Saturday was monumental: my last in Bregenz. As cliché as it
sounds, it is hard to believe I have been here a month already. In some ways it
seems I was still getting used to this little town, but then I think back to
that first day of getting lost, when everything was new and the town seemed
rather large, and I realize just how much has changed in four weeks. I know
most of the (cheap) restaurants in town, I know all of the employees at our
favorite gelato shop, the Pfänder and
der Bodensee are no longer foreign words to me. I have now tasted Döner, banana
milk, Voralberg Trink Joghurt, real Wiener Schnitzel, and authentic Käse Spatzle
and can (mostly) pronounce them all in German. My favorite water is from the
fountain on the main square, I know about the shortcut through the cemetery,
and I know that the grocery stores all close at 5pm on Saturdays.
I have only tapped the surface in understanding the people
here and how they differ from Americans. I know that trash cans are hard to
find, that olives and salami are breakfast mainstays, mountain-climbing is a
common family activity, changing out of your Speedo on the beach is not taboo,
and they are as in tune with American pop culture as we are.
Last night we had a dinner for all of the students from MSU
and their Austrian host families. I sat with my host sister, Cheyenne, and her
friend Emily. Our food took two hours to arrive (not a typical Austrian
experience), which left us plenty of time to discuss Austrian and American
culture. These girls are enthralled with
American culture, and their English puts me to shame. We discussed, among other
things: American politics (Obama is generally admired in Europe), religion
(much of the younger generation does not go to church because they feel it is
too traditional and formal), and education (they were required to study English
from a young age, and have also studied Latin, French, and Spanish). It was
interesting to hear their impressions of Americans and what they had learned in
school about American culture and tell about our families, plans, and lives.
Last night in Bregenz: Cheyenne and I
One thing I have loved most about traveling is the
people. The buildings are impressive, the food is fabulous, the scenery is gorgeous, but after a lot of sightseeing I love to just
sit and watch the people. These cities are packed with such a wide diversity, and
each one has a story, a language, habits, opinions. It makes me wonder how we ever get bored, when
we are surrounded with such an array of people in our daily lives, no two the
same.
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