Travel Plans

Germans/Europeans love to travel. When you're in Europe, traveling to another country can be as simple as going to a nearby US State but with a completely different culture, so how could they not love it? Taking advantage of it is crucial during my short time here. Also, due to some diplomatic treaties and agreements, US Passport Holders can freely travel within the Schengen Area without a visa for a period of up to 90 days...without customs or passport control.

To recap, here are the places we've been so far:

-Hannover

-Hamburg

-Amsterdam

-Berlin

Now, thats pretty good for the first 2.5 weeks. But to make the most out of Europe, we can't stop there. This weekend since we have both Friday and Monday off, two more trips are going to happen. We'll be going to Lüneburg (a smaller VERY AUTHENTIC German town according to some very trusted sources) and Rotenburg which another student had previously been too and highly recommends...

Then, the next weekend, the international office at Leibniz University has arranged for a 5 day excursion by bus to Munich, the birthplace of Oktoberfest. This five day trip will be filled with many authentically german experiences including brewery tours, beirgartens, the alps, and a day trip to Dachau Concentration Camp (the first to open as a camp for "political prisoners"). I'm sure many interesting blog posts will follow from this trip...

The weekend following Munich, a trip to Heidelberg is much awaited. According to my Fodors Travel Guide of Germany, if there is a town that exhibits german culture and history, its Heidelberg....so how could I not go there?

Also, I've begun intensive planning for a 4 day trip to Helsinki, Finland to visit the home of my ancestry as well as some friends who went to Michigan Tech two years ago as part of an exchange my last weekend abroad. Plus they've offered to host me, so how could I say no? With a KLM flight booked and my Helsinki Card (free museum entry and public transport) already bought...this is going to happen! Finland certainly is a very scenic country with a well known knack for architecture and design...so it will certainly be an unforgettable experience. I'll be going there August 24-27, so will make a brief return to Hannover to take exams and attend the quarter graduation before returning to the US bright and early on August 30th (still not sure how to get to the airport at 4am).....

Even looking at this projected list of travel destinations, I can think of dozens of places I'd like to still visit, but considering that I only have 45 days and classes to attend...I think this will be an acceptable list...considering that I am here to study.