The First Weeks Recap

Doubts and concerns change quickly into confidence and enthusiasm.

Getting to know each other at the Viennese's favorite place, the ubiquitious coffeehouse.

Exhausted, I stood my wheely suitcase up, slung my duffel bag off my shoulder and flopped down on a step of an alcove on a Vienna side street. My shoulders were beginning to ache; my body growing more tired with every step spent lugging my heavy luggage down the street. I stared at the name of the street posted on a blue plaque on the nearest building then scrutinized my map one more time. Leaning closer and closer towards the map as I tried to read the tiny names of each street, I knew I was close to the hotel where we were supposed to meet. But close with heavy suitcases was a different measure than without, and I was growing weary and frustrated. This was the “now what?” point of the trip. And I was more exasperated than I wanted to be.

I felt unprepared. I felt that AHA hadn’t sent me enough pre-departure information to know exactly what to expect with the program. As I sat on that stoop realizing that AHA’s directions hadn’t gotten me directly to the final destination where I was supposed to be, I started to become nervous even doubting my decision to choose AHA as my study abroad program.

Now, two weeks into the trip I can honestly say that I could not have been more wrong at that moment. After looking at the map for about a minute and soldiering on with my bags for about five more minutes, I found the hotel, and all has been well ever since.

What little I did know about the program included some aspects that I was uncertain about, but within in the past few weeks these have become some of the best features of the program. One prime example is staying with a host family, which I wasn’t very excited about from the start. Now I realize just how advantageous living with a host family is. Not only are the hosts very willing to answer any questions we may have an automatic behind-the-scenes, inside look into the life of an Austrian, something that would be hard to achieve otherwise. We don’t have to pretend very hard, we are actually living like an Austrian (for the most part).

Another feature of the program was its small size in comparison to other large study abroad programs, like IES or other university programs. This year’s AHA Austria program happens to be one of the smallest groups ever, with only twelve students. The average size is about 25, but this year’s small number makes for more personalized classes, more flexible teaching methods and more useful excursions. Additionally, all twelve of us will become much closer than 25 students ever could. And so far, getting to know each other is half the fun.

These first two weeks were full of information, as we had orientation and our first classes, and new experiences, from sightseeing, getting lost and grocery shopping. Every day was packed with so many things that every night at nine felt more like midnight. Yet somehow we all made time to go out at night or during free time, whether it was to a museum, coffee house or bar, in order to get to know each other better and to share our thoughts, experiences, doubts and expectations about our new life in Vienna.

I feel like the next few months will fly by faster than ever. But as for now, I am eager to travel, learn and experience the life of Viennese with my fellow Austrian AHA’ers.