My STEP Signature Project was a language immersion study abroad program through Ohio State in Dresden, Germany. In the program, we took classes in German, visited prominent places in Germany, and immersed ourselves in German language and culture.

As someone who has never been to Europe before, this experience completely opened my eyes to the differences between American and European culture. For instance, I could feel some resentment for Americans during my time in Dresden. Seeing this resentment caused me to think about where it came from by looking at the political, economic, and social factors. By doing so, I was able to see how such large ideas affect individuals and their world view. For instance, Dresden was in the former East Germany, and there are still some people who are not fans of the American influence that succeeded German unification. Experiencing that unhappiness helped make these large ideas very real to me. While I experienced some distaste for my American descent, I felt far more friendliness in my time in Germany. Most of the time, people were very glad to have met someone from another country. Connecting with someone on a human level rather than a cultural level allowed me to see that while all humans are different, we’re also all the same at the core.

Additionally, I also felt myself change in the way I think about the German language. Living in a place in which a different language is spoken for eight weeks really changes how you think about that language. Previously, I only used my studies to periodically watch German tv shows. I like living in Germany almost qualified my German studies. This was the first time I really had to use what I had learned throughout high school and college German.

A major interaction that influenced my change of world view as discussed in number 2 was when I was waiting at a train stop. While waiting, someone heard me speaking English and called us stupid Americans. This was the first time I had felt a resentment face to face simply because of where I come from. Such an interaction was vital for shattering my bubble and I’m quite thankful I experienced it.

A key positive interaction I had took place when I was ordering pizza in Munich. After I ordered, the guy at the front couldn’t tell where I was from based on my accent and asked where I came from. After he heard I was American he said he was extremely impressed with my German. It turns out he was an immigrant from Algeria. While my pizza was being made, we talked about the different languages he can speak, and why German is such a hard language to learn. Additionally, he told me about his path to get to Germany from Algeria. Being able to hear his incredible story made me realize how drastically different the human experience can be simply due to where someone was born.

Another key aspect of my experience that helped to transform my world view was my first time at the farmers market and flea market. This was the first time in which I needed to use German for an extended period. Having to ask for very specific things and specific amounts was extremely difficult for me at first due to a lack of confidence and experience. However, after freezing up at the baker’s tent and forgetting the word for the bread I wanted, I quickly realized that language was far less about being exactly right and much more about just conveying meaning. This was extremely important for me because I am not, and probably never will be at the level where I can speak “perfect German”. Therefore, going to Germany and shedding this perfectionist mindset surrounding language was a very transformative experience.

This change is extremely valuable to me. While I do not know when I will go back to Germany, I know that the lessons I learned surrounding culture, language, and global affairs will stick with me for a lifetime. For instance, whenever I am around an international or foreign exchange student, I am much more mindful of what they may be experiencing and feeling as they go through their time in this foreign country. The empathy that this experience has allowed me to have for these students has allowed me to already become friends with several international students since my arrival back into the states. Additionally, living in a foreign country has instilled me with a lot of confidence as I traverse my way through life in America. Taking away the language and cultural gap has made my current time in America feel much easier than it did before going to Germany.