First Few Days in Germany
We arrived at Stuttgart on Friday morning. Germany was nothing like I expected. The train tracks, the graffiti on the wall, and the greyish house color tone weren’t what I had in mind. Our first event of the day was dinner with the Head City Planner of Stuttgart, Thorsten Donn. This was a great dinner filled with many interesting conversations and a nice night tour around the city.
The next day we headed straight to the Mercedes-Benz Museum which was by far my favorite field trip. The museum had a lot more than I had expected. I liked how the museum was set up in a way that felt like you were time-traveling through a different era. The top floor was dedicated to the history of Karl Benz and his desire to make a type of transportation that would work on air, water, and land (hence the 3 points on the logo). As you made your way to the bottom, it showcased major events that transformed the way Mercedes is today. It wasn’t until today that I learned that Mercedes produced police cars, firefighter trucks, ambulances, trucks, coach buses, etc. Apart from just displaying the cars and explaining their significance, the museum also included other historic moments. I saw some posters about the king of rock, Elvis Presley, the iconic boy band, The Beatles, The Titanic, the rise of the bellbottoms and so much more. This museum was very interactive and portrayed what Mercedes-Benz was and is.
From there, we headed straight to Stuttgart 21, the railway project that has been in the works for a while with its goal of increasing its usage capacity all while shortening the train rides. This field trip was very educational and fun! I learned so much about the pros and cons of the railway and how they are constantly monitoring their everyday movement. Hearing that each lizard costs about 2,000–4,000 euros to safely evacuate and their concerns about taking down the trees really demonstrated how environmentally friendly they are taking this project. The tour didn’t end there. We had the opportunity to see the tunnel in its works. We were suited up in a red vest, with a helmet, radio, and red boots. It was giving “Work from Home” by Fifth Harmony featuring Ty Dolla Sign.
The following day, we headed straight to the Porsche Museum. This was a guided museum which was nice. We were able to see the transformation from the first car to the newest car. This was very car-centric in comparison to the Mercedes one. Seeing the cars throughout the different years and the attention to every detail was great!
From there, we went to Tübingen which was by far my favorite! I felt like a trespasser from the start. The houses, the environment, and the people looked and felt very close-knit. So, when I was walking around, I felt like I was invading their privacy. The way the houses were set up and the playgrounds really reminded me of Guatemala. Back home, the houses are very simple and aren’t modern at all. There is so much greenery all around and hearing the birds chirp brought back some memories. Seeing the young children play with their scooters, roller skates, and the sandlot was soo wholesome!! Seeing their red noses and little hats reminded me of how my younger cousins back home. Tübingen was like a little memory lane. What surprised me the most was the people living in the trailers and/or in the houses that were made up of what looked like scraps of metal. I have seen this in the past but being up close was a different level.
Something I learned but more so observed was that the bottle caps are a part of the bottles. There were multiple times in which I would try my very best to rip off the cap but couldn’t. It took me a while to realize that to help keep the streets clean, they attach the cap to the bottle, which is very smart! The USA needs to do better. In addition, the electricity is given and determined by inserting your key card into a slot. After 3 nights, I have seen how much energy my roomie and I have conserved. I am someone who typically leaves the lights on in every room regardless of whether it’s in use. However, being in Stuttgart I have been forced to keep my usage down.
#Stuttgart #FifthHarmony #SustainabilityROCKS
