“Germany and Me”
Taylor Ollari
When I decided to start learning German language in college, I received mixed reactions from my family and friends. My Mom thought the choice was impractical and I should continue my Spanish studies from high school. My Dad was disappointed in the fact that I was starting a new language that was not Italian. And my friends thought I was learning German for fun. Unless their definition of fun is three articles and four cases, I cannot say that was true. What I can say about my decision to learn German is that it was in many ways a bit of an adventure, a fresh start, and a door that has already opened up so many opportunities.
When I decided to study abroad in Austria for two semesters, many people questioned my decision to not study in Germany. Even though I lived in Austria for nine months, technically I was only fifteen minutes away from the German border. So much of my relationship with Germany hinges on a two-hour train ride from Munich to Salzburg and back that I took many times. I may not have studied or completed an internship in Germany (yet), but so much of what I learned about myself and my identity abroad happened on a train travelling efficiently through the Bavarian countryside.
With any culture, there are stereotypes. It goes without saying that some German stereotypes are negative and many positive. Ironically by living in Austria and travelling to Munich on various occasions, especially during Oktoberfest season, I experienced what so many people perceive as typical German culture. I bought a Dirndl and wore it on more than one occasions, beer in one hand and pretzel as big as my head in the other. But I also learned how complex German identity could be. So much of what I thought I knew about German culture shifted during my time abroad, and still continues to.
Germany, for me, represents the complexity of an accomplished nation with a complex history, which today now holds the burden of solving one of the most precarious humanitarian situations in modern history. Often when I was travelling through Munich I was travelling alone, and every time I crossed the border from Austria to Germany I matured a little. With every new visit to Germany my language skills increased, I became more confident, and I learned a little more about the world around me. I also experienced so much kindness from native Germans, from friends that I made to strangers that helped me navigate the U-bahn. Today when I see Germany in the news, and hear about refugees coming from Salzburg to Munich (on the very same trains I once rode) being so well received, I am reminded of that kindness. I am looking forward to the day when I can return and travel through Germany more extensively, and be able to experience more of a culture and language that has already taught me so much.