A Week of Madness.

I haven't blogged in a week so of course you know this will be a bit lengthy, but entertaining to say the least.

Tuesday, September 24th, was the last day of the St. Ruperts festival. A group of us went down by the river to watch them shoot fireworks over the fortress. Although they only lasted not even 10 minutes, it was beautiful. We thought we were going to head back afterwards but we decided to see if the festival was still going on and luckily it was. Straight to the beer tent we went! People were singing, dancing on tables, cheering, etc. This definitely had me ready and excited for Oktoberfest.

Wednesday, September 25th, we took a field trip to an Open Air Museum to learn about the daily routines of Salzburg farmers.. It was about 45 minutes away and we got to see more of the country side of Austria! Good thing it was a beautiful day.

Thursday, September 26th, we had our midterm for our German class. Can't believe I am halfway done with my 1st blocks of class, but thank goodness. German and I don't really mix....it's just a bunch of gibberish to me. Haha. After our midterm, our professor took us to this market across the river that happens every thursday. You can get everything from fresh vegetables, fruit, fish, bread, cheese, flowers, anything! After we had this assignment to do that he gave us, I went right to a cheese stand. I LOVE CHEESE. I bought some kind of cheddar cheese with chili flakes in it...sooooo good. (Mom, you would die for all this cheese, I took a picture just for you. Haha) Later that night we went out to this pub by our school because it was Guiness nights and they had free gifts. We all got some Guiness and I was given a Guiness iPhone case! We met a group of people sitting next to us from all over the USA because they were in a studying abroad program also. They told us some good bars a couple blocks away so we decided we would check them out. First we went to this other Irish Pub and there was karaoke going on in the back. So funny! Then we went 2 doors down to this place called the Sega Bar and this is now our spot. It was a bar/club looking place, not very big but lots of people and cheap drinks so that is always a good sign. (shots for 1.50 Euro!) We were right up by the bar and I started telling the bartender what songs to put on. Soon enough, I was basically DJing this bar and it was awesome! The bartenders then gave me and my friends a round of free shots. Also, (mom and dad, you're going to love this part) my roommate and I danced on the bar for a little. It was too funny. Definitely going back to that place.

Friday, September 27th, we were on a quest to find our friend a dirndl for Oktoberfest. After hours of shopping and being exhausted, we finally found one. The 4 of us that live in the dorm all hung out in mine and Sams (my roommate) room that night and watched Beerfest to prepare ourselves for our big day on.......

Saturday, September 28th, Oktoberfest. Woke up at 6:15am and got ready (dirndl on and all). Left the dorms to catch a bus at 7:15am. Met up with everyone in the program and caught a train to Munich, Germany at 8:09am. 2 hour train ride and we were finally there. The train station was PACKED and we were still a 10 minute walk from the actual festival. Everyone was in their traditional German attire (tracht) and I was starting to get really excited. WE MADE IT! Everyone separated for the most part but I was in a group of 5 that then dwindled down to 4. We waited about 5 minutes and made it inside our first tent. Damn, what a crazy scene. Little did we know, you had to have a table or reserve one in order to get beer so we were in a situation. But no worries, we planned and figured it out. I went up to a random table and asked them if I could sit there just for a minute to order drinks, pay, and leave. 5 liters of beer for 5 people and we were on our way, walking aimlessly around the tent but having so much fun! A liter of beer by noon and it was time for some lunch. We all left the tent (stupid idea) and got ourselves some sandwiches. Now we wanted to go back inside a different tent, not knowing how insane it was already to get in. We waited at 1 tent for 20 minutes but the guard said it was closed and they weren't letting anyone in for another 4 hours. Then we walked to a tent that was further away and decided to wait. An hour/ hour and a half later, we FINALLY got in. We weren't actually inside the tent, but we were inside the square for that tent where there was beer so that was all we needed. Now to find a table. We made a bunch of friends for this reason. People from Ireland, Hawaii, California, Austria, Germany, etc. We tried getting inside the actual tent but it was closed, unless you had reservations or knew someone in side...so basically we had no luck. Outside was still fun and we stayed in the area of this tent until we left at around 10pm. Oktoberfest was a success! Then the dreaded 2 hour train ride home with drunken loud German-speaking men. Funny photos and videos to say the least. 

