week eight and nine.

two months down, eight more to go. the past two weeks, like all other weeks in austria, were filled with excitement, german, and new experiences. over the holloween weekend i went to a lovely afs party and met some new exchange students who are not from afs. this was particularly exciting because it was totally unexpected. the students are here with the rotary program and they are from austrialia and the united states. some of them have been here since january, and other since august. it was amazing to talk to people who have already been in austria for so long, it was almost like looking into the future a bit. aside from that, it's always nice to meet new people, especially those who share your country of origin. over the weekend the girlfriend of my host brother was in poland with her family, so babsi and i watched her flat for her. babsi stayed there three nights, but i only stayed one. the flat was very sweet and was a lot closer to the city center then leising, so it was easier to get places. it was a little creepy though, because it was just me and babsi alone on holloween. well me babsi, and the cat. her name is rocky and she is wonderfully soft and fluffy. we had a few scary moments, but babsi and i made it through the night just fine. on sunday we went climbing with her mom and a family friend. the place we went was unlike anywhere else i had been before. it was in the middle of a forest and all the trees were connected together with lines. between the trees were obstancles and you had to cross them in order to get to the platform on the other side. your connected to two steel cables so there is no way you can fall. but it's still a bit scary to be 60 feet in the air, balancing on a thin wooden plank. they had three or four different courses you could do, and babsi and i did them all. it was so much fun, and i really hope i get to go back there sometime, maybe in the summer. last week we only had three days of school, and it was nice to have a mini vacation. this week is a full one however, and i am slowly but surely getting back into the swing of things. school seems to be getting more routine but it's still not super exciting. i think i will really grow to like it once i can understand everything. i've been trying to speak german more and more, and i can feel myself improving. i hope to be very good by christmas, but i also don't want to put too much presure on myself. the language barrier is a big hurtle to jump, but i really hope i make it. this week i also started my college applications. i can already tell they are going to be a handful, but it's also excting. i am starting to think a lot about my college admissions essay and i am greatful to austria for giving me so many amazing things to write about. this experience has already changed my understanding of things in a profound way, and i think i have matured more in these paft few months then in the past six months, or maybe even year. it's truely an amazing feeling of progression and self assurance. i know if i can get through this, i can get through just about anything.

week six and seven.

man, i can't believe it's are already nearing the end of october. holloween is just a week away! things have been moving so quickly that last week i was unable to write about my experinces. but it's okay, i'm enjoying the active lifestyle. last weekend i had my second arrival camp with all the exchange students from wien and burgenland. there were about thirty people in all. the camp only lasted for one night, but i wish it could have been longer. i have made some really great friends here and it was so nice to see and hang out with everybody. that is one great thing about afs, they really give you a chance to get to know people from all over the world. my best friends are from america, new zealand, denmark, and finland. but i have met people from over a hundred different countries. i think it is so wonderful, and i am learning so much from everyone. last week babsi was in mentenegro and i was alone. things were a little boring, but over all positive. i spoke german at home a lot more, and spent more time with my host parents. i also went shopping with a few girl from my class, and it was nice to spend more time with them. i am starting to go out a lot more by myself, and i have figured out all the u-bahn and s-bahn lines. it's wonderful because it means i now have the ablility to get myself to and from just about anywhere in wien. it has given me such a strong and independent feeling, and it's great to know that i am really learning my way around the city. but i am still mostly meeting other exchange students and i feel like i should be hanging out more with native austrians. i'm still a bit too shy to ask out the people in my class, but soon i will. i am also struggling to completely switch over to german, because everyone here speaks english. but i am making an effort and i am hoping that within the next two weeks i can almost completely stop speaking english. so far this weekend has been pretty low key. on friday night babsi and i went out to a party, but had a hard time geting home. we left the party around 12:30, hoping that we could catch the last u-bahn. unfortunately we were too late and had to walk in search of a night bus. we walked for over and hour and witnessed some interesting things, including a man being chased down by a police officer and another one being loaded into an ambulance because of alcohol poisoning. the nightlife here is definitely intense, and people do some crazy things. eventually we found a nightline, but didn't end up getting home until after three. it was a long night, but to make up for it, babsi and i had a really low key day yesterday and just stayed in. today is sunday, and i think we might go ice skating! i hope so because it would be so fun, even though i am quite bad at it. on monday we don't have school, and friday as well. i'm looking forward to the short week and on friday afs is having a holloween party that i am also excited about. their parties are always so sweet, and i love any excuse to dress up!
by the way, i'm sorry i havn't been posting any pictures of austria, i have been taking a lot but have yet to take them off my camera. later babsi is going to help me put them on a zip drive so hopefuly within the next few days i can upload some. this blog is looking a little boring right now.

