Unfortunately for me, my laptop broke a few weeks ago, leaving me unable to get to keep up with my posts.  But, I’m back now with a lot of exciting new adventures to talk about!

After Thanksgiving, my friend and I took a quick trip to Paris.  As a child, I would tell my parents I wanted to run away to Paris and become an artist.  Well, I didn’t create any art while I was there, but I did see a lot of it! Paris had beautiful museums and of course I got a picture in front of the famous Mona Lisa.  Luckily for me, my friend knew a girl also studying abroad in Paris and she was our personal tour guide for the day.  She took us to great spots in the city and taught us a lot about Parisian youth culture.  I think my favorite part of the trip was sitting in a cafe, drinking coffee, and just people watching.  Paris is a much larger and more diverse city than Vienna, so it’s interesting to spot the differences in citizens.

The weekend after Paris was my last weekend available to travel, so I gathered my closest friends in Vienna and booked us a trip to Prague.  I have been to Prague before, but I had been dying to go back.  It’s a gorgeous city with a fascinating history.  My friend is also Czech, so she helped us navigate the city and taught us a few phrases to say to the locals! This trip was very special to us because it was one of the last times we were all together hanging out without the stress of finals or having to pack and leave each other.

My last two weeks in Europe were obviously spent exploring my home city of Vienna.  I truly love it here and there is so much to see and do.  With a broken laptop, I have realized how much extra time I have.  Instead of going home to do work or do nothing on the internet, I do what I need to do at the study abroad center, then I take long walks around the city.  I could walk for hours and hours! There are so many areas of the city that are not as well known as others, but still as beautiful.  I’ve really taken my time to be alone and get to know Vienna as best as possible.

Now, I am almost to the end of my exams and I am feeling very bittersweet.  Of course I miss my family and friends, and I cannot wait to see them when I get back to America.  But, the past four months having been the most exciting and adventerous months of my life.  I am so lucky to have had this opportunity and would do it all again if I could.

Location: Paris, France

Spending time away from my family for an extended period of time is always hard.  But, spending time away from them on an important family holiday is even harder.  Thankfully, my study abroad program threw a giant Thanksgiving meal for us! They made Austria seem like a little more like home for me and all my friends.

Location: Vienna, Austria

My favorite part of the Christmas Markets is the mugs.  Each market has its own unique mug to sell at
the punch and Glühwein booth.  Some mugs
are very ornate, painted with scenes from famous locations in Vienna.  Others advertise radio stations or
museums.   I like to collect them and
will definitely bring some home with me when I leave!

Location: Vienna, Austria

So, I’m a Spanish minor.  I know what you’re probably thinking: if you
study Spanish, why are you in Austria? Gosh, you just can’t ask people why
they’re in Austria! Also, I thought if there is any time to learn a new
language, it’s when I’m young and living in a country that speaks that
language.  So, I decided I wanted to
learn German and then off I went to Austria.

Thankfully, I carved some time out
of my busy schedule to travel to Barcelona with my roommate.  It was so exciting to finally be in a foreign
country where I spoke the language.  I
was so surprised how natural it sounded to me! Unlike German, where it takes a
lot of time for me to form complete sentences in a conversation, Spanish was
just rolling off my tongue as naturally as ever.

Of course, I didn’t just wander
around and speak Spanish while we were in Barcelona.  My roommate and I saw the most amazing sights,
like La Sagrada Familia and Park Güell. 
We also found ourselves sipping on lots of café con leche and eating
tapas!

I found Spain to be the complete
opposite of Austria.  In Spain, the
culture seemed more open and lively.  In
Austria, and especially in Vienna, it takes time for people to warm up and
trust a stranger.  I also found Barcelona
to be a very relaxing, chilled out city. 
In Vienna, being on time and getting where you need to be fast is the
cultural norm.  But in Barcelona, people
enjoyed their siestas and took their time in doing everything.  Personally, I like Vienna’s way of doing
things.  I’m from the New York City area;
you can’t slow down for nothing there. 
But, Barcelona provided me with a very relaxing and warm weekend.  I hope to return there soon again!

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Midterms was a stressful and busy
week here in Austria, so for surviving all our exams, a few of my friends and I
took the train to Budapest.  Austria is
centrally located in Europe, which makes it quite easy to travel.  In just three hours on a train or in a car,
one can reach more than 5 countries! We were there for three days and I can’t
believe we packed so much into such a short time.  The day we arrived, we feasted on Hungarian
food, toured the city by foot, and then attended an awesome concert on a barge
on the Danube!

The next day, we soaked in outdoor
Hungarian baths for a few hours.  It was
very soothing and the perfect end to the midterm week.  After the baths, the sun had almost gone
down, so I saw most of the city by night. 
It was a new type of touring for me. 
Usually, I get up early and go to bed early so I can visit all the places
I need to during the day.  But, visiting
monuments at night wasn’t so bad! There were fewer crowds and my friends and I
had a lot of fun discovering Budapest by night.