St. Rupert's Festival

Today was finally a free day! And luckily St. Rupert's Festival was going on (it ends on tuesday). It's supposedly a mini Oktoberfest so of course I was going. A bunch of us from the program got together and met up around 12pm to walk over to the festival. First thing I bought, BEER! We sat in this huge tent and there was a band playing on the stage and it was pretty crazy. Then we walked around and I bought this awesome sandwich with sausage, sauerkraut, and mustard. I also bought a dirndl that I am going to wear at Oktoberfest when we go next weekend. This little festival made me that much more excited for it too. Anyways, dirndls are generally very expensive, I have been seeing ones I like for about 150 euro. Guess how much I got mine for?? 40 EURO! :D I could not pass that offer up. Then we went back into the big Spiegel tent and got another beer. This time I got a radler and it was beer mixed with grapefruit, so delicious (Michelle you gotta try it if you haven't yet). As if I wasn't full enough, me and my friend split a chocolate covered pretzel which was only 2.80 euro and it was bigger than my face. I am still in a food coma as I am writing this. I was able to make a lot of pictures during the festival too which made me extremely happy. One thing I found interesting was that whenever people noticed me taking their photo, they seemed to encourage it, which I loved! I am definitely heading back to the festival before it ends, especially since the weather is finally going to be nice for the next few days. NO MORE RAIN!

Another Adventurous Weekend.

And here comes another long update of my weekend!

Well unfortunately my week had a downfall, I got food poisoning or some stomach virus one night and I'll just say I kept waking up and it was a long night. The following day though, I slept for 13 hours and was pretty much cured. Thursday was one of our friends birthday so we had cake in between classes at the college with everyone and it was also U.S Consular Day which was very interesting because we had a an hour to ask questions and talk to the US Consul. After this we left for a field trip to Schloss Hellbrunn to visit an Italian styled villa with trick fountains. This so called Palace was so incredible and the quick 30 minute tour was still long enough to get our whole class a little wet with the water from some of the hidden trick fountains around the villa and it's gardens. After the tour we walked around the rest of the gardens to see the gazebo that was used in The Sound of Music that was also on the property. So cool!

Friday, September 20th, a really long day was ahead of us. We had a trip for the whole day to Upper Austria where we, first went to Mauthausen and took a 2.5 hr tour of the concentration camps, then went to a Monastery and took another hour tour, then headed to a small town called Hallstadt which was an amazing way to end this very diverse trip. Although the class trip was over, my day was not (along with some of the other students taking photography classes). We got back into Salzburg and headed straight to a photo opening at a gallery in town at 7:30pm for Yukihiro Yoshihara! This was my favorite thing all day (of course). We checked out his work in the gallery, watched a 30 minute film he put together, and then listened to his lecture. All amazing! Then we met up with our photo professor and the 5 of us (students) were invited to a more personal sit down with some of the people that were at the opening, their families and Yukihiro, his wife and son. We got free food and wine! There were about 15-20 I would say and it was so cool. I felt so privileged. What a day :D  

Saturday, September 21st, our last trip of the weekend where we went to The Eagle's Nest in Germany.  Although it was cloudy that day and by the time we made it to the top, we were basically in a cloud and couldn't see anything, it was yet again, another experience I could add on to my list. 

Oh yeah I forgot to mention some other things. On our trip on friday, my friend swat a bee because it was buzzing around him and annoying him and he wound up slapping it right into my leg and it stung me (Fetky Cloud right mom? Lol). My roommate luckily got the stinger out in the bathroom before we started the tour. Also, saturday morning I tried what I think was the Austrian style of go-gurt yogurt. Haha. It was in a big carton and it was so delicious!

And lastly, today we have a free day finally! There is St. Ruperts festival going on in town which I am very excited for. So I will blog more about that after! 

Got My First Package!

It's Christmas in Austria for me!

Best Exhausting Weekend Yet.

