This past week has been nonstop! Last Friday, September 27th, we packed our bags and left Vienna. 😦
We spent Friday and Saturday in Salzburg, Austria, Sunday in Frankfurt, Germany and Monday in Heidelberg, Germany. On Tuesday morning we woke up at 5am to catch our train to take us to our final destination: Marburg! For the past few days we have been participating in the International Students Orientation Program at University of Marburg (Phillips Unviersitaet). We have gotten a city tour and will soon be choosing our classes for the semester!
While I am missing Vienna, it’s exciting to be settling into university life again. We have already met so many young students from around the world, and of course you can’t go across the world without meeting someone who lives less than two hours away from you. My first two minutes in Marburg and I met someone from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Small. World.
Our classes don’t start until October 14th, so we have a bit of time to explore the city and get used to our new housing arrangements. If you were wondering, we live on the literal side of a mountain. There is an elevator down to the lower part of town and we have to walk down flights of stairs to even get to the elevator. It’s wild.
This weekend however, we will not be in Marburg. As I write this I am on a bus going to Munich! It’s the last weekend of Oktoberfest/Wiesn here. Our roommate from Vienna is a Munich native and has generously offered us her guest house to stay for the night. 🙂 Tomorrow we will go to Oktoberfest and then take an overnight bus back to Marburg. It should be fun!! We are really excited to get to experience an authentic Oktoberfest with our old roomie.
I will post pictures below from our travels between countries and the few I have taken so far of Marburg! Bis bald and thanks for reading!
salzburg fortress
bird’s-eye view of salzburg
salzkammergut- town outside of salzburg with 7 rivers!
On Friday, September 20th, I traveled about an hour and a half from Vienna to Bratislava, Slovakia for the first day of the Global Climate Strike.
For those who don’t know, Climate Week is this year from September 20-27th in countries all over the world. A movement called Fridays for Future was started in 2018 after a Swedish student (Greta Thunberg) sat outside of her parliament during school hours for three weeks. She was protesting the lack of action towards the climate crisis and she decided to strike from school every Friday. Her action was spread globally through social media. Since then, student protests have happened in many places around the world. This week, Fridays for Future is calling for people to abandon their daily routines and encourage their governments to make greater strides towards climate protection.
On the 20th, four million people left their schools and offices to strike for climate justice. On the 23rd, a United Nations Climate Action Summit was held in New York. Greta Thunberg spoke at the summit saying that politicians are failing the youth and that change was coming whether they liked it or not. This Friday, September 27th, is the last day of this week of climate activism! Countries from all over the world will be participating. Find one near you at https://globalclimatestrike.net/#. Every voice matters!
The protest in Bratislava was an amazing experience. The demonstration started at 11am and I arrived at the meeting point around 10am. I spotted a girl holding a bag with German writing on it and asked if she spoke German. We soon realized that speaking English was easier for both of us. She was able to translate some of the speeches from Slovak to English and told me how the protest was going to work. We were staying in the main park for about an hour after which we would walk the streets, stopping outside of the parliament building. She was so sweet and her friend group let me stick with them all day. She taught me the chants in Slovak so I could participate. They roughly translate to “there is only one earth”, “change the system not the climate”, and “what do we want? climate justice! when do we want it? now!”.
It was so encouraging to hear her speak about her passion for the environment and to see that thousands of people are aware of the issue. Even across the world, students are demanding change. But there were not only students in attendance! They were parents pushing their small children in strollers, groups of adults and full elementary school classes. It was really inspiring to see people come together and unite for a cause. No matter where you’re from or what your background is, climate change affects you.
pictures from the protest
pictures from the protest
pictures from the protest
pictures from the protest
pictures from the protest
This is a topic I feel very strongly about and would encourage everyone to attend a climate strike this week or in the future! There are also so many small life adjustments you can make to reduce your daily waste. (eat less meat/dairy, use reusable cups, containers and bags, by goods made from sustainable sources, carpool, etc.) But most importantly- get informed!!!! I will post links below about the above mentioned organizations and a few others.
