Prior to this trip, I had already been to France twice. Once three years ago when I studied abroad and visited Paris, and then again this past December when I visited friends in Lyon. Both trips left positive impressions (especially my trip to Lyon) so I was excited to see even more of this beautiful country. Our first destination was Avignon, a city far to the south (about an hour and a half away from the Mediterranean).
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Having the chance to be in Germany for the World Cup is something I was quite excited about. Given Germany's long legacy of being a dominant force in the sport, its is an especially good place to watch the events of the cup unfold. But part of the reason I find being in Germany for the World Cup so interesting is not just for the festive atmosphere. The World Cup brings out a very different side of Germany than is normally shown.
Read MoreA few months ago, I posted about my take on the German school system and how it differs from the U.S., with an emphasis on each system's approach to preparing students for their post-high school lives. With this post, I wanted to highlight more specifically the differences between German high schools and U.S. high schools based on how the schools actually function day-to-day.
Read MoreFor most visitors to Germany, the history of the country's split into East and West is well known; many people visit Germany with the expectation that they will learn more about this division through visiting museums, stumbling upon memorials or chatting with locals. But less well-known is that while many of the most dramatic moments were happening in Berlin, the major policies and decisionmaking from West Germany was coming from somewhere else -- Bonn
Read MoreAs EU residents and European political observers know, residents of all EU countries voted yesterday in elections for representatives to the European Parliament. This was the second election I experienced in Germany, the first being the federal elections held last fall. As somewhat of a political nerd, one thing I found most interesting during both electoral processes was the types of posters and talking points different parties used to promote themselves.
Read MoreOne particularly enjoyable part of getting to spend an extended period of time in Germany is having the chance to visit parts of Germany that you otherwise might never have taken the time to see. When you're planning a two-week vacation, there's a lot of pressure to see the only the very best of a country -- with such a short time span, it's hard to justify taking the time to see places that are merely nice and pleasant, rather than those that are distinctly beautiful and exciting.
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