Home Sweet Home

In some ways I am so glad to be home, but I am missing Austria more and more every day. Living in a foreign country, where I didn't speak the language or know the customs, was very difficult, but looking back it was one of the best choices I have ever made. Above all, I have made so many new friends, not only from Austria, but all over the world through AFS. So far, we are all keeping in contact, and I hope it will last. I have grown so much as a person, and even through this blog. Looking back a previous posts, it was one of the best documentations of my experiences that I kept, and it will be a great way to remeber a fantastic year.

Here are a few final pictures of our home, family, party, and Chicago errands.

Ich verabschiede mich von euch...

Today is my last day in Steinberg-Dörfl. The last few days have been so memorable, which makes leaving that much more difficult.
Yesterday I was "überrascht" with a "Überraschungs-abschlussparty" planned for me by my cousins and school friends. It was really enjoyable spending time with my family and friends; eating, drinking and enjoying each-other's company one last time. It really made me feel good, knowing that I had made close friends here in Austria, and that they had planned something so special for me. It was an experience that I'll never forget.
Today I may go play volleyball in Steinberg with the classmates and family, and then afterwards say good-bye to my host-family. We might also eat dinner together at Faymann's. In any case, I know that it will be hard, and emotional to leave everything here. I hope that I can come back within the next few years.
Tomorrow I will go to Vienna with the train to meet the other AFSers from all over Austria. My couisins Babsi and Susanne will come with, and we might do somethign together in the city one last time.

Und nun, am Schluss, möchte ich mich bei euch allen hier in Österreich bedanken, für eure Freundschaft und Hilfsbereitschaft die ihr gezeigt habt. In diesem Jahr habe ich mich so viel geändert und bin ich auch gewachsen für das Bessere. Ohne euch, wäre es unmöglich gewesen, mich an die österreichichen Bräuche und die Kultur zu gewöhnen. Wir müssen in Kontakt bleiben, und hoffentlich können wir uns irgendwann treffen, in den U.S.A. oder in Österreich. Ich hoffe wirklich, dass ich "Auf Wiedersehen" sagen kann. Vielen Dank!

And for everyone in the U.S. who is interested, we are having a "Welcome Home" party for me on the 15th by us, so I hope to see you all there.

03,07,06

The last few days here have been really enjoyable, and I am happy that I will be leaving Austria on a good note.
Last weekend was nothing but school parties, including our "Abschlussparty" in Karl, the "School Out" party in the Marquee disco and a night out in Obeprullendorf with my friends to watch the France-Brazil World Cup Match (1-0) and say good-bye to all my friends who are leaving for vacation this week. It was really fun, and I am glad that I could participate in all of the festivities.
These last few days will be ordinary, there is not much to do with many of my friends on vacation, school out and no bus pass. A relative of my mother's side of the family from Madison (Wisconsin) is coming to visit us tomorrow. He keeps in contact with his Austrian family, but has lived almost all of his life in the U.S.. Hopefully we can celebrate Independence Day together ("Nationalunabhängigkeitstag" in German). It should be fun to see another Wisconsinite regardless.

Pictures: Prater, Wien

Susanne, Babsi and Me

Babsi and Me on a Water Ride
Babsi and Susanne
Babsi and Me in front of "Die Glocke"

Pictures: Während der Schulbusfahrt...

Just a piece of Austrian culture and my daily routine here. Here is a picture of my school bus, taken from the company's webpage (http://www.blaguss.com). I drove everyday with this bus to and from Gymnasium between Dörfl and Oberpullendorf. A little different from our buses...

Unser letzter Schuletag ins Gymnasium Oberpullendorf

Today was our last day of school in Gymnasium Oberpullendorf, and it was really a day of mixed feelings. The ending of school really makes me realize that my days here in Austria are almost finished. I miss the United States; our culture and way of life, but I know that when I am back home I will miss Austria even more. Saying good-bye to many of my classmates and friends for the last time was sad, but I will try to stay in contact with them and hopefully I will be able to visit Burgenland again.
Today is the "School Out" party at the discoteque "Marquee" which lasts about 24 hours. I will probably go for the first 2-3 hours, and then go home to finish my pre-packing. Hopefully it will be enjoyable; parties are not always fun here, where people are often drunk before six o'clock.
I can count the days left on my hands, and I am both excited and scared about returning to the U.S.A.. Austria has really affected me, for the better, and it will be hard to leave everything here.

