My name is Joshua King and I am a senior at The College of Charleston majoring in biology and minoring in German studies. My host program for this study abroad program is Cultural Vistas. I chose this program on the recommendation of my German language professor Herr Della Lana. This program includes a month of intensive German language study which was a major deciding factor in my decision to apply because I am determined to become fluent in speaking the language. I believe it is critical to immerse yourself daily in a foreign language if you truly want to develop fluency so choosing a program that would afford me not just a language instruction course but also an opportunity to live and intern for two months aligned perfectly with my goals. Other goals I have set for myself during this study abroad include seeing as much history as possible such as memorials, churches, castles, and museums. In addition to my love for German history I am also looking forward to getting out and experiencing nature on my trip. I would love an opportunity to visit The Black Forest or any of Germany’s many mountain ranges and national parks. While researching my host country Germany I learned many interesting and potentially useful facts. For example, following English, most scientific research literature is published in German. This information is relevant to my field of study in biology and to my aspirations of working in the medical field as they both rely heavily on the foundation of scientific research literature. Therefore, learning the German language would expand the pool of scientific literature available to me. Another interesting discovery during my research revealed that Germany and other Germanic countries account for many of the world’s prolific contributors to the fields of math, physics, astronomy, chemistry, politics, philosophy, literature and classical music. Names such as Goethe, Bach, Einstein, Bunsen, Kepler, Kant, Bismarck all come to mind. For these reasons I am honored to be able to experience the homeland of these great men and I am thankful for the opportunity to connect with the wonderful people of Germany who contribute to the continued success of the nation.