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A magazine exploring the five months I spent studying abroad in Trier, Germany. My feature article describes my experience participating in an experimental design workshop in Belgium. My department details an average day as an exchange student in Trier, giving tips and tricks about surviving life abroad.
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1 ALLES GUT
ALLES GUTLES MODES DESIGN // THE MOUTAINEER
NEW PERSPECTIVES // INTERNATIONAL LOVE
2012
FOOD CULTURE FASHION TRAVELS
INTERNATIONALLOVE DÉLA BREYNE
ONE WALLFLOWER +
FIFTEEN KIDS FROM THE EUROZONE =
A TRANSFORMATIVE WEEK IN DELIRIOUS LIÈGE.
PLAYMOBIL FIGURES | LIÈGE, BE04.13.12
25 ALLES GUT
I’ve always been quiet. In fact, that’s the thing people usually
notice first about me. Ever since I can remember I’ve been
teased about just how little I talk. In grade school my teachers’
number one complaint was that I didn’t participate or assert
myself enough. Starting when I was very little and continuing
in to adulthood, I’ve had anxiety about meeting new people
and being in unfamiliar social situations. All my life I just ac-
cepted this as the way things were. I almost always turned down
party invitations and hardly ever tried to seek out new friend
groups. I just assumed that’s the way I was, a hopeless introvert.
The problem was though, I wasn’t. When I was at ho-
meor with my best friends I always wanted to be the
center of attention. I loved cracking jokes and goof-
ing around. I loved voicing my opinion in our family dis-
cussions and not backing down when I was challenged.
When I moved to Trier, Germany, I kept this same misguided
assumption about myself. I talked to my family and friends back
home but since I didn’t anticipate making a lot of friends, I fo-
cused on school. The first month, I spent a lot of nights alone in
my room. I met a girl that lived in my dorm and we did a few things
together. But as far as being a part of a big social group, I just
shied away. I was content sharing time with this one friend how-
ever, I couldn’t help the feeling that I was missing out on more.
I didn’t really know any of the Europeans I was going to school
with, but I could never get up the courage to start a conversation.
As always, I just got nervous.
DESIGN BUILDING | TRIER, DE07.25.12
PORTA NIGRA | TRIER, DE03.07.12
But any time I got out of my comfort zone, something shifted.
I got so nervous around other people that
I COULD HARDLY GET A WORD OUT.
All of that changed when our class travelled to Liège, Belgium
for an experimental design workshop. Students and instruc-
tors from nine different countries gathered to work simulta-
neously on independent and group art projects. At first I did
what I’ve always done and focused on my work, choosing to
create a project by myself. However within the first few days
of the trip, something in me changed. For whatever reason,
I made the conscious decision to let go of my neurosis and just
start saying yes.
For those two weeks, all of the international students lived in the
same hostel, ate all of our meals in the same cafeteria, worked
at the Academy all day together and socialized as a mas-
sive group at night. We had the common enemies of crappy
food, early mornings, and obnoxious teachers. Soon we were
all closely bonded.
My American friend and I became closest with the Architec-
ture and Design students from Trier and the group of Irish
Landscape Architect students form University College Dub-
lin. Right from the start they were some of the nicest, most
genuine people I’d ever met. They were all so accepting and
inclusive. They didn’t care who we were, they just wanted to
have a good time and they wanted us to be a part of it.
WE HAD THE COMMON ENEMIES OF
CRAPPY FOOD, EARLY MORNINGS, AND
OBNOXIOUS TEACHERS.
SOON WE WERE
ALL CLOSELY BONDED.
JUST SAY YES
“PLACE OF LOVE” | LIÈGE, BE04.10.12
CIGARETTE AD | LIÈGE, BE04.13.12
// INTERNATIONAL LOVE27 ALLES GUT
LEO TOLSTOY
EVERYONE THINKS OF CHANGING
THE WORLD, BUT NO ONE THINKS
OF CHANGING HIMSELF.
29 ALLES GUT
MEUSE RIVER BY NIGHT | LIÈGE, BE04.11.12
FAMILYI KEPT GETTING THE FEELING THAT I’D KNOWN
THEM BEFORE, LIKE I SHOULD’VE GROWN UP
WITH THEM EVEN THOUGH WE WERE BORN
ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE PLANET.
MARIONETTES | LIÈGE, BE04.10.12
31 ALLES GUT
I found it so amazing that over such a short time, I became so
incredibly close to these kids. They felt like family. I had more
fun with them running around the eccentric city of Liège then
I’d had my whole life. I kept getting the feeling that I’d known
them all before, like I should’ve grown up with them even though
we were born on opposite sides of the planet. Around them
I could be myself. My natural state of happy, bubbly, sarcastic
Déla was able to come out quicker with them than it ever had
with anyone else.
