After an extremely long flight in which I watched movies, listened to music and cursed whoever designed a plane with minimal legroom, my group arrived in London. I was instantly in love with the city, and I wanted to see every sight that I could. After one day, I learned that trying to see as much as possible is extremely miserable. My feet were swollen, my eyes were drooping without my consent and my stomach was in knots. I was not the only one experiencing jet lag and sickness, though. Everyone was worn out, sick and grumpy as we spent every day sightseeing and exploring. In our hostile, eight girls shared one bathroom and several arguments ensued. Despite the fact that we felt miserable, we saw some pretty amazing sights in London. We saw Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's Cathedral, Chinatown, the National Gallery, the British Library, the British Museum, the Tower of London, Abbey Road, Platform 9 3/4 and many more. I even tried fish and chips! It was surprisingly delicious. My favorite place was probably the British Museum because it had such amazing artifacts. My favorite part of London was seeing Les Miserables. It made me laugh, cry and sing along. I'm fairly sure that it is my new favorite musical. The biggest disappointment was Platform 9 3/4 because it was tiny and outside of the actual train station. The week we spent in London now seems like a blur because we did so many things in such a short time.
After the whirlwind week in London, we flew to Vienna in a plane that had even less legroom...
As we drove to our hotel in Vienna, I was hesitant about the city. But now I am in love with the city. London was so fast-paced and hectic, but everyone in Vienna stops to enjoy life around them. Anyway, we arrived at the hotel and started making ourselves at home. My room (shared with Jenny and Hannah) was affectionately named "The Three Broomsticks" because of good food and good company. We began our time in Vienna with classes everyday and sightseeing. So far we have seen the Botanical Gardens, Karlskirche, the Art History Museum, the Mozart Memorial, Schonbrunn Palace, Stephansdom, the Opera House, the Austrian Alps and many more places. We recently got back from the Alps, and I already miss the fresh air and lovely view; I do not, however, miss the demon bee that stung me on the finger as I was minding my own business.
Now that we are back from the retreat in the Alps, we are almost done with our German language and Austrian culture class, and I am quite thankful for that because we have been loaded with homework for several weeks, but I am not excited for the upcoming tests. Enough about homework...I'm in Vienna! Everyday I try to explore the area around the hotel and experience real life in Vienna. I walk to the bakery or the grocery store and attempt to say everything in German. I'm fairly good with the language, but sometimes I get an annoyed glance or frustrated sigh from a local Austrian. I would also like to mention that if you ever go to a bakery in Vienna be prepared to spend money. Everything looks delicious, and you'll be tempted to buy every pastry in sight; the same goes for gelatto. As my time in Vienna continues, I'm falling even more in love with the city. Tomorrow we are going to Mauthausen Concentration Camp, and I am preparing myself for a day filled with history and grief for what happened during the Holocaust. This weekend will also be my first free travel weekend; I will be doing mission work in Graz, Austria. I'm quite excited because I get to explore the city of Graz and teach the locals how to sing. Hopefully, I will be able to update this blog weekly and tell more about my various travels and experiences. Bis spater!
-Tessa
