Our guide for the JYM-Alumni Holiday Tour
JYM Alum Mike Ross of Mike Ross Travels is offering a German holiday market tour for JYM alumni from Dec. 2-10, 2024. Not only will Mike offer his insider tour of the Munich “Weihnachtsmärkte,” there will also be excursions to Nürnberg, Salzburg and the markets along the Tegernsee.
Munich City Council Member and JYM friend Beppo Behm will offer a tour of the Munich “Rathaus,” including the gorgeous “Juristische Bibliothek.” And participants will share a meal with current JYMers and attend the tree decorating party at the JYM institute in the Richard Wagner Straße, which is right next to the Lenbachhaus. Alumni can find more information and register by Nov. 1.
In the following interview, JYM Program Director Lisabeth Hock, who will be joining the trip, interviews Mike about his life’s path from JYM to the present.
Lisabeth Hock: Mike, you were part of the 1967-68 cohort. What were your home university and major, and how did you come to participate in the Junior Year in Munich Program?
Mike Ross: The JYM program was the highest rated in the nation and was an entire year long, rather than the single semester programs offered by other colleges and universities. That is what appealed to me the most. My home university was the University of Miami in Florida, and while the program was good, I wanted a more immersive experience. My majors were English and German, but German was my true love. Because of my family history, I was drawn to it although I had never been to Germany before.
Lisabeth Hock: I’ve heard many alumni say that JYM was life-changing for them. Was this true for you?
Mike Ross: Definitely life-changing. I embraced the entire cultural and linguistic experience, and it changed my worldview. Nothing has had such a galvanizing effect on me as that year.
Lisabeth Hock: What was your favorite thing about Munich when you were here in 1967-68, and what is your favorite thing about the city today?
Mike Ross: The camaraderie I had with the Germans I lived with was my favorite. I still keep in touch with three or four of them and see a couple of them every time I am in Munich. Since I’m there five or six times a year, we have dinner together often. When I go to Munich today, it’s like going home. I love to meet my friends for dinner, talk politics, changes in the city, find out what new bars and restaurants have opened and read the newspapers every morning at breakfast.
Lisabeth Hock: What was the best thing that you experienced or that happened to you during your year abroad?
Mike Ross: At the time in the late 60s, the Cold War was still raging. We had a lot of refugees from Eastern Europe, and meeting them and sharing ideas is probably the best thing that happened to me. It woke me up to the world.
Lisabeth Hock: What was the immersion experience like for you? Did you take to the German language like a fish to water, or did it take you a while to feel comfortable in the language? Is there any advice about learning German in Germany that you would like to pass on to participants today?
Mike Ross: It took me a while to adjust to the language because I had grown up with a dialect. The most important thing to acquire the language is to talk to everybody, but when you do, listen more, ask questions, and absorb. When you are by yourself, listen to radio stations, read newspapers, and go places where you will meet new people all the time. Open yourself to the entire experience and don’t miss anything.
Lisabeth Hock: Did you experience counter-culture shock when you returned to the U.S. after your year with JYM? How was reentry for you?
Mike Ross: Within two weeks, I realized I had made a grave mistake by returning to the United States. I had so completely adapted to my life in Munich, in Germany and in Europe: the complete cultural freedom I felt, the wonder of all the new friends and experiences.
Lisabeth Hock: Where did life take you after JYM and how did you choose your career paths? What role did JYM play in your decision to follow these paths?
Mike Ross: After college and grad school, like all of us, I had jobs I didn’t particularly enjoy, but I did them for the money. I won’t go into that . . . I began teaching in 1971, and by the time I retired from teaching in 2006. I had one of the largest German programs in the nation. That wasn’t because I was so popular, but because of the language technique I had learned from Blaine Ray and his TPRS method (teaching proficiency through reading and storytelling). It teaches kids how to speak. That is life-changing for students and so much fun.
Lisabeth Hock: Tell us about your decision to become a tour guide and travel blogger. What is it about your own travel experiences and your own experiences abroad that made you want to share them with others?
Mike Ross: With three kids and six grandkids, most of whom I’ve put through college, I had to earn extra money as a tour guide in the summer and on school vacations. When I left teaching in 2006, I became a full-time professional tour guide and travel agent. It was primarily an excuse to get back to Germany and Munich as often as I could. The tours I took back then and still take today are primarily educationally based: history, culture, food, attitudes, and basic language. Although I retired from formal teaching, I am still a teacher.
Lisabeth Hock: Of all the trips you have taken to Germany or Europe, is there one that is the most memorable? Why?
Mike Ross: If the criteria is memorable, then the real positive experiences – the hiking groups I took in the Alps, the great fun at Mathäsers, the bike trip down the Danube – were the best moments.
Lisabeth Hock: What would you like JYM alumni to know about the trip that we are planning for December 2024?
Mike Ross: This trip will be fun. Our goal is not just to drink good beer, eat good food, meet the new students and incredible people who run the program, and see one of the most gorgeous cities in the world, but to have fun in Munich and to enjoy one another’s company. That’s the goal.
Learn more about the JYM alumni trip 2024!