Our new friendships with the Germans and Irish didn’t end af-
ter we went home to Trier. The kids who lived in Trier became
our core group of friends that we hung out with on a daily basis.
One of our closest friends, Rainer, even invited us to his par-
ent’s house for regular movie nights. And we always used “The
Anns’ House” as a gathering place for dinner parties.
Our two closest Irish friends Richy and Joe visited us in Trier
about a month after Liège. We stayed with them when we went
to Dublin and vacationed with Richy in Barcelona. I began a
particularly special relationship with Joe, that started in Liège
and continued throughout the summer culminating in a visit
to his hometown in Cork, Ireland.
If I had never met Joe, Richy, Rainer, Thomas, Lisa, Lea, Jo-
anna, Andy, Karen, Collie, Christine, Ben, Ann, Anne, or Max
in Liège, I would never have know that side of myself. The
side of me that’s capable of having conversations with strang-
ers, dancing on tables, or taking an international holiday on a
whim. Without even trying to or knowing it, they showed me
that you’re only limited by the box you put yourself in.
Without even trying to or knowing it,
they showed me that you’re only
limited by the box you put yourself in.
// INTERNATIONAL LOVE
FIGURINE | LIÈGE, BE04.13.12
You would think, of anyone in the world, you should know yourself the best, but that’s
just not always true. If you get it in to your head that you are a certain way, you could
make yourself blind to some pretty stellar opportunities. If you allow yourself
to believe the stereotype that other people have created about you, you’re
going to miss out on a lot of amazing experiences just because it’s not
something you would usually do. I’ll be the first to admit it wasn’t easy
at first. I had to purposely put myself in social situations that I had
been used to running away from my whole life. But by doing
things I never thought I would enjoy doing, I changed my
life forever for the better.
CIRCUS | LIÈGE, BE04.13.12
33 ALLES GUT
FOR THE BETTER
// INTERNATIONAL LOVE
EXHIBIT OPENING | LIÈGE, BE04.18.12
PASCAL AT THE FLEA MARKET | LIÈGE, BE04.15.12
/ / I CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER
A DAY INTH LIFE
ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCES ARE PLENTIFUL IN
THIS SWEET LITTLE GERMAN TOWN, BUT HERE’S AN
AVERAGE DAY AS AN EX-PAT IN TRIER, GERMANY.
DÉLA BREYNE
61 ALLES GUT
9:00
WAKE UPGrab a cup of tea or coffee, maybe some toast with
Nutella and off you go to school. The classes are all
taught in German so be sure you have clear communica-
tion with your professor to get the information you need.
If your professor speaks English, meet with him after
class, if not, make friends with a German student who
can translate for you.
DESIGN BUILDING | TRIER, DE07.01.12
12:00
CITY CENTER
BALDWIN OF LUXEMBOURG | TRIER, DE06.12.12
After class make your way to the city center. It’s where the ma-
jority of shops and restaurants are located as well as being a
beautiful area. You’ll see the Porta Nigra (the large Roman
gate at the begining of Simeonstrasse) practically everyday
because there’s always something you’ll need from town.
63 ALLES GUT
12:40
DEUTSCHE POSTKeeping in touch with friends and family back home is a great way to combat home sickness.
If a package from the States is too big to fit in your mailbox you’ll get a notice instructing you to
pick up your parcel directly from the post office. Getting letters is great because they’re so
much more personal than e-mails or Facebook messages. Being able to see the person’s
hand writing and their stationary is much more sentimental and it’s something you
can hold on to for a long time. By the same hand, your loved ones miss you
just as much and would love getting something from you too. Sending Ger-
man candy or knick knacks from the Euro Shop are an inexpensive
way to share your international adventures with others. Before you
leave for Europe, pick one person to send a postcard from ev-
ery country you travel to. It’s a fun way for them to track
your journey.
13:30
HAUPTBAHNHOF
In your travels you’ll more than likely travel by
train at some point. DB Bahn has a website to
book your journey but I always found it to be less
confusing to just go to the station. Most of the
people at the ticket counter speak English or will
find someone who does for you. Be sure to show
them your student ID card as there is a certain
distance surrounding Trier that you can get to
for free if you are a student.
