Having the courage to study abroad is not the question. You’re adventurous, curious, independent and ready to explore the world. It’s acting on your passion for travel that changes everything. This is your moment.
Get inspired and watch Sarah’s video about what she learned on her study abroad program in Austria.
I’m writing from an Anker café in Vienna. Arriving two days ago was a completely different, yet equally awesome experience as it was when I flew into the Vienna International Airport almost a year ago starting my semester as an exchange student in Austria. Then, I was tearfully parting from my parents who drove me to the airport; this time, I scampered off to the airport (excited to be done with final exams!) via Chicago public transport. Then, I had no idea what to expect, not even sure who was meeting me on the other side or what where I was headed looked like; now, I was eager to visit everything I had left behind then. Still, I was a mix of nervous and excited (though mostly excited!). Upon hearing German on the plane, I smiled—then, hoping I’d one day be able understand what they were saying; now, grinning at every word I recognized.
A lot’s has changed since I left Vienna. Since then, I’ve held three jobs and internships, moved to Chicago, started my first year at the University of Chicago, joined a new orchestra, and completed final papers and exams for my first college classes. Moving to college was hardly an adjustment after moving to Vienna and then moving back to the US. I’ve always heard that life goes on once you leave somewhere, which seems obvious—and is certainly how I felt once I returned to the US from Austria last spring—but Vienna seems to have remained in some ways. Everything in my host family’s apartment was nearly how it was when I left; my bed was still there even though the room had been reconverted into their dining room. I thought it would be strange to revisit my old home, maybe even strange to see my host family after so long—but we quickly fell back into our old routine of drinking tea and eating sweets (this time, Christmas cookies!) as we caught up. It’s interesting to return to a city I once felt was home as, more or less, a tourist. In some ways, it still feels like home. Unlike any other city I’ve visited (like Dublin, where I visited this fall—I assure you the travel bug or Wanderlust does not leave, even after 5 months of studying abroad…), I’m already familiar with the public transportation. I’m comfortable enough that I can go out on my own and get back home, but still unfamiliar enough to explore and maybe get a bit lost.
I think I probably know this city as well as I know my college campus. I’ve only been going to school for 10 weeks and I’ve adjusted as well as it took me to do so in Vienna after 5 months. Partly because my experiences abroad have helped me to adapt to any situation but also because studying abroad was, for me, harder; and it’s rewarding in a completely different and awesome ways. There aren’t exams or much homework (at least for me, as I had more or less finished high school before I came), but every day I was presented with something a bit out of my comfort zone. At college, I probe deep into texts and into my own writing at a level that only could be accomplished in my native language. In Austria, I delved deep into another language and culture. In a way, studying abroad felt more like “real life” learning, but after I left, it often felt like a dream. Returning after being in school brought a level of reality to everything I learned abroad and how I had applied it to my life in the U.S.
I think my German’s improved a bit since I left, after taking German 201 at school; somehow, I picked up a year’s worth of college-level German from my semester in Austria! It was neat to hear that I had placed out of 3 German classes after only 5 months. The learning-as-you-go-along thing was certainly a bit more fun and resulted in better stories than classroom learning…I’ll never forget the time I stood dumbfounded, not yet able to respond in German, in my neighbor’s apartment trying to feed their cats while the neighbor’s son stood in his boxers, very confused as to why there was a stranger in his home (I didn’t know that they returned a day earlier from their vacation than expected). It’s also certainly a different kind of German that I’m learning in school. In Austria, I knew my Cappucino from my Melange, Kaffee mit Milch and Brauner and how to order anything; after taking German here, I can write an essay about the elements of romanticism in German fairy tales.
I feel so lucky to be able to come back here and I feel even more so to be able to do so at Christmas time. Vienna is beautiful this time of year, which I had just missed when I arrived last winter. Christmas lights are strung across the streets and giant trees are everywhere. Christmas markets line the streets, full of warm drinks and pastries and ornaments. After such a wonderful experience in Vienna (both times!), I have hopes to study abroad in different countries for at least one or two terms while I continue my studies. I might have to wait a bit to go back to Vienna again, but it’s pretty cool knowing that I have a home across the ocean to return to.
My last two weeks here in Vienna for my study abroad program have been jam-packed doing everything I wanted to do before I left (and more…!). I returned to Prater, the amusement park to ride the scarier rides. I gave an English presentation at school about my hometown and what things are really like in the US and NY. I went to a concert, which was the final exam for Vienna Music Institute students. I climbed Stephansdom tower (the big cathedral in Vienna).
