To my father's request here is my final post.
Studying abroad should be a priority, requirement, mandatory for every student. Those six weeks abroad could have easily been the best six weeks of my life. The experience has definitely made my top three. And if you ever have a chance to go to Innsbruck, Austria... take it! It's the most wonderful city in the world. My plan was to find an Austrian and get married so we could have a second home in Innsbruck. That didn't really happen but one day I will return to Austria to enjoy Amorino gelato while walking through old town, enjoying a streamliner sandwich along the river, going to Igls to hike through the Alps, drinking at Hof Garten for their 6 beers for 10 euro special and getting caught in a random thunderstorm.
For anyone studying abroad, this is my advice:
It is ILLEGAL for you to count calories while studying abroad. Eat everything and anything. Try the local drink, example hugos. A sleep sack can become your best friend. Stores close on Sundays. Trains can get very confusing, you will have to run after a train at one point. Pack lightly, you should use a small back pack for weekend trips. Don't bring wedges, cause you won't wear them. Stay in at least one real hostel. Buy a post card from every city. Go to as many cities and countries as possible. Eat at random restaurants. Get lost in Venice. Enjoy a cappuccino in St. Mark's Square. Be in a flash mob. Indulge in a nutella waffle. Basically eat as much Nutella as possible. See a firework show. Make friends with strangers. Try to NOT take a taxi.Prague has amazing food, eat at a restaurant called lokal. Pub crawls can be really fun. Five story discos are even more fun. Don't go to the amusement park in Vienna late at night unless you want to run into hookers. A bottle of wine makes overnight train rides easier. Mike's bike tours will never disappoint you. Always order dutch pancakes. Go to Interlaken specifically to go canyoning. Eat as much gelato as possible. Never say no to apricot filled croissants. Make a Europe playlist before you leave. Take pictures of everything. It is best to have boys travel with you, they voluntarily read maps. ALWAYS make a train reservation. If you ever find Nougat gelato... EAT IT.
The rule of thumb is that you can only say if you have been to a city if you have had a meal there. None of this "Ya, I have been to Texas. I stopped at the Dallas airport once." That doesn't count. So using the rule, I went to six countries and ten cities. I'd say that is pretty good.
During my six week trip I was able to try a lot of new things. Which I think is the whole purpose of studying abroad is to experience new things and do things you never would have dreamed of. Here are some examples...
Hiking on a glacier, eating bass, repelling down canyons, sleeping in a hostel dorm room, absinth shots and turning strangers into great friends.
My adventure is now over but not forgotten. I am so grateful for my experience, it was the greatest but I am ready to get back to reality. The next adventure is returning to the ZTA house in Washington for my second year and trying to come out alive. It is going to be a very studious and fabulous year. So cheers!
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