Final Project
Final Reflections
Being Back
It feels really good to be back. There were so many things I missed about being home. I also feel like I have a sort of new or fresh mindset and I’m ready to begin new experiences. It feels comfortable, secure, and familiar.
Things I Miss
I miss the croissants we had at Harlaxton, the pretzels we had in Munich (at the farm and at the hotel), and the many different truffle things to try. I could search for more of these options here, maybe look for places with stronger English or German roots, and try these things at more places instead of sticking with the ones at home. I can try to make the pretzels we made at the farm since he gave me the recipe. I missed the greenspace that seemed to be everywhere compared to here in Cincinnati. I could start a garden. Lastly, I miss spending so much time with the other people in the program. Luckily, they’re almost all back here in Cincinnati so I can still do that if I plan for it.
Environmental History Reflection
During some of our classes in Harlaxton, we discussed transportation. We talked a little about it's purpose and evolution, how it affects where we live and go and how it's affected by it. During our trip to the London Transport Museum, we go to see exhibits that expanded on these ideas. We also talked about hinterlands and where our food comes from and why. We expanded on this discussion and saw some of it firsthand during our trip to the Herrmannsdorfer Farm.
General Reflection
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Skills I’ve Gained
Independence. This trip was the longest I’ve ever been without being physically around my family and usual friend group. There were also a couple times in London and Munich where I had to make small, quick trips on my own.
Communication. I think this trip helped us improve our communication in a way as it forced us to adjust our forms of communication for those who didn’t speak the same way, or even the same language, that we do. In Munich, I went to Tosto for pizza four times in the six days we were there and would order from someone that didn’t speak English.
Intercultural Competence. We were put in cultures different from our own. We were in places where people aren’t so open to talking to people they don’t know. We went to restaurants where they were much less willing to adjust food items for diners. We were in places where they handled waste differently (especially in Harlaxton where it was very difficult to find recycling, but they measured their food waste. There were plenty of other differences in the culture, even just between England and Germany, but we navigated them.
Adaptability. There were things that didn’t go according to plan (like getting kicked out of the Generator a day early), but we managed and we got in some practice with adapting to our environment and changes in our plans.
Planning. Since we were on our own to figure out how to get to certain places and what to do on our free days, the program helped us work on our planning skills.
Design Thinking Reflection
In the places we stayed during the program, especially in Munich, the bike lanes were a lot more widespread than they are here. They were more often a part of the sidewalk, whereas here they often share the road with cars. I think if we used or built on their use of bike lanes more here, it would improve our sustainability.
We talked a little in class about how we all noticed somewhat of a desire to waste less food because of the sign displaying the amount of food waste. There were a couple other places we went to during our trip where food waste was separate from other waste. I think we could expand on the separation and measuring of food waste to encourage our communities to waste less.