Salzburg

I opened the orange and brown curtains for the first time, seeing past the paned windows with thick white fames, a city covered in snow. The old rooftops were blanketed with powder and the cobblestone streets filled with people and their black umbrellas. The snow fell hard off and on that night and for the next few months in Salzburg, Austria. My first night in Salzburg was a blur. My roommate, Sarah, and I wandered the streets looking for a restaurant, while trying not to get lost. After a few weeks these streets became my streets, and my small room on the 3rd floor of St. Sebastian became my home.

I studied in Austria last spring semester taking classes at the university, traveling to many different countries, and meeting people that would make my experience even more enriching. Immersed in a new culture with a new language to practice, I found myself becoming more independent and more responsible. Getting lost in Budapest, being on a train without a ticket, and doing my best to speak with the locals are all memories that I will never forget. It has become so much a part of me that I cannot go a day without imagining the beautiful Alps that surrounded the beautiful city and the delicious food and drinks that became a daily necessity. I miss the Sound of Music references that were constantly made and the German karaoke that was sung. But I will go back someday to the place that changed my life, that gave me a love for the unknown and exciting.