Europe has always been a place that I wished to travel, and Germany was at the very top of my list. Starting in high school I started to learn the language but studying abroad was the first time I was able to apply my knowledge. Through the workshop with TU Dortmund, I was able to converse with native speakers, network with university faculty, and form lifelong friendships with students.

The actual workshops were invaluable to my time abroad. Walking tours in the Netherlands were great for being able to see the cities we visited, but it was within these workshops in both Germany and Greece that we were able to foster connections and apply what we have learned in our planning classes to a European setting.

In Dortmund we worked with students to design a park for IGA 2027 (Internationale Gartenausstellung), an international garden exhibition, next being hosted in the Ruhrgebiet, a region quite similar to the midwestern US, with our rust belt cities. My team came together with a presentation that included a solar garden with strawberry plants, an observation tower in the middle of the park, and a zipline for a fun mode of transportation around the park. Already some MSU students are planning a return to Dortmund in 2027 to see how IGA changes the study area of the Kokerei Hansa.

While we didn’t have a workshop in the Netherlands, we spent our time touring around many different cities within the week. First, we started in Amsterdam, then we travelled to Den Haag where we would take day trips to Delft, Utrecht, and Rotterdam. Through these trips we were able to see how the Netherlands planned to keep all of their cities connected, while also dealing with a housing crisis and their constant battle with sea level rise.

Thessaloniki was the last leg of our 3-week adventure, and by far the tastiest. Greek food is packed with flavor at a relatively low cost, with free dessert included after most meals. The Greek students were extremely welcoming, teaching us basic phrases and showing us the best spots to eat and enjoy the beautiful weather. Our workshop was centered around planning in the Central Business District (CBD) that has seen a trend of shops closing since the 70’s. Within my group's study area, there were ruins of Byzantine walls and old churches and cisterns, as well as a bustling cat colony who made the area their home.

Studying abroad was an incredibly fulfilling experience where I was able to make new friends and become much closer to peers in my cohort. I’m incredibly grateful that I was able to go and I hope to travel again soon!

Name: Tess Chargo
Status: 2nd Year Master’s Student
Major: Urban and Regional Planning
Hometown: Rochester Hills, Michigan
Program: European Planning and Practice