Back in the States

A week ago tonight, I stepped off an airplane and back onto American soil for the first time in a few months. I hugged my family, laughed at Gaga's cheesy sign that said, "Willkommen, Graylyn!" and headed off to dinner at the Cincinnati Hofbrauhaus, where I was no longer allowed to order a Dunkles Weissbier. A week later, my body's sleep schedule is back on track, my Google is once again in English, and I've had a little bit of time to ponder my adventures in Austria.

They say that studying abroad changes you. Any travel changes a person, I think. Maybe it's the experience of a new culture, or maybe it's just the time away to think--the removal from life's daily grind and the chance to take a step back and live differently for awhile. I couldn't have asked for a better and more timely opportunity.

One of the things that I loved most about the trip was the sheer spontaneity of it all. Bärbel would so often neglect to tell us about the week's plans or programs until they were actually happening. At first, I was eager to plan out my days and my weeks, to know in order exactly what was going to take place. Yet as time went on, I learned that part of the fun was not knowing. There were times I missed my train or my bus and there were times when I read my map wrong. Looking back, those were the times I enjoyed the most. Many travelers (and people in general) are so concerned with finding their destinations that they forget to enjoy where they are. Lately I've begun to think that perhaps it's not where you end up, but rather the adventure you had getting there.

They say it's hard to make the change from living life in a drastically new place to going back to the old routine. Even though I spent a lot of time studying and writing papers (this was school after all), I spent even more time exploring. I enjoyed every minute I spent in Europe; every day was a chance to find new foods, meet interesting people, or find yet another unique landmark. And yet, even though I'm now back in the States, around places and people I've seen before, I hope to continue making every day just as exciting. Sometimes I think it isn't as much what you do and see while on a vacation or a trip, it's more about your personal mindset and attitude. Each day should be interesting, whether it promises a trip to one of Europe's most beautiful cathedrals, or just another trip to class in Athens, Ohio.

I miss it. I can't lie; even though there was nothing better than hugging my family and seeing my friends again, I've found that I love Austria. I can't say it any other way. And so, I plan to return in the near future. Life has changed for me in so many positive ways, but I do still have 2 years of my education left to complete before I can more seriously continue my travels. In the meantime, I can Skype with Stefan, continue to practice my German, and look forward to the next time I'll step off a plane and be in Salzburg. I would love to practice journalism over there someday; I have been recently disappointed at the lack of European news coverage on American main networks. Maybe someday I can work to remedy that situation. After I graduate, I am also thinking very seriously about taking a position teaching English to children in Austria. Next year at OU, I plan to begin working on an English teaching certificate. No one can say exactly what the future might hold, but for now I can say that I'm very, very, very happy. And I think that's generally all we can ask for.

A Very Busy Week

I'm currently sitting at McDonald's, taking advantage of the Free Wi-Fi and finishing up some of the homework we have for the last week of classes. We have our finals week kind of crammed into Week 10, so there's a lot to do. Once again, it's been a long time since I've blogged. I guess I've been so busy enjoying the last of my time here (and trying to keep up with the homework), that I haven't found much time!

Last night a few of us stayed in and watched the annual Eurovision Song Contest on TV. Although Americans don't know much about the show, it's a pretty big deal over here in Europe. Each country (well, most countries) choose a popular national singer as their candidate to perform. After the performances, the winner is decided, both by viewer text-messaging and by the judges. Germany won by a long shot last night, with Lena's "Satellite." Of course, since Austria didn't have a candidate, we were all rooting for Germany. It was extremely exciting when she won. I think that Ö3 (the radio station over here) plays Lena about every 3 songs, or close to it. My music taste has definitely expanded during this trip to include a lot of European artists that I hadn't heard much about while in the U.S.

Friday night the Fortgeschrittene students accompanied our literature professor, Herr Pertlwieser to a classical music concert performed by the senior orchestra and choir at the Musiches Gymnasium, where he is a teacher. It was definitely top notch, with a lot of talented soloists. It was hard to believe that they were only high school students; they sounded like professionals! My favorite part was the finale, when the orchestra and choir came together to sing Mozart's Krönungsmesse. Of course, this town really knows how to perform Mozart! Afterwards, a bunch of us headed to Felsenkeller (near Mönchsberg in the Altstadt) for some slightly less musically competent kareoke. The place is really cool though; it's built into the mountain, so it has a very cave-like feel.

On Thursday, Stefan and I took a trip back to his hometown, so I could meet his parents and see Ried im Innkreis. We had a wonderful time. His parents and his nephew are all delightful people and his town is absolutely beautiful. We had a great time going to his church and doing a little bit of shopping on Friday morning around the old part of his city. And of course, we ate lots of Schnitzel (his mother is a great cook).