I went to a lecture and panel discussion at the Vienna Business Research Weekend on digital copyright, which was very interesting—it’s so cool that these types of things are free and open to everyone here. I went to the Donau Insel Festival, a huge and free music festival with ten or so stages with various concerts. It became quite hot here so I’ve been visiting the pool and the Danube River quite a bit to go swimming! I’ve also been busy rehearsing—I’m playing in two concerts during my last two days here!  I also have a dinner planned with my friends here and I’m spending my last night with my host family.
There’s so much I’ll miss about living here: my host family and friends the most of course!  Then there’s also that wonderful Viennese coffee, the street trams, the pastries, the German, the chocolates, the Musikverein, the little cafes, the parks, the kebab sandwiches and the list goes on (although I think it probably speaks to my experience here that every other item on that list was food-related…!).
Of course there are things that I’m looking forward to at home, too (maybe a few of which are food related as well…)! Time passed so strangely this semester: the five months flew by so quickly, yet it feels like ages ago that I was back in the United States. I’ll be coming back with so much in addition to my way-too-heavy suitcase (advice to future students studying abroad:  pack a lot less than the weight limit, you’ll come home with a lot more!)… Knowledge of a new language and culture…
A second family, a second home, countless new friends…
New perspectives on music, and an eagerness to travel even more! I’m so lucky to have had such a wonderful experience that will make it so hard to leave this place—but I already can’t wait to come back and visit!
Fashion in Vienna? It’s not too different from what we wear in New York! I have noticed a couple things that have stood out though…
I think, like anywhere, everyone has their own style and tastes but that all in all Vienna’s looking pretty good : )
And sports in Vienna? Since I go to a music school here, I don’t know so much about the sports scene but I do know that soccer (fußball) is quite popular!  It’s common to gather with friends and watch the game and many kids also play for fun. Both football (or “American football” as it’s called here) and cheerleading don’t exist and I’m often asked what high school football is like, since my friends only know the sports from American TV shows.  How I Met Your Mother, Scrubs and Glee are among the most popular American television shows here; although I’ve yet to be introduced to any Austrian television shows, I have gotten to know some Austrian musicians! Listening to Austrian (or German) music is a good way to improve pronunciation and become familiar with the language. I’ll definitely be listening to my German playlist after I go, as I know I’ll miss the sounds of the language!
It’s hard to believe I fly back to the United States in just two weeks! I have a list of things I still want to do in Vienna before I go, so stay tuned for my final blog entry J Here are a few images from the past week.
Although it varies a bit week to week, a typical week in Vienna is usually quite busy! On Mondays and Wednesdays I have my German class for a couple hours in the evening. I really enjoy my German class and my German’s improved a lot since I started it (Ich wirklich mag meine Deutschkurs und jetzt ist mein Deutsch immer besser). The classroom looks out onto Karlskirche, a beautiful old church surrounded by a park. On nice days, it looks more like a painting than what’s just out the window! It’s also been neat to talk to the people in my German class—people from all around the world who have somehow all ended up in Vienna.
On Tuesday, I have my bass lesson. I’m so lucky to have found such a wonderful teacher here! I’m working a lot on my technique at the moment and it’s really interesting to receive an Austrian perspective. I also work on music for my school orchestra and new solo repertoire during my lessons. Thursday afternoons are when I have school orchestra rehearsal. Orchestra rehearsal is pretty similar to what I was used to in the United States, other than it being in German, of course! During my first months here, rehearsals were a bit intimidating since it was tough to keep up with the German. As my German’s improved, I’ve felt more comfortable in rehearsals—I even speak with the bass section in both English and German now! Still, even when the language barrier was thick at the beginning, it disappeared once we started playing our instruments. On Wednesday afternoons, I often practice with my trio. I play cello and two friends from school are playing piano and saxophone. We’re currently working on our second tango, which we’ll have several opportunities to perform next month!
Thursday evening is time for circus! There are about fifteen teenagers in my circus group. We start out with a warm-up, and then the aerialists and jugglers split to begin training. There’s often a workshop where we are taught a new skill. After that, we can practice skills we already know or teach each other new tricks. There’s a really relaxed, yet hard-working vibe that I’ve found to be common in circus communities—anywhere in the world! Recently, we’ve been preparing for our show, which is coming up in just a couple of weeks. We also have additional practices on Saturday mornings.
