Jet Lag

Well, I have been on the continent for a week now and things are slowing down just enough for me to write my first entry. I have a place to live and a real Austrian address now and that makes me feel sufficiently settled in. I will be living in a house in Wiener Neustadt. I have three Austrian roommates, one who is a student in Wiener Neustadt and another studies in Vienna. Wiener Neustadt has a population of about 40,000 and it is about a half hour train ride South from Vienna, depending on what kind of train you take. Aside from locking down a place to live, I have been doing some solo travelling. I went to Salzburg for a couple of days. It was beautiful and very Mozart-themed. One night in Vienna was followed by meeting my housemates, two dogs and a cat included, and meeting the Fulbright people in Vienna. I couldn't find a hostel in Vienna for the next night so I decided to venture to Bratislava, which is only about a 50 minute train ride from Vienna. Despite what I heard from many that it was not a nice city I have found it very pleasant. The weather has been great and there are several places to find panoramic views of the city and the Danube. The massive Soviet-Era statues of plain-faced men are a nice touch as well. Because Bratislava is so close to the Austrian border, I can sometimes use my German here if English is not an option.

English is always the first option in Youth Hostel culture, though, which I have been a part of since I got here. Hostels are a great place to make instant friends. All you need to do, it seems, is to ask someone's name, home country and plans for the night and you've got yourself a BFF. I've made several already.

Tomorrow I head back to Vienna for a couple days and I will go see visit the schools where I will be teaching later in the week. I head down to Graz for a week of orientation for my program. Work starts October 1.