Final Thoughts

Before I came to Vienna I had this idea in my head of what a semester in Europe was going to be like. I thought that I would spend a lot of time traveling and that it would be this magical experience where I learn more about myself and the world. Though I feel like I did travel as much as I could and learned quite a bit about Austria and a little about the rest of the world I don’t think I learned much about myself as a person. We went on three class trips to other places that were fun but I had more fun on the trips I went on that were not part of class. I went to three places while over here that I have always wanted to go but I didn’t like them as much as I thought I would and liked places that I had not ever thought about going more then I would have expected. When we went to Paris, I was really excited to go to Paris for the first time ever but even though I saw the Eiffel tower and other major landmarks and attractions in the city I wasn’t as impressed with it as I thought I would be. I am glad that I went and glad that I saw it. I went to Rome with two other people in class and it was an amazing experience, we walked most of the city and went to every site that was recommended to see. It was a ton of fun and really enjoyable.

Going into a semester abroad though you have to take into account things won’t always run smoothly. I had some really great experiences here and some really bad experiences here. When I was on Spring Break we had so much trouble trying to get to our destination and just as much trouble getting back. If you go to Paris and Spain nobody really speaks English and they are not too keen to help Americans. It was really difficult because when you’re at the train station trying to find some way to get to where you want to go and the person behind the counter is not helping it becomes really frustrating. One time in Spain the guy behind the ticket counter was talking to the people behind us in line instead of us. It was really awful at the time but we managed to get it all worked out and it was a learning experience because we learned that people are not always helpful. I also had some good experiences and saw some amazing cities and basically saw part of seven countries in three months, which is an experience most people can’t claim to have. I went to the Opera, saw the Coliseum, climbed the first level of the Eiffel Tower, stood inside the Sistine Chapel, went to an old Monastery in Spain, took a tour of the Salt Mines in Salzburg, saw a few castles, visited a concentration camp in Dachau, took a bus tour through Copenhagen, and saw a show that was a bit like a ballet but not quite in a country that used to be Communist. I did a lot more then that but those are some of the highlights and when all is said and done I feel like I did and saw a lot.

I feel like this was a trip and experience that though did not run perfectly is something I would not take back if I had the chance. I don’t know if I will ever get the chance to live in Europe for three months again but I know now that I do really enjoy being in Europe and I want to come back someday. On most of the trips we took I thought I’m going to come back here some day when I have more money. There are things I would like to go back and see and new places and activities that I would like to experience and this trip helped me learn what it is that I do want to see in Europe and what it is that I probably will not want to do again. I had a lot of good times in Europe and intend to come back but right now I am ready to go home and see my friends and family, and enjoy my upcoming senior year.

Interesting Australians

When I went to Rome I had met two girls from Australia who were backpacking through Europe for a few months. They told us that for most Australians it’s a rite of passage to back pack through Europe for a few months. They both have family in Spain and the Netherlands because they are cousins and so they were visiting their families along the way. They also told us a lot about their travels and we met up with them again in Salzburg and in Munich.

One night we had a conversation about their educational system in Australia. It costs a lot less to go to school in Australia then it does here. They pay a fraction of what we pay for University and so they can pay off their loans a lot faster. What we pay for one year is what they pay for all four or less. They also told us that a lot of what happens in America really affects their country. When our economy goes down so does there’s. They also get a lot of American television shows and they told us when they were growing up they would pretend to be American. This is something that really surprised me because most of the time as an American I feel like other countries do not like us very much, so its interesting to know others are fascinated by our county.

Week on the Road

This past week we went to Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Munich. I had a lot of fun and enjoyed seeing other cities and meeting new and interesting people in hostels. I think that staying in hostels is an excellent thing to do when you are in college because you meet a lot of people your age and can learn new and interesting things from them. I also loved our trip to the Salt Mines in Salzburg. It was a lot of fun and unlike any other tour I have ever been on. The Sound of Music tour was also a lot of fun and I would strongly suggest it for anyone who is an avid fan of the movie. If you just like the film or if you didn’t care for it then it might not be the tour for you but we got to see some really neat things on the tour and learned some of the real history of the family. I loved Salzburg and it was a beautiful city. Innsbruck had a great view of the Alps and is perfect for people who love winter sports. I wasn’t a big fan of the city but others really enjoyed it. Some of us went to Munich a day early and walked around town by ourselves. I felt like I really saw a lot that day and got to experience some of Munich. In Munich we went to the Bavarian Film Studio and took a tour. There we made a very short movie which was fun and learned a lot about how they construct sets for movies. We also went to the concentration camp in Dachau. This was something we all wanted to see but I was disappointed that we didn’t have that much time there. I would have preferred to have more time so I could have really experienced it but I felt like my time there was rushed. That was the biggest disappointment of the trip but I am still glad that we went. Overall I really liked are week away but by the end of the trip I was ready to go back to Vienna.

Weekend Trip to Rome

So this past weekend we had a longer weekend the most and we were able to use our Eurorail pass and go wherever we wanted for four days as long as we went with someone else and made sure we were back in class. I went with two other people to Rome. I stayed in a hostel that was really cheap but suprisingly enough it was very clean and the people who worked there were incredibly helpful and nice. I slept in a room with one of the people I went with and six other strangers. I was nervous about this at first but the people who came and went over the course of three nights were all actually nice and respectful. I felt comfortable leaving my belongings there, even though I did lock them up just in case.

