So. To fill you in on the important details first:
Everything is going so great here. I am alive and doing very well, (in addition to being very well fed on delicious bread and cheese.) The WiFi is very limited at the moment, as I am current in the midst of my two week long language camp. And despite the many warnings about the Austrian's having a dialect, one cannot really appreciate the added challenge for a new speaker unless you expierence it yourself! So of course, a little bit of extra work has to be devoted to studying and reviewing notes.
However, not even all the hours studying German before I came here could not have prepared me for all of the wonderful new things I am seeing, tasting, hearing, and doing here in Austria.
"But what sort of things are you seeing (tasting, etc.) Ashley?"
Oh! Well that is a very good question.
I suppose the best place to start would be when I first got off the plane. At least, I'll try to explain it as best as I can, considering my state of mind was not all that good. (I found that sixteen hours of total travel time really messes with how awake and alert one feels.) Finally stepping foot in the city I was going to be living in for almost a year was definitely surreal, and I must have looked kind of like a deer in the headlights because at least two people came up to me and asked if I was lost/needed help.
Thankfully I found my way to my luggage just fine, thanks to the giant signs indicating "To Vienna". I think I started running down the terminal because I was so excited, and because of this nobody asked me if I need help again. But as I rounded the next corner I ran right into a sea of people; all of them holding up pieces of paper with names written on them. I scanned over them quickly, and there was one I recognized.
"Ashley!"
I was so excited, scared, happy, and tired from everything that when I saw Wolfgang and Mia, my new host parents, I started crying and gave them huge hugs. Maybe that wasn't the best way to make first introductions, but they simply smiled, said they were so very happy to see me, and ushered me to the car. Needless to say, I was very grateful I had stuffed lots of tissues into the pocket of my Rotaary blazer before hand.
As we were driving to the aparment, I couldn't stop looking out the window. But Mia and Wolfgang seemed almost as excited as I was, and were nice enough to expalin everything we passed by.
When we reached the apartment I was shown all parts of the house, which didn't take too long. I realized very quickly that I was going to have to get comfortable with the idea of close living quaters: but I didn't care. I was dead focused on getting into my new bed and going to sleep.
But it seems that 1:30pm is not a normal bed time even in Austria, and wanting to avoid jet lag, I knew I had to kill some time. Luckily, Mia and Wolfgang thought it would be a perfect time for an impromptu tour. We walked across a bridge on the Donaukanal from our apartment in second district into first district. Which if you don't know Vienna, is the tourist center.
I thought there were a lot of people in Edmonton, Alberta, so obviously Vienna was extra impressive. Wolfgang mentioned it was a quiet day and that there were way more people on the weekends, so I then made a mental note to avoid first district on weekends.
Among all the craziness and people we found an ice cream palour, or Eis Cafe as they call them here, I attempted to be modest and politely declined, but I guess that was a no go, because I ended up with a small ice cream in my hand regardless. Did I mention they are very welcoming and hospitable?
However, not even all the hours studying German before I came here could not have prepared me for all of the wonderful new things I am seeing, tasting, hearing, and doing here in Austria.
"But what sort of things are you seeing (tasting, etc.) Ashley?"
Oh! Well that is a very good question.
I suppose the best place to start would be when I first got off the plane. At least, I'll try to explain it as best as I can, considering my state of mind was not all that good. (I found that sixteen hours of total travel time really messes with how awake and alert one feels.) Finally stepping foot in the city I was going to be living in for almost a year was definitely surreal, and I must have looked kind of like a deer in the headlights because at least two people came up to me and asked if I was lost/needed help.
Thankfully I found my way to my luggage just fine, thanks to the giant signs indicating "To Vienna". I think I started running down the terminal because I was so excited, and because of this nobody asked me if I need help again. But as I rounded the next corner I ran right into a sea of people; all of them holding up pieces of paper with names written on them. I scanned over them quickly, and there was one I recognized.
"Ashley!"
I was so excited, scared, happy, and tired from everything that when I saw Wolfgang and Mia, my new host parents, I started crying and gave them huge hugs. Maybe that wasn't the best way to make first introductions, but they simply smiled, said they were so very happy to see me, and ushered me to the car. Needless to say, I was very grateful I had stuffed lots of tissues into the pocket of my Rotaary blazer before hand.
As we were driving to the aparment, I couldn't stop looking out the window. But Mia and Wolfgang seemed almost as excited as I was, and were nice enough to expalin everything we passed by.
When we reached the apartment I was shown all parts of the house, which didn't take too long. I realized very quickly that I was going to have to get comfortable with the idea of close living quaters: but I didn't care. I was dead focused on getting into my new bed and going to sleep.
But it seems that 1:30pm is not a normal bed time even in Austria, and wanting to avoid jet lag, I knew I had to kill some time. Luckily, Mia and Wolfgang thought it would be a perfect time for an impromptu tour. We walked across a bridge on the Donaukanal from our apartment in second district into first district. Which if you don't know Vienna, is the tourist center.
I thought there were a lot of people in Edmonton, Alberta, so obviously Vienna was extra impressive. Wolfgang mentioned it was a quiet day and that there were way more people on the weekends, so I then made a mental note to avoid first district on weekends.
Among all the craziness and people we found an ice cream palour, or Eis Cafe as they call them here, I attempted to be modest and politely declined, but I guess that was a no go, because I ended up with a small ice cream in my hand regardless. Did I mention they are very welcoming and hospitable?
We then took a long walk around the first district, going to St. Stevens Cathedral (Stephansdom), the Kohlmarkt, in addition to walking down many what is called Blutstraße. Which, contrary their name are actually lovely places to walk down. You really get a sense of domestic life amongst all the commericalism and tourism.
By the end of the night, just as I thought we were going to head back home, it was time to go out for dinner at one of the many cafes. On the menu? Wiener Schnitzel, of course. Although I am not experienced in cuisine what so ever, I can confirm it was delicious and done to perfection. To be honest, I couldn't think of a better meal to have on the first day and nor could I think of a better introduction to Vienna.
I could go on and continue in detail as to what else happened in the last two weeks, as there is obviously more to talk about, but like I said, Internet is very limited here. So sorry to cut it off at an akward spot. I will maybe just have to spread it out over several, shorter, blog posts over the next few days, so keep watching! As well, don't be afraid to send me an email, Facebook message, Whatsapp, or whatever if you want to share your own stories with me!
So until then. All the best and take care!
-Ashley
