Finding My Way Back “Home”

Servus and hello! My name is Timna – yes, exactly, the one you have to listen to twice so you don’t hear “Tinder”. Well, I didn’t invent a dating app, but I am a 25-year-old Austrian, searching for my passion and a place that truly feels like home. Speaking of home… unlike what you might expect, I’m actually here to fall in love – not with a person, but with Munich and the sense of home I see in it (although the first option wouldn’t be too bad either, haha).

I originally come from a small town in Lower Austria. Maybe that’s exactly why I always knew I wanted more: to get out, to see more, to experience more. This desire led me to Vienna over four years ago, where I completed my bachelor’s degree in “Product Marketing & Project Management” and where I am currently doing my master’s in “Journalism and Communication Science” at the university of Vienna. Language, communication and especially creative writing have been part of my life for as long as I can remember – from poetic texts to journaling, all the way to copywriting, which is what I do professionally and also with my freelance work today.

So why Munich? For me, this isn’t an entirely new chapter, but rather, as mentioned, a kind of coming home. During my bachelor’s, I already spent time here for an internship at Jochen Schweizer, which is also part of the ProSiebenSat.1 Media-Group. Back then I got my first insights into the German media world and the commercial channels of the industry. Maybe it was exactly during that time that I fell so deeply in love with Munich.

And now? I’m back here for my exchange semester abroad! Yeaahhh! But this time not as an intern – instead (who would have guessed) as an LMU student. Kind of paradoxical, right? People speak the same language here as we do in Austria, but it feels completely different. Many say Vienna and Munich are quite similar, but to me, they couldn’t be more different. Munich feels so much more open, calmer, somehow freer and lighter. The city feels more international, as if people meet each other with more open hearts. Every interaction feels less like opposition and more like togetherness. People are super friendly – even the cashiers at Rewe are so kind that they brighten up my day every time I do groceries. I think people here are simply happier. And it’s not just the evening sun that shines about half an hour longer due to the geographic location of Munich – it’s also the people here and somehow me too. And that’s exactly what I hope to rediscover during my time here at LMU. Oh, and almost forgot… Paulaner Spezi (my all-time favourite drink) alone says everything about how great Munich is – if you’ve never tried it, you definitely have to!

Furthermore, my expectations of Munich itself aren’t too specific. I’m simply excited to experience the city the way I remember it and maybe rediscover it from a completely new perspective as a student. However, I of have high expectations for LMU. I’m really looking forward to exploring the media landscape from a different angle, meeting friends for life and getting the last ECTS points for my master’s in courses that truly interest and inspire me. For the next three months, my goal is to take as much experiences and learnings with me as possible – academically and personally – to grow beyond myself. Because right now, Munich is more than a place to study or my exchange semester experience – it’s another step on my way of finding my “place to be”. My home.