called the "cog," to get us up the mountain. The "cog" ran almost vertical, and blew an old-timey whistle.

Once arriving at the base of the mountain, we saw a winter wonderland of snow (some of us Southerners for the first time!). It was almost difficult to remember that it was summer.

We had to take a gondola in order to reach the summit. Basically an enclosed, floating cart, we all were a little nervous about making it to the top. Visibility was near to none, so the views at the top were mere white backdrops. We stopped and ate lunch hoping it would clear up.

The snow clouds were blindingly bright, and the mountains were nowhere in sight.
Photo by Murphy

The way down the gondola was a much more spectacular view. We could see more of the mountain, and also the glacier lake that sat below.

Photo by Shuler

Photo by Shuler

Although the view from the peak proved dissappointing, we still got to experience some of the beautiful natural scenery Germany has to offer, and learned patience along the way.

German Surprises!

Even though we've only been in Germany for a few days, we have already made some incredible memories. So far, most of these memories have been created because of our group project on the city of Dachau. In just two short (but full) days, we met the mayor of Dachau (who happens to be the youngest lord mayor in Germany currently), went to some beautiful public places such as the English Garden, and last but most certainly not least, got really lost. Although we have not been here long, these past couple days have given us quite a bit of knowledge about German culture.

A few things in particular have really surprised us, like how Germany does not have water fountains. According to Professor Farrand, it's because they consider water fountains to be dirty and germ-infested, but we also found (after a little excursion on Google) that the word for tap water in German literally translated to "plumbing water," which they consider to be very rude to offer to guests. Ironically, however, their tap water is more filtered than their bottled water.

We were also excited about how much the Germans recycle and keep the city of Munich clean. About half of the beverages we sell in America in plastic bottles are sold in glass bottles here. Many buildings were lined with large windows and solar panels, and our tour guide the first day told us most of Munich uses renewable energy.

We were somewhat surprised by the amount bread consumed by Germans, especially considering how fit Germans seem to be. Each day we have been eating at least one small loaf of bread for part of our breakfast. 

I think one of the things that we have admired most about Germany is how Germans, overall, respect the law and each other. They don't jaywalk, they respect the bike lane, and there is a much lower theft rate so they're much more trusting with their belongings in public places. Chances that we'll return home willing are quickly decreasing.

We're not in Kansas Anymore

Well, we're definitely not in Kansas anymore. Stepping off the plane was a surreal experience. Flying through the clouds below we saw blocks of field, forest, and greens - a stark contrast to the expected metropolitan city-center. It was surprising how many things felt like home - the McDonalds at the end of the terminal, the crisp, modern design of the airport, even the weary eyes of fellow travelers felt comforting in a world so strange. However, stepping outside was a different story.

These are the top five things I noticed that were different between Munich, Germany and America:

1. The railway system.

Munich has an extensive railway system that covers the majority of the city. A whole day pass will cost you a grand total of €2,70 giving you access to not only the metro cars, but buses and rail cars as well. This makes the city easy and cheaply navigable.

2. Commitment to the old.

In America, we focus on cycling consumption. We cycle through comforters, clothes, cars, and appliances. Our motto used to be, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it;" now it seems to be "if it ain't broke, update it to the newest model anyway." This also applies to our architecture. We have few buildings a century old that remain standing, and typically if they do they are under specialized care. In Germany,

Photo by Murphy

3. Pharmaceuticals.

In America, walk into any grocery store, drug store, or even gas station and find aisles of non-regulated medication there for the taking. In Munich, most drugs are "behind-the-counter," and require a conversation in with a pharmacist in order to receive. Additionally, some drugs are less expensive - I picked up a 7-day pack of generic allergy medication that would've cost me roughly $15 in the states. While I was lucky to get a pharmacist who spoke English, getting medication as a foreigner is a near impossible task.

4. Genuine Kindness.

While navigating alone to find the rest of the group, I met many, many nice Germans. Perhaps it is because of their harsh sounding language, but my preconceived notion was that Germans were going to be standoffish and disdainful to Americans. Not only did the people from Munich themselves help me navigate my way through the metro system, but a man from Hamburg unfamiliar with the area even jumped in to help in whatever way he could. I got multiple smiles on my train ride, and one passenger even stood up to give me his seat! The people as a whole were patient with my immensely lacking German, and were forgiving when I eventually gave up and relucted to English.

