Hallo Alle,
I have arrived in Graz, and boy was it a journey! It all started in Chicago where I was almost not able to get on my plane to Vienna because I did not already have my VISA. They ended up having to override the system to let me on board. Once I landed in Vienna I took the wrong train to the wrong station, then I was lost for about 40 minutes, but after those 40 minutes and a slight meltdown in the bathroom, I finally found where I needed to be and took the train to Graz. I knew that getting lost at least once was inevitable, but I wasn’t expecting it right off the bat. Needless to say, I probably should have planned out where to go once I landed at the airport. The train ride was so beautiful though. It was snowing and all I could see were mountains surrounding me.
Once I got to Graz I checked into my hostel and then I met with my mentor. She took me around the city, showed me the main square, the university, and we went to the Schlossberg (one of the main staples of Graz). We also went to eat, and by the time I went back to the hostel I was so ready to go to sleep. Jet lag was no problem for this girl.
I moved into my dorm last week, and it was a relief to be able to unpack somewhere and not be carrying around suitcases. Most of this week has been dedicated to getting used to going to class, getting settled, and getting used to how things work here in Graz. Grocery shopping is different, laundry is different, going out to eat is different, and there are so many things that I am having to get used to. It has been really nice that I have other people here also. There are three other people here from ATU and we have been doing a lot together and helping each other out as much as possible. It makes it so much easier to get out and doing things with other people instead of being by yourself.
Now that I have been in Graz for almost two weeks I have a good sense of the city, I’ve been to most of the major attractions here, and I am understanding how the public transport works. Now that I’m getting settled in my home for the next 5 months I have some time to plan what I want to do, and where I want to go!
Until next time,
Ashton