// CULTURE
HAUPTBAHNHOF | TRIER, DE06.12.12
EUPHORIA
Loreen // Sweden
EASY
CRo // Germany
AI SE EU TE PEGO
Michel TelÓ // Brazil
LOCA PEOPLE
Sak Noel // Spain
RIVERSIDE
Sidney Samson // N.Lands
EINMAL UM DIE WELT
CRo // Germany
MIAMI 2 IBIZA
SHM // Sweden
YOUR GIRL
Kakkmaddafakka // Norway
TECHNO FAN
The Wombats // England
MIDNIGHT CITY
M83 // France
ALL MINE
Republic of Loose // Ireland
Some tracks to give you a beat to
bounce to as you explore Trier.
CULCHERA | TRIER, DE03.17.12
WANDERLUST
PLAYLIST
65 ALLES GUT
15:30
CULCHERA
The people of Trier take great pride in their ice cream.
Wherever you are in the city there’s probably somewhere
to get a frozen treat close by. Little old ladies walking
their dogs with a cone of gelato in one hand are a com-
mon sight. At Culchera you can get a cone for 80 cents,
an offer too good to pass up. If you’re looking for some-
thing a little more extravagant they also have specialty
dishes covered in a rainbow of fruits. It’s just as lovely to
look at as it is to eat.
15:00
HAUPTMARKTAfter running errands all day take some time to enjoy
your city. There’s lots to see in the Hauptmarkt, the cen-
ter of the city center. There’s usually produce, flowers
and other vendors around as well as street performers.
It’s a great place to enjoy a kebab and people watch.
DOM ST. PETER | TRIER, DE07.01.12
CITY CENTRE | TRIER, DE07.25.12
67 ALLES GUT
I TRAVEL NOT TO GO ANYWHERE,
BUT TO GO. I TRAVEL FOR
TRAVEL’S SAKE. THE GREAT
AFFAIR IS TO MOVE.
// CULTURE
KLAVIER AM PAULUSPLATZ | TRIER, DE07.25.12
ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON
18:00
MOSEL RIVER
Trier is located on the beautiful Mosel river. It’s a great place
to have a picnic and soak up the sun along its verdant banks.
All you have to do is buy a cheap disposable grill from the
Euro Shop, pick up some bratwurst from Netto, and call up the
homies for a laid back afternoon.
Studentenwohnheim Martinskloster is a student dormitory locat-
ed across the street from the Mosel river. It’s less like a tradition-
al American dorm and more like an apartment complex. The
buildings are situated around an enclosed courtyard. It’s only a
ten minute walk to the city center with easy access to the design
building and nearby restaurants along the river. The rooms are
quiet and cozy, the perfect space for late nights of school work.
Stop by for a quick rest before you head out again.
RAINER | TRIER, DE04.30.12
ABOVE: THOMAS, LEFT: MAX | TRIER, DE04.30.12
17:00
MARTINSKLOSTER
BRING YOUR OWN BAGS//In an effort to be eco-friendly and keep costs down, German
grocery stores do not provide grocery bags free of charge. Re-
usable canvas bags are usually your best bet. If you do forget,
then they have some there for purchase.
UNREFRIDGERATED EGGS//If you’re looking for eggs they won’t be in the dairy section.
More than likely they’ll be on a shelf near the register.
DON’T FORGET YOUR EMPTY BOTTLES//Germans are big on recycling. If you bring in your empty plas-
tic or glass bottles you can exchange them for cash at an easy
to use automated machine inside the store.
IT’S HARD TO MAKE TACOS//Mexican food isn’t as common in Europe as it is in the U.S.. If
you’re trying to make a Mexican dish, it’s much harder to find
the right cheese, tortillas, or correct seasonings.
EASY DOES IT//In Europe in general, big grocery stores are less prevelant. It’s
much more common to have smaller ones scattered around
the city, and there’s usually one within walking distance. You
wouldn’t buy a weeks worth of groceries at a time like you
might in the States. Instead you go every day or so and just get
what you need for your next meal
HAVE YOUR MONEY READY//Tax isn’t added on to prices in Germany so you should have a
rough idea of how much you’re going to pay before you get to
the counter. It can be a stressful experience if you’re not used
to using the Euro. Getting your money counted out ahead of
time can help you fumble less when the time comes to pay.
REMEMBER WHEN
GROCERY SHOPPING
MARTINSKLOSTER DORM | TRIER, DE06.17.12
A sincere thank you to University of Kansas Professor
Patrick Dooley and Fachhochschule Trier Professors
Andreas Hogan, Anna Bulanda-Pantalacci, and Edmund
Zeltinger for their support and guidance while abroad in
Trier. Without help from the faculty and students at both
schools, this magazine would not have been possible.
THANK YOU AND GOOD BYE
DANKE SCHÖN UNDAUF WIEDERSEHEN