Wow, what a weekend.

Wednesday, September 11th, for our Understanding Austria class, we had a guided tour around Salzburg. We became more familiarized with the town and learned ore about it's history. We walked through some beautiful gardens and markets too. At one point, we passed people giving out free milk...sure of course I took one. Little did I know, my roommate started taking more for me (she already knows I love milk) and the guy just walked up behind me and started loading the milk into my backpack. I was set for a good week. After the 2 hour tour, I was ready for food and bed. Haha.

Friday, September 13th, we took a trip to the Wolfgangsee, where we took a nice pilgrimage. It was absolutely gorgeous. Probably about a 2.5 hr hike all together and totally worth it. At one point, we all had to pick a rock that was the size of our sins and then carry it up to another point of the hike. When we reached a certain destination, after we had sweat out our sins, we placed the rock on top of towers of rocks that were in this one area. We also stopped at a restaurant mid hike and got lunch where we had typical Austrian cold cuts served on a slate of wood. The 4 of us that live in the dorm took the leftovers home and I carried them in my bag so within minutes my bad smelt like gross meat and smelly cheese but I don't regret it one bit. Haha. When we reached the end of our, the view was breathtaking; mountains, the lake, houses, cows on the open field. I went closer to the cows to try and make friends and I guess I got a little too close because as I was making a picture, I got shocked by the electric fence. Whoopsie. :) And although it rained mostly the whole time during our hike, it was still worth it.

Saturday, September 14th, we had a trip to the ice caves! These are supposedly the largest ice caves in the world. All the girls took a 3 minute cable car up the mountain, while the boys hiked. When we all met up, we geared up for the cold caves. I had on leggings, leg warmers, socks, boots, long sleeved shirt, sweatshirt, flannel, winter jacket, scarf, and gloves....just to give you an idea of how freezing it was. No pictures were allowed but you can check it out online. (I snuck a few of course. Don't worry mom, I didn't get in trouble.) About every fourth person had a lantern otherwise it was super dark inside. We walked a total (up and down) of about 1600 steps inside the caves. They said it was about 14 stories high. This cave left me speechless, it was incredible.

Sunday, September 15th, but yet another trip and my favorite by the way. CANYONING! We had a crazy tour guide (who made it that much better) who picked us up from the college in this van. He was a crazy driver (I had the pleasure of sitting in the passenger seat!) so we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but I was stoked. We all had wet suits, harnesses, helmets, and water shoes and off we went. Jumped off rock cliffs (not too high, the highest was about 9 meters) into freezing cold water. the first jump was called 'Heart attack' and after you hit the water, you realize why. Damn was it cold. Slid down certain parts too, it was like our personal water park. The views were beautiful of course, and it was just so fun. I don't have any photos yet, but the guide should be sending them soon! 

So that was my weekend...Can you top it? Haha. I just got my moms package in the mail today too, but I figure it is more appropriate to make a video blog of myself opening it. I will post that just above! :)

First Video Update.

It Is Definitely A Sunday.

It is about 2pm here and the weather is beautiful yet again. The view from my dorm window is absolutely incredible. Mountains everywhere. Earlier today we took a walk to a market but it was closed, as are most things on Sundays here. Then we strolled along and found a public pool just about a block from our dorms which is really awesome! Only 4.40 Euros to get in for the day. As for the rest of the day, I am feeling pretty exhausted and will probably not venture out, but who knows. But let me fill you in on the Friday and Saturday!

Friday, September 6th, we met at the college for orientation. Our college is just one building that is about 5 stories tall (No elevator). After our orientation we went to this little restaurant where we had lunch and will be provided lunch there Monday-Thursday at 12pm. Started with bread and a salad, then pasta with meat sauce, and followed by vanilla and raspberry ice cream. They are pretty big on desserts here which is awesome! Then we did an introductory walk through the town and got to see all the stores and markets and banks and what not. There are 2 beautiful bridges also, one with all the love locks on it. We had time to explore a bit after the tour so my friend Cody and I wandered off and went to the DM (drug market) which is similar to a CVS. Then we lugged all the shampoo, conditioner, toilet paper and whatever else back to my dorm. At 5:30pm we all met up for a welcome party that took place at the Augustiner which is a brewery where they are known to have some of the best beer in the world. Let me tell you, it was soooooo delish. They only sell it there, they are all about the quality of it, and they aren't looking for competition so they just keep it local. We got to celebrate with everyone and their host families as well. They brought homemade desserts which were interesting to try. I was in a severe food coma after all that, but it was worth it.

