Hallo!
Classes have started and I have never been happier! Lately I have had way too much free time, and nothing to do except spend money, which is making my bank account very sad… But with classes starting I have things to occupy my time other than coffee and food. There are so many coffee shops to go to, and with the warmer air all of them are setting up their outside seating and I absolutely love it. The café culture here is one of my favorite parts of being in Graz. When anyone has free time they are going to go to a café. People love to congregate at cafes and just talk. It’s wonderful, and there are a lot of cafés in the University area, so when you walk down the main street of the University you can see people sitting outside and enjoying everything. My friends and I are always going to a when we get out of class or when we just want to get out of the dorm. It helps us waste time and relax while drinking some great coffee.
One other cool thing around Europe, and Graz specifically is the love of bikes. EVERY ONE rides bikes in the spring and summer, because it is so easy and cheaper. With Graz being majority college students, and everything being pretty close in distance it makes sense to ride a bike instead of spending a lot of money on the trams and buses. So in order to feel like a local I have bought a bike. With that being said I am super scared to ride it. I have not ridden bike in a long time and when you are riding bikes through Graz you have to ride in the road with cars, and trams, and it is just risky business. Ellen and I both got bikes and we are going to start riding them soon to see how well we do learning the ways together, but I will have to keep everyone updated on this new endeavor. We will see how it goes!
Bis Später,
Ashton