- Reflections on Week 1 in Vienna -

          We have been in Vienna for a week now and it has been a great experience. Unfortunately I do not have nearly as much to reflect on as I would like! I have been sick with the flu since I got here and I am just starting to recover. I really enjoyed the evening when we walked around downtown and we got to see St. Stephen's Cathedral. It is really fun to go out and get dessert at cafe's and we always have fun when we just wander around the city and experience the sites.

          I have had a few problems, for example I am definitely not good at speaking German although it has not proved to be that much of a problem since so many people speak English. I also have had some trouble adjusting to some of the different Austrian customs. For example, at the grocery store they move very fast and you have to bag your own groceries. So bagging groceries while trying to figure out how much to pay is fairly difficult.

          In order to find a piece of home in Vienna we went out for pizza one day which was great! The food is pretty good but it is definitely not the same as home. I have been craving a cheeseburger and I am not sure if I will be able to find it here.

          What I am really looking forward to is becoming comfortable in the city so that I will feel comfortable enough traveling. There are so many places that I want to visit and I want to make sure I start planning trips soon so that I do not waste any time. I am really looking forward to a busy semester and I cannot wait to do more exploring in Vienna and outside of Austria!