Saturday, September 7th, our first free day without the group! This was exciting. I needed some groceries because we aren't provided meals on the weekends. After waking up at 11am, showering and getting my stuff together, my friend Taylor and I took a bus to the EuroPark which is their big mall. Grocery shopping is way harder than I thought. I didn't know what anything said but we got what was the cheapest obviously. Haha. And I bought a bottle of wine for 3 Euros! It was literally in a 2 liter bottle of soda container, so strange but I couldn't resist. You have to pay for bags here also, they are only 0.21 euros. Taylor and I were all stocked up now and then went to Saturn which is like their verizon and got our international phones and sim cards for 15 euros! What a deal! We eventually lugged all of our stuff back on the bus and back to our dorms. What a trip. Oh and did I mention that their shopping carts have a 1 euro deposit to use, but they also have 360 degree wheel action! So fun and dangerous. Haha. We made dinner in the kitchen for the first time which was fun. I made what I thought was a burger, but when it was cooked it looked like a veggie burger. I guess I am better off not knowing what kind of meat I ate. It was still good.

Now for the fun. 3 of the other kids in the program that live with host families all came to the dorm to meet up and we all drank my cheap wine in the kitchen for a little and then ventured out! We went back into town and found this awesome bar called Flip Bar. We met so many people and had an amazing time! We were told we found the right place because it has the cheapest drinks. My roommate and I got tequila shots to celebrate and it was so delicious. They give you a slice of orange instead of lime and top the orange with cinnamon. Definitely better than the salt and lime in my opinion. Try it out! Then we met a group of Austrians and they taught us how to do some kind of fire shot. You take the shot, swoosh it around in your mouth and the take the lighter and light it inside your mouth. I did it of course and they were all cheering! We all had fireballs in our mouth, it was so cool. (Sorry mom....when in Austria I suppose.) Then we met another group of Austrians and we all went to the bar/club next door where they played discotech music. This was definitely a cool place too. We all agreed that we found our 'spots' for the weekends. Haha. Eventually my roommate and I took a taxi back and made it to our dorm safe and sound. Oh what a night.

Crazy 3 Days So Far.

So I haven't had a chance to sit and blog about my adventures, but here I am safe and sound in my dorm in Salzburg, Austria now, ready to blog about my past 2 crazy days. Alright, on Tuesday, we got up early and took a tour through Munich's historic city center and learned about some of the Bavarian Culture there. We saw one of the most popular beer houses there, Hofbrauhaus, which was where we ate the day before. Then we took a break after the tour and headed to a market in town that is open 6 days a week and I got some fresh cheese, a tomato, and a little pretzel nugget. Their pretzels here are soooooo good. Later on in the day we departed for the BMW museum/plant and Olympic Park. We checked out the Olympic Park first and saw the grounds where the Olympics were held a couple years back, and even saw the pool that Michael Phelps swam in. Sweet deal! We went through about a 2 hour tour of how a BMW is made and it was by far an unreal experience. They are coming out with a new series so security was super tight and following our group most of the time to make sure we didn't take any photographs while in the plant. After the tour, we went into one of the large towers to one of the highest floors and got to see an AMAZING view of parts of Europe. Breathtaking was an understatement. After this tiring day, we headed back to the hostel. Me and some of the people decided to head back down to the bar for a drink and wound up meeting some cool people from California, Georgia, England, all over. Just a great day overall.