Last Sunday, Stefan and I took a very nice hike through the woods surrounding Hellbrunn, which is a very scenic and beautiful old castle that happens to be extremely close to Ginzkeyplatz. It was once the summer residence of Markus Sittikus, one of Salzburg's archbishops, and he built up the grounds to be unbelievably pretty, complete with fountains, ponds, landscaping, a gigantic park, and the first outdoor stone theater on German-speaking grounds. We had fun climbing up to the top of the rocks on the stage and watching the tourists take pictures. Of course, we also took a great deal of pictures, especially of the view from the top of the hill to the right of the mansion. One can see almost all of Salzburg, including the fields surrounding the city. I think that particular view was my favorite that I have seen in Salzburg thus far. Of course, it might have been my company :) On Wednesday, Bärbel took the whole group back to Hellbrunn to look at/be entertained by the spectacular "Wasserspiele," also on the castle grounds. Markus Sittikus built the solely water-animated and musical wooden people in the early 1600's! He also included a lot of hidden water fountains, meant to spray the guests as they walk by. It was really like a day at the waterpark; it's a good thing the weather was great.

Tuesday night was the "Allerletzte Heimbar," the last one that the Heimbar team will put on, since they're graduating. It was definitely a good time; even though we had a lot to do the next day, a lot of us went downstairs and celebrated the occasion. They have a really great space down there, and of course, the drinks were cheap too! Before Heimbar, Bärbel took the occasion to teach us how to waltz in the TV room of Europa Kolleg. Waltzing is, of course, an Austrian tradition; something you just have to do while in Salzburg. I actually really enjoyed it and would like to do it again in the future. Opernball? Maybe someday.

The weather is being strange again; it's so often hot and sunny in the morning, yet pouring rain by 3-4 in the afternoon. We just had a short downpour, and I think I'm going to run home to Europa Kolleg before it starts raining again. Tonight Stefan and I are going to have a little chat about the economic policy of the EU for my Abschlussprojekt. Of course, since he's majoring in that general topic, he's pretty much an expert. I can't wait to learn more about it.

Schinken Käseröllchen

Spending a relaxing Friday catching up on homework, since next week's a big project/test week. It's hard to believe we're coming to the end, and I need to get some work done so I can enjoy the next three days, which are supposed to be a little warmer and a little less rainy.

Yesterday Jeremy, Melissa, Shireen, Bethany, Bärbel and I took the bus out to Leopoldskron to sit in on a speech at the Salzburg Global Seminar. The Seminar has been in existence since 1947, and it brings college students, faculty, and other intellectuals together each spring and summer to discuss and debate international issues. Those participating in the seminar stay in the Von Trapp house, as well as Leopoldskron (a mansion/castle next door). Yesterday, as special guests, we got a brief tour of the house (whose backyard looks absolutely identical to the movie, yes, the lake and all). We also got to hear a distinguished Smith College professor speak about issues of diversity and immigration in both Europe and the States. It was definitely an afternoon well-spent. Who knows, maybe I'll apply some time to be a part of the seminar.

Wednesday night, Stefan and Lukas cooked a typical Austrian dinner for Laura and I. It was delicious! I can't even spell the name of the food; I think it's something like Schinken Käseröllchen, but it had ham and cheese and the same breading that is on Schnitzel. Mmmmmm. They're wonderful cooks, and we will have to have them over sometime next week so we can cook for them :-)

Well, I must get back to my reading. Of course, we read all of our books in German. So far this quarter, the Fortgeschrittene have read Fräulein Else with Herr Pertlwieser, a classic which I thought was fairly enjoyable. In one of Bärbel's classes, we're reading a book called Crazy, about an Austrian boarding school, and in the other class, we're reading a quaint 1930s love story set in Salzburg called Der Kleine Grenzeverkehr. I think that's my favorite. Not only is it a very nice story, the people in the book talk about and go to all of the Salzburg landmarks we've come to love as well.

I forgot to mention that in Wien we visited Belvedere, a beautiful old castle (?) turned into an art museum. Most notable is probably Der Kuss (The Kiss), which is an extremely famous Gustav Klimt painting. Very impressionist. I bought a small print of it because I liked it so much. Wish you could have been there, Dad. There was a lot of Austrian/German modern art, and even some works by Monet and Egon Schiele.

Well, I must now do my laundry and get ready for tonight's party. We have some birthdays to celebrate in Europa Kolleg!

