3 months later..

Tuesday. We had the second part of our German final: the oral exam. Everyone did excellent, and our professor was impressed with how well we pronounced certain phrases. Afterwards, we took a class trip to the Kunsthalle Wien, a museum for contemporary art, featuring "1989", an exhibition focusing on the opening of the Iron Curtain, which ushered in the Cold War. This exhibit showcases the everyday lives of the Soviets during this time period. Although very interesting, it was hard for me to remain focused at the museum because of how utterly drained/exhausted I was. I've been going non-stop for the past few months, and it's finally starting to hit me! After a good hour or so at the Kunsthalle Wien, we went back to the hotel for a quick lunch before beginning the process of packing. I also managed to get in a quick nap before heading out for the night to the Christmas Markets at the Schonbrunn and the Belvedere with Meghan, Ricki, Sarah, and Morgan! We returned to the hotel and met up with everyone in the Horton's room to hang out and begin compiling a list of tips and favorite restaurants, hostels, tours, etc. for next year's group of "Wieners." 


Today (Wednesday) was our official "packing" day, meaning we had the entire day to do as we pleased. Several girls and I decided we wanted to take a daytrip to Hallstatt, a village in upper Austria nearly four hours away from Vienna. Because of this, we woke up around 530am and boarded a train soon after. We had a good 3-4 hours inside the village, which is absolutely breath-taking. I will upload pictures in the next few days! Our time was spent eating at a local cafe (of course) and then perusing the small, picturesque village, located near the Hallstatter See (a beautiful and expansive lake). We arrived back in Vienna around 640 and headed straight to Vapiano's to meet up with everyone else for our last dinner together in Vienna, our beloved home for 3 months. Then, we went to "Zanoni Zanoni" for our final helping of gelato. Yes, I do realize it's nearly freezing outside, but we couldn't leave here tomorrow without enjoying gelato one final time! While in the Stephansplatz area, we also ventured into the Stephansdom for the last time :( Once back at the hotel, we all went up to the Horton's room to converse for a bit and say our good-byes to them (at least for a few days) because they are on a different flight than the rest of our group. Now, I'm just doing some last minute "to-do's" before going to bed for my last time in Vienna.


Sorry this blog has been so concise and ambiguous. I wanted to blog once more before we fly back to America. We leave tomorrow from the hotel at 630am and arrive back in Nashville around 630pm (and we gain 7 hours). Our longest flight is from Munich to Charlotte (10 hours and 10 minutes); it should be quite an experience. I have mixed emotions right now. Although I'm thrilled to go home and see my family and friends for the first time since September, I am also sad to leave behind the life I've known (and grown to love) for three months. I highly anticipate coming back to Europe in the near future, but it's still sad leaving this behind. Time has FLOWN by, and I feel like just yesterday I was rolling my suitcases into our hotel for the first time on September 10! Time for me to get some sleep (let's hope I actually get some rest and i'm not too anxious). I'll be seeing you all so soon in America!! 

day 81.

Monday was a long, productive, and draining day! From 8am-noon, we were at school taking both our German and Humanities finals for the semester. Both went well; I'm usually too critical of myself anyway, so hopefully I did ever better than I anticipate. Afterwards, Sarah and I ventured out for a few last Vienna sight-seeing adventures. First, the Leopold Musuem, which houses one of the largest collections of modern Austrian art, featuring artists such as Gustav Klimt and Richard Gerstl. Our main priority was to see the featured exhibition on Edvard Munch. I enjoyed viewing his artwork even more than I assumed. Although he is most famous for "The Scream," some of my favorites by him include, "The Sick Child" and the "Weeping Nude." After time well spent at the Leopold, we went to the Opera House for an official guided tour, which was very interesting and informative. I've seen 4 performances at the Opera and I wish I had time to see 10 more :)

For dinner, 15 of us went to our favorite authentic Thai restaurant for Erin's birthday! I ordered my favorite: chicken pad thai. Then, on to Cafe Hawelka with Brett, Kirk, Matt, and Sarah to enjoy our last taste of their  delicious/famous plum-filled pastries. We also began preparing for our German oral exam. The requirement for the second part of our exam was to prepare a 1-3 minute speech describing ourselves, our personality, family, friends, and hobbies. After a busy, but packed day of exams, museums, tours, eating, etc., I finished the night off by catching up on my blog and finished preparing for the next morning's exam.

