Fifth-year environmental science student Karina Silbermann has always felt a strong connection to Germany, with indestructible familial ties and swells of belonging tethering her to Deutschland from her hometown of Novato, California. Learn how she fell in love with studying aquatic ecosystems, overcame her distaste for beer and embraced the power of postcards during her year abroad in Konstanz.
Where did you study and why did you choose this particular country for your study abroad program?
During my year abroad, I studied in Konstanz, Germany. I chose Germany because my mother grew up in Germany. I have traveled there multiple times to visit family, and it made me so happy seeing my mother light up where she felt most at home. I also felt oddly safe and at peace each time I visited Germany. I made it a life goal to learn German and saw this as my best opportunity to.
What class(es) or research did you complete while abroad and for how long?
During my first semester abroad, I took multiple German courses such as Grammar, German through film, Germany and the world and a phonetics course. During my second semester, I completed an internship with the Limnological Institute connected to the University of Konstanz. I studied plankton ecology in Lake Constance.
How did you fund your study abroad experience?
I have a scholarship at NAU that covers my tuition and transferred over and covered my tuition while abroad. I also received the Baden-Württemberg Scholarship, where I received 700 euros a month, which covered my housing expenses and some university fees. Living abroad is also much more affordable than living in Flagstaff. Rent was half the price, groceries were cheap and I did not worry about transportation as I had a bike and a bus pass. I had also saved up the summer before to have some extra spending money.
What aspects of your host country do you find the most different from your home country, and why?
I could understand the difference between Germany and the U.S. not when I first traveled to Germany but when I returned home to the U.S. First and foremost, I would say people interact with each other differently, especially in a public setting. Germans keep very much to themselves. For example, if you are on public transport or in line at the grocery store, you will rarely find people who do not know each other conversing. But in the U.S., it is very common to make small talk with folks around you, such as in line at a coffee shop, friendly vendors at the local farmers market or your waitress at a restaurant. Germans do not understand the concept of small talk, and some even confided in me that they find it annoying and pointless, especially if you are never to see that person again like your cashier at the store.
Americans can perceive Germans as cold and rude if they do not talk to you, but for them, that is just their culture. I personally enjoy both American friendliness and German solitary lifestyles. There is a time and place for both outgoing American conversationalists and withdrawn German personalities. I have definitely learned that Germans are not rude. It is just their culture.
Tell us about your favorite—and least favorite—dish abroad.
This may not be a dish, but it is one of the most well-known parts of German culture: beer. Everyone drinks beer on almost any occasion. It’s a nice day outside? Let’s go to the beer garden! It’s been a tough day? Let’s go grab a beer! Went on a nice bike ride? Let’s go get a beer!
A beer has the potential for almost any situation. Yet, I absolutely despise the taste of beer, and yes, I tried a lot because my friends begged me to take at least a sip each time we went out, promising that this time, I would like it. But I never did, which surprisingly made me sad a few times. I felt left out in the “Prost!” where everyone cheers or not being a part of a social drink, but it’s alright because everyone still made me feel included and didn’t make too much fun of me.
I simply cannot choose a favorite dish. Growing up, my mother would cook German food all the time—spätzle, bratwurst, weißwurst, sauerkraut, rouladen, greißbrei and the list goes on. Every time I ate traditional German food on campus, in my apartment, at an event or at a restaurant, it would make me so happy because it, ironically enough, reminded me of my home back in California with my mother. Also, all the food is delicious to me.
Being away from home can be challenging. How have you dealt with homesickness and maintained connections with loved ones?
Something I did while abroad was every time I explored a new city or country, I would get several postcards and write about my experience in that city or country or whatever little trip I was on and send them out as soon as possible. It was a fun little activity that kept me connected to my friends and family, and I know they enjoyed them because it is much more personal to handwrite something and send it in the mail. It really shows your appreciation and dedication to that one person. And when I returned home, all my friends and family were so excited to show me all the postcards I had sent them. My mom has them on the fridge and my best friend has them all pinned to her wall, saying they were her favorite things she owns, and it fills my heart with so much joy.
I probably wrote more than 50 postcards while abroad, and now that I have returned to the U.S., I have written postcards to my friends who stayed in Europe and they have sent some to me. I find handwritten letters and notes more special than any email, text or voicemail I could ever receive. During my last months in Germany, my entire family traveled to Washington D.C. and I received a postcard from them. I realized it was the first postcard I had ever received from someone, even though I had sent hundreds of letters and postcards in my life. It brought me to tears. I was so happy. If one postcard could make me feel so loved, I know mine also make my loved ones feel appreciated and thought of.
How has this study abroad experience influenced your personal, academic and career goals? Has it opened up new possibilities or changed your direction?
My time abroad has definitely influenced my own personal development as well as my academic and career goals. Living in another country, experiencing new landscapes, ideas, beliefs, cultures, languages and having an internship changes your outlook on life for sure, especially if you are an open-minded person like me.
Being an international student, you are also surrounded by other international students who come from all over the place, and living in a multicultural setting created a sense of awe and excitement for me. Getting to delve into different cultures and hearing different languages daily made me really happy. Traveling from Germany to Italy to Sweden to France to England and so on, the difference in cultures is shocking.
For example, I don’t enjoy the outgoing and extroverted personalities of Spanish and Italian cultures and really enjoy the more quiet and calm atmospheres of German and Scandinavian countries. I also enjoy the green, environmental outlook of German and Scandinavian countries. They really care about the environment and make an effort to help the planet. They are also very outdoorsy people and appreciate being outside and enjoying nature. Germans love to leave their windows open and “luften” so fresh air can come into the room and it isn’t as stuffy. Hiking, swimming, walking, paddle boarding and other outdoor activities are much more popular than going to the gym.
I completed an internship with the Limnological Institute that is part of the university and studied plankton ecology. Taking part in an internship that involved Lake Constance, the lake that the city Constance resided on, was also eye opening. Being immersed in a very different academic environment gave me a new perspective on school and future career opportunities. I really enjoy their work-life balance in Germany. My peers and supervisors were extremely hard workers and focused on their work, but when it was time for a break or to go swimming in the lake if we needed some fresh air, they were solely focused on being in the moment and enjoying their time off, too. It was great separating work from life and doing it alongside coworkers. We’d get lunch together or dinner or go swimming on a hot afternoon. It’s given me a new standard for how I would like my future to look like one day, as it is extremely enjoyable.
My internship has also entirely changed my career and academic goals. I always knew I wanted to work outside and in the environmental field, but after working with aquatic ecosystems and living by a lake, I have entirely geared my studies and job applications toward aquatic-based jobs and research. I am so excited to finally have narrowed down my interests and to pursue something that makes me excited for the future.