Austria At Last!

My original goal was to write in my journal every night, but now I realize that this was a slightly unrealistic goal. I am thinking that a weekly post seems more doable. The last time I wrote, I had just arrived in Wiener Neustadt. It has been a little over a week since I arrived and it has been an amazing experience so far. So much has happened over the past week that it will be hard to remember everything, but I will give it my best shot. The first night here, there was a party for the international students in the basement of the university. It was a great way to meet everyone in a relaxed environment. It reminded me somewhat of the honors retreat at WSU my freshman year. It seems to hold true for me that those who I connect with right off the bat end up becoming my good friends. Just a thought, but it keeps lingering in the back of my mind. It was a chance for me to get a preview of the amount of drinking that would be going on. (FYI: I am still experimenting to find my “tipping point” and I am proud to say that I have not found it yet). There are students from Finland, Sweden, Korea, France, Canada, Poland, Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, Kenya, Hungary, Mexico, and Spain. At the first official student meeting last Sunday, a representative student from each country had to stand up and say a simple greeting in the native language. It was amazing to hear so many different languages right after each other. This just goes to show how diverse and complex our world truly is. Apfelsaft (applejuice) and Vassar (water) were served as Claudia, the international coordinator, asked us about our hobbies and interests. We stood in groups according to our favorite sporting activities. I was pleased to discover that there were several others, mainly Finnish students, who enjoyed running. After the meeting, a group of us took a leisurely stroll around Wiener Neustadt. The original plan was to stop and get something to eat, but as it was Sunday, nothing was open. However, the beautiful weather still made for a nice stroll around the town...please see pictures!