My Last Week In America (Until June)

Holy Smokes!!!!! I leave FRIDAY!!!!!

Currently overwhelmed and currently trying to figure out how I am going to get everything done before Thursday night. I still have so much to finish, buy, and pack ++ goodbyes I have to give to my family, friends, and my adorable dachshund, August. I haven't even started packing and I already know I'm going to want to take everything.  The plus side is that Austria has similar weather to Ohio, minus the freezing, winter wind... well hopefully.  I really can't believe I'll be in Europe on Saturday already.  The first stop is London!!!! Current mood: so overwhelmed that I feel like all I can do is write it, I mean type it, out while listening to Apple's chill station.

I'm also a little nervous about my German not being up to par.  My last German class was over a year ago and while I try to keep up with it, it has definitely diminished.  Not speaking a language on a daily basis really deteriorates it. These next few weeks during my travel I will be studying as much as I can and reviewing things like vocab (Thanks Study Blue Flashcards + Duolingo)  I have also been reading up on Austria.  There is so much I don't know and while part of the history I learned from my German course in college referenced people/places from Austria, it was very minimal.

Okay so this is a short post, as I need to go to the bank, organize travel docs, and pack!!! But one thing first: Have people never heard of Austria and not know that they speak German there?? I have told so many random people and they think I'm talking about Australia and tell me to have a good time down under. 😂

BGSU and Austria

For my upcoming trip, I will be working on my Masters in German, in Salzburg, Austria.  I will also be a TA/tutor for undergrads who are are going on the trip.  This program is a partnership between BGSU and Universität Salzburg and this year the 50th anniversary.  BGSU's German M.A is only 2 years and does not require a dissertation.  While research in the Weimar Republic through the GDR period are interesting to me, it is not something I currently want to pursue.  I am doing this program to better my German speaking and see if Education is something I may want to do in the future.  I know it sounds crazy that I am doing this program without a permanent job intended at the end, but I'm not one who is set on one specific career path.  So many things excite me and make me want to learn more.  I think deep down I would like to go back into the business world and work for an international company where I can utilize my German on a daily basis, but for now I want to be in the moment and experience as much as I can before I have to make that decision.

I first learned about this program through my friend Alayna, another student I met through the Dresden Study Abroad Program.  We have become great friends over the past 3 years and when she heard about the program, she knew how perfect of a fit this would be for me.  Alayna was going to attend BGSU/Universität Salzburg with me, but was offered to be a Fulbright Scholar instead.  We will be traveling together before and during our trips and will only be a couple of hours apart.  We will be going to London-Vienna-Munich-Saalfelden together and hopefully Germany and Poland for Christmas! It's one thing to have someone I know to be close, but to have a best friend to experience everything with is beyond exciting!

Background:
When Alayna first told me about this "great program" at BG, I was pretty unamused.  Being from the area and not hearing about it made me skeptical, and so did not even thinking about Grad School.  Back in January, I went through a post graduation phase of not knowing what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.  I was also going through other personal issues, so I decided to move back home and spend a month trying to figure out what my next steps in life would be. After some hard core reflection, online job searching, and a bunch of days crying that I just graduated with two degrees and no job, I finally realized what those next steps would be.  Naturally, I decided to look into the BG program about 2 weeks before the deadline for scholarships.  I remember Dr. Guenther (one of the program directors) telling me that my tenacity was one of the reasons why I would be accepted into the program.  I was so happy to finally be moving on in life, and doing something for me without anyone or anything holding me back.  Everything happens for a reason and I don't think I could have made this decision without feeling like I had hit rock bottom.  

The Beginning

Three summers ago, I studied abroad in Dresden, Germany, working to improve my German.  Today, I am planning to leave for another study abroad for about 10 months and also working to improve my German. Before my first trip, I created a blog to use while abroad, but little did I know that it wouldn't work in EU countries. It was a little ignorances like that, which have taught me to be in the know. Ignorance is NOT bliss. By no means do I think of myself as a travel guru, but I do like to think that I have learned so much more than I would have had I not traveled abroad. This blog isn't to explain every second of my life, to show the world about my happy time abroad for envy out of others, or feel pity out of any struggles or obstacles that I might incur, but rather show real experiences and talk about relevant topics related to my trip. 

BACKGROUND:

My first trip abroad, like I said before, was to Dresden, Germany for a study abroad program through OSU.  Because I had only studied German for 10 months prior, I was still working on my basic communication and living in full German emersion. From that trip, I decided to earn a degree in German.  I also have made some of the greatest friends from that experience and one is traveling with me on part of this trip (more to come).  People always ask: what is your best memory from college? Besides being at the Sugar Bowl when OSU beat Bama on New Years, I would say this trip! I could go on and on about Dresden and my experience, but I have another link for that trip: Dresden Blog 

My second trip to Europe was in 2015.  I traveled by myself to Berlin, Dresden, and Munich Germany and Barcelona and Madrid, Spain.  Prior to this trip, I was interning for a small business and was working on exporting to the UK and Germany.  By doing this, my travel-bug started to kick in and I knew this would be the perfect way to end my summer.  By traveling alone, I learned a lot about myself in a short 2 weeks.  Since I was on my own time, I had a lot of time to reflect and spend time with others.  I met a few individuals that really played a huge role in my reflections because our conversations were so intellectually stimulating.  One was from Portland, OR and another from the islands of Spain.  I met these two women in my hostels in Berlin and Barcelona.  It is people like this who make a trip worth everything.  The conversations I had about different countries, their cultures, and their travels were so inspiring to listen to. I have always loved talking to people who not only love to travel, but also have a different viewpoint to which I can learn from.  I have felt that I can have a deeper connection with those who appreciate and enjoy learning more about different cultures.  While this trip was not perfect by any means (missed a flight, shared a room with a creeper, and got sick towards the end) I learned a lot from it and about myself. 

My most recent trip was to Ingolstadt, Germany.  I was with a group of OSU students who did consulting projects in a months time.  I was lucky enough to travel before and after my trip with my friend Lauren, who is another friend I made from my first study abroad trip.  We went to London and Munich before the trip and Berlin after.  During my stay, I visited Nürnberg and Dresden, Germany and Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Vienna, Austria.  This trip was not what I expected, but taught me important lessons: Make the most out of the experience and exhaust every resource available.  During my export internship from a year prior, I was challenged with my work and I forced to learn how evidence is the key to change.  That plus my tenacity led to a successful final presentation.  Again, this was not what I had expected, but if I could go back and change anything, I wouldn't.  For only having just over a month in Europe, I got to see so many places and have the best food! 

Before I explain my current trip things I have learned while traveling:

• Do not depend on others, be self-reliant 
• If a situation doesn't feel right, leave
• Embrace the culture you are in, take note and reflect later on how it differs from yours
• Stay in hostels and don't be afraid to meet other people
• Reflect on what you have learned about yourself through this experience