Today is my 50th post on this blog, and the last time I will be writing from Europe. Sad day. I have had a great past couple of days going back to my favorite places. Yesterday, Marie and I went to a couple Christmas markets, stopping for some homemade hot chocolate at the city hall (The Rathaus), checking out the Klimts and Schiele's at the Belvedere, and eating lunch at the oldest cafe in Vienna with our friend Blake, and dinner with Mallory at a wine tavern. Today, I got my hair cut at Toni and Guys, went to the Imperial treasury, and took in the last sites Vienna had to offer. Marie and I took pictures of everything, not wanting to forget a second of our time here. I really am going to miss this place; my home of 4 months. This afernoon, we spent out time cleaning the house and throwing away old food. The past few days I have been slowly packing, and today when I went to pick it up it barely budged. It looks like I'm going to have to part with some of my favs in the morning to take off the weight. We have a taxi picking us up at 4:30 am to take us to the airport. It should be a blast. not. Our flight leaves at 7:40 am and arrives in San Antonio at 10:00 pm, not forgetting to stop in London and Chicago. I hear there is a huge storm in Chicago, so I might be spending my 21st in the airport :) Which would def. be a memory I wouldn't forget. Well, I look forward to seeing all of my family and friends. It has been too long. I want to thank you for continuing to see how I am doing, it truly is appreciated. I'll make sure to write once I have gotten home, and have time to look back on my expeience in Vienna. I love you so much!! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!!

I apologize for the week that has passed by without an update. Life has been fun but hectic. However, I am done with all of my classes for the fall and am enjoying my last days in Vienna. All of my finals went well, or so I expect. Tuesday after the finance final, we took our professor to dinner at 1516, a personal favorite. It was fun to hang out with him and talk about something other than the European Monetary System while introducing him to the greatest resturant yet. He ended up leaving a little after we finished dinner, however my friends and I stayed for a couple more drinks and then went to the Sacher Hotel for cocktails. We were surprised we even got in to the bar because it is such a fancy place, but we did, and we had a blast. We stayed out till 4 am, and ended up waking up at 2:30 pm today. Pretty pathetic, I agree, but we just got done with finals yesterday, and it was glorious to sleep in. At 3:30 pm, we met our friends for ice skating. I must admit I was not thrilled about the idea, but sucked it up and went. It was fun, however I was pretty much glued to the edge of the rink. It makes me so nervous to have little kids fly around me, when I can barley even balance. After skating, we went to dinner at a really nice restaurant in the 1st district. It supposedly has the best schnitzel in Vienna, and sure use this title to hike up the prices. It was good, but def. not the best. However, overall we ended up having a really nice dinner and meeting some friendly Americans visiting the city.

Our school ended up renting out the bottom floor of a bar for us as an end of the semester celebration. So, we headed there after dinner. It was so much fun, because everyone was there, and it was nice to spend one more night with them. So yeah, we left at 12:00 am and I've been hanging out ever since. I relized it was about time I gave an update on my life.

So, here are some highlights from the past week that I can't forget:

Thursday: I was running to the S-bahn at Helligenstadt and my shoe fell off as soon as I got into the train. It fell underneath the train, therefore I could not reach it. The doors shut tight, keeping me from getting off and retrieving it. I had to walk home with one shoe in the cold and tons of people looking at me oddly. 5 hours later, when I was back at the S-bahn station, my silver slip on shoe was still there, so I laid down on the side walk and grabbed it. A little embaressing I must say. But, some how it was still in tact and as good as new. It was def. the story of the day. That night Maire, Heather, and I went to a wine tavern in our district and had the best potato salad.

Friday: Oral Presentation in German went amazingly... then our teacher made us mimosas... it was quite fun at 10 am. I can't recall what we did the rest of the day... however, I'm sure it was something exciting. Oh.. It snowed :)

Saturday: German Final!! German class was officially over, however my learning of German will be a life task, for it would be nice to speak to my wonderful cousins in Bamberg :) After the final, Heather, Marie, and I went to a mental institute in the 15th district. I know it sounds weird, but Otto Wagner (famous architect) designed and built the church for the institute. We learned about it in my art and arch class, so it was really neat to see it in person. I guess they only open it on Saturdays for an hour, so we really lucked out. The church was simple, but interesting. Since it was built for mentally insane patients, all the corners were rounded, there were windows that doctors could see in, but patients could not see at all. Also, from the outside there is a huge dome, however from the inside the ceiling is low so that people with phobias are not uncomfortable. We ended up sitting through the tour, however it was all in German, so it was not useful for me. Also, it was so so so so so so so cold in the church, because there was no heating, so I was pretty miserable the entire time. I couldn't remember a time that I was that cold. That evening we sat around and watched Golden Girls and made brownies...pretty much amazing.


Sunday: Study, Study, Study for Art and Arch. and Finance. And Marie and I went to a christmas market to get hot chocolate.

Monday: took the art and arch test. It was long, but I felt extremely prepared for it.. which is always nice. Went home and studied for finance. That evening went to a wine tavern in our district for Heather's last meal in Vienna. We had a great time sharing stories and laughing about old times. I really enjoyed having her in my life this semester, and it is sad to know that I wont see her as much in the future.

Tuesday: Woke up at 6:30 am to wish Heather good bye. Went back to sleep till 12 and then studied till 6 for finance. Took the test and dominated it. I was so happy that I studied as much as I did. I hope my positive feeling is reciprocated in the grade. Went to dinner with my prof and took a puff of a Cuban cigar my friend Steven bought. Realized cigars are not my cup of tee, and am very glad. Sometimes you need experiences like that to remind you of what you know is right.

Well, that's my week in a nut shell. Only 4 more days till I am back in Gonzales, Texas. Pretty exciting!!!

2 exams and 1 paper down, 3 more exams and 1 paper due. I must say I feel the stress gently coming off my shoulders. It was by far the greatest relief to turn that finance paper in. I actually ended up being the only person to turn it in. The professor implied that he would give us an extension, but I didn't want to risk him getting upset if none of us turned it in. However, no one did, and he didn't seem to mind at all. Oh well, I guess I could have added more, but wow I am so glad to have it behind me. I had two finals this morning that I think went over well. The international organization exam was a little more difficult considering he asked questions I would have never expected him to, but in the end it was ok. As for tonight, my finance class is meeting at the University of Economics where my prof also teaches an int'l finance class, to have a joint class with his other students. Two members from my class will present their finance papers that are based on the US perspective, where the other students will look at the financial systems of Europe. It should be pretty interesting. Plus, its the last class of finance minus the final, so that's pretty exciting in itself. Tomorrow, is my last real class of German, for I have an oral exam on Friday (scary) and then written final on Saturday. Then I'm done with German!!!!!!!!! All I will have left is my art and architecture on Monday, and finace on Tuesday! Next week, Wednesday is going to be pretty much amazing, because I will be free. However, I guess that means it will be the beginning of the end of my vacation time in Wien, which is sad. I will have 4 days to take in everything I can and see all that I haven't really had the chance to. Wow, this semester has gone by so fast. I have learned and experienced so much about Europe as well as myself. I would recommend studying abroad to anyone I meet. However, I wouldn't suggest it for a couple years with the euro being so expensive... so sad. But, yeah pretty much its been the best semester ever. I have been able to be myself and figure out who I really am and what I want out of life. Danke meine Mutter und meinem Vater. Ich liebe dich sehr.

Well, hope your day is going peachy. Love you!

To be honest, today has been a very unproductive day. I woke up at 2 pm (hard life, i know) and then sat around uploaded pictures from the ball last night, ate pasta, wrote a page of my finance paper, talked to my wonderful parents, and called my best friend Kel to wish her a happy 21st birthday. Let's see, I think the last time I wrote was around Wednesday.. so I will begin with Thursday.

