Sick again!

Man, I swear I have been sick more often in my 6 months here in Austria than at least the last two years combined! I had kind of been feeling a head cold all last week, but by Friday it really hit me. It didn't help that my German teacher was late for class (as usual) and we had to stand in the cold waiting for an hour. So when I got home Friday night, I crashed and didn't really move the whole weekend. That was a bummer becuase for one being sick in simply no fun. And I was invited to two birthday parties that weekend and couldn't make either of them! I was also invited to meet one of our 'newbies' (the exchange students come every six months, so I am now an 'oldie' and those who came in January are 'newbies'.) But I also had to turn that down becuase I couldn't get out of bed! Babsi and Niki took excellent care of me though, even setting up a mattress for me on the floor so things would be easier than up on my loft bed. After many remedies and some TLC, I finally went back to school today. My nose ran all day and I sneezed and coughed in a constant precession, and I think my whole class is afraid of me now! But hopefully I'll be better by this weekend! My 17th birthday is coming up, and on Saturday one of my really good exchange friends that lives in Graz, named Laura is coming to stay with me! We are also celebrating two other exchange students' birthdays this weekend, so it should be really fun! I also am going out to a cafe with a few girls from my class, and then having a small family dinner on my actual birthday on Monday! I got a package yesterday from home, and I am really really really excited to read the letters I got! I may have accidentally already read the one from Karleigh! But that is something I have definitely learned to appreciate during this exchange. Nothing makes me happier than reading and writing letters home, it's such an old art that isn't appreciated any more! I also realized the other day  that this exchange has made me so grateful for the love I recieve back home. I am incredibly loved and cared for over here, but the culture is different, and hugs are rare. I have one Austrian friend who hugs me every day just because I told her I miss them! Otherwise, I don't really get hugs until I see other exchange students. I literally have been having ten second dreams lately where I just get a solid hug from a random person. I'm definitely looking forward to getting some real ones soon!
Easter is coming up! Not really but in Austria they like to prepare for the big holidays early! So the decorations are starting to appear around the house! Here's a picture of my favorite, the 'Egg Tree' has fresh buds about to blossom, and eggs decorated from my host siblings and Babsi. She showed me every single one last night and explained all the memories to me. I can't wait to paint one of my own and hang it up there too!

Skifahren

I haven't posted in a while because I've been busy skiing in the mountains! My school had semster break this last week, and Theresa, Babsi and I (Niki had to work) drove to the house in Kirchberg on Friday afternoon. Once again, it felt awesome to be back in the mountains, and I was excited to ski some of the fresh powder that had been dumping from the sky! It was basically the same routine every day: Wake up at 8 to an excellent breakfast. Dress from head to toe in ski gear and apparel based on the weather, rush downstairs to gather our skis and boots and then run to catch the bus up to the gondola. Most of the days it was either snowing, or had snowed the night before, and I enjoyed plenty of powder! We always ate lunch in a mountain hut and I tried typical Tirolean (Tirol is the state in Austria) dishes. Then we skied directly back to the house and spent the afternoon relaxing and taking baths. Every night dinner was a special occasion and we had several dinners with friends. Then we would finally retire to bed with the currents of the river that lays next to the house creating a soft lullaby. In that order, the days flew by quicker than I would have liked! I met up a few times with another exchange student from French Candada who was also staying in Kirchberg. We skied with some of her school friends, and I was glad to make even more Austrian friends that I can ski with again when we go back in March. Niki took the train out to ski on Saturday and Sunday with us. On Sunday, Theresa and Babsi packed up the house and loaded the car ready to drive back to Vienna, and Niki and I went skiing. He likes powder snow just as much as I do and we spent the whole day hunting out the last patches of white fluff we could find. We ended up having a fantastic day that wasn't too exhausting because the snow was really light. We ended the day on a run that didn't require much skill (it was actually a snowed over road I think) but the scenery was beautiful. We went from the top of the mountain to the bottom following snaking river curves. There were ice falls and still running water falls that were sparkling in the sunlight. Everything was still coated in snow, and I just had a really peaceful moment to reflect on how fortunate I am. Going into this exchange program, I thought I wanted to go to a Spanish speaking country and maybe spend the year on a beach. But for some reason I made the spontaneous decision that Austria was the place for me. A lot of the time I ask myself, "What the heck was I thinking?" I hadn't heard German before in my life. I wanted to get away from the snow... But everything about Austria these past six months has been completely meant to be. I can't explain it, but I know that every moment I'm here, it is where I am meant to be. And in that moment skiing I couldn't help but smile at the magic of it all. The perfection in the details.