"Vienna waits for you..."

Finally have the time to blog. I have been neglecting this blog for the past week, mostly because we've all been very busy and I simply haven't had the time. But I will try to do better; a week between entries is terrible. I'm finding that my English writing is getting worse; maybe you can tell. Since I'm speaking and writing so much German, the English words aren't flowing the same way they used to. At any rate, I'll give it a try.

This past weekend was spent in Österreich's capital city, Vienna, or "Wien," as it's called in German. The city is (almost) as pretty as Salzburg. It's definitely much bigger. It has almost an imperial feel and is very slow-paced compared to other cities of its size. Of course, the Habsburgs ruled Austria from Vienna for centuries, and it shows. The monarchy's been gone for almost 100 years, but the city is still very clean and classy. Vienna is known for being not only extremely expensive, but also very intellectual. Spending an entire day at a coffeehouse talking about literature is really part of the culture.

Speaking of the monarchy, we took an excursion on Sunday morning to Schönbrunn, the former palace of the Habsburgs. It is truly breathtaking. Unlike many other castles in Europe, which are separated from the city, often far removed into the countryside, Schönbrunn is practically right in the center of town. It's an amazing piece of land, complete with beautiful gardens and fountains, not to mention the castle itself. The exhibition inside the castle was dedicated mainly to the life of Maria Theresia (the famous 18th century Habsburg empress, and Marie Antoinette's mother) and to Kaiser Franz Josef and his much beloved, yet tragically murdered wife, Sissi. I enjoyed the tour. Wish Gaga could have been there to see it with me.

On Thursday, (backtracking a little), we visited the concentration camp Mauthausen, en route to Vienna. It was really hard to see. I don't have much to say about it that isn't obvious, except that it is unbelievable and terrible to see how many thousands of people were packed into such a compact living space. Awful and so inhumane. I didn't want to go at all; but I do think that it's important that these former concentration camps are open to the public. One comes out with a very different perspective about human rights and about prejudice and about the dangers of a corrupt political system. We've all learned so much about the Holocaust and are of course very shocked by what we've heard, but we stood in the gas chambers, where so many people were executed, and it makes you feel all the sadness even more.

On a lighter note, we saw a lot of interesting sights around the city. Stephan's Dom was probably my favorite. Definitely the most beautiful church I've ever been inside--we wanted to stay for mass but our schedule was too tight. As we were walking around and seeing the sights, a choir was practicing their Gregorian chants. If/when I live over here someday, I would think it would be a great honor to sing in the choir at one of these churches, something I would very much like to do. We saw Parliament and several monuments to various Kaisers and wars. I really enjoyed Karlsplatz, which is a pretty, scenic park in the middle of town. One thing I noticed was the amount of greenery scattered among the buildings. There are a lot of parks in Vienna, and they add to the ambiance. Thursday night, Bärbel took us to 12 Apostles, a very old wine cellar, and we enjoyed drinking strawberry wine while being serenaded by accordion and violin players. It truly was a Wien experience.

On Friday a few of us headed to Hotel Sacher, the famous inn/restaurant where Sachertorte originated. Sachertorte is a very rich, chocolatey cake, with a little bit of a berry kick to it as well. The place was packed with diners, but we managed to spend a little money on Sachertorte und Melange.

Saturday night, Shireen, Henning and I headed to a typical European disko that overlooked the river. It was definitely unlike anything they have in the States. Strobe lights, booming techno music, and a dark room packed to capacity with people jumping and dancing. It was truly amazing and I'm so glad we got the chance to try it out.

Sunday we visited Stifts Melk, a monastery located not too far from Vienna on the way back. It's still in operation; monks live there and it's a school too. Most astonishing was the library that contains hundreds of thousands of volumes, including many that are over 1200 years old. I wish I could have had more time to explore it!

The only thing negative about the weekend was the weather. It poured all weekend and was very cold for May. Austrian weather is so unpredictable and it was a shame that we had to be so uncomfortable while we walked around the city. The weather still isn't great here in Salzburg, but I hope it warms up so I can visit Hellbrunn this weekend.

Well, I have to get ready to head to Bernhard's class for the afternoon. We're taking a tour today that will teach us about Nazi occupation in Salzburg. Tonight, Stefan and Lukas are cooking a typical Austrian dinner for Laura and I, which we are very much looking forward to. I'll try not to wait another week before I blog again!

