WJU 2015: Bavaria and Austria

It is time again for the Wheeling Jesuit University History 
Department's annual May trip. 26 students, alumni, and faculty left May 12 for a nine day trip through Central Europe, with stops in Munich, Nuremberg, and Salzburg. As is our usual practice, the blog will be updated by history students describing their experiences and impressions of the trip. Our initial post for this year's trip follows after the jump.

 
The morning started early at 6:45 A. M. for the Wheeling Jesuit students, alumni, and teachers as we began our full day journey to Munich. Many were excited, and others were nervous because this was the first time they had flown. One thing that is consistently  positive on these trips was made evident when  some undergraduates were reunited with their friends who have already graduated. Naturally, this reunion led to many conversations, laughs, and expectations of the trip. On the Wheeling Jesuit charter bus many of the students tried to catch up on the sleep they may have lost because of their excitement about the trip.

The bus ride was quick and smooth, and halfway through the trip we stopped and had a quick lunch. We owe a big thanks to our driver Denny Grimm and the university's Erin Ball for securing our transportation and bringing us safely to Newark. After we arrived at the airport, the hustle and bustle definitely kept us moving, but the late individual arrival of other passengers on other flights delayed ours by some 25 minutes.

    Once in the air, the takeoff was rough and felt like 'The Jackrabbit' rollercoaster at Kennywood. The movies and television shows provided by the airline helped the time pass quickly, but the food didn't quite hit the spot. We landed and finished the rollercoaster ride much like we started it, and made our way into Frankfurt airport. We passed through customs and soon after found breakfast, which for many of us were homemade doughnuts. Small children may have cried on the plane, and we all may have been lacking in sleep, but the travel will be well worth the gains in knowledge, cultural adventure, and friendships that we will all make during the trip.