View from the lift

Church on the ski run

Being in Austria, I try and make an effort to visit as many places within Austria as possible. I really wanted to see Innsbruck, but it is a pretty pricey train ticket from Vienna. But Kirchberg is only about an hour train ride away, so I decided this was probably my only opportunity to go explore Innsbruck a little. So I hoppped on a train Saturday morning and called an exchange friend that lives there. Unfortunately, she was skiing with her host family and couldn't make it into town to see me. But it made it that much more of an adventure! I had no idea where I was going, so the second I stepped off the train I just started wandering. I ended up sort of on the wrong side of town, and was feeling a little sketched out for a while. BUT then I discovered this beautiful church with a massive graveyard. I walked around the cemetery for about an hour doing a lot of thinking. I find it really interesting to read the dates on the gravestones, and here in Austria they date back pretty far. I think it's really amazing that the same family dating back to the late 1700's all lies together. After I left the cemetery I spotted a pack of tourists (the cameras slinged around their necks gave them away) and I decided to follow them. On my walk into dowtown Innsbruck, the clouds began to lift and revealed the massive Alps prodtruding from every possible direction. I was in awe as a whole new beauty was added to this city. I was again surprised by how cute inner Innsbruck actually is. I've heard stories, but man this city is like a fairy tale. Cute cobblestone roads curve in an unorganized fashion throughout the city. Just like in Vienna, the streets are buzzing with vendors, tourists, and entertainers. But unlike Vienna., almost every building in Innsbruck was a different color and some were quite elaboratly painted. I explored every curve of the tiny streets and ended up at a really nice cafe. There I treated myself to a much needed cup of coffee and a slice of cake. I was making my way back to the train station when I coincidentally ran into two other exchange students, Rebecca and Celeste. Rebecca lives near Innsbruck and Celeste was spending the holidays with her, so they were doing a little touring of the inner city as well! I decided to take a later train back and spend a little time catching up with my friends. I got a more official tour of the city from Rebecca and we laughed a lot together! It was so good to see some exchange students again, and it made me really excited to see them all in March for our ski trip in Schladming. Leaving Innsbruck was slightly heart breaking, and I found myself again thinking of ways I could live somewhere like that. Leaving the mountains in general was rather difficult this time, and I was less than excited to be back in school today. But I really don't have that long before I go skiing with the exchange students, and then fly off to Sweden two weeks later! I celebrated my 6 month anniversary with Austria recently, and feeling pretty great about it! I've got so much to look forward to in the coming four and a half months that I am trying to make sure I can fit it all in!

The view from my departing train

 

Church in Innsbruck with famous ski jump in background

Innsbruck

Snowfall in Kirchberg

Dowtown Innsbruck

Innbruck's famous Golden Roof

 