Springtime and Kaffeehaus Kultur

I am currently sitting at Cappomio, my favorite Austrian-Italian Cafe, enjoying their free wireless internet and one of the best paninis I've ever had. Shireen's eating a delicious-looking prosciutto pizza and we're both drinking iced coffees (well, the closest thing you can get in a country that doesn't seem to have ice cubes.) I wish there were more cafes like this in the States. It has sweet jazz music, postmodern-ish art, and even a TV on the wall that's playing Viva. I love Kaffeehaus Kultur, and plan to spend the better part of an afternoon in a Vienna cafe this weekend, since Vienna is even more famous for coffeehouses than Salzburg.

Yesterday Melissa's friend was visiting from Heidenheim, Germany, and he offered to drive us to our weekly class in Itzling on the north side of town. It was so refreshing to ride in a car again, and avoid the constant stops on the bus. Even though I think public transportation is extremely practical and convenient, I still think I miss driving more. Around here, there isn't really much of a speed limit and the drivers are insane. But it was still a good time. I thought it was interesting: I remarked to my Austrian friend that we're all a fan of the foreign smart cars that almost completely dominate the road over here, and he told me that many of the people he knows admire and wish to own American cars. To me, that's hard to believe. I'd take a BMW over a Ford any day. I guess it all depends on perspective. Everybody wants what they can't have.

Last night we all met up for our weekly Stammtisch at Stieglkeller, an authentic Salzburg beer garden that overlooks the Altstadt. Stiegl, of course, is Salzburg's own premier beer, and is sold everywhere, including in the vending machines at Europa Kolleg. The view at sunset was absolutely gorgeous, and luckily, we took lots of pictures. Although the food is a little pricey, I definitely think I will be going back there before I leave Salzburg. But I'm not going to talk about that terrible thing called leaving just yet.

This really has been a fantastic week so far. The weather (for the most part) has been sunny, and it's clear that spring/summer has finally found our valley town. Last week, when the fog that had settled over the mountains for several days cleared up, we could see that all the trees on the warmer side of the Alps had bloomed. Now, the mountains look more like they did in "The Sound of Music."

Tomorrow we leave at 8 a.m. to travel by bus to Vienna. By now we've learned a lot about the city, and I'm really looking forward to experiencing another Austrian metropolis. Even though I'll miss my Salzburg friends, it's sure to be a good time.

When in Prague...

We returned last night from a very interesting and exciting trip to the Czech Republic, but since I was busy last night doing lots of homework and catching up with Europa Kolleg friends, I haven't had much time to blog until now.

Melissa, Shireen, and I left Thursday afternoon to catch a train to Prague, a city that we've all hoped to visit since before we left for Europe. We actually had to take a few connecting trains: to Linz, then to a border town, then to a Czech town called Ceske Budejovice, before arriving in Prague at around 11 p.m. Of course, the Czech Republic, although it's been a part of the EU for 6 years, hasn't changed over to the Euro yet, so we had to change all of our money into Czech korunas (crowns) before we could even buy a bus pass!

Everything that they say about Prague's beauty is true. Most of the buildings and churches date back to at least the 14th century, and they were built with grandeur and artistic detail in mind. The Old Town Square was my favorite; it holds the Astronomical Clock, as well as Powder Tower and a very old and pretty church. In spite of its beauty, it's obvious to see that Prague has seen better days. As a former part of the Soviet Union, it's still recovering from communism, and their inflation rate is through the roof. Prague is known for its higher crime rate in relation to other European cities. Of course, one must always inherently be more careful when traveling to former East bloc countries; in Prague there were signs everywhere warning tourists to beware of pickpockets. As pretty as the city was during the day (and lit up at night), it makes me really appreciate the security of Salzburg.

On a lighter note, we made sure to take both main guided tours that were offered in English. On Friday, our tour guide led us around the city and gave us a lengthy history lesson on the city. This weekend, Prague was celebrating the 65th anniversary of the end of German occupation in the city. They had TVs set up in the square and official-looking people giving speeches. It really is a remarkable story. Prague citizens themselves kicked out the Nazis and took back their city after 7 years of occupation. Later that day, we walked across the Charles Bridge, a very old and famous landmark usually occupied by street vendors and performers.

One of the best parts of our trip was the chance to meet new people in our hostel. Although we booked beds in a 14 person room, we chose the right place. Hostel Marabou was clean, homey, helpful, and well-decorated. We happened to be sharing a room with Lucia and Emily, respectively from Argentina and Taiwan. They were backpacking (separately) across Europe for the spring and we ended up spending a lot of time touring and hanging out with them this weekend. It's really remarkable to realize that the five of us are from three different continents, yet spent the weekend together in a completely different one! The world is so interconnected today, and I'm so grateful that I have the chance to get to know so many people from other cultures. I hope they'll be able to visit us in Salzburg during the next few weeks.