Sorry if it seems like my blogs have gotten progressively shorter. There's so much I could say about each  passing day, but time continues to escape me. Are you surprised? Me either :)

time to STUDY.

We left behind a beautiful weekend in Zell am See and departed for our 10am train back to Vienna. The majority of the train ride home was spent in preparation for the two final exams that were waiting for us on Monday morning: German and Humanities. I refused to sacrifice time to study during my weekend in the Alps, so most of us had a considerable amount of work to get done on Sunday in preparation for two finals. Upon return to Vienna, Sarah and I (yes, we're more nerdy than ever) went to explore the Mozarthaus Vienna, where Mozart lived from 1784-1787, where he composed one of his most famous compositions, "The Marriage of Figaro." We also had the privilege to see Mozart's former bedroom, kitchen, and study room area. I knew I couldn't live in Vienna for three months and not spend some time attempting to better understand Mozart, one of the greatest composers of all time! After time well-spent at the Mozarthaus, we met up with Cari, Erin, and Ricki at Cafe Pickwick's for dinner before returning to the hotel to spend the rest of the night studying/preparing for the next day's finals!

Sorry this is not a particularly interesting post. Sunday was a day full of studying (as you can tell) that will hopefully pay off grade-wise. We're down to the last few days here in Vienna. I can. not. believe. it.

first skiing experience in the ALPS? check.

I woke up around 630 am Saturday morning to begin a day full of new adventures! The entire day was spent out on the slopes of Zell am See, where I enjoyed my first ever snow skiing experience. What better way to begin than in the Alps? As soon as I had put on all my ski equipment, I decided I was in for a LONG, horrendous day on the slopes. Luckily, I picked up on the basics much faster than I had originally thought. Although at times I did have some major balance issues. Within the first hour, I was doing 10x better. Unlike the slopes in America, those in Zell am See contain no trees, are not as well groomed, resulting in more slick ice/snow, and have no beginner/"bunny" slopes. Therefore, the whole day I was on the "blue" trails which are equivalent to intermediate level in America. Given the circumstances, I impressed myself. I fell a few times here and there, but overall managed to do considerably well! My body is still slightly sore, but it was well worth the time, effort, and pain :) After a few hours of skiing, Ricki and I stopped for a lunch break at the bottom of one of the lifts, where we ordered Beef goulash soup. We were able to sit outside the ski bar and enjoy the majestic mountains and the experienced skiers glide (effortlessly) down the slopes!

Arriving back at the house around 4, I took a nice hot shower and was so happy to shed my wet clothing! Next, we enjoyed eating another delicious home-cooked dinner, consisting of mashed potatoes, penne noodles with several types of cheese, and salad...carb overload, anyone? We hung out the rest of the night, talking and playing several rounds of Mafia, which was so much fun! I thoroughly enjoyed getting to spend time with my entire Vienna family this past weekend. It's so crazy to see how far friendships have grown over the past few months, considering most of us went from non-communication, to treating one another like siblings. Despite returning to normalcy once back in America, our bond will never fully fade out, which I am grateful for.

That's a verrryyy concise version of my last Saturday in Europe. If you want more details about my first-time skiing experience, I will be more than happy to entertain you with stories! :)

zell am see.

Friday morning began what ended up being a beautiful, enjoyable, and memorable last weekend in Europe! We arrived at the train station around 730am to board the train from Vienna to Zell am See, our destination for the weekend. This city is located nearly two hours from Salzburg, attracting skiers, snowboarders, and those in need of a winter-oasis type holiday. The majority of the train ride was spent dozing in and out of sleep, before we arrived around 1230. We checked into the house we'd be staying at all weekend, which was divided up into several different rooms (4-6 people per room). Since we had not eaten all day, our first objective: find food (of course)! Several of us walked to the local Hofer grocery store  and purchased ingredients to prepare chili and grilled cheese sandwiches in our room, which conveniently contained a kitchen! The food was absolutely delicious! Just being in a kitchen and preparing food (as simple as our menu seemed) was so comforting and enjoyable. I've been deprived of cooking, no doubt.