In other news, we are moving in TWO days! Friday morning we will leave Vienna. We will spend Friday and Saturday in Salzburg, Sunday and Monday in Frankfurt and arrive in Marburg on Tuesday morning. I am much sadder than I thought about leaving Vienna behind. I have really become comfortable here and just hope I will have a similar feeling once I am settled in Marburg. Updates to come! Thanks for reading 🙂
Hi everyone! This has been one of the craziest weeks abroad so far- my family came to visit!!!!! I was lucky enough to spend the past week with not only my parents and my sister, but also my uncle and grandmother. My great-grandparents (AKA my uncle and dad’s grandparents, AKA my grandmom’s parents) were from Austria so this was an extra special trip. I think it will be easiest if I break everything down day by day so here goes!
I woke up early Friday morning and made my way to Vienna International Airport to pick up my family. They arrived at about 9am Austrian time (3am EST). They were not able to check into their air b&b until 3pm, so we brought all of their luggage back to my apartment. It was really exciting for me that they got to see where I have been living for the past 7 weeks! After a short break, we started the week of sightseeing by going to Stephansplatz. We walked around Stephansdom, or Stephan’s Cathedral, and took an elevator to the top to get an awesome view of the city. I also found out that my grandparents had been married in one of the side chapels! Then I took them to a really good restaurant called Der Wiener Deewan. It is a pakistani restaurant buffet where you may pay what you see fit and eat as much as you want. The food is homemade and really delicious. At this point my family was jet lagged and falling asleep at the table, so we gathered everything from my apartment and checked them into their air b&b. Later that night we went to one of the most beautiful cafes I have been to in Vienna: Cafe Schwarzenebrg. Apparently this is an actual tourist recommendation, but a few friends and I had merely stumbled upon it one day. The waiters wear vests and bow ties and we happened to be there on a night they had a live violin and piano player. It was the perfect way to end the first day.
cappucino and sisi torte at cafe schwarzenebrg
view from stephansdom
Saturday 14. Sept: Naschmarkt
Saturday we went to Naschmarkt, a huge flea market near Karlsplatz. They have everything from asian markets and falafel stands to macaroons and ice cream. We spent a while strolling through the market and picked out a bunch of things to mix together for lunch. We brought food back to the air b&b and ate together! It was a chill afternoon. After we ate we went to a nearby park and read and people-watched and at night my sister hung out with my friends and I.
grandmom at the park
our lunch from naschmarkt
Sunday 15. Sept: Kunsthistorisches Museum, Fett und Zucker
Sunday we went to the Art History Museum. My parents went to floors one and three, which held the coin collections and Egyptian and Greek pottery and sculpture. My grandmom, sister, uncle and I went to the second floor where they have all of the paintings. Mostly Renaissance artists, we saw pieces by Bernardo Bellotto, Albrecht Duerer and Peter Paul Rubens, to name a few. It was beautiful and each room had large couches where you could sit and waste the day away. Afterwards I took everyone to Fett und Zucker, one of my favorite vegan cafes. I must have ordered about twelve things in a row, but the food was yummy as usual!
front of art history museum
inside art history museum
bouquet of flowers in a blue vase (Jan Brueghel the Elder, 1608)
more inside the art history museum
dad at dinner in his new hat
Monday 16. Sept: Haus der Musik and Mozarthaus
Monday we went to Haus der Musik! Haus der Musik is an interactive music-themed museum with rooms dedicated to Vienna and Germany’s most famous composers. We started our tour off with musical steps and saw rooms about Beethoven, Strauss, Mozart, Mahler and others. Each room had music by the individual composer playing and had interactive ways to learn about their lives. There was also a section of the museum dedicated to the physics of sound where you could listen to rocket ships taking off, people laughing, sneezing, coughing and other weird sounds. We bought a combination ticket to the Mozarthaus so after a quick lunch break, we headed over to learn more about Mozart! Later that night we went to my favorite vegan ice cream place. 🙂
pocket violins!