Pictures: Abschlussparty 6A 2006, Karl

Lina and Me
Our House

Abschlussparty in Karl

Dani and Manuel

Pictures: Waldbad Neutal

Yesterday my class had an excursion to the public swimming pool in Neutal, a town about 6 km. away from Oberpullendorf. After a two-hour-long walk from the school to the swimming pool, the ice-cold water felt really good, since it was over 34° C (93° F)! Although my entire body is now completely sunburned, I still enjoyed the trip.

"Waldbad" Neutal
Neutal

27,06,06

School is almost over, with only 4 days left before the summer vacations, and then only 14 days before my return-journey to the U.S.A.. Although I am beginning to feel a sort of "separation anxiety" as AFS said I would, I am still trying to use my remaining time here, and improve my German even more. 2 weeks is still a long time, but it only seems short in comparison to my last 10 1/2 months here.
Last week Thursday was our afterschool party in the local discoteque "Subway". I came about a half hour late with my cousins and classmates, but everyone had already left because it had been too boring. I then went for drinks in "Die Villa" with Babsi, Christiana and Theo when it started raining and hailing. My host father finally came to pick us up at around 10:00. I don't think it was really worth the trip.
Yesterday we went swimming in Neutal, for a class trip. I am now completely sunburned after falling asleep in the 90°+ weather we had. Unfortunately, Theo is now in the hospital after hitting his head on the bottom of a 1,5 meter deep pool. (He is 1,93 meters tall) Hope he recovers soon.
Volleyball games at the sportplatz in Steinberg have also become a regular meeting place for my cousins and extended family. I really enjoy playing and meeting with them, and it is really good for German practice too!
I am enjoying my last few weeks here in Austria, I have to! I know that when I come home I'll be very busy with school, viola, sailing and driving lessons; but I am also excited to be a junior and approach the end of my high school career. It is a really exciting time, but it will also be hard to leave everything here in Europe.

24,06,06

Our class trip to Scotland ended well, as expected. Some highlights in Edinburgh included a "Ghost and Ghouls Haunted City Tour", a visit to Rosslyn Chapel (from The Da Vinci Code), a guided tour of both the "Old" and "New" towns, a visit to Sterling Castle and several haggis-eating experiences.
The haunted city tour was somewhat of a let-down after the anticipation. After convincing our teacher to come with us, my classmates Nadine, Anna, Daniel and Julia and I signed up for the tour, claiming to take you to the most haunted places in Great Britain. The grotesque stories and history of medieval Edinburgh were interesting, and it was a fairly encompassing tour of "The Royal Mile", but other than that fairly boring. The tour ended in Edingurgh's underground vaults, that are claimed to be haunted by many spirits, any of which we did not see. The tour reassured my skepticism but was nevertheless interesting. After the tour we went to "Grafunkle's Pub" for a haggis, the unofficial national meal of Scotland made from sheep hearts, lungs and innards mixed with oats and cooked in a stomach... which was surprisingly good.
The next day began with a tour to Sterling Castle, just outside of the city. The castle was once the fortress and palace of the Scottish kings and queens before the unification with England. It was well organized, with furnished rooms, a war museum, tapestry weaving studios and medieval kitchens. After an hour long visit we drove with our coach to Roslin to visit the ancient Rosslyn chapel, mentioned in The Da Vinci Code as the former possible location of the crypt of Mary Magdalene. Although the legends may not be true, it was an excellent piece of late-Gothic architecture and stonework.
Our last day in Dublin was fairly unorganized and boring in comparison to our days in Scotland. We arrived at the airport around noon where we waited for our coach bus driver to pick us up. Unfortunately, he didn't meet us in the terminal, and I went outside to search for him myself and eventually foundthe coach and the driver. I was very tired and slept much of the bus ride around the city, as I had seen "The Da Vinci Code" movie in Scotland (and didn't find it as good as the German version; the actors' performances were very poor). We then came to our youth hostel in the city center, and had free time to shop and walk around the historic "Temple Bar" quarter, Trinity College (where we saw the Book of Kells), and the main streets. I returned to the hostel early to catch up on some sleep, since we had to leave the following morning at 3 a.m..
Overall the trip was great, and I will never forget my experiences in Great Britain with my classmates and friends. I believe that I made stronger relationships and bonds between my classmates and myself, really perfect timing since I am leaving Austria in 19 days.

