When I received confirmation from the University of Leeds that I had been confirmed for a place at LMU Munich my immediate reaction was text my parents and open the British Airways on my laptop. Then I halted. Did I seriously want to begin my exchange year abroad this way? Traversing airport security, baggage drop-off and then herded like cattle into the claustrophobic tunnel of an aircraft. Among nations such as the UK, we are all guilty of shunning sustainability in the name of convenience. Although we are getting our bang for buck, is the planet? Should we not find a way to engage with nature as we travel. Whether that be crossing the Channel, elegant railroads in Europe, or the final tram into Munich city centre where I will spend my year abroad.
Train Travel is brilliant. Aligning with Sustainable Development Goals of the UN in regard to resilient infrastructure and sustainable economic growth, for the many, not the few. Moreover, public transport systems of train travel are not temporary ventures, but are worthy of decades of investment to bring the world into the future. A future of resilient networks of travel to and from metropolis hubs such as Munich, and eminent of a reduction in intricate regional inequalities that have long scarred developed economies. It is safe to say, railcard in hand, I will be doing my upmost to explore the Munich U-Bahn route map.
When I think of sustainability and equality, it is all too easy to fall into the trap of restriction and limitation. Should I go on holiday this year? How much CO2 will my auto car emit? Are these oranges sustainably sourced? On the contrary, I believe that sustainability is an opportunity, not a cause for concern or worry. A chance to give back, and get back, from our planet. Our personal action is everything, and that’s why I intend to continue my hobby of endurance sports abroad. I love cycling, and so I think that it is appropriate that I should journey to Munich in the saddle, rather than in a flying streak of pollution across the skies. I intend to use this experience to visual Europe and the West on a basis of personal experience, which is all too easy to miss with modern technology. It is detrimental to our humanity that convenience has outweighed experience. A truth that allows us to skim across poverty, inequality, environmental damage, and destruction visualised on our newsfeeds everyday, with only a muted reaction.