the mahler room
mozart’s favorite view from his apartment / blutgasse
On Tuesday my mom, sister and I had a girl’s afternoon and went shopping on Mariahilfer Strasse! I took them to a rock shop I like and my sister and I each got a necklace. For dinner my dad made red lentil curry with ingredients he bought from a local asian market. It was so nice to have a meal cooked by my dad! At night we went to Cafe Lassa. Each Tuesday they have musical bingo. The DJ played a song for 30 seconds- 1 minute and if you had the artist on your card you crossed it out. There were multiple opportunities to win prizes. Even though we didn’t win anything, it was one of the most fun nights I had during the week.
mom and sis out on the town
took a break at a cafe
red lentil curry
mom and i at cafe lassa
laughs at musical bingo
sis and i on the u-bahn
Wednesday 18. Sept: Schloss Schoenbrunn!!!!!
Wednesday was the last full day so of course we did Schoenbrunn Palace! We bought the Sisi ticket- which is the all-inclusive tour with no waiting in line! The Schoenbrunn Palace was the Viennese summer home of the Habsburgs. While we were not allowed to take pictures inside, I have many pictures of the gardens! It was a beautiful and royal day. We had dinner at a restaurant on the same street as my apartment where my grandmom finally got her Wiener schnitzel!
schoenbrunn
schoenbrunn
the gardens
schoenbrunn
the gardens
my parents at dinner
Thursday 19. Sept: Departure
It was bittersweet taking my family to the airport this morning. While I wanted more than anything to fly home with them, I know that my abroad experience is not over yet. Speaking German in front of them and helping them with menus, etc. was so exciting for me because it showed me that my language skills have really grown! I have gained so much confidence in just 7 weeks!
I have never been away from my family for this long, even since I started college. While we have our differences and disagreements they really are my favorite people to be around. This week went by way too quickly but I know that the next few months will fly by as well! I am so grateful for their visit and that they got to experience Vienna with me. Only 8 days until we are off to Marburg on the next adventure!
Letzten Mittwoch sind wir in der Zoo gegangen! Er heisst Tiergarten Schoenbrunn und ist der aelteste Zoo der Welt! Er wurde 1752 gegruendet. Der Zoo hat Tiere von dem Regenwald, der Arktis, der See und mehr. Wir sind 3 Stunden da geblieben. Wir haben Giraffe, Pinguine, Pandas, ein Koala und ein Nashorn gesehen! Es war cool, etwas familiaer zu erfahren.
koala
penguins
panda
big swan boy
rhino
prairie dog
elephants
Seit ich letztes Mal geschrieben hat, bekommen wir zwei neue Mitbewohnerinnen. Eine kommt aus Deutschland und die andere aus China. Beiden sprechen Deutsch und war sehr nett. Viel sauberer als unsere vorherige Mitbewohner. Wir leben in ein Gaestehaus fuer Studenten. Leute wohnen hier nur eine kurze Zeit. Wir leben hier nur zwei Wochen mehr! Ich hoffe wir koennen unsere Mitbewohnerinnen gut kennenzulernen.
Es ist unglaublich, dass unsere Zeit in Wien so schnell zum Schluss kommt. Wir sind hier schon 6 Wochen! Am 27. September fahren wir nach Salzburg, Frankfurt und dann Marburg. Wir bleiben 2 Tage in Salzburg und 2 Tage in Frankfurt und danach muessen wir nach Marburg fuer die Orientierung fahren.
Das ist mein Update fuer diese Woche. Meine Familie kommt morgen und bleibt eine Woche! Ich werde ueber ihrer Besuch schreiben. 🙂 Bis zum naechsten Mal!
ENGLISH-
Last Wednesday we went to the zoo! It is called the Schoenbrunn Zoo and is the oldest zoo in the world! It was founded in 1752 and it has animals from the rain forest, the arctic, the ocean and more. We were there for about 3 hours. We saw giraffes, penguins, pandas, a koala, a rhinoceros and more!! It was cool to experience something familiar.