Migräne

Well these last few weeks, many discussions have been had about my future and what I want to do with my life. It seems to be a common question at this age, and I think many assume that because I had my mind so made up about this exchange, I would just as clearly know what I want to do with my future. Unfortunately, that's just not the case! But I had a great conversation with my mom last weekend over Skype about it all. For one, it was just awesome to have a normal conversation and not just the update of how I've been, how all in Crested Butte's been, etc. I really realized how fundamental dinner table conversations are with my family and it made me miss the one's I have so frequently back home. (Not that I don't have great conversations over here, they're just different!) Anyways, we came to the solid conclusion that I have so many passions, and now so many connections all over the world that I can pursue any or many of the dreams I have. And that makes me feel a lot less stressed! Still, I continue to receive E-mails from colleges around the country and I worry a little bit about the decisions I'm going to have to make in the next year. One option of course is now going to college in Vienna. It offers everything I want and is a lot cheaper! But I'm a little hesitant about being SO far away for so long. And I have also discovered that living in Vienna sometimes doesn't agree with my body. In the winter, the sun doesn't shine too often, and I find myself craving some good ole' vitamin D. The sun came out for about 20 minutes on Monday and I walked out on the balcony and cherished every minute of it! This constant grey and dark winter has been a bit rough sometimes... Also, I get migraines way more frequently over here. At first I thought it could have been from change of diet and just being really tired a lot. But all the Vienese locals swear that it's the weather. At first I thought this idea was rediculous. Why would clouds or a sudden change from cold to warm weather give me headaches? But it proves true every time snow turns to rain or the famous Vienese wind blows in some clouds, I get dabilitating migraines. Last Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I was stuck in bed with a nasty headache. After finally feeling better for a while, I woke up again Tuesday morning unable to walk because I was so dizzy. That has not happened to me in a long time. I'm also pretty used to my headaches going away in a couple of hours. But these last for days. I am only now getting over my latest. So I've decided that pretty much rules Vienna out for college. I love this city and I'm so blessed to have a whole year in it, but those headaches are not worth a cheaper education!
So moving forward, here's a quick update of what's been going on the past few days...
School has been great! I feel like I belong, and I have such a great time making friendships tighter every day! I did get my first Spanish test back on Monday, only to see that I pretty much bombed it. I got a D. I'm pretty used to doing well in school, and that was a pretty embarrassing and sad few hours for me. But oh well! I can always try harder next time! Besides, I have learned a whole new language in the past 5 months, no wonder I forgot a little of the other!
I've had some great Skype sessions lately! I got to speak with my lovely sister and we had a really great conversation. It's hard when she cries and it hurts that I can't jump through the screen and give her a hug! But for now all I can do is give her some sisterly advice and make her laugh! I also had a GREAT time talking with my mom, just the way we used to talk. Usually Skype conversations are a little stressful and sad, but I totally forgot about the computer screen standing in my way, and enjoyed the time spent with my mom.
Shortly after that conversation, my host parents left to go to a ball! Vienna is famous for it's balls and many of them were this last week in January. I took a few pictures of my parents together, and it was so cool! Niki had a 100 year old pocket watch and Babsi was decked out in beautiful jewelry. They looked like royalty!
Yesterday I woke up with an awful headache, feeling even worse because I knew I had to give a presentation at my local Rotary club that evening. This has been scheduled since October, and there was no way I could re-schedule. So I slept most of the day, and finally took one of my shots to make the headache go away. Unfortunately, these shots usually make me feel ill for a while before making the headache go away. I must have put this shot in the perfect spot in my leg because I became very ill IMEDIATELY and it hurt and bled way more than it usually does. So I layed back down in bed, hoping it would all pass by 7:00 for my presentation. I definitely wasn't 100% but I managed to get myself there and give a great presentation about Crested Butte to the whole club. Babsi was there for encouragement and support, and I held it together the whole night. All the Rotarians were really interested and amused the entire time. That always makes me happy because I love braggin about where I come from! One man has actually been on a ski vacation to Crested Butte, which is absolutely INCREDIBLE! No one over here knows where CB, is, let alone Colorado. Many people in Colorado don't even know where Crested Butte is! So I got invited to his house for dinner one evening to look at pictures from the Butte and play guitar with him! Another who had been skiing once in British Colombia (Candada), said he loved the Western snow and asked me to email him the info about Crested Butte Mountain Resort as he plans to take a trip there in the future! So I did some solid advertising for Crested Butte and hopefully made them see that little slice of paradise through the same adoring eyes I have! They were also very impressed with my German, which makes me feel proud. One man even called me fluent... Which I honestly know can not happen in only one year of studying German, but I have come pretty far, and I am proud! And that's okay! Alright, that's pretty much it... Oh! And I recieve my final return date today. That kind of snapped me back into reality as I realized I actually have to get on that plane on June 24th. It is no longer a hypothetical flight. It is a real departure with Tyrolean Airlines at 10:30 am. I actually have to say goodbye to all the wonderful people and places I've come to know. It hit me like a semi barreling down the highway. But I sure am going to make the best of these next 21 weeks and not take a single moment for granted or live with any regrets. I can't wait!
Off to bed for now! I hope everyone has a wonderful day/night where ever you are in the world! Thanks for your constant support!

