By Andrew Awve, AYF 2016-17

My name is Andy Awve, and I spent my time in Freiburg during AYF’s 2016-2017 academic year. My German improved immensely, and I enjoyed high (or numerically low, I suppose) grades at the end of both semesters. I travelled around Germany and Europe. Even so, I want to highlight – among all that I did – my involvement in two, local groups that made my experience unique and extremely enjoyable.

• The Uni Big Band Freiburg: Providing daily doses of Big Band Beats

I asked my flat-mate on the first day in Freiburg if he knew of any music groups that could use a trombone player for the year. A drummer himself, he recommended the Uni Big Band, which I e-Mailed and for which I secured an audition. A month later, I was playing in a jazz band with a bunch of very talented Germans, and we sounded great (says Andy)! Rehearsing once a week, we prepared for our semester programs, including four concerts: Two times we played for local restaurant events; in the winter semester we performed an “Electronic Big Band Beats” show with DJs Psycho and Plastic at Freiburg’s world-famous Jazzhaus; in the summer semester we jammed out at the MensaGarten with the Nutty Boys, a ska group that started in Freiburg. The major gigs of each semester were the most innovative concerts in which I ever played – that’s a huge part of improving musicality! We also went on a jazz retreat in the fall to a farm in the Schwarzwald, where we practiced, cooked up some tasty food, perused the Weihnachtsmarkt, and slept in the hay (by the way, the hay is the only thing I’ll vividly remember about the excursion in 25 years). The people I played with in the Uni Big Band were interested in my life, my experiences, and they spoke with me in German, a huge boost to my colloquial abilities. Playing with the Uni Big Band gave me great comfort and allowed me to pursue passions that most people might be too nervous to pursue while abroad.

• Critical Mass Freiburg: Finding the biker activist inside you

One day at my renewable energy internship, my boss asked me if I biked to work and wanted to leave early. She invited me to join her and many other local activists in a monthly event called “Critical Mass”. The idea behind “Critical Mass” is to raise drivers’ awareness of bikers on the roads and have a fun time doing so. We met in front of the Stadttheater and biked around Freiburg as a group (otherwise known as a “mass” of “critical” size), distributing flyers to bikers we passed and jamming out to the speakers in the Lastenvelo. “We don’t block the traffic, we are the traffic” is the tagline as we biked in the roads (not only the bike lanes) to ensure high visibility to those who drive. This is an event that I could attend with friends from work or friends from anywhere else. Or my enemies, I suppose. All were welcome. Additionally, attending this event with my internship boss helped me grow my network with local leaders and participants in the Energiewende. Many people I biked with during those months were people my NGO worked with for other events, too. I know that “Critical Mass” extends its reach beyond Freiburg, but my experiences in Madison – already recognized as a city with a great bike culture – showed me very little that was as unique and fun as this. I’m lucky to have been introduced to the organization, and I’m smart to have participated more than only once.

I know future students will do what they can to experience a “well-rounded” study abroad experience. This likely includes experiences in places outside of Freiburg. Even so, living locally can be awesome (and so affordable!). I hope current and incoming students take advantage of many local opportunities to gain new experiences, have fun, improve their German, and integrate into Freiburg’s unique culture.

Questions or Fragen? Feel free to find me on Facebook or e-Mail me at awve@wisc.edu.