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.