*pictures of animals above*
Since I last wrote, we have gotten two new roommates! They are both girls: one from Germany and one from China. Both speak German and are very nice. They are much cleaner than our previous male roommates. We live in a guesthouse for students studying in Vienna. People only live here for short periods of time. We are living here for only two more weeks! I hope we can get to know our new roomies!
It’s crazy that our time in Vienna is coming to an end so quickly. We have already been here 6 weeks! On September 27th we are traveling to Salzburg, Frankfurt and then finally, Marburg. We are staying in Salzburg for 2 days, Frankfurt for 2 days and then we have to be in Marburg for orientation.
That is my update for the week. My family is coming tomorrow and visiting for a week! I will write a post about their visit! 🙂 Until next time!
As I write this, I am sitting at my desk, at 5pm, in my pajamas and eating vegetable broth. Not a glamorous moment like the ones you see on my instagram or in my other blog posts. I have been sick with a cold since Monday morning, but have probably not been taking care of myself as much as I should be (until today when my body screamed STAY IN BED PLEASE).
We all know the feeling “oh it’s just a cold, I can power through it”. This is especially difficult abroad because you feel like you need to take advantage of every spare moment and opportunity by doing something worthwhile. Today after class I ate lunch and slept for four hours. Not cute.
When we are sick, we know that we need rest or medicine, but we carry on because we know that we will feel better in a few days. But when talking about your mental health, it isn’t that easy.
Full disclosure, I have been going to therapy and taking medication for my mental health on and off for about six or seven years. (high school me would NEVER admit that- progress!!) I have a pretty good idea of what my limits are and how to control how I react to stressful situations. That being said, there is no way to completely rid myself of mental health issues. My brain chemistry doesn’t really care if I am in Vienna trying to have a life-altering experience.
Here are some thoughts I have gathered over my last five weeks:
Yes, you will still have bad days. And that’s okay! You are not “lesser than” because you cannot handle going out every single day. Part of studying abroad is pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, but you know when you have pushed yourself into not feeling safe.
You can safely experience new and foreign things! You do not have to travel to a different country every weekend, this can simply mean going by yourself to a library or cafe you have never been to before. You can make the most out of your time in small ways.
Practice self-care and self-awareness. Be honest with yourself and those around you. If you are dreading an activity, there is nothing that is forcing you to do it. Admittedly, this is what I have the most trouble with. It is easy for me to feel safer staying home, but I have gone to things I originally dreaded and had a great time. Just remember that you are not committed to anything and can leave the situation if things start to go badly.
Another tip I was told before I went abroad was to not be afraid to talk to someone. Whether that is your friend from home or school, someone on your program, a therapist abroad (many programs can arrange English-speaking counselling sessions!) or even your home therapist (I facetime mine), bottling up your feelings is never a healthy option. Reading study abroad blogs from other students has also helped me to just not feel so isolated. While your experience is unique to you, there are thousands of people who have been in similar situations and know what it’s like! Just because everyone else seems okay and like they are having the time of their lives, they are most likely experiencing some level of struggle.
The moral of the story is even if you think you can’t handle studying abroad, you can. Living abroad is a journey like no other and you are allowed to be stressed about it!! It’s crazy to go and live in another country for five months!!! But you will learn and grow as long as you remember to prioritize your mental and physical needs often. (And also, wash your bed sheets a couple times a month. That always helps.)
This was a short post, but I hope it brought comfort to some of you. Feel free to ask me any questions in the comments below or email me at chillteenie0125@gmail.com! Have a great rest of the week!