As far as the city goes it was amazing to see all the history that was in the City. Rome is actually a much smaller city then I thought so we were able to walk basically everywhere in order to see the sites. We only took the metro three times, twice was to go to the Vatican and back because it was all the way on the other side of the city. If you really wanted to walk there though it is possible and would have only taken a few hours at most. I really enjoyed seeing most of Rome and learning a little about their culture.

Being in Rome actually opened my eyes up more to the differences in culture. In Vienna people appear to be more serious and the city is very clean. When we were in Rome however there are a lot of beautiful things to see the city is very dirty and people are constantly trying to get you to buy things or give them money. The biggest difference is that people are much more open in Rome and it is full of tourists. When you walk around most people start speaking english to you and I am sure all of them can. In Vienna there are very few tourists, I learned it was one of the most expensive cities in Europe to visit and people generally speak German to you first. I have always wanted to go to Rome and thought that I would absolutely enjoy being there. I was suprised at myself though because as much as I enjoyed being in Rome I liked Vienna better.

Overall I am very glad that I was given the opportunity to go to Rome. It really made the fact that I am studying in Europe for a semester a reality. We also picked the perfect weekend to go to Rome because it was sunny out everyday which is a big change from Vienna where it usually rains once a day. I also really loved being able to see one of the places I have always wanted to go and wouldn't mind going back to Rome again when I am older and have more money.

First Week

I do not know what to make of this trip yet. I have enjoyed everything we have seen and I feel like we are in such an amazing country so I should be making the most of it but I don't feel like I've done that yet. I was sick for the first couple days which made me not up to going out and seeing the sites. I also feel like recently I have been suffering from jet lag but I was not in the middle of the week. I have really liked everywhere we've been and I have enjoyed learning more about Vienna. The bars have also been fun. I don't know if I like their grocery stores very much. I also feel like everything here is wicked expensive except for the beer and wine in grocery stores. It's weird eating food when your not really sure what it is at first. I'm a very picky eater but I have tried to be open to trying new things and sometimes I get so hungry it just doesn't matter. Hopefully for the rest of this trip I will stop sleeping so much and see a lot more then I have seen so far.

10 Words to Describe Me

Friend- Being a good friend is really important to me. I love all my friends and I spend a lot of time with them. I think that having meaningful friendships is the most important thing in the world.

Redhead- I know this is a silly word to describe myself with but my whole life I have been a natural redhead. It is something that always seems to have defined me. Sometimes I have loving red hair because it is rare and other times I wished I had been born with brown hair so it wouldn’t stand out as much.

Curious- I have always been a curious person and have always wanted to know what is going on around me. If something interests me I find myself asking several questions about it so that I know more. If there is something I don’t know it’s constantly on my mind until I do.

Silly- I love to have fun and I love making others laugh. Someone once said “Laughter makes the world go round” and I have to agree. I love to smile and act like a goofball and just have fun.

Student- I think of myself as a student because I really care about how I do in school. I also plan to go to grad school to get my masters degree and then maybe one day my doctorates. So I feel like I am going to be a student for most of my life but I love learning about the things I am interested in.

Extrovert- I am really outspoken and always speak my mind. I also like to think that I am overall a friendly person. I like meeting new people and I love having other people around me.

Planner- I am always making plans and trying to tie up loose ends. Whenever I have a lot of things on my plate or if something major is coming up I always make plans on how to accomplish the tasks in front of me. Sometimes it is as simple as I plan when to do my laundry and other times it’s a lot more detailed.

Clumsy- I have always been a clumsy person and am constantly getting hurt. When I was younger I was a lot worse and always had a sprained ankle or something. I fall over a lot or bump into things. I usually just laugh it off though and I haven’t broken many bones in my life so it’s all good.

Book worm- I love to read and always have even when I was little I loved listening to other people read to me. Every night before I go to bed I always have my nose in a book and I own hundreds, this is not an exaggeration. I don’t often read anything of significance though, usually just light fun books.

Laid back- For the most part I like to think that I am pretty relaxed. Not much bothers me and if things do not work out the way I intended or wanted them to I usually just let it go.

Strengths and Weaknesses with Communication

This is a picture of me and my grandmother.

For this exercise I interviewed my friend Meaghan who I have known since freshman year in High School. She is one of my closest friends and is always completely honest with me so I knew if someone was going to tell me the truth then it would be her. I also interviewed my grandmother Peggy. I interviewed her because we have a really good relationship but do not always see eye to eye with each other.

My Strengths: My friend Meaghan said that I was very outgoing and not afraid to ask hard questions or afraid of any topic. She also said that I was not afraid to debate a topic with someone and to stick up for my beliefs and then being able to back up my points with actual thoughts. Meaghan also said that I am very well spoken and am usually knowledgeable about something if I bring it up. My grandmother also thought that I was very good about getting a point across. She said that when I have a point to make I don’t talk in circles, this is something my mother does and it drives her nuts. She also commented on my facial expressions saying that I am always sincere when talking with her and I smile a lot.

My Weaknesses: Meaghan said that when talking I can get sidetracked off topic easily and start talking about something else entirely. She also said that sometimes when talking to others I can lack tact and may say things a little too bluntly at times. My grandmother said that when people give me criticism or advice that I do not like or agree with then I can get upset about it or I will ignore what they are saying.

What I should work on: Overall I think that I need to work on taking criticism better. When ever someone gives me criticism about myself as a person I feel like they are being mean or hurtful while in reality they are just trying to give me advice. I should also work on having more tact when speaking to people. This is something I have been working on for years and feel like most of the time I use tact except for when I’m upset or completely disagree with someone. I don’t think I get sidetracked when I talk about the important things, I feel like this is something I only do when talking to my friends, which still doesn’t make it right.