Thursday:

Went to German, realized how behind I was, and decided to go for tutoring with my teacher after class. Ended up sitting in her office for 3 hours. I however, did gain a lot of insight into the language of Duetsch. I only wish I had done that 3 months ago, life would have been so much easier. Later on went to finance, was bored to death, scurried home for some french toast and worked on my finance paper.

Friday:

Took my German test and felt really good about it. I went shopping and found some fun gifts for my amigos and family. Received my debit card from my mom.. huge relief. Came home to find that our oven that had been broken for 3 months had finally been fixed. Decided to run to the grocery store to buy some pineapples. Made my favorite side dish, brown sugared broiled pineapples. Delicious. Marie, Heather, and I opened a bottle of wine and attempted to work on our papers. Obviously was not successful and ended up spending the whole night playing truth or dare (so much better than doing finance). Went to bed at 1 am.

Saturday:

Woke up at 11 am. Immediately began working on my finance paper. I am so determined to get that thing done on time. Spent the afternoon working on that as well as on my international organization paper. At 5 pm, we began to get ready for the ball. We all were dressed up and began our usual routine of pictures. By the way, I posted them, and apologize there not to exciting. We made our way to the ball, which was in a beautiful hotel across from Schonbrunn (summer palace of the royals). I was a bit surprised to see that 1/2 of the people there were from my school and the other half older couples, which was fun, but was hoping to meet some young Austrians. We had a great time dancing, however not to waltz type music but to Elvis and other oldies. It was so funny to see people dancing formally to these songs. My friends and I had a blast doing our own thing, not having to really know how to dance at all. Around 11:30, we decided to head downtown. There is a bar called Sky Bar that is really up scale. My friends and I have been denied entrance due to our attire. So, we decided to give it a try since we were all dressed so nicely. We got in, and had the best time. The drinks were really expensive, so we didn't order many. We had so much fun, dancing and cherishing our time together. We realized time has gone too fast, and we really have to live in the moments we have left. Thank goodness the group I went with are all from Texas, so hopefully we will see each other often when we get home. We took the night bus home and arrived in our apartment at 3 am. I was wiped out. I did however get to talk to Morgan on skype, which was wonderful, since I haven't really had a chance to talk to her lately since she is constantly working. I made some boiled eggs and then headed to bed.

Overall:

I have had a great couple of days. I'm getting my work done, but truly having a good time along the way. I am thankful to have the ability to say I have been to a Ball in Vienna. I have 2 more weeks from today, to enjoy my time here. I however am really looking forward to seeing everyone when I return.

This next week is going to be pretty hectic with 3 finals and 2 papers due, but it will great to have it all behind me. Just want y'all to know that I love you so much and think about you constantly. Thank you again for sticking with me and continuing to read my entries. I hope they are not to boring :) Well, until next time!!

Love,
Chelsi

Hallo Everyone!!!!

I just realized that it has been a couple of days since I last wrote. So for today's entry, I am going to work backwards.

Today was a pretty good day. I went to all my classes and sat there smiling as I realized I only have to sit through each of my classes 3 more times. Don't get me wrong, I have really enjoyed all of them (minus German) but am ready to move on. For lunch, we went to this really good Italian place called Il Tempo (i think) and had great spaghetti. After my art and architecture class I went had my hair cut at Toni and Guy. It looks so much better. The color is great and its short and easy to manage. Underneath the top part of my hair, the bottom part is like 1/2 an inch long. When he started to cut it, I almost cried..cause I didn't know what he was doing. But... he knew what he was doing...so that's a good thing. He cut it that short so that my hair could just fall nicely without being too puffy in the back. I wonder what people are going to think when I put it up :) o well... it looks 100000 times better then what I had this morning. So, yeah that's pretty much what I have done for today.

Yesterday, I spent the day catching up on my two papers and my German homework. It made me feel a lot better about myself, knowing that I was at least half way through to almost through with all my work. Saturday, I went to the Christmas markets with my friends. We had fun just walking through the little stands with a warm cup of mulled wine. It felt so much like Christmas with all the people busteling, the aroma of cinnimon and spices, as well as all the beautful white ligts. For dinner, we ate a place called Centimeter. It was pretty fun with a good atmosphere, authentic food, and a meter high glass full of beer (don't worry we split it among the 8 of us :). After dinner, we went to our friend's apartment to hang out and play cards. On Friday, I went to Christmas markets all day and then worked out.

So, that's a condensed summary of the past few days. I'm sorry, I'm not very elaborate today, but I have tons to do still and its getting late. I still have not received my debit card..so wells Fargo will be receiving a call pretty quickly.. and I need to work on my homework for my favorite class... you guessed it.. German!!! not. Well, love you all!!

Hey Everyone!! Hope the week is going well for everyone! Mine has been great, can't believe its almost over. I was thinking today how I only have 3 more days in each of my classes and then its finals. Wow.. I feel like I just got here. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to go home. I'm just amazed at how quickly time passes. When I was younger I thought time moved so slow, now I have come to understand what my elders have been saying all along.

Yesterday, my art, culture, ent. management class went to this really cool auction house for a field trip. To tell you the truth I really have don't know why we went there, but it was pretty interesting with beautiful amazing things to be sold. That evening, I went to see Romeo and Juliet at the State Opera. I am embarrassed to say that I have been in Vienna for 3 months and have yet to see an opera. So, I decided I may as well go. Unfortunately I was not pleased, for I had expected more from such a renowned opera house. The singers weren't great, the costumes were dull, and the set was bland. However, I plan on attending the Magic Flute this weekend, so hopefully my perception on opera in Vienna is revamped.

As for today, I went with my friend, Mallory, to this really unique restaurant that served pieces of bread with various spreads. For example, I got one with a mushroom spread, then a pickle/jalapeno spread, a tomato spread, and an egg spread. It was a quite interesting invention. But, supposedly its been around for over 100 year. It is my art, cult, mgt teacher's fav restaurant, so I'm glad I experienced it, but to tell you the truth I thought it was a little strange. Then we headed to the Imperial Treasury to see the jewels of the Hapsburg empire. It is amazing how well they have preserved the beautiful clothes and prize possessions. After our museum tour we headed over to the Christmas Markets in the Maria Theresa Square. I had not yet been, so it was pretty fun. The Christmas markets are set out all over the city. They are little wooden booths will beautiful ornaments and other Austrian crafts. The best part is that they sell amazing treats and mulled wine. Mallory and I got these dumplings filled with chocolate, covered in sugar, and covered in chocolate sauce. Pretty much fantastic. After our great adventure, we went separate ways, and I met Marie at the airport. Our intention was to get our flight moved up earlier. However, after an hour of waiting, we found out that there was pretty much no room in the inn, and that we would have to stay with our original reservation of coming home on the 23rd of December. For some reason I didn't put up a fight, I knew that the lady had done all that she could, and I had done all that I could. Now, all I can do is pray and trust that I will get home in time :)

We got home around 7 and decided to make some yummy french toast and watch Golden Girls. Marie has all the seasons, and pretty much now our apartment is hooked. Every evening we sit around and watch a couple seasons and laugh till we cry. It's pretty much the best. Well, I hope everyone has had a great one!! Only 3 more weeks and I'm back in good ol' Texas :) Love you!!