This past weekend was our first time traveling outside of Vienna! The three other students on my program and I decided that over the weekend we would go to Prague. CASUAL. A round trip train ticket from Vienna to Prague was about 44 Euros and only a 4-hour ride. We found an amazing hostel for around the same price for two nights. (hostelworld.com)
A hostel is kind of like a casual hotel. They are much cheaper than a hotel, and you typically get a bed and a locker with a padlock to keep your items secure overnight. It is really common for other student travelers and young people to take advantage of these accommodations. Our hostel-Hostel One Miru-provided us with a bed, towel, locker and FREE home-cooked dinner every night!!!! It was such a cool way to get to know the other people in the hostel (just in the first night I spoke to someone from Chile, Japan and met someone who lives about an hour from me back in Pennsylvania!) and an even better way to save money on going out to dinner.
On Saturday, we visited Prague Castle which included going inside of the castle, exploring St. Vitus’ Cathedral and strolling down Golden Lane where we got a few souvenirs.
1000 Czech crowns
view from the end of golden lane
inside of the cathedral
prague castle (built in the 9th century)
Afterwards we walked across Charles Bridge and around the main square.
view from Charles Bridge
the main square
On Sunday, we visited the John Lennon Wall (started in the 1980s) and happened upon some very talented street musicians. We ended our afternoon in a cafe + meditation center, where I ate some AMAZING mustard that our waitress told us could be bought across the street, before taking the train back to Vienna. (Spoiler alert=I returned to Vienna with two containers of Czech mustard in tow. The equivalent of 38 US cents!!)
john lennon wall
láska means love in czech
Traveling, no matter how many times you have done it before, takes a lot of energy. I was surprised that I felt relieved to be back in Vienna. I am glad to be back somewhere that speaks German. While almost everyone we met in Prague also spoke English, it is always easier to speak to someone in their native language. And to actually understand road signs. I never thought I would see Vienna as somewhere familiar and comforting. We are coming up on our 4th week of living here, but it already feels kind of like a second home.
With that said, this week also means the end of our first German language course! Next week we will move up to the next level of German. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone, nor how much time we still have left. Talking about traveling and moving to Marburg is becoming more real. I am excited, but I really want to savor the rest of our time here in Vienna. We have a lot of things planned this week, so hopefully my next post will be full of more exciting stories!
As promised, this post is mostly dedicated to how I have been eating vegan in Vienna. Before I start, I want to give a quick update about the past week!
In the same building as IKI there is a yoga studio where for 10 Euros, you can try 5 classes within a span of 10 days. I’ve been into yoga for a while but only ever really did it on my own with youtube videos to guide me. So, I tried going to a studio for a few classes and it was amazing! Signing up ahead of time forced me to go even if I tried to act like I was too tired to leave my room. It was an awesome way to hear and learn more German and also to feel like I was taking care of my mind and body. I look forward to sticking with this studio and hopefully finding another once we get to Marburg!
I also had the chance to going to Oberes Belvedere and see the art exhibits featuring medieval artists, expressionists, impressionists, landscape painters and more! It was over 50% Austrian artists and so interesting to see works by Klimt, Van Gogh, Monet, Manet, Munch and Funke in real life. I wrote down the names of so many Austrian artists that I want to learn more about! (Look up Ship of Fools, Oskar Laske, 1949 if you’re bored).
On to being vegan abroad! This was one of the obstacles I was most worried about overcoming and it has worked out better than I could have ever expected. Food is labeled meticulously here; there is a key on almost every restaurant menu. A=gluten, C=eggs, F=soy, G=milk, N=sesame, etc. This makes it easy to know what I can and cannot order out. Additionally, almost all vegan foods in grocery stores are labeled with a big, green V that is hard to miss.
But if you are vegan or vegetarian, you know that just because it’s vegan/vegetarian, that doesn’t mean it’s healthy. There are tons of packaged and processed foods that are vegan, but the best things for you are whole fruits and vegetables. Luckily, there are lots of those in Austria! I recently bought a blender with one of my roommates (YAY) and have gotten both fresh and frozen fruit for smoothies. I have also tried frozen vegetables, mostly because I know they will last longer, but they don’t taste the same as when they are fresh. Most of the produce in stores here is labeled if it is grown in Austria and aside from exotic fruits, most of it is. I like to buy things a little under-ripe or just ripe so that they last me a bit longer while they ripen in my kitchen.
