{"id":4553,"date":"2024-12-16T19:07:43","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T19:07:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/?p=4553"},"modified":"2024-12-16T19:14:59","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T19:14:59","slug":"jeremy-gouteix-post-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/2024\/12\/16\/jeremy-gouteix-post-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeremy Gouteix: Post 4"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Jeremy Gouteix
Provider: AIFS
Berlin, Germany
2024 Fall


Berlin has been both surprising and exactly what I imagined. I expected the city to feel big and a bit overwhelming, which it did at first, but I quickly realized it\u2019s more like a collection of neighborhoods with their own personalities. What surprised me was how relaxed the city can feel despite its size\u2014people here love their parks and green spaces, and it\u2019s easy to find quiet spots amidst the chaos.<\/p>\r\n

\"\"
This is the Friedrichstadt-Palast theatre lit up at night. It is by my programs location so it was a common sight to see.<\/em><\/p>\r\n



I thought Berliners would be cold and distant, and while they\u2019re not overly warm, they\u2019re not unfriendly either. They\u2019re straightforward, and once you get past the initial formalities, they can be surprisingly open. I also assumed the city would be very industrial and gray, but Berlin is full of color\u2014graffiti, markets, and even unexpected pops of nature in the middle of the city.<\/p>\r\n

\"\"
The TV Tower and surrounding area all lit up by the lights of a Christmas market.<\/em><\/p>\r\n



I know I\u2019ll miss Berlin\u2019s pace of life\u2014the way people balance work and leisure so seamlessly. I\u2019ll miss the ease of hopping on the U-Bahn to explore new neighborhoods, and I\u2019ll definitely miss the food\u2014currywurst, fresh pretzels, and the endless street markets. Mostly, I\u2019ll miss the feeling of being in a place that\u2019s constantly changing and always surprising.<\/p>\r\n

\"\"My friends and I enjoying a traditional Gl\u00fchwein, mulled wine, at a Christmas market in the center of Berlin.<\/em><\/p>\r\n



My advice for any study abroad program is to go in with an open mind and be ready to embrace the unexpected. Things won\u2019t always go as planned, and that\u2019s part of the experience. For Berlin specifically, I\u2019d say brush up on basic German before you go\u2014it\u2019s not a must, but it really helps to connect with the locals. Also, pack for layers\u2014the weather changes constantly\u2014and leave some space in your suitcase for all the things you\u2019ll inevitably bring back.

<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jeremy GouteixProvider: AIFSBerlin, Germany2024 Fall Berlin has been both surprising and exactly what I imagined. I expected the city to feel big and a bit overwhelming, which it did at first, but I quickly realized it\u2019s more like a collection of neighborhoods with their own personalities. What surprised me was how relaxed the city can feel despite its size\u2014people here love their parks and green spaces, and it\u2019s easy to find quiet spots amidst the chaos. This is the Friedrichstadt-Palast theatre lit up at night. It is by my programs location so it was a common sight to see. I […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[138],"tags":[27],"class_list":["post-4553","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2024-fall","tag-germany"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4553","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4553"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4553\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4561,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4553\/revisions\/4561"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4553"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4553"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hsc.edu\/international\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4553"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}