My life...

My life just makes it pretty darn hard to complain! Every week something new and exciting happens, and even the little things like being asked to lunch with some school friends makes my day! So here is a quick recap of what made my life so awesome this week!

1. School is really starting to feel normal! I am answering questions in class and taking quizes with the rest of the class! I'm pretty sure I'm failing them, but it is the effort that is appreciated!

2. I have official Austrian friends! I get invited pretty regularly to hang out with people in my class, and I know now that it's not just out of pity for the awkward exchange student. They actually like me, and I actually like them!

3. On Wednesday, I went to the Operette "Wiener Blut" with  Eva and Stefan (host aunt and uncle) and Theresa. An Operette is like a opera, but there is comical relief instead of full on tragedy, and the actors sing and talk. Eva knew one of the main actors, so we got really cheap tickets and really good seats. The entire show was spoken in Viennese dialect, and a little difficult for me to understand, but Theresa said she didn't understand all of it either. She even had to look at the English subtitles to figure it out! So score!

4. IT SNOWED!!! And not just like the typical Vienna snow where we get 2 centimeters and it melts by the end of the day. It really actually snowed! Like almost a foot! Babsi says she can't remember the last time it has snowed this much in Vienna! So as you can imagine, I was beside myself with joy! I took lots of pictures and enjoyed just playing around in all the white, fluffy magic!

 

 

5. On Thursday, I went again with Eva, Theresa, Babsi, Katherine, Paula, and Georg (host and and cousins) to the Russian State Ballet to see Swan Lake. The Russian State Ballet is the best in the world, and I was blown away by the performance! We had AMAZING seats, and I sat next to Eva who was also a ballerina once, and had a great time discussing technique and everything! All around, the performance was very typical and safe,  but really refreshing to see. I'm so used to watching very modern dance these days, that I forgot how beautiful the original can be! SO AWESOME!

6. I have great discussions with my host family every day, and I am so thankful for all the opportunities they provide me with! They really want to make sure I get the most out of my year, and they care for me like a daughter. It's crazy to think that 5 moths ago they were kind strangers who gave me their sons' bed and took me into their care. And now they are my family. One of the coolest parts of exchange!