Here is what I like to keep stocked:
oats (Muesli can be eaten raw or cooked and is sort of similar to granola)
some type of grain (Normally rice or quinoa)
fruits (I have found some great Austrian peaches!)
milk (My favorite here is Hafer-Mandel which is a mix of oat and almond milk)
veggies (Lettuce, peppers, zucchini, carrots) *one problem I have found is you can’t really buy small or single quantities of carrots or potatoes, so you have to use them pretty quickly*
beans (I love chickpeas and they have them canned or baked)
seeds (Chia, pumpkin, just for extra nutrition and crunchy toppings)
Some extras I keep around are dried dates (best snack ever), bread for toast or sandwiches, vegan yogurt, salt, pepper and thyme (spices here can get pretty pricey) and oil and vegan butter for cooking. I also like to get some form of vegan meat or cheese, though those can get very processed so read ingredients! beolingus ( https://dict.tu-chemnitz.de/ ) is my choice of German-English dictionary.
While groceries here are much cheaper, vegan brands are still more expensive like in the US. Some vegan brands whose products I have enjoyed so far are Vegavita and veganz. The best way to shop vegan on a budget is buying what is already vegan without having to go to a special section of the store where all the vegan food is located. Oats, grains, beans, seeds, fruits and vegetables are almost always vegan and can be found in any aisle. Grocery shopping might take a little longer but your wallet and body will thank you for it later!
To finish up, I’ll add some pictures of food I have cooked and eaten out. I will write again in a week or so, thanks for reading!!
first shopping trip in austria: bread, raspberry jam, coconut milk yogurt, soy milk, sweet&sour sauce, muesli, sesame crackers, green onion, tofu, butter, mint tea
seitan gyro & salad at a vegan restaurant
lentil & apple salad and house-made herb roll out
lunch; didn’t have to cook anything! tiny banana, vegan mozzarella, dates, vegan bologna, chickpeas, sesame crackers with guac
first smoothie bowl in the new blender! frozen strawberries, chocolate oat/coconut milk, banana, peach
vegan schnitzel sandwich at a chain called swing kitchen
I have officially been in Vienna for one week! It feels like it has flown by while also feeling like I have been here for a lot longer. Just in the last 7 days I have:
visited Johann Strauss’ old apartment
gone to the Vienna Criminal Museum (the first Sunday of each month most museums in Vienna are free of charge!!)
had 5 days of intensive German language class
gone to an event where Ben & Jerry’s employees tossed free ice cream at us from the top of their truck
been to multiple cafes and beer gardens
climbed 184 steps to see a bird’s eye view of Vienna
and have nearly mastered the various types of public transportation around the city! On the first day after showing us around a bit and helping us drop off our luggage, our resident director left us to take the S-Bahn ourselves so we had to figure things out pretty quickly! (The app qando Wien is a LIFESAVER)
I have class from 9am-12pm on the weekdays and have the weekends off. The institution where I am studying (Internationales Kulturinstitut, aka IKI) has small trips throughout the week that the students can attend, which is how I saw a bird’s eye view of Vienna. Other than that, it is pretty much up to us how we want to spend our afternoons and evenings. There are only three other students on my program from America, so we have been doing most things together.
the view from our back balcony
the sign inside the door of the criminal museum
bird’s eye view of vienna
It is really interesting how international Vienna is. In my class alone I have people from Italy, Taiwan, China, the Philippines, Serbia, Ukraine, Siberia, Poland and Thailand. I also know of some people at IKI from the Czech Republic and Canada. Most of them also speak a fair amount of English, but it blows my mind that we can communicate in German even though our native languages are so different. I have heard so many languages on public transportation. It definitely helps to speak some level of German before you come to Vienna, but you can still live here without it.
vegan apple strudel & chai latte
I will dedicate a post to vegan food later on but just as an update: it’s easy to be vegan in Vienna! There are tons of options at local grocery stores and most restaurants have options that are clearly labeled. I have had little to no problems finding good food to buy and cook.