Hey!! I am back safe and sound from Italy!! I had such a great time! We got to Venice on Thursday around 2, but by the time we checked into our hotel and got to downtown it was dark and rainy. I caught a couple good pictures before the sunset, but really didn't have the chance to see the city in all its beauty. By the time we found St. Marks square from twisting through the narrow ally ways, St. Mark's cathedral was closed and the pigeons that I was suppose to take a picture with were gone. We stopped at a really cute pizza place for Thanksgiving dinner. It sure was not the same as being at home. I was missing the hash brown casserole. After dinner, we decided to take a water bus back to our hotel. When I went to grab for my wallet after the nice ride, I realized it was no longer there. Staying as calm as I could, we decided to take the bus back 30 minutes to the restaurant and see if I had left it there. Of course they had not seen it, so we came to the conclusion that it must have been stolen while I was taking pictures on the boat. It was pretty much awful considering I was so far from both Vienna and home. That night I couldn't sleep at all, luckily the next day mom and dad were able to get money transferred to me. The next morning, we arose at 6 to catch a 7:30 am train to Rome. Not fun at all. The train took over 5 hours, but it was a great time to catch up on the loss of sleep the night before. It was so warm and beautiful when we got to Rome!! We checked into Independence Inn and set out for a long day of sight seeing. We did pretty good, seeing the Pantheon, the Colosseum at night, a bunch of beautiful churches, and so much more. We had a great dinner consisting of spaghetti and Italian wine, then went for some good ol' gelato. Saturday morning we woke up bright and early and headed to the Vatican to wait in line. We thought it opened at 9 but it ended up opening at 10, so we pretty much stood in line for 2 1/2 hours. But it was def. worth it. When we came out at 11 it was over a mile and a half long. The Vatican was AMAZING!! Seeing the Sistine Chapel was breath taking. I could have stayed their for hours taking it all in. I also really liked the modern Christian art as well as all the detail that was put into every room in the Vatican. It was beautiful. After the Vatican we headed to St. Peter's, and boy did we luck out. The Pope just happened to be giving mass, so we ate lunch and watched on the big jumbo screens. He came out at the end to give a speech to the public, so I have a couple pictures with a little white dot in the background (which is him). We got in line to go into the church, but it started to pour and lightning so bad, so I ended up stepping out of line and giving up my spot in the mile long line. There was no way I was going to put myself out there in those conditions considering the horrible lightning. So while my friends were admiring St. Peter's, I was able to sort out credit/debit card issues which was a relief. Dad, I want to apologize. When I called you I forgot it was Saturday and 6:30 am your time. Ooops! Just wanted to let you know that everything was ok and that I love you. After St. Peters we went to a castle where we walked to the top and was able to see all of Rome. It was magnificent!! We headed to another church at that time and then back to the Colosseum area and Palentine hill. We ate dinner at a really cute place. I had the best lasagna and ended up meeting some really nice Americans that sat right next to us. After dinner we grabbed some gelato and headed to the Spanish steps to enjoy and people watch. I was surprised with how much English I heard, I figured that it was off season, but I guess I was mistaken. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice change from German. Sunday morning, we again woke up at 7 am. By this time I was pretty much exhausted. We headed to the Colosseum for breakfast and a tour. Before we left to catch our plane, we stopped by Palintine hill to check out the Roman ruins for the last time and take some last minute photos of beautiful Rome. The flight home went smoothly. I got home safe and sound which was a relief. I was so wiped out, but am glad because I felt I did everything I could in Rome, leaving in my mom's words "no stone left unturned." I did Rome. However, I really look forward to going back and spending more time at the various places instead of cramming every detail in. I also want to go back to Venice, cause at the moment I have a bad taste in my mouth. I sure hope that the person who took it really needed it, cause it sure has been a pain. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Just want ya'll to know that I am very thankful for each one of you and appreciate all of you keeping up with me!! Only 4 more weeks and I'm home!! Love you!!!

A little update:

First off I want to wish my amazing Granddad happy 70th birthday (sorry if I wasn't suppose to tell... :)!! Granddad, I love you so so so much and am so grateful to have you in my life! Second, just wanted to let everyone know I will be living it up in Italy this weekend... hard life, I know :) Three of my friends and I will be adventuring down to Venice for the evening on Thanksgiving and then making our way to Rome until Sunday. I can not wait! We leave at 11 am tomorrow and will get back at 7:45 pm on Sunday. I gave my mom my itinerary so hopefully she can find me if I get lost in Italy! As for today, my international organization class went to the UN. It was pretty cool.. I mean its the UN. Then my art class went to the Belvedere which holds the most Gustav Klimt pieces as well as some other great works of art. Marie and I then made our way to Mariahillfer strasse, a major shopping area, to get some gloves. Then ate some yummy schnitzel and potato salad (which i had been craving all day), and finished the day off with an hour at the gym. Overall I would say it was a successful day. Well, I hope everyone has an amazing Thanksgiving tomorrow. I must say the beach with all the fam sounds like a blast, I wish I could fly home for the day. But again no worries.. I will be in Venice eating some amazing spaghetti and thanking God for all of you!

First off I would like to say that Dublin was my absolute favorite place so far. I don't know if it was because I could understand everything they were saying, or the people I was with, or the fact that it is such a fun college town. On Friday, we arrived at the Bratislava Airport after a long day of misunderstanding and back aches. It was only suppose to take an hour and a half to get their, but ended up taking 3. I am so glad we left when we did. However, 2 of my friends weren't as lucky. They ended up getting to the airport, 10 minutes after the plane departed. It was so sad to have to leave them behind especially after how long it took to get there. When we arrived in Dublin we headed to our Hostel by taking a double Decker bus. The whole time we were all so excited and amused by the Irish accents swirling around us. The hostel was descent compared to the one I stayed in Prague plus it was mostly just my friends staying in it. We ate dinner at an Irish restaurant in Temple Bar. I had a portabella and top sirloin boxey wrapped in a pancake with a Guinness beer. It was quite delicious. After dinner we met Jake's friend who was studying in Dublin and went to a bar. That night we ended up staying out till 4 am. Mom and Dad you would be proud :) I don't ever stay out past midnight so this was a huge accomplishment. "When in Dublin... do as the Irish do...drink." That was our slogan the entire weekend. We had a great time meeting Irish people and enjoying the college atmosphere that Vienna is lacking. Vienna is a place of culture with museums, operas, and wine taverns. Dublin was again a college town with fun restaurants, cool and trendy stores, and a whole district of clubs and bars. Saturday morning we awoke bright and early at 8:30 am to explore. Marie and I set out on our own and had a great day. We started at Trinity College. I loved the campus so much. I really want to try to take a class there in the summer or something. We saw the Book of Kells which is the bible written in Celtic beauty and design. After admiring and wishing we went to school there we headed to Dublin castle, Jameson whisky distillery, and the Guinness factory. I had a blast at the Guinness factory. It was a really good and interactive representation of how they brew the beer. Once we got through the 7 floors we got a fresh, free glass of Guinness :) yummy. For lunch we went to Eddie Rockets, which is exactly like Johnny Rockets and had good burgers and onion rings, and dinner we ate at Quiznos. It was pretty exciting. A little taste of home. That evening Marie and I searched Dublin up and down for a store called "Morgan" for my sister. We finally found it but as soon as I walked in they said they were closed. I was so upset...but morg please know we tried :) After we went to a couple bars and again hit the 4 am mark. It was a blast. Sunday morning we had to be at the airport at 11. The flight took 3 hours and then we had to catch a train back to Vienna from Bratislava. We ended up getting back to our apartment around 10:30 pm. I must say I could barely move from carrying my heavy back pack and purse. This morning I was so tired that I slept through my alarm and ended up waking up at noon. I couldn't believe it, but I don't think I would have been able to stay awake in class if I had gone anyways. I went to Art and Arch. then had coffee with Marie. I was planning to go work out, but ended up going to a store my mom had recommended. It was absolutely amazing with food from all over the world. I decided to get some freshly made ravioli stuffed with spinach, ham, and mushrooms. And actually just took my last bite of it as I write this. It was Delicious. So, I had a pretty good weekend. I CAN NOT wait to be back in Ireland. I heard Dublin isn't anything compared to the rest of Ireland..so I really can't wait. Well, love you all!!