Kirchen Tag

Yesterday was a day full of churches! I woke up way early on Sunday (like 8am, but it felt pretty early) and left a note on the kitchen table for my host family, letting them know that I was in church with Johnny and that I'd be back around 11:00. Johnny goes to an Orthodox church, and has asking me if I'd like to join him for weeks. I kept blowing him off because I didn't want to get up early, but I really was interested to see what the experience was like, so I finally sucked it up and said yes. We met in Schwedenplatz, just a few blocks away from the church about 20 minutes early. I like that about Johnny, he's never late and mostly early. And if you know me well, you know that I have serious anxiety about being late, and I tend to be at least 15 minutes early for everything... Anyway, Johnny was trying out a new church in Vienna, the Greek Orthodox Church. We walked in the door and everybody turned around and scowled at us. Johnny, growing up in this religion fit right in by kissing pictures of saints and knowing when to make a cross over his body (I don't know what that's called!). This one lady just really couldn't stop scowling at me because I clearly didn't fit in, as I didn't practice any of those things... not to mention I was the only young girl with blonde hair in a church full of old Greek people. I just kept persistantly smiling at her, and I think by the end of the service she warmed up to me! Johnny really knew his stuff and was super enthusiastic about explaining all of the rituals and actions to me. It was entirely in Greek, so neither of us really understood, but he explained it was run identically to how it was back home in English. During the whole service I felt like I was sent back in time. The priests were decked out in full on robes (excuse my lack of religious terminology) and looked like popes. There were hidden doors and incese, as well as a lot of singing and candles burning. The entire thing was super traditional. I totally felt like I was in a movie, and really appreciated gaining a new appreciation for all that goes on there every Sunday. But by the end I was pretty tired (we had to stand the whole time) and it was almost 12:00. So I thanked Johnny and headed home to get some lunch.
My host mom then told me we'd be touring Karlskirche at 1:00 and I was super excited to see the inside of this outstanding church! Karlskirche (St. Charles' Church) is known as one of Vienna's prettiest churches, and has an incredible history too. In 1713, after the plague finally left Vienna, Emperor Charles VI vowed that he would build a large church dedicated to St. Charles who tended to the afflicted upon deliverance after the plague. It began construction in 1716 and was completed in 1739. That gives you a small idea of the extent of this church. I've seen its massive, seafoam green, ovular dome and two giant towers inscripted with stone figures several times from the outside. But I'd never been inside. Some current renovations are being done to the 300 year old church, and a temporary elavator was put in. We got a chance to ride up the elevator to be able to see the details on the elaborately painted ceiling. It was a little freaky being so high up in the air, but being so close to the paintings, you see things that are impossible to see from the ground. Tiny, metallic gold deatails cover all of the figures and stories are told within the paintings. We got to go even higher up into the cupola by walking up five flights of stairs. That was so amazing and so scary at the same time. The whole structure swayed back and forth with each step, and it was a lonnnnng fall back down. But at the same time, I was literally inches away from the ceiling of this magnificent dome! I took so many pictures and had fun laughing with my host parents as Babsi and I squealed every time the stairs shook! I had a wonderful day of churches and feeling as lucky as ever!
I'm sorry there's still not any pictures... Blogger won't let me upload them for some reason, but I'll figure it out soon!

Christmas and New Years

I need to start off by apologizing, I should have written this blog a long time ago, but I was out of internet service for 2 weeks, and then when I got home, I just seemed to have SO much to do! My mind was starting to go crazy, so I scribbled down to-do-lists on sticky notes during school, and now they are scattered all over my computer screen! At least once I get this blog finished it will be another thing to check off my list! Okay, so let's start with Christmas...

After school let out on Friday, I said my goodbyes to all my classmates and was heading out the door when I was tapped on the shoulder. We did Secret Santa in my class (it's called Engrl Bangrl here) and I got my final gift. The girl who had me made a notebook and had all my friends in the class write a little Christmas note in it! It was so touching to see that these kids in my class actually do care about me and cool that I could read it in the 3 languages it was written in! I almost teared up, because I realized that even though I was missing my family during the holiday season, I knew I had more than one family to take care of me over here; even my classmates!

On Saturday morning we packed the car to the max and drove to Hochart, where my host grandpa has a house and art collection, and where we spent Christmas. During the next few days we relaxed a lot, had good conversations, and ate SO much! Christmas here is celebrated on the 24^th, where the Christkind (an angel) brings all the Christmas decorations, the tree, and the presents during the day while the kids are distracted. We went to Church in the afternoon and sang Christmas songs (in German) and “Stille Nacht” (Silent Night) brought tears to my eyes because it reminded me so much of being back home. But I kept telling myself that I get so many Christmases back home, and only one in Austria. That made me appreciate it a lot more! Once we got back home, Theresa and I waited down stairs until the Christkind was finished. And then once the Christkind rang the bell we ran up to the living room to see what they brought. The sight was not at all what I expected. The Christmas tree was beautiful lit with real candles and sparklers like we use on the 4^th of July. We sat around the tree and sang Christmas songs and read from the Bible. We then opened presents which was a lot different than what I’m used to. There wasn’t all this hype about gift giving and going over the top. It was simple and quite silent. The silence was weird for me, but I think there was a beauty in it. I got presents and cards from all over the world, and I feel so blessed. Thank you to everyone who supported me thus far and sent their love, and I hope you all know my love was sent right back at you that night! That night, and for the next few nights we feasted (like really, stuffed ourselves) with friends and family. Then on the 26^th, we jumped in the car again and started the long 5 hour drive towards the mountains….