I have always liked learning German and I am glad to have this opportunity to use it everyday! That being said, language fatigue is definitely REAL. Thinking and speaking in a foreign language is exciting but quickly drains my brainpower. It has taken almost this entire week to not want to crash directly after class (although that is probably also in part because of the time zone change). The first night I was extremely homesick and did not know how I could do this for almost 5 months. Now, I know that my family is coming to visit in a mere 5 weeks and I have already survived 1!!
This next week, my goal is to remember self care. While I want to push myself to go out and explore more than I would at home, I cannot take sleep and alone-time for granted. We all need different things to function effectively and I need to be okay with saying no. Hopefully I listen to my own advice!!
Hello!!! Welcome to my first blog post! I will be travelling to Vienna on Wednesday, July 31st. In these last few days, I have felt like I am ready to leave at any second. I am one to get things done proactively and therefore have already packed everything I need (aside from daily-use items). I have all my necessary documents copied and packed, got my hair cut and planned my entire outfit for the airport.
I have been experiencing a lot of anxiety over the aspects I cannot prepare for and wanted to share some things that have brought me back to a place of excitement instead of just fear:
MONEY. I am so nervous about running out of money abroad. I started saving in the Fall of 2018, but paying for things like tuition and loans empties one’s bank account real quick. I am lucky and privileged enough to have parents and other family members to contribute to my study abroad funds, but making my own money while away at school has made me reluctant to ask for help. One way I will be earning money while abroad is through blogging! I was chosen to receive a scholarship from my program, Brethren Colleges Abroad. There are so many opportunities to apply for scholarships when studying abroad whether through your specific program or outside organizations. The following website has tons of information about studying abroad, scholarships and even how to work while abroad! https://www.gooverseas.com/
AIR TRAVEL. This is not my first or even second time travelling internationally. I have a lot of experience with airports and flying, yet it still keeps me up at night to think about being on a plane. I have never traveled alone, which is the main source of my air travel anxiety. To keep myself sane while in transit to Vienna, I have a few things I am making sure to pack in my carry-on. One essential for me is the phone app Insight Timer. This is a meditation app that has guided meditations for sleep, stress and, you guessed it, travel! I am planning to download a few meditations to listen to during my time at the airport and on the plane. In addition, I have a book, journal and colorful pens, sudoku to keep my mind busy and motion sickness medicine that will hopefully make me drowsy enough to knock out for a few hours. I also plan to let a flight attendant know this is my first time travelling alone. Just having someone else know your situation can help immensely.
FOOD. I will not have a meal plan while abroad. This means I will need to purchase groceries and cook my own food. I have been preparing by cooking a LOT this summer and learning how to meal-prep. I also eat a plant-based diet (I like to say 98% vegan). This makes eating out more difficult, especially in places like Austria and Germany where meat is a staple of each country’s cuisine. However, I LOVE grocery shopping and am actually pretty excited to do so. I am just not sure when I will be able to go once I arrive and how many vegan options will be available. I use a site called HappyCow that is great for people who want to find vegetarian and vegan options when eating out! Hopefully I will be able to post about my favorite vegan places and recipes that I discover while abroad. 🙂
There are many more intricacies that are worrying me about living abroad, but the three discussed above are what has been popping up most in my mind. I have to keep reminding myself that I am not the first person to have this experience. Thousands and thousands of students have lived abroad and survived. Although I am the only student from my university going on my program this fall, I am not the only student going on this program from the United States. Also, thank goodness for the internet. It makes finding sources for scholarships, packing tips, cheap recipes, international phone information, public transportation and anything you could think of so accessible.
I have no doubt that this semester will fly by and I would much rather spend it living in the moment than worrying about things that I know will work themselves out. Hopefully I gave some helpful pre-departure resources and made it obvious that if you are preparing to go abroad, you are not alone in your fears!
I will check back in when I am in Austria! Thanks for reading! Bis bald!
The Story of A Girl 