by Holly Van Groll
After 30+ hours in transit, we Aggies have finally reached our destination, Windhoek, Namibia! It has been a long trip, with very little sleep, but we are all so happy to be here.
After our first flight landed in Frankfurt, Germany, we jumped on a train and headed downtown. Luckily, they were having a local festival in a large, open square, where we grabbed a quick lunch of delicious bratwurst! We took part in some great “people-watching” and soaked up some of the local culture.
On several occasions throughout our time in Frankfurt, I overheard several of my fellow students exclaim how surprised they were to encounter so many English-speaking locals. This is a great example of the globalization that is quickly become our norm today.
As an international agriculture graduate student, I have learned to recognize the importance of gaining these experiences abroad. Learning how similar and different our culture is to others is a great way to promote understanding and acceptance worldwide.
After lunch, we were able to hop onto a boat for a river tour on the Main River. We had a great time chatting and relaxing on the deck while learning about the local buildings and bridges, which were covered in very elaborate graffiti.
After the tour we headed back toward the train station but stopped for a few minutes to look around a local chapel. Just as we were leaving, a wedding party was starting to convene at the front steps of the church.
Once we arrived back at the train station, we had a few hours to regroup, clean up, and prepare for the next leg of our journey … Frankfurt, Germany, to Johannesburg, South Africa!
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