Christmas Tree

 

Theresa reading from the Bible

 

 

Niki, Babsi, and Franz (host grandpa) on our Christmas walk

            As we drove into Kitzbühel, the excitement in the car started to rise. It was dark and foggy so I couldn’t see any of the surrounding mountains, but it was clear that we were there due to the small-ski-town feel I know so well. Everyone dressed like they do back home, the general attitude is upbeat, and the conversations are always revolving around snow. We moved all of our luggage into the family’s condo and had upbeat conversations comparing one another’s goggles, skis, helmets, etc. I was feeling right at home. That first night of sleep was the best I’d had in a while. There is a river running right next to the condo, and the peaceful melody put me right to sleep. In the morning we figured out my ski situation (I borrowed Babsi’s old ones and rented boots) and then hit the slopes. The snow was a little icier than what I’m used to in the Butte, and was all around just a different consistency. And I was on skinny racing skis with the bindings set toward the back of the ski, so my first few runs took a little getting used to. But by the end of the day I was chasing Niki (he is an amazing skier, once a ski instructor in Austria which is super prestigious) down the hill with a huge smile on my face! The days went by with the same routine: an early breakfast and then straight to the slopes, lunch at a mountain hut, and then a big dinner with family and/or friends. Here are some of the highlights of my skiing experience in the Alps:

 

1.      The views are absolutely incredible! At the top of every lift you get a 360 degree panoramic of beautiful mountains! It was a lot like home!

2.      We skied real fast. My entire host family can ski really well and we had such a great time trying to keep up with one another.

3.      You can ski so far in one day, and all with the same ski pass! One day I skied from one state of Austria to the next (Tirol to Salzburg)!

4.      I rode the longest gondola with only one tower in the world! That was a little sketchy!

5.      It snowed one day and I got to experience the closest I think I can get to what Austrians call a powder day. Niki and I skied about 5 inches of fresh for a few hours before heading back to the groomed ice sheet!

6.      I learned a lot about Austrian culture and mountain huts. Family meals are so crucial here and they taste really yummy too!

 

One day it was raining really hard, so I went into Kitzbühel with Babsi. Our condo is in Kirchberg which for comparative purposes we can say is like Crested Butte (but I personally think nothing compares to that little piece of Paradise) and is about 10 minutes away from Kitbühel. Kitzbühel I came to discover is quite like Aspen in the sense that it is filled with really expensive shops, and the tourists are a little snotty. But the comparison stops there. I was so in awe by the adorable old Austrian buildings and brick streets. Babsi and I went to this hidden bakery that was literally through this secret door, and then we browsed the super expensive shops. Unfortunately due to the downpour I didn’t take any pictures, but you’ll just have to imagine how magical this little town was. I kept thinking to myself, “Okay Jessie, how are you going to live here one day? What job could help you buy a small piece of property here that is even more expensive than Vienna’s high society inner city apartments?” I don’t have the answer to that yet, but I’m thinking I need to figure it out.