It is snowing A LOT outside... its really pretty from the inside looking out. However, I did dress warmer today, so it wasn't too bad. I just wanted to let you know that I am leaving for Dublin tomorrow so I will update you when I return. Hope all is well where you are! PS. we got midsemester overall grades and I ended up with a B in Finance... so I'm working my way up the ladder...I'm just grateful I participate.. I'm just grateful my dream didn't come true. Love you!

So. I got my Finance final back and you will be glad to hear I got more than 1 correct. For the first time in my life I am excited to say I made a C. I know, this seems odd, but with the nightmares that have been recurring I was beginning to think this would become real. I spoke with the professor after class, and he said that he would forget the grade if I do better on the final and he promised to be more specific on what to study, so we will see. He was proud that I had even stuck with the class considering I had never taken finance. So, hopefully it ends good. I know that I will be ready for principles of finance next semester for sure. As far as my other classes I did pretty well. Tomorrow I have a field trip to the Albertina with my Art Mgmt class to look at how they deal with tourism and managing an art museum. Then after that I have a tour at the Art History museum with my art and arch. class. So, it should be a pretty good day. I leave for Dublin on Friday!! I am so excited, already bought my ticket to the Guinness factory. However, it is suppose to be frigid and raining the whole time with strong winds... fun. Then the following week I am off to Venice and Rome!! What a life. Thanks Dad! Last night, I had a dream that I wrote a book about my life and went around talking with people about overcoming adversity. So, ever since I woke up I have been thinking about how I will write this book... I think it would be something cool to do. I guess time will tell. Well, I am going to go saute some mushrooms and work on my finance paper. Miss you all!! Love, Chelsi

So today my family left. It made me very sad. We did however have a wonderful time together. They were able to see my wonderful town and experience all it has to offer. Towards the end of the week it started to get really cold and rainy, but still had a good time going to different museums. Dad and I went to the Art History musueum on Thursday, while Ian, Morgan, and Mom went to the Natural History museum, and then on Friday, Dad and I went to the Belvedere to look at 18th through 20th centruy art while the others went shopping. We had a good time and were able to see and do what we wanted. On Wednesday night, my family took my apartment out to eat at a really good guest house close to my apartment. It was nice for them to finally meet. Sorry this is skipping around, but on Saturday, we went to Shonbrunn, the summer residence of the Hapsburgs and then drove through Vienna woods. Once we reached the outlook at the top of the mountain, it started to snow. I almost started to cry! I am not ready to walk to school in the snow :( I guess I'm just going to have to get use to it.. but first I need snow boots!! I guess it didn't snow a flake last winter here... why wasn't I born a year early? lol.. just kidding. Anyways, so we stopped at a wine tavern to have Wiener Schnitzel and local wine. This morning when I woke up the ground outside was covered in snow. We packed up and they took me back to my apartment. It was so sad to say good bye to them. I was so worried about them driving in the snow, but I guess they will manage. I hope that they had a good time, I know I did. This afternoon, I organized my room, wrote a speech for tomorrow, and finished my German. I must admitt this weather is condusive for studying, for I got a lot accomplished today. Well, I hope everyone had a good day and good weather. Pray for my family as they head back home on Tuesday. They ended up leaving today to drive back to Frankfurt due to the bad weather. Well, Love You ALL!! At the moment, I am looking forward to being back in hot Texas, but know I will enjoy it once I get the right clothes :).

Today was a good day. It only rained a little which was great considering it was suppose to pour. I made it through German and headed home for mom's yummy goulash. After lunch, we headed to Klosteneuberg which is a small town outside of Vienna that I had been before. It is a beautiful monastery and winery. We took a tour of the church and the outlaying areas. It was great because I was seeing face to face the prized possessions that I had learned about in my art and arch class. I love being able to look at a church and date it to its time period or look at a painting and know the techniques that were used. Plus it was fun sharing my knowledge with the family :) We then went down to the winery to test some tasty wines. After leaving Klosteneuberg, we went to this crazy architectures public housing building and admired its wackiness. Then they dropped me off at my school for finance. I have been so nervous about going to this class because I am fearful of knowing how I did on the midterm. Luckily he had not completed grading and he was considering a major curve due to the ones he had looked at. Did I tell you? I have had 2 nightmares that consisted of me getting only 1 right on the entire test... scary. For some reason it seems so real. Hopefully this is not the case. I hopped on the U-bahn after class and came home to left over goulash. We are knowing sitting around and watching "Disturbia." Well I hope everyone had a wonderful day!! Just a little shout out to my wonderful cousin: Happy Birthday Lauren!! I miss you oh so much! Love you!!

Hey Everyone!! It has been a while I know, but I posted pictures and am having a blast. We had a wonderful time with everyone in Bamberg and seeing Sierra and Desiree at their new home. We walked around a little fortress close to their home and then headed to Munich to see Axel. We booked a room at the Novotel where Marie and I had stayed when we first arrived in Europe. It was very nice. We went to a biergarten with Axel and his wonderful girlfriend then headed to a bar for cocktails close by. Friday morning we headed to Salzburg, stopping on the way to see Ludwig's last castle in Chimsee. It was absolutly beautiful. That evening we arrived in Salzburg and ate dinner at a cute resturant close to our guest house. Saturday we toured around Salzburg checking out a Fortress, a couple churches, Mozart's birth place, and a wax museum. Sunday morning we went to the salt mines outside of Salzburg. We had a blast sliding down the wooden slides and learning about what people did in the area for such a long time. That evening we made the 3 hour drive to Vienna and finally I was home. I showed them my apartment and we headed to their new home for a week. It is very nice and close to my school. This morning I woke up early and walked to school. This was so nice considering I am usully stuck on a train for an hour. It was too bad cause right when I got to school I found out my class was cancelled. So, Jake and I decided to hit up Starbucks to pass the time. After my other classe, I met my family in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral and gave them a tour with the information I learned in my art history class. We also listened to an organ concert in the St. Peter's, the oldest church in Vienna. After our church touring, we headed to a great place to eat. We had traditional Austrian food and good bier. As for tomorrow, I'm not quite sure what we will do, but I will let you know. We are having a great time and I'm having the opportunity to see things in Vienna that I have not yet seen. I hope everyone is doing well!! Love you!

As I sat there looking in horror at my international finance midterm, the question that kept racing in my head was "what the heck was I thinking when I thought this would be good class to take??!!" If I even remotely pass that exam it will be out of the kindness of that poor man's heart. This class has made me wish that I had never been a business major. The whole time I was thinking if only I would have done something I enjoyed like psychology or sociology, life would be so much easier. I admit that if I had taken principles of finance first, I probably wouldn't be so lost, but I haven't and I am thoroughly behind. Oh well, one thing good I can say is that it is over!! Thank you, thank you. Now all that is standing between me and my family is my "art, entertainment, culture managment" exam tomorrow morning. My two finals yesterday were a breeze, and although my German test wasn't easy, I think I did well. Tomorrow I leave at 5:30 pm and arrive in Nurnberg at 6:30!!! yay!! I can't wait!! Well, that is my week thus far. Pretty exciting. Well, I guess next time I will be updating you is on Sunday when we arrive back in Vienna, unless I find a computer in the mean time. Well, hope everyone is doing better than I was today. Love you all so much!

So I added some new pictures. I am so sorry that all my albums are filled with people and not beautiful sites. I love and cherish my friends and want to remember all my time that I have had with them. So, there are pictures from dance class and the biergarten that we went to last night. However, towards the end of the album there are pictures from my walk around town today. I ended up going to the Albertina Museum which holds famous paintings from Picasso, Monet, and other wonderful artists. After that, we walked around parts of Vienna that we had not really been to. I have a German midterm tomorrow, but can't seem to get motivated to sit down and study... but I have too, so I will talk to you soon, just wanted to put up some more pics. From now on I will try to make more site pictures so that you can see how beautiful the area is in which I live. Love you!

