The 10 Best Things About Munich (Compared to Columbia)

By Whitney Robosson

10.) Shopping! I agree with a point I heard Maddy make earlier this week: In Columbia, everyone ends up wearing the same thing because there are only a few good places to shop! The people in Munich certainly do not have this problem. I would take a year to look through all the clothes stores here. And another interesting note: guys actually go shopping here. The men’s sections are almost as crowded as the women’s.

9.) Unique restaurants. There are tons of unique restaurants in Munich. In fact, that’s one of the first things I noticed when I got here. I don’t know about the rest of the U.S., but I know the restaurant business in South Carolina is one of the toughest to survive in. The chains control everything because people decide what they want to eat, and they don’t want any surprises. But in Munich there is literally a different restaurant on every corner.

8.) Kids get more freedom. Munich youth get a lot of freedom to go to the store, to ride the underground alone, go to the movies, or whatever it is these kids are doing these days. I’ve never seen so many young kids doing things alone. Munich is an extremely safe city (safer than Columbia), but I think it’s really good for kids to start getting responsibility like that at a young age. I have this theory that the people who can’t survive on their own after leaving their parent’s house are the people that never got any real responsibility when they were young.

7.) Active Lifestyles. No gyms + no fat people = they’re doing something right. I don’t think I’ve seen a gym since I’ve been here, and I’ve seen very few fat people. In Columbia it seems there’s a gym on every corner, but we’re still having this obesity epidemic. There’s so much to do in and around Munich, and it’s just not part of their culture to sit around and do nothing.

6.) They support higher education! College education in Germany is almost funded 100% by the government. The students only have to pay about $400 a semester, and I’m pretty sure that includes books. If I didn’t have a scholarship, I would be paying about $10,000 a year for college and this would probably be #1 on my Ten Best list.

5.) Fresh Food! For those of you who don’t really know me, I’m not one of those “crazy” health nuts (mainly because as a college student I can’t afford that kind of lifestyle) but I am pretty picky about what I eat. I hate artificial dyes, sweeteners, and preservatives that factories add to all of our food. God designed my body to work with the stuff he makes, not chemicals. In Munich, most of the food is fresh. Germans go grocery shopping several times a week, so all that extra junk isn’t needed.

4.) Dogs! It’s true that a dog is man’s best friend, but in Munich it’s more like a dog is man’s brother. Dogs can go everywhere in Munich: stores, restaurants, the trains, etc. You may think that sounds chaotic, but it’s really not. The dogs are so used to being around lots of people and their manners reflect that.

3.) Munich is a true walking city. If you need a few groceries, there’s a store right down the street or a fresh produce stand on the corner. If you need medicine, there are a thousand Apothekes right outside your door. You don’t need a car to survive in Munich. I walk to get groceries sometimes in Columbia, but it’s not convenient and sometimes not even safe.

2.) Romance. This may sound a little strange, but I love the “PDA” here. It’s not like in the States where the only couples who touch each other in public are the gross couples. Here it’s more like the two really cherish each other and they want everyone else to know it. It makes you say “aww,” not “eww.” A lot of times it seems like American guys are embarrassed to express their love in public. It makes me feel all mushy inside to see all the lovey-dovey couples here.

1.) Public Transportation!!! I can’t stress this enough – the public transportation here is so easy to use and so efficient. If there’s anywhere you want to go in Munich, all you do is look it up on the map and jump on the nearest underground, bus or tram. We have public buses in Columbia, but I wouldn’t ride one unless I was toting my right arm in a bag of ice and it was taking me directly to the hospital. The Cola buses don’t go to very many places; they’re dirty and full of sketchy people. I’ve been so relaxed here not worrying about a car.