Pictures: Gym. OP "Sprachwoche" Excursion in Scotland

The "Temple Bar" Quarter of Dublin

Dublin
The Cathedral of St. Patrick in Dublin

The Irish Countryside Irish Curry-Fries
Another Haggis-Experience

The Infamous Columns of Rosslyn

The Vaults of the Rosslyn Chapel
A Haggis-Eating Experience in Edinburgh

"The Royal Mile"
The Scot Memorial in Downtown Edinburgh
"The Holyrood House", the Official Residence of HM the Queen in Scotland

Gym. OP "Sprachwoche" Excursion in Scotland: Day 4

This morning we woke up early to meet our tour guide and tour the "New Town" of Edinburgh. It was really interesting, as the city has a fascinating history and has been shaped so much by war and English influence. We began at "Princes Street", the main center of the "New Town", and passed by The Scot Monument, the beautiful city gardens, and many Georgian styled buildings. The tour ended at a small hilltop park, where we had an excellent view of the city and a lunch break.
The excursion ended at about 11 am, giving us free time to explore the surrounding shopping centers and complexes a little on our own. We then took the bus to "Ocean Terminal" a shopping centre on Edinburgh's harbour. Here we visited the decommissioned Britannia, the Yacht of the Royal Family. It was very interesting to see how the Royal Family lived on board, and the inner-workings of a seafaring ship.
I find our itinerary in Edinburgh good, but we have a little too much free time. I suggested that we take an evening "Ghosts and Ghouls" tour, exploring the city's haunted sites from the time of the Black Plague. Surprisingly, many of the other students seemed very interested, and hopefully we can go tonight.
Tomorrow we have a half-day excursion to Sterling Castle and then free time in the afternoon. I am hoping to visited the Rosslyn Chapel, and most likely the majority of the class will come too. We may then see a movie, either "Mission Impossible: III" or "The Da Vinci Code", both of which I have only seen in German. Whatever we do, I am sure that the time remaining will be enjoyable in both Edinburgh and Dublin.

Sorry; the quality of the pictures is very bad, due to rain, lighting, and problems with my camera.

Pictures: Gym. OP "Sprachwoche" Excursion in Scotland: Days 3 and 4

"Britannia"

Aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia, used by the Royal Family until 1997
Edinburgh, with the Castle in the Distance

The Enterance to the Edinburgh Castle
The National War Memorial at the top of Edinburgh Castle
Holyrood Palace, the Residence of the Royal Family in Edinburgh

Gym. OP "Sprachwoche" Excursion in Scotland: Days 1, 2 and 3

My class arrived in Edinburgh Airport Tuesday evening after a bus ride and 2 flights through Bratislava and Dublin. I enjoyed the flights, which lasted only about 4 hours total. We were picked up from the airport by our guide and driven to our youth hostel in the Scottish Highlands, a small 200-year-old farmhouse on a working sheep farm. The surrounding landscape was really beautiful, with the Highland mountains and Lochs on all sides.
On Wednesday we had a full-day excursion to the West Coast of Scotland, and visited many Lochs and small villages on the way. The highlight included a stop in Oban, a seaside village on the Atlantic, and a tour of their local whiskey distillery. We then continued our tour through the valleys and mountains of the Glencoe region, famous for it's rugged landscape and small villages. We returned to the hostel at about 6 o'clock, and ate a typical dinner of "Fish and Chips" as well as "IRN BRU", a traditional Scottish soda drink that tasted a lot like children's toothpaste.
Thursday we continued our tour of the surrounding landscape, with a focus on the Lowlands and Eastern coast. We drove through the country to St. Andrews, a town famous for it's university and the invention of golf. We had a small break, and were allowed to explore the city and it's 12th century cathedral ruins. We then continued through several small towns, including Falkland, and arrived at our youth hostel in Edinburgh for more fish and potatoes.
Today we had rainy weather, in contrast to the extreme heat and sunshine that we had had the past two days, but were still able to continue with our full-day walking-tour of Edinburgh, which I found really interesting and enjoyable. We began at the Edinburgh Castle, a 15th century castle in the heart of the Old City, and continued down the Royal Mile to the Holyrood Palace of the Queen. It was a really educational tour, with a lot of insight into present and past Scottish life.
Tomorrow we will have another half-day tour of the New City, and the afternoon free, during which I plan to visit the Rosslyn Chapel outside of Edinburgh, most famous for it's role in "The Da Vinci Code". After seeing the movie a few weeks back, it looks like a really interesting sight, and great example of pre-Gothic architecture. Hopefully I will be able to work out the bus routes and visit it. We only have 2 more days in Scotland before we fly back to Dublin for a day, and then back to school in Austria.

