I went to Leipzig, Germany this past semester, and while it may not have been all that I imagined it would be, it helped me to have a wider understanding of certain concepts and took me to places that I couldn’t have imagined beforehand. I went to Italy, France, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Greece, and lived in Leipzig and also spent many weekends there and in surrounding towns. From traveling, I have learned more about at least three things (alongside more practical things like how to pack well and compact, how to plan trips, how to budget money, some German, etc.): variety in culture, the value of being present, and differences in perspective. The first is pretty obvious.
We tend to stereotype cultures on some prominent features in it, but once you transfer from one location directly to the other, it is very easy to see how their cultures are very similar and very different. For example, during spring break, Kolby, Becca, Luke, and I traveled from Germany to Italy to France. Their modes of traveling, waking and business hours, social practices, and speaking tones were vastly different, but their tendencies were similar in how they treated others, both with family and strangers.
I remember many times in Germany, people going out of their way to make sure we could get onto the tram, and I remember in Italy when a man managed to help all four of us onto an overly crowded bus, knowing that the next one wouldn’t come for another hour. It might sound cheesy, but this helped me see the unity throughout all of us. No matter what cultural differences or the ways of showing it, we have the same heart. Given the issues of our country and intercultural relations right now, I think it is especially necessary to hold on to that lesson.
Another instance that stands out, especially with the technology available to us today, is that there is a major difference between being somewhere and experiencing somewhere. Both are associated with being present, but I hadn’t realized the difference between being physically present and mentally present. Often times, I had to touch the wall or the stones to remind myself where I was. Other times I had to put down my camera to enjoy seeing it for myself, without the lens. Sometimes I wish I had done those things more often, and I’m trying to be more mindful of continuing that here in the states.
While that is a representation of visual perspective, there is (at least) one other understanding of ‘perspective’. Perspective is something that we all learn as we grow up, trying to fully understand another person’s point of view, but I think we rarely actually accomplish it. Especially when it involves a whole group of people, it is easier to blame the whole and not understand the circumstances.
In Berlin, not only did I better come to understand the position that Germany’s citizens were in politically and economically that lead to Hitler’s election, but I also got to see the humanity of some Germans, who were unaware of complete effects Germany had on the world and its inhabitants, whose families were also affected by the struggle of war. I saw images of other Germans who rebelled in loud and quiet ways, and I saw images of people dancing after their soldiers came home from the battle front. By no means are Germans trying to decrease their responsibility or connection to the horrible things that happened then, but I think they want to reach out and offer perspective to others and to future generations.
People are people and can’t be classified as either bad or good with no between. While I try to be considerate of that as a Christian, I feel more willing to look for more perspective with this example that really blew my mind. Going to Germany for study abroad was an amazing experience, and I would highly recommend it to anyone regardless of his or her major.
