If you see someone walking around campus with an abnormally large backpack, there’s a likely chance it was me. Rather than go home to California for a few weeks, I chose to fly directly from Chicago to backpack Western Europe before finally settling in Berlin for 8 weeks. While walking around campus on my last day here, many of my friends were astounded that I am only taking a singular, crammed, North Face backpack filled with just the necessities. Many of my friends called me crazy for having to live out of a backpack for nearly 3 months in Europe but I don’t mind. I have gained this curious, venturesome mindset where I am ready to tackle the long journey ahead. This is my first time on the European Continent and the image I’ve conjured is based on the interactions I’ve had via media. It excites me to now be able to experience Europe first hand and all the culture and history that comes with it. From this experience I hope not to be a foreign tourist who just takes photos and parties while abroad, but become a student to the German culture and heritage and aim to just learn about something completely alien.