The most important thing studying in Germany taught me is that there is no better time to travel then the present. I was perfectly situated in the heart of Europe to be able to go anywhere I wanted. I took a roadtrip through central Europe and visited Prague, Auschwitz, Cracow, Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna. Each city was like a little bite out of another world. It felt like a slideshow, where everyplace had it’s own food, culture, clothes, architecture and style. I had never met so many fascinating and different people in my life. One woman told me about her life in the Jewish quarters during WWII and another man about how he made a living selling gluhwein on the streets during the winter. It really opened up my eyes to how life really could go any which way. When you leave the Willamette bubble you shouldn’t limit your future to what you think is expected. There are so many options out there waiting for you that you couldn’t possible imagine now. When I got back from the trip I realized for the first time how constricted my thinking was. I used every last weekend of my time then in Germany to go out and see new places and meet new people. I suddenly knew that this way of living would always be something I desired.