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