The Friday we were there was also
Halloween! Halloween is my favorite holiday, but it’s not as big in Europe as in
the United States.  Still, my friends and
I donned costumes and bravely set out Halloween night to show everyone how “monstrous”
we can be.

This trip was my first trip without
my program and it went very smoothly. 
Thankfully, I have easy-going friends who know how to travel.  With them, any place in the world can be fun!

Location: Budapest, Hungary

Before I left for Europe, I expected myself to be trekking through a different country every weekend.  I thought I could get enough of Vienna during the week and would be able to experience all the other European capitals on Saturdays and Sundays.  But, during my two months here I have found myself wanting to explore Austria more than any other country.  There are so many beautiful and hidden parts of my host land and discovering them has been so exciting.

One weekend, my friends and I took a trip to southern Austria, where we spent a lot time outdoors, mingling with the locals.  First, we went to an open-air museum in the mountains where we learned a lot about how Austrians lived before modern times.  It was really refreshing to finally breathe fresh mountain air and spend some time in nature.  After the museum, we spent a night in Graz, the second largest city in Austria.  It is a college city and filled with people our age.  We had a great night practicing our German with the locals! On Sunday, we stopped in a small town on the boarder of Austria and Slovenia called Gamlitz to join in on their fall festival celebration.  We ate like traditional Austrians, listened to folk music, and watched a big parade.  This was my first experience with a small town in Austria and I absolutely loved it.  Everyone was very friendly and open.

On another Sunday, we travelled to Styria, a state in the southeast of Austria.  In one day, we toured the famous Melk Abbey, hiked ancient ruins, tasted wine at a family-run vineyard, and ate at a traditional Austrian Heuriger.  It was exhausting, but one of the best days I’ve had so far.  Because all these places are so close to home, I get to do much more than if I had left Austria.  By visiting these places and by taking my time to know this country, I find myself falling more and more in love with Austria.

On a sadder note, this week marked the halfway point of my study abroad and I can’t say I’m too excited about it.  Now, I’m on the downhill and instead of seeing endless possibilities, I finally see my limitations for study abroad.  Most of my weekends are filled with trips to different countries, excursions within Austria, and outings in Vienna.  I feel time slowly slipping away from me and I’m scared the end will be here before I know it, but I’m also so proud and astounded by what I have already done here.  I really feel as if I have taken advantage of what my study abroad has to offer.

Location: Vienna, Austria, Europe

One of my most enjoyable and memorable parts of study abroad so far has been having my family come visit me.  Last weekend I became “tour guide Amy” when my mom, dad, brother, godmother, and family friends came to Vienna.  It was the first time I truly felt like an expert in Vienna because I got to show and teach people about “my city”.

First, I took them to a traditional Viennese dinner of Wiener Schnitzel in a local restaurant.  I got to flex my German-speaking skills for my family when I spoke to the waiter almost entirely in German.  They were very thankful to see my study abroad experience paying off.  The next day we did more touring of famous Vienna sites, like St. Stephan’s Cathedral, and then had dinner with a couple of my study abroad friends.  Everyone got along really well and it was cool to see my actual family interact with my “abroad family”.

On our last day together we toured Sch�nbrunn, a beautiful palace with stunning gardens, and then I showed them the Naschmarkt, Vienna’s biggest and best outdoor market.  That was my favorite part of the visit because the Naschmarkt is across the street from my apartment and my favorite place to explore in Vienna.  You can get anything you want there, from fruits and vegetables to exotic teas and spices.  My mom bought some candied nuts and my brother got a new scarf.  Thankfully, they loved it as much as I do.  That night, we had a big final celebration at Wiener Wiesn-fest, a three-week celebration of Austrian food, music, and beer.  People from all ages were dressed in traditional Austrian garb, singing folk songs, and dancing all over the festival grounds.  It was the perfect ending to a great weekend with my family.  Their small visit cured any homesickness I might have felt and made me excited to finish the last two months of my study abroad.

Location: Europe, Austria

Studying abroad is an uncomfortable experience.  You are in a strange city, with people you have never met, trying to speak a language you might not know, and expected to live and survive for four months.  Now, don’t let me scare you because I am currently living that situation and it isn’t really as bad as it sounds.  Actually, it’s pretty amazing! However, I sometimes miss the comforting feeling of the familiar.  So, in order to cure my longing for some comfort, I discovered places in Vienna that make me feel at home.

First, I searched and searched for the best place to get coffee.  At Penn State, there are great places to kick back, drink some joe, and do homework or people watch from the window.  I wanted someplace like that in Vienna and thankfully this city is full of amazing cafes.  My favorite place is Phil, a tiny caf� only a short walk from my apartment.  It is full of books and comfy couches for me to study on or just hang out with friends.  The Viennese custom of coffee houses is to let the customer sit as long as they want with their coffee and to not bother them unless they call the waiter over.  I love this tradition because I never feel rushed or rude if I want to sit for an hour and just enjoy my time.