Just wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!

Hey Everyone!
I got my hair cut yesterday, which by the way I love the place I went to. They were nice and spoke great English. I then went to Finance and felt totally lost with whatever the guy was trying to say. I think if he slowed his speaking rate down by 50% I might understand. This morning I woke up bright and early and dressed for another cold, wet day. I had a quiz in my International Organizations class, but pretty much reviewed for the midterms in all my others. I was planning to go work out today, but I was so tired and it was so cold and wet that I ended up being a loser and staying home to make dinner with Marie. Her boyfriend Nick is here from Prague. We decided that we would have breakfast for dinner, so we made eggs and mushrooms, french toast, pancakes, and bacon. It was quite delicious. As for this evening, I finished my German homework and now am going to cozy into my bed for a little movie. I am looking forward to tomorrow, for its not suppose to rain. When it rains, it feels so much colder than it really is. After German tomorrow, I am going to go to dance class, then read for my midterms, and finally present a short research paper on foreign exchange rate exposure for my finance class. Actually, I think we are going to go to a traditional Austrian restaurant afterwards to give Nick a taste of amazing food. Friday is an Austrian National Holiday, so everything is closed. One aspect that is neat about holidays here is that all the museums are opened for free. So, that is what we plan to do on our day off... check out all the museums we have been dying to see :) And I guess I will study for my midterms :(... not so fun. Well, that's been it so far and what is expected to come. Hope all is well!!! Next Wednesday I will be in Bamberg!!! YAY!!!!! Love you!

Sunday morning, I ended up waking up with a cold and deciding not to go to church. I lounged around in my PJ's all day watching a total of 5 movies. You might say that I was unproductive, but in fact I was healing. I have been going constantly and it was a nice break to recoup and get well, which I do feel tons better today. I ended up watching Love Actually, Casanova, Ella Enchanted, Man on Fire, and Letter to Frankie. I really enjoyed all of them, my favorite two being between Man on Fire and Casanova. Along with watching movies, I did laundry and worked on my finance and German homework. So, I wasn't totally useless. Plus it was FREEZING outside and I didn't want to leave the comfort of my warm bed.

This morning I layered so much, but was still fidgeting as I walked through the biting wind. I don't know what I need to do, I guess layer even more. All of my classes went well. It is the last week before midterm so all the teachers are wrapping up their final thoughts. I also made an appointment at Tony and Guy for a haircut for tomorrow. I can't wait, I'm at that point where I just pull my hair in a pony tail because it is so long. So, hopefully they will do a good job. This evening I am going to study for a German quiz that we will have tomorrow as well as go work out at the gym.

I hope everyone day is going well!! I can't believe its only a week till my wonderful family comes! I can not wait till I get to show them my life in Vienna!!! Love you!

Friday morning I got up early studied for German and faced the cold wet weather outside. I am such a baby when it comes to cold weather, but I guess that's what good ol' Texas does to you. After class, I went home to start preparing for Mexican food night. I was not feeling well, and laid down to sleep it off. I think I am coming down with something, hopefully not the flu. I have been getting slight fevers and migraines throughout the day. I hope its just the weather change, cause it is sure not fun. After I rested for a little bit, I met Marie and Heather at the Mekur, a huge grocery store close to our gym. We spent an hour trying to figure out what and how much food to get for 13 people. We hurried home, jumped in the shower, and began cutting veggies and cooking meet. On Thursday evening, while making dinner I sliced my finger pretty severely with a bread knife. It was extremely painful, so Friday I passed on my duties of slicing peppers to someone else. I made a huge bowl of mushrooms which disappeared quickly. I am so happy to see all my wonderful friends become mushroom lovers (addicts). I'm so glad I am doing something good for the world. The meal turned out amazing! I was thoroughly pleased. We had all the fixings you could think of plus great apple strudel dessert and homemade guacamole. We spent the evening chatting and enjoying each others company. We ended up playing this game where you give someone a scenario and you have to make the face that you would probably do in that situation. Unfortunately, I only got a few of my friend Ron and Heather.. Heather has all the good ones of everyone on her camera. So, if you see some crazy pics, you know why.

This morning, my friend Jenna and I were planning to go to Bratislava, Slovakia for cheap shopping, but we ended up getting lost on the way to the train station. It was so so so so so so cold outside and pouring rain so we decided to head to our favorite restaurant, 1516 for a warm meal. I got a spinach crepe and beer soup that was wonderful. After we had gotten our temperature to normal, we headed out again. We ended up just shopping around Vienna and cutting the day short. I came home to find my wonderful roommate, Sarah Hannah, putting chocolate glaze on to pumpkin cookies. Let me just tell you, this girl is amazing. She made homemade apple cobbler and thought that it was not good... which by the way it was delicious.. so she decided to go buy a pumpkin, roast it, and then make puree out of it for cookies. She is one of a kind, and I'm so glad she lives with me. For dinner, I made tacos out of the left overs from last night. I'm going to go to bed early tonight, I'm starting to feel the sickness coming... hopefully its just the weather... I really don't want to get sick here and have to deal with doctors.

Well that was my weekend so far, I hope everyone has had a great one! Love you so much!

Well my Deutsch exam is over for this week... thank goodness!!!!!! It was tough, but I don't feel like I bombed it, I hope anyways. This afternoon I was going to go to my dance class, but it is so dreary outside that I don't want to leave my cozy bed. Winter has come to Vienna, and I don't like it. It is freezing and raining outside:( Last night, I finished my finance paper which was a true relief and look forward to the minute that I turn it in tonight. I am a bit nervous because I spent so much time contemplating what to say about my topic and the paper only could be 2 pages. At the end of the semester I have a 15-20 page paper on a even more obscure topic. All I want out of this class is to understand how the financial world works and be able to talk somewhat intelligibly to someone about finance, the stock markets, and banking differences between the EU and USA.

Right now, I am watching CNN. I must admit I am watching the news for the first time since I have been here. I hear people talk about things going on in the world and I have no clue what they are even saying. So, I felt it was about time I sat down and watched. It has been nice not knowing and worrying about anything.

Tomorrow night, my friends are coming over for "Taco Night." I am so excited. I have been eating quesidillas and tacos everyday. Like I said before, when I get stuck on a food I like that is all I crave. So, we are going to make guacamole, fajitas, beans, tres leches cake, queso, salsa, etc. It should be a good time.

Hope you have a great day!! Love you!

Hello everyone!!! I just wanted to let you know that everything is going well. To tell you the truth the most exciting that I have done since last I talked with you was go to class, work out, eat, and sleep :) and thats not all that exciting. I have to run to catch the train to go to Finance but just wanted to check in and let you know that I am thinking of you. Tonight after class, a group of my friends are going to a English pub, called 1516. They have the best hamburgers ever, even better than Chris Madrids in my opinions. So, that is something I look forward to, good food, a kitchen that I don't have to clean, free ketchup, and waiters that speak English!!! Well, love you all!! Keep me in your prayers... I have a Finance paper and presentation on Thursday that I am not looking forward to! I'll let you know how it goes!

As I sit here in my room, relaxing and enjoying the sounds of David Crowder Band, I am yearning for words in which to write. Yesterday night I ventured with my best friends to a bar for my good friend, Scott's 23rd birthday. It ended up being a late night, but a night to be remembered. Having all of my favorite people from the program at one place was awesome. It seems that we all end up going our separate ways on the weekends, and for once we all made time to be together. I must say this morning when I arose I was wishing I hadn't stayed out so late, for my roommate Nicky and I had extensive plans for today.

