Wow! It’s been a long time since I’ve sat down to write about what’s been going on! I’m not even sure where to begin to describe what’s happened in the last 4 months. Well last time I wrote, I was getting ready to head out on a trip with all of the other Austrian Inbounds. It was amazing! We traveled to the cities of Prague in the Czech Republic, and Dresden and Berlin in Germany. All three of these cities were absolutely stunning and beautiful! I can’t even begin to describe the amount of fun we had all together as an Inbound group of probably 100.

There is one special tradition that I of course brought to Austria: THANKSGIVING! I cooked an entire American Thanksgiving dinner with my host mom for the whole family! We cooked turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans, pumpkin pie, and so much more! It was such a great night, getting to bring something special to me and my family at home to my family here in Austria!

Then December came around and that meant Christmas Season! Christmas in Austria is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever experienced. It was definitely a different Christmas than I had ever experienced but it was interesting to celebrate it in a different culture with different traditions and events that I was used to. All of the Inbounds took a trip to Salzburg about 2 weeks before Christmas. It was so much fun. We got visit a castle and had a breathtaking view of all of Salzburg, covered in a blanket of snow, from the top. The Rotary weekends are always so much fun and a blessing because we all come together as a huge family and get to see and experience so many new things! Throughout the whole month of December, there are Christmas Markets everywhere, in almost every town and village. You can go and enjoy food, sweets, small shops and much more. One of the most typical Christmas Market drinks in Austria is Glühwein. This is warm wine cooked with many spices and served in a traditional Christmas mug. Another traditional food is Maroni! These are roasted chestnuts that you crack open and eat.  Normally you go with your family and stand around, order glühwein, enjoy the lights and much more. On the 6^th of December is the day of St. Nicholas. It’s tradition that Nicholas comes to the home of the children dressed like a bishop with his staff and tall hat bringing, small goods like chocolate, nuts, and fruit to those who have been good. Along with Nicholas comes Krampus, a beastlike creature who is supposed to punish those who have been bad. We also put up our Christmas tree the day before Christmas. It was real too! At home we have a plastic one, so this was new for me. Also in Austria, there is no Santa Claus! Instead on Christmas Eve, the “Christchild” comes into the house and puts the presents under the tree when the children are out of the room. The bigger celebration is also done on Christmas Eve as apposed to Christmas day with family at home in Florida. We enjoyed a nice family dinner together, than sang Christmas songs and prayers and then opened the gifts. Later in the evening, the whole family went to Mass. Christmas Day was very relaxed. We had a large meal with the family and just hung out. Even though the Christmas traditions were different, I couldn’t have asked for it any other way! I also love family events here because it’s quite similar to my life in Florida. Here all of the family is basically neighbors! So when we are all together it includes, immediate family, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles…..pretty much everyone!

I decided to spend New Year’s with my host family. We enjoyed dinner and just hanging out until it got dark and then it was time for the fireworks! We live on a hill known as Oberfeldgasse, which was the absolute best location ever! Not only could we shoot off our fireworks but also we are higher up than most people and so for miles all you could see was hundreds of fireworks being shot up and lighting up the night sky! I could see them all the way into the mountains of Switzerland. It was absolutely one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen in my life!

In the first week of January, our entire family and some friends took a day trip to Innsbruck for the International Ski Jumping tournament! That day was so much fun because there was so much Country pride and spirit. We all had our Austrian Flags and hats and were waving them around and yelling and cheering and what not! Every time an Austrian skier jumped, the crowd was crazy! And of course an Austrian skier won the tournament!

Yesterday I actually just returned from my family’s ski trip in the Montafon. We stayed in Gargellen, a ski village in the mountains. We spent the week there because it was our school’s semester break! It was such an amazing time! I learned so much especially about skiing because coming from Florida, I had never done it before! I’m much better than I was on my first day. I’m still the slowest and always come in last but I enjoying skiing so much! I actually accomplished my first black slope too, which is the most difficult! The red slopes, which are intermediate, aren’t even a problem anymore! My host family taught me and everyday it was better! It was such a fun vacation because when we weren’t skiing, we just hung out, played games, sometimes went out at night and just had a good time! This time last year I would have never even pictured my self -going down a black slope in the mountains of Austria, nevertheless even learning how to ski at all!  