 

Okay and moving on to New Year’s because I really need to get this thing done! So Kirchberg had a small ceremony on the ski slopes the day before New Year’s Eve and Theresa and I went to watch. The ski instructors came down with candles and little kids skied with flags representing each country that the ski instructors were from. Then there was a little performance with ski teams who performed this synchronized skiing act (I think it should be a sport in the Olympics) that was so cool! Then there were skiers on stilts (never seen that before) and the night ended with some fireworks. Overall, it got us excited for the New Year and was fun to see how the little town of Kirchberg celebrates. On New Years Eve we had my host Aunt, Uncle, and 5 year old cousin over for a big dinner and played games together. At midnight the most magical thing happened that I can say is a million times cooler than a ball dropping. Literally hundreds of fireworks started going off at the same time. We live right by a hotel that set off their personal show right in front of us. Simultaneously, families living all over the valley were setting of their own fireworks. Our heads were constantly shifting left and right looking up and down the mountains at the spectacle. It was overwhelming and beautiful and I felt so happy in that moment!

The next day we went to Kitzbühel for their New Year’s celebration. They had a show similar to the torchlight parade in Crested Butte, where all 300 ski instructors came down the mountain by candlelight, and then jumped over a fire! A witch with a cast on her leg was thrown into the fire to hopefully get rid of injury on the mountain for the New Year. A giant 2013 was set into the mountain slope with candles which were slowly lit one by one. Then came the outstanding firework show. Timed perfectly to music, the sky was lit for about half an hour. It was one of the most beautiful firework shows I’ve seen and it was a great way to bring in the New Year!

Candles on the slope

Ski instructors by candlelight

 

 

 

 

Now I’m back in Vienna focusing on school and getting all the things on this crazy list checked off! I am heading back to Kirchberg for semester break in four weeks, and I couldn’t be more excited! Pictures will come soon, but my computer is not letting me at the moment!

Salzburg

As usual, my weekend was amazing! On Friday about fifteen of us exchange students met up in a Vienna train station planning our long travel day ahead. Since we travel in such a big group, we buy group tickets on the cheapest route possible. This is awesome because it is outrageously cheap, however it usually means an extra 3 or 4 hours added to the trip, and there are almost always complications on the train. Luckily, I let my "oldies" (the people who came last January) handle that. However, since they are all going home soon, that's going to have to change! So after our train changing directions twice, waiting in the Linz train station, and then taking a REX (goes way slower than a normal train, but is super cheap!), we finally arrived in Salzburg almost two hours late! It didn't help that the bus didn't have room for all of us to get on and drive to the hostel, so we had to wait for each other, taking twice as long. When we arrived at the hostel we were supposed to take a German test evaluating our language skills, but since we were so late, the test got postponed and we went straight to dinner. It was so great catching up with everyone and I got to meet some new faces too! The kids in Croatia were there with us and will be for Eurotour too! I think it was a little intimidating for them because there are so many of us and only 22 of them! But they were all really sweet and fun, and I met a fellow Coloradan! He knows 12 languages... So smart! Anyways, that night I went down to the river with Crash, Lucas, Johnny and Parker, and we played in the snow and spoke some German!
The next morning we bundled up and headed out into the rainy weather up to Salzburg's famous castle. It was a little difficult to navigate with so many people and in the freezing rain, but there were some beautiful views at the top and a cute Christmas market! We ate lunch downtown at a Chinese restaurant (the best way to feed 150 teenagers) and then had free time until our German test that afternoon. I explored the city with Juliet, Rachel, and Laura, and we had some yummy hot chocolate at a cafe! I was super nervous for the German test coming up, but it turns out, it was WAY easy! We had dinner in a fancy restaurant where we shared Christmas traditions from every country and said an official farewell to the 'oldies' who will be heading home in January. It was an emotional goodbye as I have become close with some of those guys. And I hate having to say goodbye. But I guess that's a big part of exchange. After a long train ride home, I was feeling pretty exhausted. But most of all, grateful for the amazing people exchange has brought into my life. I wrote in my journal that night about wanting to take traits and qualities I admire in my friends and adopting them. I have learned so much from each and every person I have encountered here, and for that I am very grateful!

Pia my favorite oldie!