Pictures: Gym. OP "Sprachwoche" Excursion in Scotland: Days 1 and 2

The Sheep on our Youth Hostel Farm

Oban, a Small Fishing Village on the Atlantic West CoastThe Ruins of a 14th Century Cathedral in St. Andrews

A Class Photograph at "Glencoe" in the Highlands
Glencoe
Our Luch-Package Including "Lamb and Mint" Crisps

A Beautiful Loch in the Scottish Highlands

12,06,06

Yesterday I was invited to a barbecue at my cousines families' house. It was really fun to see all of their relatives again, and eat a lot of food. Everything was really good, and we ate more than we should've including turkey schnitzel, german potatoe salad, and strawberry and Nutella Schnitten. Babsi and Susanne's little cousins Thomas and David were also there and it was really fun to speak German with them and play board games. I also tought Susanne how to play Schnaps (a typical Austrian card game) and we enjoyed playing with eachother until dinner. It was a really nice and relaxing way to spend the weekend.
Tomorrow, I am going to Scotland with my class for and English-learning experience. Hopefully I will do okay, the Scottish English isn't exactly how we speak at home. We are flying out of Bratislava, Slovakia and transfering in Dublin, so I will be spending the entire day travelling. Hopefully I will be able to check my email and update my blog while in Scotland. In any case, the weather should be good, and it is bound to be an erlebnisreiche Erfahrung.

Wassererlebnispark Sonnentherme, Lutzmannsburg

Letzte Dienstag bin ich mit meinen Cousinen Babsi und Susanne nach Lutzmannsburg gefahren, um bei den Wassererlebnispark baden zu gehen. Es hat mir viel Spaß gemacht, mit meinen Cousinen zu reden und schwimmen, und wir sind dort für 4 Stunden geblieben. Dort gibt's die längste Rutsche in ganz Europa, aber trotzdem es war nichts gegen die Rutschen, die wir beim Kalahari Resort bei uns haben. Sonst war es wirklich cool, und ich habe die Zeit genießen. Hoffentlich, können wir noch einmal dort hinfahren, oder irgendwo anderes draußen schwimmen, wenn das Wetter besser ist.

Last Tuesday I drove with my cousins Babsi and Susanne to Lutzmannsburg, where we visited an indoor waterpark. I had a lot of fun swimming and speaking German with my cousins, and we stayed there for about 4 hours. It is home to the largest waterslide in Europe, but honestly it was nothing compared to the slides at the Kalahari. Nevertheless, it was really cool and I enjoyed my time there. Hopefully we can drive there again, or somewhere else outdoors where we can swim when the weather is better.

Pictures: Wassererlebnispark Sonnentherme, Lutzmannsburg

Die längsten Rutschen Europas
Der Wassererlebnispark

"Sonnentherme" Lutzmannsburg (http://www.sonnentherme.at/index.php)

Susanne und Babsi

Sopron, Magyarország

We had off of school on Monday and Tuesday, as vacation for Pfingstmontag, so my father and I drove to Sopron in Hungary for the day. It was really interesting to see another culture, and I was surprised how quickly it changed as we drove over the border. Although Sopron is one of the largest cities in Western Hungary, it was relatively small and had very few historical and tourist sights. One of the few tourist attractions was a large "Fire Tower" in the center of the old city, and I climbed to the top for a view of the city. It was a good view of the surrounding landscape, but not worth the 2€ (300 forints). After walking around the city and looking at several churches, we ate lunch at an American style steakhouse called "Papa Joe's Saloon & Steakhouse". It was actually very American, looked a little like "Chilie's", and the steak was excellent. I am glad that I was able to see a little of Hungary, but it is really a lot different than Austria. You can still see the effects of communism just over the border, even though the Communist Party left Hungary over 15 years ago. Many of the buildings are run-down and in disrepair. I still enjoyed the trip, and enjoyed seeing a piece of Eastern Europe.

Pictures: Sopron, Magyarország

Sopron
The Town Hall on the Main Square

Tuztorony (Fire Watchtower)Papa Joe's Saloon & Steakhouse (http://www.papajoe.hu/default_n.htm)