Music and circus here have been particularly interesting to me because while my involvement in both are certainly improving my German, it’s exciting to realize that each activity is almost a language in and of itself.
Here are a few photos from other activities I have gotten to experience during my time in Vienna:
Sarah gives us a tour of her host family’s home during her study abroad program in Vienna.
When I first arrived in Austria, I signed up for a German class that was 2 hours a week and as soon as that one ended, I jumped into one that was 4 (level A1.2 for anyone who’s curiousJ). This class is right by the opera house, so I can even sometimes catch part of an opera for free after class on the big outdoor movie screen projecting the current performance. In addition to my “Deutschkurs”, I write down words I hear at school or with friends, translate them, put them on flashcards and study them when I have a few minutes on a bus or train. German grammar has been a lot trickier for me to pick up, but I’m slowly acquiring a sense of at least what sounds right. Circus practice, of all places, is one of my favorite places to practice German!
Since I’ve been here, I’ve noticed a difference between classroom German and actual German. I guess this seems obvious enough, but still worth mentioning! In German class, activities are always exactly at or a tiny bit above my level of vocabulary and spoken slowly and articulately. I wish I could say the same thing of the streets of Vienna, but I guess that’s what keeps me on my toes 🙂 Learning German outside of the classroom has been all about the little victories. One of my first weeks here, a woman asked me for directions to Belvedere Palace (in German). Although it was a pretty simple question, understanding the question, knowing how to get to where she wanted to go and then being able to articulate it in a language still so new to me was an incredible feeling. Another little victory was getting through a children’s book with my host sister, Teresa, as I mentioned in a previous blog entry. Another was ordering in German at the bakery by my house (which came with a pretty tasty reward!).
I’ve realized that a lot about learning a language is not only the language itself but also about body language and reading a situation. Even if I pick up only a word or two when someone’s talking to me (when ordering food or in a store or some other scenario where someone doesn’t necessarily know that I’m not a native German speaker), it’s often not hard to figure out what sort of thing one would be saying in a given situation. Then, I can use that knowledge to learn new words or phrases.
I had made several attempts to begin learning German before I left: I took a short online course, studied vocabulary, listened to German music and took out learn-German CDs. My advice for anyone starting to learn a language before arriving in a host country is to choose one strategy (or two, if you have the time!) and stick with it. Having too many gets confusing and you end up getting stuck in the very basics. Anyways, my German’s certainly come a long way and I can’t wait to see how proficient I’ll be by the time I head home!
Here are a few photos with my friends in Vienna who help me practice my German during my study abroad program.
There are endless things to do in Vienna! An afternoon might be spent at a museum or a little café or a park or a small concert venue. Museums Quartier is one of the favorite locations in Vienna—a culture center with delicious restaurants and cafes, as well as a dance center and modern art museum.  There are giant geometric plastic chairs (I’ll try to snag a picture sometime soon for you!) and students often come just to hang out outside. There are outdoor games and things for children to do and even a photo booth. A couple weeks ago I went to a show called “Herr Yemineh” in MQ, which was a lot of fun!
I also participate in aerial arts practice here in Vienna. Here is a video clip from one of my practices:
Now that spring has sprung (I have to admit that while although I loved Vienna in the winter, I had been eagerly anticipating the day when I could finally wear sandals…!), I spend time Vienna’s many parks. There’s an amusement park here called Prater (famous for it’s giant Ferris wheel!), and it’s surrounded by woods, grass and play grounds. I’ve yet to make it to the amusement park (though I think that will change this weekend!), but I’ve loved spending time in the park there with friends. Vienna also has public city bikes that you can borrow for free and return to another city bike station, which I thought was pretty cool!
I’ve also been taking advantage of Musikverein’s 5-euro standing-place (stehplatz) tickets! Last night, a couple of friends and I went to here the Vienna Symphoniker play Dvorak and Bartok which was wonderful.   Another popular activity here is bowling.
Every week, we usually have a lesson off from school in the middle of the day so we walk to one of the cafes right by our school. We just discovered a new one that has the best pies and cakes I think I’ve ever had : )
On a different note, this Tuesday was the Matura class’s last day of classes. The Matura is a series of end-of-gymnasium (high school) exams that began this week. To celebrate, the students put on their dirndls and lader hosen, ran and danced around the school playing music and throwing candy into classrooms. I’m not sure if this is an Austrian or Viennese tradition, or if it’s just specific to my school—nonetheless, a sight I certainly wouldn’t have seen anywhere else.
