Although it feels like only a few days have passed since first arriving in beautiful Salzburg, I have come along way since September 12....although not necessarily in my knowledge of German! I have travelled to Linz, Vienna, Innsbruck, London, Switzerland, Spain and Italy...not too bad! and there is plenty more travelling to come.
I have climbed mountains, skiied mountain(s), and seen many more mountains!
I have immersed myself somewhat in Austrian culture - all its beer loving, lederhosen-wearing, socially closed and seemingly ill-mannered quirks...and learnt alot about the other European cultures represented among the exchange students: Czech, Polish, Lithuanian, Latvian, German, Swiss, Spanish, Mexican, New Zealandish, Norweigan, Finnish, Swedish, French...!
After 4.5 months on Salzburg there are alot of things I'm going to miss...alot Good, some bad, and a few just plain Ugly!!
-risking your life everytime you cross AT a pedestrian crossing!
-eeeeverything being closed on Sundays
-being greeted with "Gruss Gott" in every shop
-the peaceful silence of tuning off to 90% of the verbal noise going on around you...because you can't understand it!
-the wonderful mountains of the Alps all around...living in the shadow of the mighty Untersberg
-catching the S3!
- the knowledge that, if I had the money and motivation, I could be in a whole other country in no more than 3 hours
-living 60 seconds walk, with only 10 steps not in a building...from my school
- seeing the Festung (Castle) towering over the old town, and in the distance from Urstein
- saying I live in "Puch Urstein"! (say Poooock Ooo-er-st-I-n)
- certainly not least the wonderful Salzburg International Church and the brilliant friends I have made there....and the lazy Sunday afternoons that followed
But most of all, the wonderful people I have been blessed to spend this semester with, from all over the globe - and especially the cultural stereotypes they have bought.....thankyou guys!
Just a few points to sign off:
-Vegemite is the best thing to put on toast, &
- Pavlova is Australian, because
-Everything good comes from Australia! :P