Next, I went in search for the best reading spot in Vienna.  I absolutely love to read and could probably do it anywhere, at anytime.  But, all readers have those special places that make a book even more amazing.  For me, that spot is the park.  It can get crowded on weekends and especially on sunny days, but reading under a tree in a European park was a dream for me, so I don’t mind any of those little inconveniences.

The third place that makes me feel comfortable is my actual home!  My apartment came already furnished with colorful decorations and great furniture, but I wanted it to feel homey for all of my roommates.  So, we started to collect little trinkets from Vienna and all the different places we visited in Europe.  Slowly, all our souvenirs have been hung up or placed around the apartment.  Now, it feels like our home and not just a temporary place to sleep.

I believe it’s important to step out of your comfort zone and experience new and weird things.  But, I also think it’s important to make sure you have those spaces to relax, unwind, and enjoy your time as you study abroad.

Location: Vienna, Austria, Europe

I just got back from a 10-day holiday and, wow, I’m tired! Living out of a tiny suitcase is not as easy as it looks!  My study abroad program, IES, took 40 of its students on a trip through Poland and Germany.  I was really excited for this break because it was the first time I left Vienna since coming here in August. 

Our first stop was Wroclaw, Poland.  I didn’t know what to expect from Poland and I was very surprised as to what I discovered.  Wroclaw is an up-and-coming city and a growing arts center in Europe.  The old town was cute and had tons of places to eat and people watch (my favorite activity, haha), and the rest of the city offered great opportunities to hear music and visit contemporary art museums.  There are also several new festivals coming to Wroclaw soon, so it is becoming a more tourist-focused place.

Our next destination was Germany.  We spent our first 2 days in Dresden, a beautiful city with rich history.  There was so much to do and see there I wish I could have spent more than a couple days.  After Dresden, we travelled to Berlin and had four days there.  Thankfully, IES gave the students a lot of free time in these cities, so my friends and I got to do what we really wanted to do.  In Berlin, I got to visit a communications museum, a modern art museum, and the Ramones museum (yes, there is really a Ramones museum!). We also visited numerous historical sites like the Berlin Wall, palaces, and old cathedrals.

Overall, it was an amazing trip.  I made a ton of new friends and saw parts of Europe I would have never travelled to on my own.  In my opinion, Berlin was the best city of the three.  There was so much offered to students and I was able to meet other people my age very easily.  I also felt more comfortable in Germany than Poland because of my newly acquired German speaking skills.  Some people in Poland gave off a cold vibe to the American students.  I think it was mostly miscommunications that made me like Poland the least.  However, it was still a wonderful city and I would like to see more of Poland in the future.

Location: Austria, Poland, Germany, Europe

Like I mentioned in my last post, European lifestyle is drastically different from the American lifestyle.  How people act in public, how they shop and consume, and how city life moves in Vienna is all new and unusual to me.  I have spent the last three weeks observing these differences and becoming comfortable with the unfamiliar.  It is hard, but a necessary part of being abroad.

The biggest disparity between American and Viennese culture that I’ve seen is how people act in public.  In Vienna, people do not smile.  I mean it! In Austria, one is not expected to act happy and upbeat all the time.  Waiters and cashiers aren’t going to act nice and ask you how your day was.  But, if someone is rude or cold towards you, you can’t take it personally.  People here just don’t hide their emotions. Viennese people are also quiet and reserved.  People dress very modestly here and keep to themselves.  The trains and subways are almost always silent during morning commutes. Strangers don’t talk to each other very often and everyone seems to be very comfortable in silence.  Actually, I love going to cafes and restaurants to get work done because you can never hear a conversation happening at the next table! 

One of the positive differences of being in Vienna versus America is how progressive and forward thinking Austria is.  The people here take pride in everything they have.  They make sure all public spaces are clean and leave it better than they found it for the next person.  The trains and buses in Vienna are the best I’ve ever seen.  They always work smoothly and efficiently, come every 3 to 5 minutes, are easy to navigate, and of course are always tidy.  Recycling is also a very big part of Viennese culture.  There are recycling bins everywhere and everyone is expected to do their job and throw out their garbage in the right bin.  Another part of Vienna I found unusual was how you do not need to swipe a ticket or pass to get onto buses and trains.  The government trusts people will buy their weekly or monthly passes and have it with them at all times.  Of course, there are random checks to see if everyone has a pass, but most of the time people always have a ticket.  It seems to me the people of Austria are very trustworthy!

After three weeks I don’t think I can say I’m completely ready to switch over to the European way of life.  I love talking to everyone I meet and definitely do not fit in with the quiet and conservative Austrians.  But, I love their dedication to keeping their city beautiful and well run.  The presence of community is powerful.

Location: Vienna, Austria