Wow there is just so much to talk about! These are only the big events that have happened! It so hard to talk about all the small fun things like going out with friends on the weekends and basically just enjoying life here!

I can’t even begin to describe the amount of ways that I’ve changed as a person since being here. I’ve learned to be independent, open minded and so much more. All of the things that seemed so foreign to me 6 months ago are like second nature! I remember going to school the first day and it was like a maze. I was so confused and had no idea what to think. Now everything is so familiar! The roads, villages, towns, faces, traditions are all a huge part of my life now. Instead of them being things I once resisted, I now accept them all and couldn’t be happier!

I just recently, in the last week, reached my 6 month mark of my exchange! I can’t even wrap my mind around the fact that my exchange year is more than half way over. While that though makes me sad, I’ve decided to embrace everything that comes my way from now until July, because that’s all the time I have left, which doesn’t seem like enough in this new country I can call home! In one week I will be switching to my second host family. I couldn’t be more thankful for everything that my first host family has done for me and they will always be considered family in my heart! Also in one month my Mom will be visiting Austria! I can’t wait for her to share this wonderful experience with me, even if it is only for 2 weeks out of a whole year! These next couple months will be crazy! Full of excitement and many other emotions, but I can’t wait to just live out every moment that this wonderful opportunity has brought and will bring :) 

Austrian/American Thanksgiving ;)

Skiing in the Montafon during our Semester Break Trip

My host cousin and I on the big screen at the International Ski Jumping Tournament in Innsbruck!

Our ski trip in Montafon! (after going down the black slope)

This is how deep the snow is in my backyard!

I spent Halloween in Prague on a Rotary Trip!

Back in October, our Rotary Trip to Vienna. This is in front of the Schönbrunn Palace.

Well Here I am! Alive and Well! Ive been in Austria for about 8 weeks now (56 days) and its wonderful to say the least. Yes there are the usual hardships of a language barrier and making friends in a new school, new town, and new country, but overcoming those makes this experience all the better! Ive been in school now for 3 weeks. I attend the Gallusstraße which is located in the city of Bregenz. My class is nice and I'm having a good time although I have to pry my eyes open to stay awake in school. I never knew being an exchange student could be so tiring: physically and emotionally! I can ride my bike to school or take the bus, depending on the weather! 
Below is a picture of the school I attend here in Austria: 

Its also starting to get colder here.....what a surprise! Im used to being in a bathing suit until Christmas in Florida, but here in September, Im already bundling up in the coats, scarves, and boots! The weather is also starting to become a bit gloomy. The months of September and October mostly contain rain and no sunshine, which is kind of a bummer but every once in a while the sun comes out and its a wonderful day! 

All of the exchange students recently took a trip to Die Tauplitzalm where we had a hiking weekend. Es war viel spaß! (It was a lot of fun). Although it was very cold. This Floridian girl saw her first snow!   We stayed in the Linzerhaus, which is a small inn on the mountain. On Saturday we had a wonderful hike all together. Below are some pics from the hiking weekend!

Overall it was a very fun time with all the other exchange students! In about 2 1/2 weeks, all of us will spend a weekend in Vienna, the capital of Austria! Im very excited to say the least!

Earlier in the month of September, I went on a bike ride around the city of Bregenz with my mom, Ursula, and my younger sister, Eva. We visited the Oberstadt/ Altstadt in Bregenz, which is the old city. We also saw the Martinsturm, which is a former granary in the first court of the Counts of Bregenz. It was built in 1601 and is topped with an onion shaped dome. Its considered to be one of the landmarks of the city of Bregenz on Lake Constance. 

I also went with my family to Feldkirch, which is a medieval city on the border of Switzerland and Lichtenstein. We visited the major landmark, which is the castle called the "Schattenburg". It was beautiful and had a beautiful view overlooking the town. Inside the castle there is a restaurant which is famous for their HUGE Wiener Schnitzel. Of course I ordered one and i couldn't even finish half of it. Also because it was served with a giant platter of Pommes. We also went shopping in the town and then headed to the tiny country of Lichtenstein for a reunion party for my host mom. 

