Prior to coming here, I honestly did not know what to
expect. I had never left the states before; all I had to go by was the
stories of others and what I could find on Google. Based off of the sources, I
came to the conclusion (as most would) that it would be incredibly beautiful
and the most amazing experience of my life. Well, it turns out my assumptions were right, I just did not fully
comprehend how beautiful and amazing it would actually be.
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Sunrise During our layover in Amsterdam |
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En Route to Vienna |
It was definitely a culture shock coming here. Almost
everything is different, but I do not mean that in a negative way. I actually
find that I like some things here much better than in America; from the cafes
to the delicious food, from the beautiful architecture to having free
universities. What’s not to love?
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Slowly but surely our German has improved. From figuring out menus... |
At first, walking around the streets and seeing everything
in German was definitely a bit scary. But, once we got over the fear of not
being able to understand anything, we actually came to find that understanding
the language was much easier than we thought. Don’t get me wrong; learning
German is by no means easy. But we have come to recognize what different words
or phrases mean without even learning them in a classroom setting.
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...to common household items, like our washing machine. |
But, luckily for us, there is really not much of a language barrier
considering a large percentage of the Austrian population speaks English. But,
for those times that there have been people we have had to communicate with
that do not speak English at all, there was not much of an issue. This situation is interesting, because it is actually
really easy to understand each other without actually being
able to understand each other.
To be honest, I think the most difficult thing to adjust to
was the six hour time difference.
When it comes to the sights of the city, I really cannot put
into words how amazing it is. We have been to a number of different places
throughout Vienna in our first month here. With
every sight we see, I feel like I become more and more amazed. From
the beautiful architecture to the vast landscapes of the country side, each
sight has been just as amazing as the next...
Palaces
Belvedere
Hofburg
Schonbrunn
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Photo credit: Maggie Cochran |
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Photo credit: Maggie Cochran |
Churches
Stephansdom
Karlskirche
Peterskirche
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Exterior: Romanesque Style |
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Interior: Baroque Style |
Gothic vs. Baroque
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Inside Monastery (in Melk): Baroque |
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Inside Stephansdom: Gothic
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Monuments
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Pestsaule: indicating the end of the Black Plague in Vienna |
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Hochstrahlbrunnen: commemorates the completion of Vienna's water supply |
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Heldendenkmal der Roten Armee: represents the soldiers in the Soviet Army who were killed in the Battle of Vienna (WWII) |
Points of Interest
Anker Clock
Kunst Haus
Parks around Vienna
The Theresianum Academy
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The symbol of the Hapsburgs |
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Beautiful artwork in every room |
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The Library |
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The Chapel |
Alte Donau
(Below are pictures of us on paddle boats on the river - It's fun with a beautiful view!)
Speaking of beautiful views...
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View of Vienna from one of the towers of Stephansdom |
Vienna at Night
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Stephansdom |
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The Oper |
Just for Fun!
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Stadionbad |
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Prater - Amusement Park |
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Prater - Amusement Park |
Modern Vienna
Vienna Woods
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View of the city from the Vienna Woods |
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View of the mountains from the Vienna Woods |
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The Vienna Woods is known for its numerous, beautiful vineyards |
I have heard arguments that studying abroad is irrelevant if
it does not pertain to your major. After beginning this wonderful journey, I
have to say I could not disagree more. Although I am an English and Education
major taking German and Mass Communication-related classes, I have never taken
part in a more educational experience than the one I am on. These classes may
not be a part of my major requirements, but when was the last time learning
something new or different was bad for a person? And it is safe to say that
this whole experience definitely pertains to life in general. By that I mean I
have found that I am growing as a person tremendously; more than I ever could
have without this experience. After all, college is supposed to prepare you as
an adult to enter the real world, so what better way to do so than by being
pulled out of your comfort zone and actually experiencing the real world?
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At Logan Airport and ready to go! Photo credit: Kelsey Devlin |
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Making friends with some local people during our adventures at the Alte Donau |
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The group at the Vienna Woods Photo credit: Harrison Csorny |