5. Acceptance for all styles.

While traveling the rails, I observed business-aged men, high school girls, grandmothers, and middle school boys. The best part about German style was that anything goes. There were preppy girls wearing dresses and oxfords, middle aged woman without an ounce of make-up, and grandmothers with bleach-dyed and cut hair. No one once batted an eye, and people genuinely respected what each other chose to wear.

While Germany and America can be similar in landscape, city layout, food options, and disdain for long flights, there are subtle cultural differences to only be seen for oneself.

Mike's Bikes

A crazy, witty irishman who enjoys corny jokes and riding bikes led our group on our very first adventure through Germany. Morale was low at the beginning of the bike tour thanks to a nine hour plane ride and many miles of walking through the streets of Munich, but once we hopped on our bikes we were all happily reunited with our childhood selves! A few turns around the busy city streets, dodging BMW's and Mercedes as they zoomed passed, made for a hectic start and a difficult job for our jet-lagged legs to keep up. We pepped up for our tour guide after some of his jokes began to resonate with the group... we were functioning on about 3 hours of sleep, remember. On our bikes we explored the beautifully historic town of Munich, seeing city hall and the oldest baroque church in the city. "If it ain't baroque, don't fix it!" Thanks for the advice, Kevin. We also visited a restored palace, the old opera house, and the Izar River. The water was freezing cold because it runs down from the Alps, but that didn't stop the locals from going for a swim. People were "surfing" at the river on a manmade contraption that simulated a wave. You can find surfers there at any hour, including 4 a.m. with celebs like Ryan Gosling! That basically means we hung out, right? The group rounded out our bike tour at the Chinese Beer Garden where we cooled down with a couple liters of beer, giant pretzels, and a tasty pimento-cheese-like dip referred to as "angel's poo."

True exhaustion hit after only about two hours of sleep on the plane, biking for three hours, and walking 7.31 miles around Munich (thats an exact number, thanks MyFitnessPal). We were ready to sleep for days. While waiting to meet up with the rest of the group, we all laid flat in the center of the Marienplatz, one of the busiest spots in Munich, standing out like the true Americans that we are. We finally made it back to the hostel, skipped dinner, and got in our beds before 9:30 p.m. That's 3:30 in the morning back in the USA... can you blame us? As tired as we were, and still are (let's be honest), I already know that this bike tour will be one of the biggest highlights from this spontaneous, adventurous trip.

Five Things to Know When Traveling With A Group

1. Be on time and be prepared to wait.
• When you come with a group, something is bound to go wrong. From the overwhelmed gate agents to the angry TSA person, it is just going to take a long time to get everyone to the gate. This is something our group learned quickly when we arrived to the Columbia Metropolitan Airport. We all arrived early or on time, but it didn’t take long for things to slow down. Our overbooked flight and large group confused the check-in people, but we all made it to onboard safely.
2. Don't bring a pocket knife because you will lose ¾ of your things.     
• Our group learned very quickly to check your bags for any banned items. Sam E. forgot that he had accidently stowed a pocketknife in his backpack. The lady at the TSA checkpoint was not pleased, and she began to check all of his belongings. By the end of the search, Sam lost his toothpaste, hair gel, and possibly his pride. Hopefully we won’t run into any issues when we go through customs.
3. You have to take turns eating.
• When we got to Atlanta, we were all very hungry. Our hunger grew as we walked to the international terminal and past the multitude of dining choices. Being bogged down with our gear, we decided to take shifts getting food to help lighten the load. I personally got Qdoba because I will be craving Mexican food abroad, but there were a wide range of choices in our group from bagels and coffee to TGI Fridays.
4. Layovers can be boring
• When you land after your first flight, there is only so much you can do at the airport.  Sometimes an hour layover can be nice because it gives you time to grab a meal and relax for a short while.  However, our flight got in at 12:50 pm and our connecting flight does not take off until an estimated time of 5:40 pm.  This gave us a solid four hours at least to find a way to entertain ourselves.  After eating and drinking a couple cups of coffee, obvious activities become less and less visible.  What other wall can I stare at?  Did I catch up on my latest shows? Is it too early to grab another meal? Yes, you will get bored, but if you and your group put your heads together, then I am sure you can find something to entertain yourselves. 
5. Charing stations are a hot commodity. 
• When you have a nine and a half hour flight ahead of you, you better make sure that all your electronic devices are fully charged. Atlanta definitely has the hook-up when it comes to charging stations, but it didn’t take long for our group to snatch them all up. I guess that is one perk of having a long layover and getting there early. I’m even using one right now to help write this blog post. We don’t have too much longer until we leave, and you can tell the group is becoming more excited. It won’t be long now until we are in the air on and our way to Europe.