Wow....this past week was amazing!
On Tuesday, we had a Case Competition, where 4 groups competed against each other to solve a real-world problem. The problem pertained to BMW and Brexit, and the problem was extremely interesting. My group managed to finish tied for first!

We didn't have class Wednesday or Thursday, so a few of us capitalized on this free time!

We bought tickets and travelled to Neuschwanstein Castle on Wednesday. This castle, the third and most fantasy-like castle built by King Ludwig II, was used by Walt Disney as inspiration for Sleeping Beauty's Castle in Disneyland, CA. The trek up to the bridge across from the castle was a long one, but it was absolutely worth it! This castle is one of the most beautiful sights I've seen while on this trip!

On Thursday, we went to the BMW World. This building houses display models of all the current BMW, Mini, and Rolls Royce cars the BMW Group is currently producing, some of which you can even sit in! We were fortunate enough to catch the last day of their "100 Years into the Future" Concept Cars display, which was CRAZY! These cars were incredible.

Seeing the i vehicles, like the BMW i8, was also a major highlight. Additionally, we received a tour where we were shown the underground area, where they house vehicles that are going to be presented to their new owners. Overall, I LOVED BMW World!

 For Saturday, we had scheduled trips to Obersalzberg and Salzburg. Obersalzburg is where Adolf Hitler built a major Nazi complex during his time in power, and we received a detailed tour of what the Obersalzberg area was like during WWII, as well as detailed information about the Third Reich. The most interesting part of this was the tour of the underground bunker system built. Seeing Obersalzberg, as morbid as the area may be, was nonetheless intriguing.

After lunch at Obersalzberg, we arrived in Salzburg. It was beautiful! Some friends and I explored the city, stopping into shops while admiring the gorgeous architecture of the town. As small as Salzburg is, its definitely an experience I am glad I had!

Today, a group of us are planning to tour Allianz Arena, where Bayern Munich plays soccer.

Cannot believe I am entering my last week in Munich!

Week 3 in Munich is in the books!

In addition to continuing my interesting classes, I got to see so much this week.
It was a beautiful day outside on Tuesday, so after class, I went to the English Gardens to capitalize. After sitting in the sun and reading, I rejoined the group for our first company visit. We went to BMW, and were given a extensive behind-the-scenes tour of the Production Plant. I saw all of the automated machinery that made the front, back, and floor of BMW's SUVs. This tour was absolutely incredible!

The fun continued on Wednesday, where my fellow classmates and I participated in a dinner cooking event. Different teams made different courses, and the food included: lamb patties, beef patties, potato salad, soup, and ice cream. Dinner really does taste better when you make it with friends!

On Saturday, we visited Lake Chiemsee! After having a fantastic lunch on Frauenchiemsee, we took a ferry to Herrenchiemsee to visit another palace built by King Ludwig II. This palace, Herreninsel, was intriguing because it was modeled after the Palace of Versailles. There was even a model of the famous Hall of Mirrors! After a tour, and exploring the grounds, we made our way back to Munich after the long day.

Cannot wait for this week of classes, as well as the trips that are scheduled. Stay tuned!

We had our first trip this weekend! I got to see Linderhof Palace, which is 1 of 3 of King Ludwig II's palaces, and was the only one finished before his death. The Palace and its' grounds were absolutely gorgeous! The Palace has 5 main rooms, which were all elegant. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take any pictures of the inside.

After visiting Linderhof, I rode an alpine coaster in the Swiss Alps. This was a great way to finish our trip!
Looking forward to another week of classes!

One of my biggest fears about coming to Munich was how it would affect my nutrition/fitness. I eat a very specific way, and like to hit the gym almost every day. I knew that being in Munich would vastly inhibit my ability to maintain this lifestyle completely.

Sure enough, I did not sign up for a gym membership here, nor have I been able to eat as healthy as I would like. I struggled with this for the past week, but then asked myself: Why let something like this ruin your month-long visit in Munich?

I'm only in Munich for a month, I might as well enjoy it! Free pretzel? Sure! Beer sampling? Absolutely! Heavy Bavarian cuisine? In moderation! I can only worry about what I can control. I've ordered/made salads when possible, and that's ok with me!

I've been lucky enough to make Munich my gym. I've used local parks, streets, and even the hotel hallways to get early-morning workouts in! It's been a great change of routine/scenery. Come on, who wouldn't love knocking out an early Tabata in this setting?

Making all these compromises, and working with what I have been given, has truly made me appreciate the healthy lifestyle I try to maintain. I workout because I want to, not because I have to. I eat healthy when I want to, not because I have to. This lesson, in addition to my class lessons, is among the things I hope to bring back to the US with me!

These first couple of days in Munich have been an experience to say the least! After landing on Tuesday morning, I spent the rest of the day meeting the other students on the trip. We all get along well, and spent the rest of the day adjusting to the 6 hour time change! We went to Augustiner, a famous Munich brewery (1 of 6), and had a great German meal.

On Wednesday, we toured downtown Munich. Marienplatz is the central hub of the city, where a lot of cool sites are located. On top of the historical sites, there are also numerous shops and restaurants as well.

We finished the night with our Welcome Dinner, where we joined our professors at an Augustiner for a fantastic traditional German meal!

Thursday was our first day at the beautiful engineering building on the University of Applied Sciences Munich campus! We were treated to white sausages, lebercäse, and other traditional Bavarian breakfast foods. Our first class was a lesson on the dense German history from the 1940s-1980s.

So far, Munich is great! I cannot wait to see what the rest of the trip holds!