The last month has consisted of many things for me! Ive been very busy. Whether it be just playing soccer with my cousins in the garden or visiting a castle, or hiking in the mountains, its all wonderful and I am truly enjoying my time here! I also went to the Skyline Park in Germany, which is like a small theme park.  I went with my host sisters and cousins along with a youth group from the church in our town. We also attended the Jugenvesper, which was a night of songs and activities in our church for all of the teenagers. I tried to sing along in German but my Dad, Peter, thought it was quite funny how when the English song was sung by the choir, I was the only one in the crowd singing! For me it was just another everyday song that I know like the back of my hand! Afterwards there was a small party. It was really interesting to see how youth group events here and at home compare and contrast. Going out on the weekends has also been fun. We go bowling, hang out at someone's house, go to a disco or bar/cafe, or even maybe McDonald's! :) I really love the sense of relaxation and independence. I can pretty much take a bus anywhere or possible ride my bike anywhere I want to go. I don't have to drive or have my parents drive me like at home. Transportation is so much easier and practical. Also I can just go with friends into the city and just find something to do. There are so many new places to explore, see, and experience. Im not sure the country of Austria has an ugly place. Everywhere you look there are rolling hills, mountains, rivers, beautiful towns, churches, and much more. Oh and also the church in my town has been my "life raft" many times now. When I get lost on my bike or even trying to find my bus stop, I look for the church above Wolfurt and from there I can find my house! 

                                             (One night in the Disco)

                                                  (Attending my younger cousin's soccer match)

(A Day in Dornbirn with some friends)

I have of course also had my "Typical Exchange Student Moments". Getting lost.....making language mistakes all the time.....my personal favorite is when my class was taking a day trip to Lindau, Germany. They were going by ship and I wasn't quite sure where my class was meeting so two friends from school asked me to meet them at the Bahnhof, which is the main train/bus station. So first off, I missed my bus, so I waited for the next to take me so I was already running late. Then I got off on the wrong stop and had to wait for another bus. By this time the whole class was supposed to have met and walked to the ship. By the time I made it to the Bahnhof, I was super late and then received a phone call from my Dad asking where I was because my teacher had called. Then he told me that the ship left in 8 minutes, so I ran to the harbor but then missed the Ship that was taking us to Germany! ....It was a rough morning but eventually I got there :) Thanks to my host dad who drove me. 

Also just today, there was an event in Wolfurt called the Wolfurter Herbsmarkt. It was like a small festival/ market with many things for sale, food, games, face painting, and also a mini orchestra. My host father also sang with a group at the Markt. I enjoyed the day with my sister Eva and Mark and Jackson who are exchange students in the area. Afterwards we came back to the house and played a couple small soccer matches in the garden :)

Well Also here are some random points that Ive remembered and decided to write here: 

• Usually shoes are not worn in the house, unless they are slippers or "house shoes"
• All shoes are kept by the door or on a rack somewhere near the exit of the house, so everyone's pairs of shoes are all near the door and not in your room. 
• A handshake is the normal greeting in almost all cases
• 'mahlzeit' or 'Guten Appetit' are the usually sayings to begin eating
• Also for "cheers" or toasting with alcohol, everyone clinks glasses and usually says "Prost!"
• sometimes dogs are allowed in restaurants 

Well Im super tired and probably have a million other things I could say but I can't think of them right now. Overall I'm loving Austria. Everyday brings something new to learn and experience. Everyday relationships are deepened and friends are made. I'm truly enjoying everything. Also Ive learned so much from just being here 8 weeks and I don't just mean like the German language but also maturity, independence, DIRECTION SKILLS..... and so much more. I can't wait to see the changes and growth I have made after one year abroad in the beautiful, sehr schön country of Austria. 

