First step into Germany ... Frankfurt am Main

About three years ago, I met Sabrina from Germany. She was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar from Germany and studying at IU Law - Indianapolis. Who knew that meeting her would change my life forever. Not only did I become interested in studying abroad, but I started to become familiar with Rotary International and all of the humanitarian projects that it is involved in.




Naturally, making a trip to visit her and her family was on my list of priorities. This was the beginning of a week long trip in Germany. I took the train from Holland to Frankfurt am Main, the economic capital of Europe, and the home of the European Central Bank. Frankfurt am Main is also known as Frankfurt Mainhatten for its New York City looking skyline. Not many cities in Europe have such a skyline as those in the U.S.






I visited Frankfurt and saw many of the "tall" skyscrapers. We went atop Maintower, the second tallest building in Frankfurt, which is one of the tallest in Europe. It was an amazing 54 floors! The Chase Tower in Indianapolis is 48 floors, and no one would consider that tall at all. But Europe has it historic buildings and deep rooted culture.

After a day in the city, we went out to Rudesheim, a town in the Rhine River Valley. Germany truly is a beautiful country lined with mountains, rivers, and vineyards. It's definitely a contrast to Holland, which is very flat (much like Indiana). Sabrina, her parents, and I walked along the vineyards, enjoyed the grapes, and later went wine tasting. I saw the historic monument commemorating the victory of the Germans against the French in some long historic battle. The view into the valley was beautiful. With the vineyards and wineries, I would compare this part of Germany to California's Napa Valley.

My classmates ... EBL Class of 2008!!

After one year, my classmates and I are going to know each other extremely well! With only 11 of us in our program ... Masters of Advanced Legal Studies (LL.M. Adv.) in European Business Law ... how can we not. It's a very diverse group with people from all parts of the world ... the US, Germany, Russia, China, Taiwan, South Africa, Turkey, and England.

We see each other not only in class, but outside of class as well. We are participating in the European Law Moot Court Competition so hopefully we'll be traveling and defending our briefs. Throughout my tenure in Europe, you'll see many of these faces.

First trip to Amsterdam

Being in Leiden and only a half hour away from Amsterdam, I knew that I would be making many trips throughout my stay in Holland. My first true exploration trip included Jaime and her friend, Andy. Jaime and I know each other from back home in Indiana. If you recall, you sometimes see us both in the IUPUI Graduate Studies commercials on TV.

Amsterdam is an amazing city. It's lined with beautiful canals and filled with tourists trying to find the Van Gogh Museum or the Anne Frank House. We did a variety of activities, but definitely didn't get to do it all. It's ok with me, since I have the rest of the year to discover the rest of Amsterdam.

It's a small world ... my trip to Lithuania

The world, truly, is a very small place, especially with today's technology. As a result, it is evermore important to understand different cultures, ethnicities, and customs, as we all live side by side and we are all effected by each others' actions.

From my years in law school at IU, I had the pleasure to meet many people from different cultures and backgrounds. I worked and tried hard to ensure that their time in Indiana was a pleasant one, as this was the best marketing that the State could have ... personal interaction. It would be these future leaders in their countries that would remember Indiana and its people.

About two years ago, I had the opportunity to meet Adam, who was from Lithuania. He actually ended up to be one of my roommates. A very smart guy, he graduated top of his class in Lithuania and turned down many lucrative offers in Lithuania to come to the US and continue his studies. He had a pleasant time in Indiana, and it was now time for me to sample a bit of his home country.

Adam, who took the New York Bar Exam, and works in Chicago, was taking time off to visit his family in Vilnius, Lithuania. Since I was in Europe, what a perfect meeting point for me to see him as well as experience his home country.

I spent 4 days in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, and had an amazing time. It's a beautiful city with much progress, and at the same time, much remains from the old Soviet times. The land is rolling, not flat like Holland, with forested hills and rivers. The countryside is beautifully lined with old cottages.

I even tried to visit the Rotary club in Vilnius, but unfortunately, the club was not meeting in the summer.









Trakai is an ancient castle. There was a festival going on the same day!



This is the geographic center of Europe!!

It's undergrad all over again!!

When I was planning to make this trip of a lifetime, I promised myself to get immersed in Dutch life as much as I can. Everyone knows the saying, "When in Rome, ..." Well, when in Holland, do what the Dutch do, so since Dutch students join Student Associations, so did I.

In America, when we think of Student Associations, we think of Tennis Club, Chess Club, Debate Club, etc. Not in Holland. I am now a member of Quintus, a national Student Association of Dutch students and alumni. Yes, a Student Association is equivalent to America's Greek Life.

However, it's not exactly the same. In Holland, the Student Association is co-ed, and then the students divide up into smaller groups. It is the smaller group that acts more like a fraternity or sorority. They throw parties, have specially designed shirts, etc. As you can see, it didn't take me long to figure out how Dutch life really is.

I credit my discovery to the people I have met. My Dutch "buddy" (a/k/a mentor), Marijke (the girl wearing glasses), introduced me to her friend, who was a member of Quintus. After much discussion, I knew I just had to be a member. Below, you can see pictures of my new Dutch friends and fraternity brothers.





Not only have I joined a Dutch Student Association, but living in, literally, a dorm room brings back memories of good ol' IU!! Yes, A DORM ROOM!! Most all of you know, for the past 3 years, I've had the amazing time of living in a house in downtown Indianapolis. I LOVE my home, and going from a 3 bedroom home to just a room is interesting. But as you can see, everything fits ... so far.

Kamerlingh Onnes Gebouw, Faculteit der Rechtsgeleerdheid - Leiden University Faculty of Law

This is the Faculty of Law where I will be taking classes and spending much of my time. I will be obtaining a Masters of Advanced Legal Studies in European Business Law (LL.M. Adv.). It's sound really fancy, so I am sure they made a mistake admitting me into this program. In fact, the law school at Leiden is considered to be the best law school in the country. Since Harvard or Yale denied my admission, at least I'm attending the number one school somewhere in the world! Just joking ... GO HOOSIERS & GO JAGS!! :)

It's a very modern building with all of the most recent technologies. I am sure I'll enjoy my time in Leiden.

Leiden, Netherlands

Leiden is an amazing college town. It is the home to Leiden University, the oldest Dutch university. Since my time at Indiana University-Bloomington was so amazing, I chose Leiden for it's location in a small college town. As you can see from the pictures, it is very beautiful, lined with canals and shops along the road and alleyways. People from all over come to Leiden to visit and enjoy its beauty and small town offerings.

Everything is accessible by walking. In these past few days, and for the next year, I have walked more than I ever have. It's great exercise, and actually enjoyable to be among the city's life.

I have discovered the supermarkets, university buildings, and city shops. In these next few posts, you'll get a glimpse of what Leiden looks like.