Here are a few photos from around Vienna…
There are so many wonderful aspects of my host culture in Austria, it’s hard to pick just a few to write about. For one, I really like the relaxed vibe, which is visible in every park and café. People seem to take the time to really enjoy whatever they’re doing—it’s hard not to in such a beautiful city! On a similar note, I like that most everything is closed on Sundays. It took some getting used to, but I think it’s nice that Sunday is a day to relax, spend time at home or with family and friends (instead of running errands or going shopping!).
Markets are another favorite aspect of my host family. There seems to be a market (or a “Markt”, in German) for every occasion. I went to a couple Easter markets—one at Schönbrunn Palace and one just outside of Vienna—which were a lot of fun. There were many intricately painted Easter eggs for sale, much like we sell Christmas ornaments in the US. There was also lots of good food—hot teas and sugar coated nuts and a new treat I tried called “Gebackene Mäuse”. This directly translates to “baked mice”, but no mice were involved… just yummy savory balls of fried dough. Today, I went to a flower market about a two hours drive West of Vienna with my host family. There they were selling plants, herbs, flowers, and garden decorations (and of course coffee and cake, too!). There’s also the famous “Naschmarkt”, which is the largest market in Vienna. There you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables and also international cuisine. There’s also a flea market (Flohmarkt) there on Saturdays—flea markets seem to be quiet popular here! Even though I arrived towards the end of January, people were still talking about the incredible Christmas markets. I’ll definitely have to return to Vienna one day to see those!
Balls are another really wonderful part of Austrian culture. There’s a whole ball season and anyone can buy tickets to whichever ball they wish to attend. Last weekend, I attended my school ball (Schulball)! I had lots of fun shopping for my ball gown and shoes with my host sister and more fun getting ready before the ball with my host aunt. Each ball is opened by a Waltz, and then the floor is opened to others—it was so fun to watch my classmates dance! In addition to the ballroom, there were several smaller rooms and a disco in the basement of the venue. It was certainly a night I’ll remember, and a true part of my host culture.
It may be because I’m involved with the music and circus communities here in Vienna, but culturally speaking, I haven’t found Austria so different from the United States (or New York, at least!). I think the greatest differences are the results of attending a music school and living in a city. One big difference is how school is scheduled around our orchestra and choir rehearsals, especially before Musikfest, our concerts at Musikverein (which went very well and were so much fun, by the way!). To prepare for the concert, we had rehearsal everyday, instead of the usual once a week. Still, our academic teachers were so supportive; many wished us luck, my French teacher had us read the French translation of the Latin lyrics to Mozart’s Requiem and my English teacher even came to hear us! This support for music was really wonderful and it made concert preparation more fun and less stressful. The other big difference from home is all the time I spend walking and on public transportation. I really enjoy looking around, getting a sense of the neighborhoods, reading, people watching, and studying my German flashcards—all while getting to wherever I’m going.
There are also some more general cultural differences. For one, baked goods are more plentiful. It’s also quite normal to spend hours in a cafĂ©, which I’ve really enjoyed. There’s a bit more smoking, as is true for most of Europe. It’s generally more common to eat a larger lunch and a smaller dinner here. I’ve also sensed that there’s a Turkish influence, from all the kebab and falafel stands that line the streets. Additionally, Vienna is much more catholic than where I grew up. Religion is taught at schools, but only for students who decide to take it; the sense of acceptance and tolerance is the same as what I was used to at home. I had heard that perhaps there would be less humor here, but I’ve found that to be far from the truth!
I think that there might be a greater sense of trust here, based on public transportation, at least. I paid for a student travel pass at the start of the semester, but there’s no turnstile that ensures that you have one and I’ve never been asked for it on the train or bus (although if I didn’t have one, and someone did check, I’d have to pay about a 100 euros fine). The sense of trust was also evident when I signed up for my circus classes—used to signing pages of waivers at home, I was surprised to see the single page asking only asking for emergency contact information.
While of course I miss my family and my friends (and my pets…), I’ve hardly had time to become “homesick.” It is funny how I miss some really little things, though…like New York sushi (which somehow just tastes different from sushi anywhere else…). And yellow taxicabs. And Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, until yesterday! Finding that cookie dough ice cream in Billa (the grocery store chain here) was quite exciting, and a nice reminder of home.
Anyways, I think I can trade a few months more without familiar sushi and taxis for all the great experiences I’m having here 🙂
Here are a few photos from my time so far:
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