Friday night, we took one of the advertised pub crawls, a very common activity in almost all of the European cities I've been in so far. I'm so glad we did. Prague is known for its nightlife, but it's worth the 15 euros for the security a pub crawl offers. We started out with "all you can drink" at the starting pub from 9:30-11 (including Absinth, which I'd definitely never had before, since it's illegal in the States for its alcohol content). Then we made the rounds of the techno clubs and pubs of Prague. We even got a T-shirt! Definitely something I'd do again. It was a great night.

Saturday we slept in a bit (we needed it) and took the castle tour in the afternoon. This tour took us past a lot of statues and interesting buildings, including the sites of several defenestrations! I learned that word some years ago in Latin; it literally means to throw something (or someone, in this case) out of a window. Prague has had five major defenestrations throughout the course of its history; including the most famous one that began the Thirty Years War. (I took a picture of the window for you, Dad.) We also saw the church where Charles IV (Prague's most famous emperor) is buried and got the chance to see some of the most beautiful panoramic views I've ever had the privilege of enjoying. Saturday night, we had dinner with Lucia and Emily at a cheap, but very delicious authentic Czech restaurant. I would say that Czech food is a great deal different than the food one finds in Austria and Germany. You might think that the cultures might be more similar due to their geographic proximity, but that's actually not true. One of the hardest parts of the weekend was trying to understand the Czech signs and writing around the city. It is nothing like German or English, not even close. Luckily, because Prague is such a touristy town, many shopkeepers and waiters are decent in English.

Saturday night, Emily, Shireen and I went to a very pretty old theater to see a marionette puppet show version of Don Giovanni, Mozart's famous opera. Although Mozart was born and raised in Salzburg, he really didn't like this city. (a fact that Salzburg doesn't like to admit). He thought the people of Salzburg were snobby and he much preferred his fans in Prague. Naturally, Prague likes to boast that they were the favorite and there are almost as many commemorations to him there as there are here. The puppet show was very good and well done. You could tell that they were professionals.

I very much enjoyed spending the weekend getting to know a different culture. It was almost a miracle that everything worked out with the trains and the money and the hostel. I'm glad there were three of us there; I wouldn't have wanted to do it alone. But in the end, my weekend excursion to Prague has made me appreciate my Salzburg home all the more. Maybe it's the fact that it's a little bit cleaner here, or maybe it's the fact that I speak the language. I think it might be because I'm truly finally zu Hause here.

Schwarzfahren (and more)

Just got back from "The Embassy" (McDonald's) with Shireen, Laura, and Jeremy. The McDonald's food here really is different, yet it's always a treat to get a little taste of home.

While we were riding back from class on the bus today, we had our first experience with the Fahrschein conductors. Everyone riding the bus obviously must have a ticket, that can be purchased at any small gas station or tobacco shop. It doesn't happen often, but every once in awhile, a person in plain clothes will enter the bus at a stop and check everyone's ticket, to make sure that no one is "Schwarzfahren." (literally: "riding black") Of course, we all were within the law and had our Monatskarten in our bags, but we saw the lady remove several people from the bus and take down their information for the 80 euro fine. It's a good incentive to remember your ticket.

The weather hasn't been very good thus far this week, but it's given us the chance to enjoy some indoor activities. Monday afternoon, Shireen, Laura and I spent the afternoon at Cappomio in the Altstadt, a very posh coffee shop that serves everything from green tea to tomato mozzarella sandwiches on Semmel. We had some reading to catch up on, and it was nice to enjoy the very Austrian Kaffeehaus Kultur, known for its stylish and intellectual atmosphere. I finished Fraulein Else by Arthur Schnitzler yesterday for Herr Pertlwieser's literature class. It's amazing how much easier it's become to read a novel in German. I've come a long way since Andrea's 341 class! I suppose it comes with getting a better grip on speaking the language.

We also met our conversation partners on Monday afternoon. Bärbel partnered our class with a college English pronunciation course and assigned us partners. It's up to us whether we meet up with them again, but mine seems really nice and I think we'll probably go for coffee sometime early next week.

We had another Heimbar Monday night and we were all out pretty late, so we've been trying to catch up on our sleep. This is always the toughest part of the quarter for me academically. After midterms are over and projects are coming due, it's important to keep the motivation going. Luckily, in this beautiful city, where we are constantly using what we learn, it's not too hard to stay interested.

In about a half hour, we'll go to Bernhard's class, then spend the rest of the afternoon touring a museum. Of course, I'll be posting again soon.