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!