I hurried and got dressed and then made our way to the Farmer's market downtown. It is amazing the quality of produce, meats, and cheeses that are offered. It is so nice to have a place where you can find any ethnic food you could imagine. It was quite busy this morning. The people were bustling through the narrow passage ways. After we made our rounds to the various vendors, we set out to Mariahilfer Strasse, a well known shopping street. I ended up getting lucky and finding the perfect black almost knee high boots at the first store we entered. I have been looking for the past month for the right pair. Everyone here was them, they keep you warm, as well as look nice. We ventured into a few more shops and then realized that we were too exhausted to shop any longer. We headed home around 5 pm and have been in our pj's curled in our beds ever since. Tonight, my friend Diana, is going to spend the night. She wanted to try out the church I've been going to, and since I live so far away from her, she is just going to crash on our extra bed.

Well again, another day has passed in a blink of an eye. Before you know it, it will be on the plane back to good ol' Texas. But.. not quite yet.. I still have some more to see :) Have a good one!

Another week has almost passed and just in the matter of a blink of an eye. Monday, after a long day of classes, I ventured to my workout class and enjoyed an intense session of abs and feeling completely uncoordinated with dance moves. I have hard time following people to start out with but adding the extra element of a language barrier, makes it just that more difficult. As far as the weather this week, we have really lucked out. The past week has been beautiful… very sunny and crisp, however a bit chilly.
Tuesday, after Finance, we tried out a Tex-Mex restaurant close to school. I must say it was definitely what we consider Tex-Mex, but it was a nice change of scenery and they had excellent margaritas (I mean not as good as yours, Dad :) However, I must admit that it made me miss Mr. Taco and Matamoras so much more. Wednesday, my art class went to the Art History Museum. I had such an amazing time there. If you are ever in Vienna, this is a destination that must not be missed. The collection they posses is extravagant, but it does make me sad to think they have taken all of these priceless possessions from their home and put it in cases for people to gawk at. For example, there is a piece from a pyramid in Egypt in one of the front rooms of the museum. Shouldn’t that be in Egypt where it belongs?? With everything that is taken from Egypt it makes you think if there is anything left. Today, I went to German, made a yummy hamburger for lunch, and went to work out. I must say the gym membership has paid off, for I have gone everyday except one since I joined. I can’t say the results are evident, but I do feel so much better and I’m not gaining any weight while enjoying the indulgences Vienna has to offer. Looking back, I was thinking about what my favorite part has been this week. I would have to say making dinner for my apartment last night was pretty good. I cooked chicken with pineapples, along with salad, rice, and vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce. I must say this has been a good boost to my cooking confidence. I was always so scared to do anything, but now am enjoying trying new things, and adding new recipes to my list of things I can make. So far, French toast and sunny side up eggs are the winner. I tend to make that for every meal if I am not trying something new. So, thats what's been the highlights of my week!! I hope all is well with everyone!!! Love you so much!!

Lange Nacht der Museen

Another weekend has come and gone, I must say however this one was a productive one. I feel like I have experienced Vienna and have taken advantage of what the city has to offer. Last night (Saturday), Heather and I bought a ticket for 10 Euro and spent the evening exploring the Museums of Vienna. The night is called "Lange Nacht der Museen" which you can probably figure out, but it is the long night of the museums. All of the museums were open from 6 pm to 1 am. Heather and I tried to make it to closing, but feel short by a few hours. Our first stop was the Torture museum. Now, you are probably wondering why in the heck we would go there... well because it was free and that was the only way we would go. The whole way to the museum my heart was racing; I was so nervous for I hate scary situations, ie. torture museums. We get in and I'm grasping Heather's hand, and then its nothing. Everything is in German, so I don't understand, plus the people who were being tortured looked abs. ridiculous and fake. (You can see by the pictures). We then hopped back on the bus and headed downtown. We peaked in the Textile Museum and then stopped for a bite to eat. We ended up eating at this really nice cafe, which we soon realized was one of the oldest in Vienna. I had a grilled ham and cheese and Heather, a delicious plum dessert. After getting reenergized we headed down to the Museum's Quarter. There was so many people that filled the area. I found it exciting considering the number of art lovers spending their Saturday night in museums. Since the museums were free, we kind of walked briskly through so we could catch more. So, we went to a few modern art museums as well as the Natural History museum. The Natural History museum was abs. beautiful, however the animals looked so real and felt they were going to come alive, like in "Night at the Museum." As you will see in the pictures, there is a couple photos I titled as "experiental art." I found this to be intriguing. They set up this area with various things you partake in your everyday life. Such as going to bed, sitting by a lamp and reading a book, as well as riding your exercise bike by the tv. They wanted the person to experience the art rather than to just look at it. So, it was quite amusing watching people truly get into this new art form.

This morning we woke up quite early, and headed on a bus to Klosterneuburg, a small town outside of Vienna. In Klosterneuburg, there is a beautiful Monestary that Leopold (i forget which one) built as a religious gift to God. It was abs. breathtaking, which you can see in the photos. Not to mention, It was georgous weather. First, we took a tour of the museum and imperial apartments then headed to a quaint cafe for lunch. At the monestary, they harvest their own wine and apple juice, which by the way is amazing, so we spent our lunch taste testing these various masterpieces. We both had Cordon Blu, which I thought was French, but I eat it in all of the traditional resturants. Then we headed to the winery where they produce the wine. We didn't get to see how they make it, but we did get to buy some. We each got a couple of different kinds so that we could try it, as well as bought a couple various apple juices. Considering we were each carrying 4 heavy bottles, we had to cut our trip short and head home. As soon as we hit the door, we both curled in bed and took a 3 hour long nap.

Looking back, I feel as if I have been very productive this weekend. Like I said before, I feel like I have experienced a little more of Vienna. As for now, I'm going to make some eggs, read some finance, and head to bed. I wish everyone a wonderful day. Till next time....

I was just reminded by my dear mother that not everyone can write comments because of not having google accounts, so I would like to give you my email address as well as address so that you can send me all your wonderful comments and advice as well as let me know how life is treating you. I appreciate you all for keeping up with me and taking the time to keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I am sorry I am not more deligent in writting, but I will try my best to improve. I appreciate my amazing family, it was so comforting to talk to most of you today. I think about you all constantly and wish you could see what I am seeing. I can not tell you enough how thankful and blessed I am to have each one of you in my life. Please know that I love you more than anything. Thank you for supporting and encouraging me throughout my experience. Linda... I got your letter today!! Thank you so very much!!! What a wonderful suprise!!! Well, again I love you all so much. I hope everyone has an amazing Friday... I'm going to head to bed :)

So, my email is: cmclain@trinity.edu

my address is:

Chelsi McLain
c/o IES Vienna Center
Palais Corbelli
Johannesgasse 7
A-1010 Vienna
AUSTRIA


Letters truly make my day... hint... hint :)

how the time flys...