week five.

another amazing slice of life in austria. each week seems to go by faster then the last, and it is getting harder and harder to keep up with writing. this week was more relaxed, but not boring. on saturday babsi and i went to a large sale that the local church was having. we shopped for a few hours and bought some really amazing stuff. everything was so cheap, and it was a relief because things have been expensive compared to the states. there were so many interesting, unique, and surprising things. they had everything from typewriters to ball gowns. i bought a hat, skirt, handbag, and suitcase, all for around five euro. one of the coolest things they had were two boxes filled with postcards. the funny thing was that most of them had already been written on and mailed from all over the world. i though this was especially cool. many of them were very old as well, i got one that had been sent in 1935. i have no idea why they were there, but i still found it amazing to see little pieces of the lives of total strangers. on sunday i went with babsi and her dad to the final casting for austria's next top model. babsi had gone to a casting sometimes before i arrived in austria, and had been called back. out of over three thousand girls, only three hundred were called back, and out of those only twenty were selected to go on the show. on sunday morning we left the house at five, and didn't get back until one that night. babsi had to bring seven weeks worth of luggage with her, because if she was selected she would go to the model house that night. the day was very long, and was filled with waiting. but the location was just beautiful, and i took many wonderful photos. in the end, babsi made it to the final twenty, but decided not to go on the show. school was a big factor in her decision, because today she left on a school trip to montenegro, and if she had missed it it would have been bad. she also said it was extremely difficult to have the cameras around, and the whole thing seemed very fake and contrived. reality tv, is not the most honest thing out there. she also said that many of the judges were very mean, and after such a long day she just wanted to go home. i think the decision was a wise one. i'm on my own for the next week, while babsi is in montenegro, and i am trying to use it as an opportunity to make new friends. tomorrow i am going shopping with two girls from my class, and i am looking forward to it. school is still a little difficult to follow, but as my german gets better so does my understanding of everything else. i can't wait until i am somewhat fluent. austria will seem like a totally different place and i will relate to it in a totally different way.

week four

this week i turned seventeen. babsi made my birthday feel very festive. in the morning i woke up to a decorated kitchen, complete with a birthday banner and candles. after school we baked a cake with one of babsi's friends from panama. it took us almost two hours to grate the chocolate, grind the walnuts, mix the batter, and get the whole thing in the oven. but it was definitely worth it. we topped the cake with marzipan and coco powder. it was quite delicious. the three of us spent the evening in the backyard listening to music, dancing, and just goofing around. every week i get more and more accustomed to being here. my house is really starting to feel like a sanctuary, the way houses should. everything is getting more and more comfortable. this week was full of shopping. my sister and i visited two different shopping streets along with a giant mall. the love the clothes here, but everything is expensive compared to the states. i think i am managing my money well though, and i am trying not to buy things too impulsively. it is amazing to walk around the city. vienna is a wonderful mix between majestically old streets and modern conveniences. the architecture continues to surprise and delight me. everything is outlined in flowers and gardens that seem to cascade through the streets. it is truly beautiful. i am trying to take as many pictures as i can, but they really don't do it justice.
this week i was introduced to my host grandma. she is in her mid to late eighties and is such a sweet woman. on saturday babsi and i helped her around her yard. there is a large pine tree on the side of her house that sheds needles all over the grass. this distresses her, so babsi and i raked them up for her. the whole time she wanted so badly to help and feed us. she made us hot chocolate and once our work was done we enjoyed it alone side some traditional austrian cookies. it was a very sweet afternoon. that night babsi and i went to a huge birthday party for a kid in our school. it took place in a majestic building in the city center. once again the marble staircases and old portraits contrasted with strobe lights and fog machines. the party was really fun but there were so many people there. the guest list topped nine hundred. everyone received a free glass of champagne upon entering the party, but for most it was just the beginning. by the end of the night the floor was covered in broken glass and spilled drinks. it was interesting to see parents and body guards along side the mass of drunk teenagers. the openness of austria continues to surprise me. babsi and i poured ourselves into the house around 4am, exhausted from a night of dancing. i had made the mistake of wearing heels to the party, and by the time i got home my feet were completely dead. all in all, the weekend was really fun, but i am looking forward to school tomorrow. after two days of staying up late, it is always nice to return to the normalcy of education. once again i am excited to see what austria has in store for me.