Well, here I am! After the 19 page applications, interviews, camps, orientations, language practice, and much more, here I am in Austria: a beautiful country that I already love so much and Ive only been here for 20 days, almost three full weeks. I am currently living with my wonderful host family in Wolfurt, Austria. Wolfurt is a town just outside of Bregenz, which is the capital of the westernmost province of Austria called Vorarlberg. I live with my parents, Ursula and Peter, and have three host sisters: Eva (12), Martina (15), and Monika (17). Martina just departed for her exchange year in Missouri, USA. In addition we have two cats and two rabbits! Next door lives Oma and Opa (grandparents), my Aunt and Uncle, and three host cousins: Simon, Michael, and Matte. Just like my home in Florida, there is family everywhere, which I truly enjoy! My town of Wolfurt is absolutely beautiful and I love it so much....not to mention that there is a wonderful ice cream shop called Kolibri, only a two minute walk from my home. I will attend school in Bregenz beginning on September 10th. And i can either take a bus or ride my bike to school if I wish. One thing is for sure.... and that is that I need to start biking more often because I joined another exchange student and my host cousin for a bike ride to Buch, which is the next town up. I practically died because it was all uphill! I couldn't even ride the entire way :/ but thats ok! Eventually I will get it! Im used to flat ground in Florida :D (Picture is a view from the window in my room)

I had the chance to attend the Bregenzer Festspiele which is an Opera festival held out on the water of the Bodensee in Bregenz each year. The stage is open air and also built in the water. It changes every two years. This year the Opera was "André Chénier". It was amazing! Ive never been to an opera before so it was definitely something new. The songs were in Italian, and the subtitles were in German, so I could understand a few words here and there but not many. Nevertheless, the show was outstanding. I attended it with my host father, cousin, and two other exchange students in my area. We also had the opportunity after the show to go into the sounds board room and see how it is all put together, and we also had the chance to go up onto the stage after the show was over. (1st pic is of the stage during the day while on a trip in Bregenz and the 2nd is MArk and I on top of the shoulder of the stage after the opera)

I also departed on the 12th for a two week language camp in Altmünster am Traunsee. This town is right on the Traunsee which is a large beautiful lake, with extremely cold water. All of the new inbound exchange students joined together for the camp. We had 6 hours of classes a day and then had free time to experience the town and lake. We went for two walks/hikes that were absolutely beautiful. We also traveled to Hallstatt, which is an amazing town. Its built on the side of a mountain right near the lake. We went into the Salt Mines in Hallstatt and then spent the rest of the day wandering through the town. Pictures cant even begin to capture the beauty of the scenery here. After returning to the camp from our outing to Hallstatt, we had another week of learning but it was so much fun, being with all of the exchange students. We will all join again in three weeks for a hiking weekend. 

1st pic: all August Inbounds at the top of our "walk" (it was most definitely a hike)

2nd: Callie and I (Florida Girls) in HallStatt

3rd: Hallstatt

4th: Simon (Canada), Austin (Kansas), and I wearing our amazingly attractive salt mine outfits :D

Just some random things about living here:

- We never put ice in our drinks, they are usually always warm

- Unless you get water from a sink, you will most often be served sparkling or bubbly water

- the "Y" and the "Z" on keyboards are switched so I spell everything wrong :)

- The chocolate is AMAZING...to say the least

- everywhere you look, its like a postcard, if not more beautiful!! 

- there are very few stop signs because there aren't that many people to need them, but people yield most fo the time to pedestrians and bikers although cars will weave in and out of the smallest places to pass by other cars or objects 

- all cars are stick shift

- Lunch is the big meal of the day where mostly everyone gets together and has a nice home cooked meal

- breakfast and Dinner usually consists of bread, sliced meats, cheeses and jams. Also fruit

- each town is somewhat built around a church, whether it be big or small! (this has been my saving point many times when trying to find my house!! I look for the top of the church and eventually make it home :)

- Much time is spent outside: swimming, running, playing sports, hiking, eating, anything really, which is wonderful because Austria is too beautiful to stay inside!  

- and many more things i'm forgetting right now......

Most importantly, no matter how few or many differences there are from the two cultures, I wouldn't change anything. I love the changes and adapting to them is all part of the experience :)

Well today I have just returned from language camp! Im trying to learn more German everyday and hopefully will start to pick it up little by little. Everything so far about Austria is amazing! I love my new country, home, and family! Ill try to keep my blog updates as often as I can! I hope that all of my other Florida outbounds are having a wonderful time on their exchanges too :)

Welcome To My Blog!

Hi Everyone! So I created this blog that way anyone can keep up with me and see what I am up to while away spending my Junior year of high school in Austria! I have been given an amazing opportunity to go on exchange through Rotary. I hope you all enjoy my blog. I will be adding photos, videos, and much more throughout the year :) Thanks so much!
xoxo,
Emily :)