I can't believe it is already Friday... where has this week gone!!! So Monday, I went to my "cycling" class and it ended up not being a cycling class at all but being a fat burning aerobics class. Don't get me wrong, I think its great, I was just thoroughly confused. It was kind of funny considering my friends and I were on the front row and we don't speak German at all, so we were constantly looking back to see what to do. Tuesday, Marie and I joined a gym about 15 min away from our house. I must say this was the best investment yet. I have gone every day for at least 2 hours.. and I feel great. Wednesday, I went to the Vienna Art Museum with my art and architecture class. It was so nice to have someone bring the art to life. I usually go into museums and walk through quickly... where as this we took so much time at each piece and really studied it's meaning. Thursday, I left the house at 8 am and didn't come back home till 10 pm. I took a German test and then headed to a dance class, my friend Kyle, is teaching. Kyle is my age and goes to Trinity. He is on the swing and country western dance team at Trinity. He offered to teach us a few moves through out the semester to get us ready for the "Dancer's Ball" in December. I was exhausted by the end of the 3 hour session. I am def. not the most coordinated, but he was able to get me into the rhythm of swing. Next week we are going to continue to work on swing and then move into salsa. I am so excited to learn how to dance. Yesterday evening after Finance, Marie and I were suppose to go to the Vienna soccer game. But, by the time we got home and had dinner the game was half way over, plus I felt like I had a cold coming on, so we decided to stay in and try it out some other time. This morning, I woke up and went to German. I found out I didn't do as bad as I thought on my test yesterday and then went to the gym where I have spent my whole afternoon. The gym is HUGE, I get sucked in and its hard to get me out (which I guess is a good thing). This evening Heather is going to make chicken with apple juice (interesting but sounds good) and then we will probably stay in and watch a movie. I think its that time of year when everyone gets sick..cause we all are starting to have a cold. Tomorrow, Heather and I are going to go to the "long night of the museums." This is an annual event where they open all the museums for free from 1 pm to 1 am. There are also suppose to be tons of programs and festivities going on everywhere in Vienna. I'm really looking forward to it. We were going to go somewhere this weekend, but I am really glad we are going to stay and take advantage of what the city has to offer. Well, thats a quick and dirty look at the highlights from my week. I hope everyone had a good week!!! I love you all!!

The dinner party was a success!! Everyone enjoyed the meal, and no one got sick. This morning I went to church with Terry and her daughter, my roommate Sarah Hannah went with us and abs. loved it. Terry got me a present... it was a glass pan to make brownies and other yummy treats in!! I was so excited because we desperatly needed one, for we had made our friends bring dishes to our party. After church, we made a delicious breakfast consisting of eggs and pancakes, then I went for a two hour walk into the mountains. When I got home, I was exhausted, so I laid down thinking I would take a short nap, and woke up 3 hours later. I then made a grilled cheese and ham sandwich and then took a bus to find where our exercise classes were going to be tomorrow. Yes, I start my cycling class tomorrow afternoon. I am a bit nervous about the class being taught in german, but kel and beth convinced me that there is only one way to ride a bike... it cant be too hard. So, I will let you know. Well, I am going to snuggle into bed. I am whiped out and have a full load tomorrow. I am actually giving a presentation in my International Organization class, which I am praying is what the teacher expects. Well, love you all!! Talk to you soon!!

Austria nicht Australia

Last night, I babysat with one of my friends for a family who is from New Jersey. We had a good time, but were wishing we were with our friends watching an opera. It was at a very nice house close to where I live. They had four kids that were all very sweet. After we finished at 11, we headed downtown to meet Marie, Heather, and a few of our guy friends at an Australian Bar. It was pretty nice, because everyone spoke English. I felt as if I was in another country. We had Fosters and sat around talking with the manager of the bar. We got home at 3 am, and fell right to sleep.

This morning I woke up at 10 am, and headed out for a walk around the neighborhood. I ended up walking for an hour and finding a new grocery store. This was very exciting because they had a whole new selection of products to choose from. I even found pancakes and syrup, which we had all been craving. I piled up my grocery bags and headed out for the long journey home. I realized that it takes as long as the equivalent of walking from my house in Gonzales to the methodist church to get back to my apartment..which is quite a ways. At home, I would think that was insane, but today I actually did it twice, with heavy bags to carry. When I got back home the first time, I realized I had forgotten a few food items. So, I thanked God for my Ipod and headed back into the world again. We are having a dinner party tonight at our house. We invited some of our friends over to see our apartment and eat our good food. We have to cook for 12 people, so its going to be tough considering the small supply of dishes we posses. I am making a tomato, mozzarella, mushroom, olive, pepper salad with balsamic and olive oil, as well as, provide dill dip and salsa with chips. The main course is a special family recipe by Marie, which is a ham, pea, cream tortellini casserole. Heather is making roasted vegetable salad, Sarah Hannah- homemade peach cobbler and ice cream. We will also have potatoes and a green salad with garlic bread. So, pretty much its going to be amazing. A real homemade meal. The other people we invited our bringing drinks and other side dishes. We are going to take out the furniture in our living room and put a couple of our long tables together and set the table. I'm so excited... we are even all dressing up! So, I will let you know how this turns out, I hope its what we are expecting! So that's my day thus far... walking to the grocery store, cooking, laundry, and getting ready for a dinner party. What a wonderful and beautiful day in Vienna!! Love you!

ps. one more thing

I posted some new pics, so I thought I should explain... a couple of the pics are my crazy roommates cooking. We made Mexican food which was delicious. Then there are a couple random buildings in Vienna... it was a pretty day.. couldn't resist. Finally, there are a few pictures from my friend Kelsey's birthday. We went to a Japanese restaurant... which might I add was my first. I am not a fan of oriental food, but I went because it was her birthday. I had chicken kabobs while everyone else had sushi. Sorry, still no fish, but the chicken was good. So, yeah... that's it :) love you!

My first week of classes....

Sorry its been a while... I have been busy getting use to school. As far as now, I enjoy all of my classes. My favorite is going to be the Art and Architecture class. The teacher is enthusiastic and passionate about what she is teaching. She speaks as if she is telling a children's story. One thing that I especially like is that we have to keep a journal of the museums and churches we visit. Along with a written description of what we saw, we also have to draw a picture of our favorite part. I got really into this and woke up early Tuesday morning to visit St. Stephen's Cathedral. I sat in awe for over an hour and a half writing about what my gut feeling was about the church and what art truly meant to me. I also drew an abstract depiction of my favorite part, the beautiful chandeliers. I think that my favorite part 50 years from now when I look back on my journal is going to be the horrible spelling mistakes I made. I am so use to my computer correcting my errors, it has been so long that I actually have turned in something hand written. The hardest class I have is German. I would rather sit an extra 10 hours in Finance which isn't that great, just so I didn't have to look so stupid in German. Why didn't I take advantage of Oma, Helga, and mom's teachings. I don't know why, but languages are extremely difficult for me, especially when the head of the German dept is my teacher and has the thickest accent EVER! The one class that will be difficult but I will learn the most hopefully is my International Finance: Euro banking. It involves a lot of reading, a 15 page single spaced final paper, 2 long tests and is on Tues and Thurs nights (which sucks). But, the teacher is very enthusiastic and really wants us to learn and be able to talk intelligibly about finance and the banking systems in the EU and the US when we are done. Which would be very nice to be able to do. I feel like this is one area I have not been exposed to as much, but would like to have some understanding of how it works. So, Opa I will learn banking in honor of you and Oma..German for you. Oh, I am also taking an Art, Culture, and Entertainment management class. This is a really cool class too. We are learning how one manages large events, museums, art exhibits or festivals, plus focusing on Tourism and how important that is to our society. This class is at 9 am, but its worth waking up for. I must say this semester is teaching me a lot. I use to not ever have class before 11, now I am up and out the door by 7:30 am every morning even if I don't have to, just so I can walk around the city. I have been walking up the stairs instead of taking the escalator as well as walk instead of taking the street car. I am really trying to change my habits, so hopefully it will continue when I get back home. Tonight, I will go to Euro banking and then to my friends house after to hang out. It has been absolutely beautiful here the past two days and then this morning.. it was awful...pouring cats and dogs. When this happens, the day is just ruined, because we walk everywhere and its so cold. So, when I got to German I was soaked not because I didn't use an umbrella, but because I had been walking for so long in the rain that it was all over me. Oh well... that's life. Well, I hope everyone is doing well!! Miss and love you!!

A blessing in disguise....