week three

wow. i can't believe i have almost been here a month. it seems like no time at all. it's nice to know that i'm progressing and moving forward in my stay. this week i did some more exciting things. one of the highlights was going to vienna fashion week. i went on saturday night with my host sister and a few of her friends. we saw five fashion shows in a big black tent like the ones at new york fashion week. the clothes were amazing and i was in awe the whole time. it took place in the center of vienna, which could not have been a more perfect setting. at night all the old buildings are just incredible looking. i still haven't had a chance to go to all the museums there, but i am definitely trying to find a time. the art and natural history museums are supposed to be particularly cool. on sunday i went to a ski resort. it was on this large mountain and during the summer it's for mountain biking and hiking and stuff. we took the ski lift to the very top and then rode down on these giant scooter things. the trail was steep, rocky, and scary, but it was so amazingly fun. once we reached the bottom of the mountain, we went to a restaurant and had schnitzel. i could not have dreamed up a more perfect way to spend a sunday. that evening i also got to skype with my parents, which was really cool. seeing there faces again was really comforting and made me feel at home. this week is my birthday, and i'm looking froward to spending it in the city. so far i don't really have any plans, but just being here is enough. i've made some friends at school, but so far i've been too shy to ask them if they want to do something. everyone here is really nice though, and i can't wait until i've made some good friends. german is also still a struggle, but i'm trying. it is a little hard not being able to participate in all my classes and stuff, but i'm trying to be patient with myself. i still have a lot of time to grow. all in all though, things are good and i'm excited to see what this week will bring.

week two.

while last week felt like a month, this week flew by. i think it is a sign that i am starting to get more adjusted. i am even beginning to learn my way around the city, and have gone a few places on my own. it gives me a new feeling of independance, which is very refreshing. it is so cool to think that one day i will know exactly where i'm going and what everyone is saying around me. this week i saw some amazing things, and some not so amazing things. the not so amazing things included a man peeing on the street, and another man vomitting on the subway. it was an intersting taste of another side of vienna. other then that, things were really cool. over the weekend i saw some live music with my host-sister, babsi and went to a large party for the 60th anniversary of afs. there i got to catch up with some exchange students that i had befriended in orrientation, which was really cool. it is great to have others to share this experince with, and we can really relate to each other on a special level. on sunday babsi and i went to the zoo and it made me feel like a kid again. the zoo is huge, and is part of the land surrounding this really old palace called glorietta. there were amazing gardens all over, with thousands of flowers and trees that had been cut into giant spheres and cylinders. it was amazingly beautiful. the zoo also had just about every animal under the sun, more then i had ever seen in zoos in america. after the zoo we walked through a giant hedge maze and a labyrinth, which were also part of glorietta. by the end of the day, i was exhausted but thourougly impressed. the buildings and landscapes here continue to amaze me. in two weeks, my host sister is going to montanegro with our school. she is going to be gone for a week, and it will be a little wierd to be on my own. i am invited to a birthday party over that weekend, and i am using the opportunity to try and get closer to the kids in my class. i am eager to make some friends of my own so that i am not always dependant on babsi. we get along great and are getting closer everyday, but i think it would be good to have a life of my own. it is wierd not knowing everybody. the last time i went to a new school was in second grade, and i was moving from the antioch school to mills lawn. it is a bit hard to be thrown into a completely new setting, but at the same time exciting. after this college is going to be a walk in the park.

week one

well, i made it to austria and overall things are great! before i met my host family i had a two day orientation camp with afs austria. i met some really sweet people, but found myself a little homesick. things cleared up as soon as i got to my host family, and we clicked right away. they really made me feel welcome and decorated my room with welcome signs and stuffed animals. on my first day of school they presented me with a gift basket. this is customary in austrian culture, but usually parents give them to their children on the first day of elementary school. my gift basket had an assortment of candies and school supplies. i am so very greatful to them for being so supportive. with a new school and a new family, there are a lot of things to get used to. sometimes i find it hard to believe that i am really here and that i finally made it. vienna is so beautiful. aside from the stunning architecture and glorious gardens, the streets are almost litter free and everything seems very quaint and civilized. on my first day in austria, babsi, my host sister, took me into the center of the city. it was a perfect introduction to the country, and since then we have really gotten to know each other. it is really cool to have sister. babsi was also an exchange student and spent the last year in panama. this has given us so much to talk about and it's nice to have someone who knows what i'm going through. i feel like i have experienced more in this past week, then in the entire summer. i can't possibly fit all of my experiences into a single journal entry. school is a blur, but i am keeping up. i have made friends with some of my classmates and they help bridge the language gap a little bit. i am the first exchange student they have had from overseas, and the first one to stay a whole year. everyone has a lot of questions for me, and answer a lot of mine as well. school is from 8:00 until 2:00 everyday, but there is no lunch break which i kind of miss. i am in the same classroom the whole day, which is an interesting change. it's nice because it gives me a chance to really meet and get to know people. one thing i miss from america, is extracurricular activities. i am so used to sports teams and clubs, that there absence is a little sad. at the same time, i have so much to adjust to that not having extra things to take on may be a blessing. german is difficult to grasp, but my vocabulary has just about doubled since i've been here. that is a start. there are definitely people and things that i miss from home, but here everyday is new and exciting. i am constantly learning, and i feel as though there is so much to discover. there are hard times, but i am so greatful to be here and i am determined to make the best of every experience!

