Cultural Encounters:
From the Sand to the Snow

August 21, 2007

"So long farewell, I have to say goodbye..."

My host mother came to visit me on my last days in Austria. We went to Vienna and spent three days there, where we were able to visit places like the opera house, the Hofburg (treasury), which holds the imperial jewels of the Hapsburg dynasty, and the Sisi Museum (a museum devoted to Empress Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie of Austria) which allows visitors to view the Imperial apartments as well as the silver cabinet and many others. The architecture of the buildings in Austria are definitely breathtaking. Walking in Vienna is like walking in a historical movie stage; it is impossible to walk a foot without talking pictures. After the three days, we caught a train to Salzburg. It is very hard to sleep during the train ride in Austria because the landscape is amazing. The mountains surround small valleys and the green vegetation is definitely very typical for Austria. Salzburg is the fourth largest city in Austria. It has a population of 150,269 inhabitants. For me - the perfect size. The four days I spent there, I could see myself living in this charming town and for sure I will come back to Salzburg. The highlight of my trip was definitely the Sound of Music tour. I actually ended up watching the movie after I came back from Austria.

After spending five months abroad, I was dying to come back home. I missed my life here and I was really looking forward to going to a 24 hour Wal-Mart (all grocery stores in Austria close at 7 pm, Saturday at 5 pm and Sundays are closed). I waited a week and then I traveled again, but this time the destination was South America (Brazil). I was able to spend three weeks with my family and also took the time to go the dentist, eye doctor and regular doctor to do a general check up.

School already started and in the past semester I was able to go to different places that I never imagined. It has been a great year and I am looking forward to graduation next May.

This is my last blog, but probably another international student will be blogging soon about her/his experiences at UNI. Make sure to check it out. I hope you like it. I want to say thank you to all the people who took the time to read my stories, I hope you have enjoyed them.