My first few weeks in the beautiful, historic city of Vienna, Austria has not only been eventful, but has also been an experience that is both insightful and eye-opening — allowing me to appreciate the beauty within the disparities between a world familiar to me, and one utterly foreign.
I arrived in Vienna much earlier than the beginning of the Spring semester (‘summer’ semester as they call it here) allowing me to partake in a two-week long cultural program. This particular program was organized to familiarize the incoming exchange students with the city, its history, and become a way for us to engage with locals and other international students. In this period, I learned to navigate my way through the intricate public transportation system of Vienna, stumbled upon several cultural barriers, and truly understood the importance of learning about other cultures around the world. It’s nearly impossible to capture my “first impressions” within a few short sentences — but I will try.
First, the language barrier is REAL. Currently, I am living in a dorm-style living community and my roommate speaks 1% English, 90% Russian, and 9% German (let us not question the math). To keep us from relying on Google Translate to communicate the smallest of messages, I have started to make active efforts to pick up on some key Russian phrases to develop some sort of relationship. As for the general population, I severely?underestimated the number of people who are able to speak fluent English. From the cleaning lady at my dorm facility to the man who gave me my semester train pass, I have run into language barriers at every corner. To bypass this, I recently decided to engage in conversation with people in Deutsch, even though I know very little. I will post a proper update on my next post regarding this.
Second, traveling is harder than you think. Since I have been here I have already visited Slovakia, United Kingdom, France, and other smaller cities neighboring Vienna in Austria. Among the various benefits and joys of seeing the world, there are some key components I overlooked. For one, it’s expensive. My first week in Vienna was worrisome as it forced me to reevaluate my spending habits, and whether it would be sustainable for the remaining five months I am here. Add traveling on top of that, and things were not looking good. I have started to build a budget that I hope to abide by while I am here. Additionally, being in and out of airports can be exhausting — to the point that it takes away from the trip itself. I have learned that it’s important to travel at your own pace, even if that means opting out of some trips your friends may be taking.
Lastly, people are different everywhere you go. I know, this seems pretty obvious. Every country I have encountered so far has different customs and traditions, and it gets a little overwhelming (not to mention, confusing) to make sure that I am always conscious and respectful of the culture. This means knowing what the tipping culture is, how to greet people, and so much more. It is also important to note that service as a whole is quite different from what I am used to experiencing back home. Southern hospitality is an American concept. One, that I miss.
As a whole, my time so far in Vienna has been all about adjustment. Change is not something I am very fond of, but this trip has been all about getting outside of my comfort zone, and in the meantime, learning a lot about myself. I am optimistic about these next four months and what they have to offer!