While I was at the University of Wyoming, I toyed with the idea of doing a semester abroad. I had just recently come back from South America and my Spanish was okay, but I was interested in improving it further. I looked into doing a semester abroad in Central or South America as well as Spain, but I quickly realized that I would not be able to afford a semester abroad. Not only would it mean that I wouldn’t be working, but I would have to pay for additional costs like an apartment, the flight, food, and any other fees. Since I barely had enough money to go to University as is, I dismissed the idea.

At some point, I got an email that was sent out to all the students in the College of Business (CoB). The email explained that the CoB and Hochschule Pforzheim had an exchange set up and that the CoB was sponsoring students to go there. One just had to apply, and if you were selected, then your flight would be paid for as well as lodging, plus a little bit of spending money. I applied, and as luck would have it, I was accepted along with 3 other students.

My job would let me resume working once I returned, and my landlord in Laramie was fine with me not paying for the half-a-year I would be gone, so I got to keep all my stuff stored in my room in my absence. It all worked out quite well.

The time came for me to leave, and I flew to Frankfurt.

I didn’t speak any German, and my only preparation was a sheet of paper with some basic German phrases. I struggled buying a train ticket to Pforzheim, but I eventually managed. The train ride necessitated 2 or 3 connections, and I remember one of them quite distinctly. I can’t remember where it was, but I was incredulous as to how I would make the connection; my travel plan indicated that I would be arriving at something like platform 2 and would need to get to platform 98 with only 2 or 3 minutes between my arrival and departure. I was stressing out as we pulled up to the train station, and I remember looking around me wondering why on earth there were at least 98 platforms because we were in the middle of nowhere and the station seemed very small.

Regardless, I didn’t want to miss my connection, so I was prepared by the door to make a run for it. I had my duffel bag tucked under my arm, the train stopped, the doors opened, and I bolted out the door trying to make it to gate 98 in time. It turns out that the train station only had 3 platforms: 1, 2, and 98, and they were all right next to each other. I made a mad dash for about 5 seconds before noticing that the train I wanted was right next to us. I resumed a walking pace while everyone else who was also getting the connection stared at me, perplexed by my outbreak. I still think that’s a stupid way to number the gates…

I got in the next train and eventually got to Pforzheim. There I encountered another problem in that I couldn’t get a hold of my landlord. I had her phone number, and I tried using a couple payphones, but it just didn’t seem to work for some reason. I was jet-lagged, tired, and frustrated, and I just started wandering around downtown. I remember wondering what would happen if I never got a hold of her and had to sleep on the streets for the next half a year. While wandering around, I came upon a cell phone shop and I wondered if I could more effectively reach her with that instead of these garbage payphones. I purchased a cheap prepaid cellphone, and I did in fact manage to reach my landlord. I told her where I was, and she even came and picked me up. After that, things went pretty smoothly.

I got settled into my apartment and then shortly thereafter took up an intensive German course for 2 weeks before actual classes started.

There were quite a few other international students in there as well, and we all got to know each other. After the 2 weeks, actual classes started and we were enrolled in your typical college courses along with other Germans (the classes were all in English).

While living there, the other international students and I spent almost every Wednesday evening at the Irish Pub getting drunk and doing karaoke.

I also wandered around the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) a bit since it was no more than a 10-minute walk from my house.

Otherwise, almost every weekend was spent traveling somewhere different. It is possible to buy train tickets that are quite cheap if you go in groups and take the slower trains, which is what the other international students (and even a couple local ones that we got to know) and I did.

A couple friend and I went to Bad Wilbad, which is pretty close to Pforzheim.

A large group of us went to Heidelberg. There is a grand castle perched up on the hill overlooking the city.

Later, we went to Freiburg. I don’t recall one thing that popped out like a castle, but the city in general was very nice and quaint.

We got a bunch of free beers on the way home, too. Some guy came on the train with a few cases of beer for whatever reason, and he decided to share them with us which was a nice end to the day.

We later went to Stuttgart, which actually is pretty close to Pforzheim. We first went to the Mercedes-Benz Museum.

Afterwards, we simply toured the city and then went up a tower overlooking the city before heading home because it started to rain and get chilly.

Another weekend, we went to Baden-Baden. This seemed like a smaller, more picturesque city.

It also had a nice castle. The castle itself was in a more ruinous state than the one in Heidelberg, but it also permitted more free access and we could go pretty much wherever we wanted inside it, sometimes even climbing some walls.

I noticed a sign that said “Kein Trinkwasser.” I pondered on the meaning for a few seconds before realizing that It means Water not potable. I let the others know and then they spat it all out. T’was funny to watch.

In the end, I think I only spent 2 or 3 weekends at home as we were pretty active in going to other places and exploring Europe. These weren’t even half of the places I went, and I plan on posting about some of the other countries that I went to next week.