Wednesday, September 4th, was yet another day of unforgettable adventures. We woke up early, yet again (my favorite. Haha), had breakfast at the hostel which was what we had been doing every morning, and hopped on the train for a 2 hour ride to Fussen where we were going to hike up to see the Castle Hohenschwangau. Damn was this castle something else. This was a view from the castle, but look it up yourself. (I don't have any photos on my phone but will upload some to facebook soon).

                                

After this long hike, we explored Fussen a little longer just to check out the beautiful town and I had some delicious espresso. When arriving back to the hostel, I was talking with 2 of the girls and one of them had mentioned that the 16 people we have been with were the only ones we would be taking classes with. Now this was something I wasn't aware of and this was also something I specifically didn't want in my study abroad program because I wanted to be integrated in with other Austrians. Well, looks like she was right and now I am forced to do this. Not the best thing I wanted to hear but I am going to make the best of it. Another thing was that we found out our living situations earlier and I wanted to be in a dorm because then I would be able to live with another Austrian. Well, I got the dorm, but I was put in with another girl in the group. Also, another thing I didn't want to hear. Don't get me wrong, these people and my roommate are great people, but I was just looking for some more independence in my study abroad program. 

Besides these 2 obstacles I am going to have to overcome and make the best of (like my mom told me to. Thanks mom!) Thursday, September 5th, we woke up, checked out of the hostel and departed for the Deutsches Museum. Our tour guide was so great and knowledgable! After our tour (yup, another tour, I know right) in the museum was over, depending on the classes we were taking, some were free to go do whatever they pleased and some had to stay and tour the museum for a bit longer. I luckily was free to go! So me and my new roommate headed towards some surf park near one of the gardens! THIS WAS MY FAVORITE! We got to sit and watch the surfers drop in one after another, taking turns catching the man made wakes that were coming down the stream. So sick! I stayed there for about an hour and a half. Then we walked further into the garden and ate lunch at a beer garden! Everything was delicious. Now it was time to head back, get our luggage and hop on our 2 hour train ride to our real destination....Salzburg! Which brings me to now. I am currently sitting in my dorm room I will be living in for the next 3.5 months. We have our own bathroom in the room and a kitchen in the hallway. It is just me and 3 others from the program here so far and other people won't be moving in until Monday so it's quiet. But so far so good. Well tomorrow is orientation so I must get some sleep now! Hope you all enjoyed my LONG update. :)

                              

The Journey Has Begun.

Wow. I can't believe these past 2 days. So many memories already. 

Yesterday I boarded my plane at about 4:45pm, flight took off at 5:30pm. I was in an isle seat thank goodness and had such a nice family from London sitting next to me. But of course my luck isn't always good. They go around giving snacks, and forget me. Then I asked for a blanket and they said they didn't have any (meanwhile the kid 2 rows ahead just opened one up and used it). The woman next to me was kind enough to let me borrow her sons jacket as a blanket and I was drinking some tea and of course, BAM, I knock over the tea. All over my legs, the airplane pillow and the jacket. As I am trying to wipe it up, the sugar was open and it poured out all over the jacket. I just started laughing and the woman says "today is not your day". The plane finally landed safely and the woman then turned to me, handed me a small silver angel and said "this is an angel for when you're not having the best of days. Or whenever you're missing your family and feeling homesick. Just hold onto her and it will be okay." 

Now I have about a 2 hour layover in Dublin, Ireland. To kill some time I brushed my teeth in the bathroom, sat in a little breakfast area and then continued to my gate to people watch of course. Boarded the plane around 7:00am (their time), got another isle seat (CHAMPIONSHIP!) and departed at 7:25am. The flight was a little over 2 hours so I figured I could sleep the whole way, but of course not because there had to be not 1 but 2 crying babies 3 rows ahead of me. Dandy. Landed safely again in Munich, Germany at about 10:25am (their time) and I got my luggage easily, walked to the meeting point in the airport and met up with other students in the Salzburg College Program. Let the friendships begin. We took a short 30 minute train ride from the airport strait into the main city area and walked 2 blocks to our hostel, which is where we will be staying for the next 3 nights before galavanting off to Salzburg! I've already seen so many amazing things in just a day and drank a beer of course. Can't wait to see what adventures we have planned for tomorrow!