After a hearty lunch and family bonding time, most everyone climbed into bed for a short, much-needed nap. The beds were SO comfortable and we all fell fast asleep. I just sounded like a children's book author... Once we woke up, we spent the next few hours back in the kitchen, preparing dinner for the entire group (30 people) with the wonderful Professor Horton. Friday night's menu: bruschetta, spaghetti with 3 different sauces, roasted bell pepper salad, and caprese. Sarah and I were assigned the task of making the bruschetta, which turned out to be absolutely delicious. I'm pretty proud of our efforts, and this is another dish I anticipate preparing once we're back in the States! Dinner was fabulous, especially since we haven't had an authentic home cooked meal in...well...let's not discuss how long. Family bonding time occupied the rest of the night, as we conversed about different topics, including awkward/memorable first-kiss stories. We climbed in bed around 11pm. What a great day!!

Thanksgiving...in Vienna?

Sorry I'm a few days behind on my blog. The closer we are to going home, the more busy my days get! I'll pick up where I left off, which brings me to Thursday of last week (Thanksgiving). In German today, we reviewed for the exam and our professor helped us work through a pre-final. Then, we had our CIVA final (3 essays) to finish off our last full week of school for the semester! After a quick lunch at the Naschmarkt, I journeyed with 6 friends to the Hundertwasser Haus in Vienna, an apartment house in the 3rd district, featuring undulating floors, a roof covered with grass, and large trees growing from the inside of the rooms. This House is one of Vienna's most visited buildings and has become a part of Austria's cultural heritage. After some time here, Sarah and I split off from the rest and headed straight to the Sigmund Freud museum! For almost half a century, Freud lived and worked in this house. His office and private apartment are now a museum. Spending time inside this museum was such a wonderful experience, mostly because I often forget that Freud was in fact a normal human being, with genius ideas and theories. I often dehumanize people like him simply because his intelligence is far beyond my comprehension.

After a productive day of Vienna sight-seeing, a group of 10 of us "Wieners" went ice-skating at a local out door skating rink. It was so much fun! I don't think I've been ice-skating in at least 10 years, but I was able to pick up the basics more easily than I had anticipated. I suppose since I'm such a klutzy person I don't give myself much credit in such endeavors. We spent almost two hours at the rink before heading back to the hotel. Afterwards, I was able to call my family on Thanksgiving and talk for a little bit, which I had anticipated doing all day! Not being home this year for my favorite holiday was hard, but I wouldn't give up the last three months for anything. :) We had a Vienna family movie night in the Horton's, where we watched Elf and ate Christmas candies. Afterwards, I caught up on my blog and packed for the upcoming weekend in the Alps!

Have I mentioned recently how grateful I am for my loving, supportive, and beautiful group of family and friends who have always been such a encouragement to me?

Backstreet's BACK....ALRIGHT.

Want to know why Wednesday was such a great day? Then keep reading!

Classes went well. We had our last Humanities lecture for the semester, which is so crazy! Then, Sarah and I headed straight to the Jewish Museum in Vienna! This museum is comprised of Jewish history, life, and religion within Austria...very interesting. Next, we stopped by Julius Meinl to purchase a bottle of fresh-squeezed orange juice. Let's just say in America, I never drink OJ, but this is the best I've ever had. Plus, I figured I needed the vitamins and energy boost! Then, we went back to the hotel to enjoy turkey and stuffing leftovers from the previous night's Thanksgiving dinner. I've always been a fan of cold turkey..mmm. The next hour or so was spent preparing for our CIVA final exam on Thursday before getting ready for the Backstreet Boys concert!!

We took a train from Vienna to Bratislava, Slovakia to see the BSB live! On the way, Meredith and I had some good bonding time (love her!) before spending the rest of the night at one of the most memorable/hilarious/fun concerts I've ever been to! They just released a new cd, so it was awesome to hear the new music in person. I used to listen to the Backstreet Boys all the time as a child. Actually, I preferred N'Sync, but found both group's music/beat appealing. 18 of us went to the concert, which made the whole experience that much more enjoyable to share it with everyone. The concert was in an in-door tennis arena, and we had tickets on the floor. I tried to push our way to the front, but we ended up about 12 rows back. Overall, the concert was so much fun. Who would have thought I would come study in Europe for 3 months and see the Backstreet Boys in concert?! Definitely an opportunity I refused to pass up! We arrived back at our hotel right after midnight, and I stayed up til around 130 studying more for CIVA and blogging.

Now do you understand why Wednesday was such a good day? :)