Germany

My first visit to Germany came when I traveled to Munich to cover a professional tennis tournament for a magazine. One of my closest friends growing up in San Diego, Lucas, had been an exchange student from Munich, so I stayed with him and his family while I was there. Living just outside the city, surrounded by forests and greenery, they showed me a side of Germany I never would have experienced as a typical tourist. Between exploring Munich’s lively beer gardens and beautiful parks, I quickly understood why it’s considered one of Germany’s most livable cities.

As a relatively inexperienced traveler, I was still learning the local customs, and Germany quickly taught me one I wouldn’t forget. I discovered that buying a train ticket isn’t enough. You also have to validate it before boarding. After forgetting to do so, I was stopped by ticket inspectors and handed a hefty fine, an expensive lesson I never repeated.

The following year, I returned to Germany while backpacking across Europe during my gap year, visiting Cologne, home to its magnificent Gothic cathedral, and the former capital of Bonn, the birthplace of Beethoven. Germany may not always top people’s European bucket lists, but it’s a country I’ve always enjoyed visiting.