well, what an amazing summer it has been. i have only about a week and a half until i leave yellow springs, and two weeks until i fly to austria. i really can't believe it. this whole experience has been both exciting and scary. each day brings it's own feelings and challenges, but i feel as though i am preparing to face anything. i feel fortunate to have been placed with a family that i will fit into so well. afs did an amazing job. i have a host sister named babsi, who just so happens to be the same age as myself. we have been emailing for the past few months, and meeting her in person will be a wonderful experience. on top of that, our families seem to be fairly similar, and i think they will make it easier to face all the challenges that austria will throw at me. 

i also feel very grateful for the job, and therefore the money, that the winds has provided me with. they have really made me feel like a part of a family, and i can't believe my time there has drawn to a close so soon. on top of that, i am really just doing everything i can to get ready. i have officially started packing, although only a few sweaters, and i am on my way to finishing my last credit of high school. i am trying to enjoy every second i spend with my family and friends, because i know that i will miss them all very deeply. all in all, i feel very fortunate and i am determined to make the absolute best out of this amazing opportunity! 

update

i thought i would start my next post off with some pictures. these are mainly from salzburg, innsbruck, and vienna. the landscapes are truly breathtaking!

in other news: i recently got a job dishwashing at the winds. it is really hard work and i come home everyday exhausted and covered in water, but it is really fulfilling to be earning steady money. i feel like i am really on my way. i am also happy that i will be able to contribute some cash to my trip, even if it is just for spending money while i am there. i would like to take this time to say thank you to everyone who came to our yardsale. we made over two hundred dollars which went directly towards covering tuition. i am working on planning other fundraisers and i will certainly let you all know when i do! i also recently started summer school. i am taking government and english. i can honestly say it is a terribly boring and sorry excuse for education, but i just have to push myself through it and then i can be done with high school forever! i am afraid that's all for now, but i will be sure to post regular updates on all things austria!  

fundraising

recently i attended an orientation in cincinnati. it was a positive experience and i am really looking forward to my year abroad. i am trying to prepare myself as much as possible for the trip and therefore i am dedicating my summer to learning german, finishing high school, and of course raising money. i haven't been able to fundraise much because i have been so busy with school, but i have been eagerly trying to find jobs for the summer. my family and i are planning on having a massive yard sale on june 13th, which as many of  you know is the day of the street fair. we have huge amounts of goods to sell and i hope that you all come and buy something. financing the trip is a big hurtle that i have to leap but hopefully you can make it a little easier. the total cost of my tuition is $7200, which is a lot of money. my family and i don't exactly have money laying around the house and, given the financial crisis, it is particularly hard to find. that is why i am asking for donations. any money you give will go directly towards paying for my tuition and therefore you can directly contribute to the incredible cultural opportunity that i have been given. i am so grateful to everyone who has helped out so far. i am receiving an amazing amount of support from the yellow springs community and it is really making the whole trip a lot easier. 

once again thank you all so much. if you have any questions feel free to email me at beenotbea@yahoo.com

we just go together

introduction

hello! my name is belle-pilar fleming, and i'm going to austria. i am going to be an exchange student next year and i am very excited about it. i have wanted to go abroad for a long time. i come from this small, liberal town in ohio called yellow springs. i have traveled alot with my parents around the united states, but i have only been out of the country once and it was to canada. needless to say i am ready for a new landscape and some new experiences. i am a creative and outgoing girl and i hope to learn a lot from going abroad. i want to come back fluent in german, and i hope the language wont be too hard to pick up. my parents are really excited about me going abroad but i think that its going to be hard for them to have me out of the house. i am their last child and their only daughter so they are a bit protective. i think that my friends are excited for me as well, but we are definately going to miss each other. no worries, i plan to write everyone a great deal. becoming an afser was a bit hard, the application was long, and complicated but its definately going to be worth it. i am fortunate to have my family on board with me, because it would be nearly impossible without them. the next big hurtle we have to jump is raising all the money. i have a few fundraising ideas but i need to get going soon because i only have four or five months. i know that it is gong to be hard, but i am determined to work as much and as hard as i can until i raise all the money i need. let me tell you, i certainly have a lot of motivation and a great goal to work towards!