Vienna is a paradise for music lovers like me. In fact, the wealth of opportunities to see live music in Vienna may have even increased my appreciation for music (which, I wasn’t even sure was possible until it happened!). It has definitely ignited my love for opera. I love all of the different performances that I have been able to see so far, and I can’t wait for all the other ones that I have yet to see! At most venues, you can read subtitles or supertitles in English, making musical theater very accessible to non-native German speakers, too.

I love the bus. I love sitting at a window seat and listening to music while the city passes by. I love people watching. I love the familiarity of knowing the city by bus stops and imagining my location in relation to my proximity to la linea 101 and its path to my corner. 

What did you do today? I get asked this a lot—by friends at dinner, by family over the phone late at night. I like this question because, unlike its cousin “How was your day,” “What did you do today?” is a question that really wants an answer. I know this because when I say “nothing” in return, people get upset. My friends are annoyed because they already spilled their story and now it’s my turn; my parents are disappointed because they miss me too much for “nothing” to be the answer they get.

The doors didn’t open. The train started moving again. My roommates and I looked at each other in horror. Oh, no, we thought. That was our stop! 

Hey y'all! 

A couple weeks ago, I talked about how things are genuinely starting to not suck here. The streak continues!! It's crazy to think I went from being so ridiculously miserable to actually enjoying my time here.

IES Abroad: Since your semester ended, what have you been up to? And what are your plans for fall and moving forward?