For tourists, taking in the beauty of new and exciting destinations can open up the world in new ways, leading to memories that could last a lifetime. With many places to explore, there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight for the land we can explore.
From the city of Munich in Germany to the mountains of Switzerland, and the small country of Liechtenstein, juniors Nick Buscher and Elaina Dethloff, as well as German teacher Wendy Brennan, decided to take their language skills from the classroom to the land of Central Europe. Their goal was to practice their language skills in real-life situations, along with exploring what the rich culture had to offer them.
“I’ve always admired Europe and thought it was a different place, and I would want to see the culture there and just how it compares to ours, “ Buscher said.
From the end of May to the second week of June, they explored many sides of history and culture, with students visiting the many cultural sights of Zurich, Switzerland, and Vienna, Austria, exploring the Alps and many shops, like the jewelry shop Swarovski in the middle of Zurich.
“I’m not that big of a jewelry person, but if it weren’t for this trip, I wouldn’t have gotten to see this,” Brennan said.
Students also tested their German abilities throughout the trip, particularly when Buscher interacted with local speakers of the language.
“I tried to use my skills when I could. There are some parts when I would order a particular food at a restaurant or something like that, I didn’t want it to be messed up, but I did use it in broader situations, and I did try to use them when I had the chance,” Buscher said.
Buscher used his skills when he went to a skateboard shop in Vienna, Austria.
“During our free time, I had the opportunity to visit a local shop, and I ended up talking with the guy for about an hour about my passion for skateboarding. I tried to use my skills while talking to them, but whenever I couldn’t pronounce something, I would just use English,” Buscher said.
The free time on their trip had benefited the students, since they could now use those skills they learned from locals for future tests and assignments.
Even with the challenges of travel, the students found ways to either overcome them or find a new opportunity to rise up to the challenge.
“When we flew into Amsterdam, our flight ended up getting canceled, so we ended up exploring Amsterdam on our own. We explored a famous museum while waiting for our flight. Even if the weather wasn’t to our liking, we were happy that we got a 5th country on our trip,” Brennan said.
Their short adventure to Amsterdam gave each of them something to remember, like when they visited the Rijksmuseum, a museum with many famous art pieces, like Van Gogh’s self-portrait, which made the detour worthwhile on their short layover.
Despite their prior skills in the classroom, sometimes the language barrier was presented in some ways that they didn’t expect.
“We went to this restaurant, and the menu was in a certain dialect of German that we haven’t discussed as much in the classroom. Even if there was an online menu in English, they made it very clear that they speak their language here, but we discussed the menu together, and everyone was able to find something they liked,” Brennan said.
With Europe being the most visited continent in the world, the opportunities to immerse themselves in a new culture are all over. The students say that it would be a good experience for others wanting to travel out of the country.
“I’d definitely recommend it. It’s unique, and you’re gonna see a whole new land on a different side of the world. You shouldn’t just be stuck in one place all your life. You should explore the world and see what it has to offer,” Buscher said.
Only time will tell when students will return to the place they considered to be one of the best in their minds.
Overall, these students learned and they experienced what was all there. With the many moments that they spent together, coming back is most likely on their minds.
“I definitely would come back, but most likely with a larger group of people,” Dethloff said.
For now, back home and with a new perspective on life, they can say that they had the adventure of a lifetime.
“I just had a wonderful time, [the students] were wonderful to travel with, and it just really excited me, and it really reignited my passion for travel with my students,” Brennan said.