Yesterday morning, I arose quite early at 5:30 am. Poor Mel, she woke up as well to take me to the train station so I could take a fast train to the airport. (by the way..thanks again Mel). When I got to the airport, I realized that I actually didn't need to wake up that early, because I was the only person in line. The good thing was that I got through check in and security in a matter of minutes. I was able to get a nice breakfast and then relax. The plane ride was quick, only an hour. By the time I got there, I was wishing it was longer, for I was sleeping so incredibly well. When I left Copenhagen, it was freezing. I had two layers on, two pairs of socks, a big jacket,thick gloves, and when I got to Vienna it was extremely warm. The sun was out and shinning brightly. It was such a warm beautiful welcome back home. I took the CAT, a fast train into the middle of town and then transferred to a couple different underground trains to get home. The whole way home I was wishing I had packed just a tad lighter. I was exhausted hauling my huge bag up and down the tall stairs of the underground train stations. It is amazing what people do here, no wonder everyone is thin... the calories just sweat off of you going up and down those things. As I was walking from the train station down the road to my apartment I noticed that there was a huge festival taking place really close to home. So, I got home, changed out of my Eskimo suit into summer clothes and walked down with my roommates to enjoy in the festivities. It ended up being a huge flea market with music and yummy food. I ended up getting a really pretty pearl necklace and a black watch, totaling 10 Euro together. Great deals, good finds. We then sat and ate sausage and listen to the fun Austrian music. On our way home, I suggested we head to the store since it would not be open on Sunday. I went to get some cereal while Nick and Marie got eggs. I noticed that they were talking to someone, so I went behind them and listened in. It ended up being this amazing lady who was from the USA and had been living in Vienna for 6 years. She is an art teacher at an international school. We stood and talked with her for a while, and then we ended up going with her to another store we had no idea existed a ways down from where we lived. She was so kind and helpful, showing us all the things we thought never existed here. It was nice because we usually have to carry everything 8 blocks, but she had a car, so we pilled our goodies up. You know how I was saying I wish that we had a Target, well this wasn't Target but it was like a Super HEB, so it had a huge selection. This was something we just weren't use to, and ended up spending hours just staring in awe. We even found fajita stuff, which we had been craving. She took us home and gave us her email and phone number in case we needed anything. She then asked if we had found a place to go to church. I told her that I was looking for one but hadn't found one, so she offered to take me to hers. I couldn't say no, so she told me she would be here at 9 am. That evening we made fajitas and guacamole. It was quite delicious.

So, this morning I was up and ready at 9 am. Her and her daughter picked me up and we went to the this church inside the Vienna International School. I sat with her family. They were abs. amazing. I truly felt as if I had known them forever. Her name is Terry and she reminds me of Laura Phelps :). She is so encouraging and fun to be around. The church was an English speaking, non-denominational church filled with amazing praise music and a charismatic preacher. I had a blast. The sermon was about Noah and how he was so dedicated to what God had told him to do, that he spent 120 years of his life building a boat. He compared his life to how we should live ours. I thought it was interesting that at that time Noah had never seen a boat of that magnitude, or had ever seen rain. Up to the point of the flood it supposedly never had rained before. So, Noah built tha ark even though he didn't know exactly what God meant by a flood. The preacher main theme was living by faith and not self rightousness and doing things even though it might not be familiar. The sermon went on and on with so many cool points. I gained so much out of it.. I could go on and on about what I leaned, but I won't bore you with it. The cool thing is that it was just like I was back in High school when Jon was still in Gonzales. There were so many college kids there. We all sat around and talked afterwards, we exchanged phone numbers and are planning to get together in the near future. They also have praise music and a bible study for high school/college age kids on Sunday nights. I was hoping to go tonight, but I'm not for sure since classes start tomorrow. Also, Terry is one of the youth leaders and she asked if I would come and help out with the younger kids when I had time. It sounds like this church is involved and does a lot of neat activities and retreats. All day, I have been thanking God for putting Terry and her family in my life, they are all a blessing. She said that she wants to have my roommates and I over this week for dinner, she offered to drive us wherever, as well as use her dryer. I mean you couldn't ask for a more amazing gift.

After church, I decided to take everything out of my closets and start over. I have gotten into the habit of not being organized lately, and it was starting to drive me crazy. So, I reorganized and it looks and feel so so much better in my room. This afternoon, I think we are going to go for a walk and then hopefully cook some chicken. I hope everyone had a wonderful day!! Mark, I hope your 18Th birthday was great!! Love you all so much.

Last day in Denmark..

Like my title says, today is the last day I am in Copenhagen. I leave tomorrow at 9:30 AM from the Copenhagen Iternational Airport and will arrive at 10:45 AM in Vienna. Yesterday, I met Melissa after her morning class and went for bagels with her and her good friend from her program. We then walked around the main shopping street and made are way up the Roundtower. The tower was built with a ramp that circled in the inside all the way up to the top, so that the king could ride his horse all the way up to look over his country and see if any invaders were close. I liked this walk a lot more than the one I did in Prague, because there were only a few stairs to climb. Once we reached the tip top, it was a gorgeous view. Mel pointed out the major points of the town and explained to me that there were only 7 districts in Copenhangen, where in Vienna there is 21, so everything was very close by. After our long hike down, we headed to a pizza shop near her school. I had hawiian pizza of course, and Mel has lasagna. I had the opportunity to meet some of Mel's close friends that she hangs out with in Copenhagen. Everyone was very nice and enjoyable. During Mel's afternoon class, I walked around and explored. I found some cool shops and a great juice bar to sit in and read. I finally found a heavy coat! I had been looking everywhere for one, and finally I had found the perfect one. That evening we rode back to her house on a city bus, and cooked a delicious dinner. Mel and her roommate made chicken breast covered in cornflakes, veggies, pasta, and marianera sauce. I must say it was quite a delicious meal. I ended up going to sleep very early last night around 10. I was wiped from the long day of walking. This morning I woke up fairly late at 10 am. Before this past summer, I would have said this was too early, but as I began to wake up early for work and then German class, sleeping past 7 was late. But, I needed the rest, and I am glad I slept as long as I did. Today, we are going to explore the area around which Mel lives and then head over to Tivilli, the oldest amusment park in the world, and hang out with her friends. Tomorrow morning I have to be at the airport at 7. This is going to be tough considering it takes an hour to reach the airport. Oh well, it was a cheap flight and I will be able to be back in Vienna early so that I can wash clothes and enjoy my own envionment. I hope all is well!! I love you and miss you. Mel and I were just discussing how much we enjoy Europe, but at the same time we can't wait to be home. We miss all the conviences that we take for granted, such as air conditioning, free refils and free water, cars, and stores like Target and Wal-Mart where everything you need is there. So, be grateful for those little things, for I know I sure do now!! Talk to you soon!! Have a great Friday!!

my time in Prague

Like I said in my last post, I made it to Prague successfully on Saturday. I took a train with 5 of my friends from school. On our 5 hour journey, we laughed, slept, and ate on the restraunt part of the train. From the train station in Prague, we took a taxi to our new home of three days, Hostel Elf. Not knowing what to expect, I walked in to the entrance of the buliding that took over 50 stairs to get to. The building resembled one of what you would think of what a hostel might look like. There were 10 rooms on each floor, 8 beds in each room, and 2 bathrooms per floor. So pretty much 80 people sharing 2 bathrooms. Wow, was I excited to sleep there... not. So, we put our things away in a locker and headed out to see Prague. That evening we walked around the beautiful city, ate authintic czech food and listned to a jazz band. After dinner, we decided to meet up with Marie and Nick (my friends from Trinity) and have some delicious hot chocolate and gellato. It was rather cold that night, but it was clear and crisp. After our late night snack, we decided that we try out a club that we had heard about. The club was 5 stories each with its own theme and music, and was called Karlovy Lazne. We had such an awesome time. It was almost surreal. We met some Polish guys that were a blast to hang out with and had the most hillarious dance moves I have ever seen. When we arrived back to the hostel, we realized that the other 4 beds in our room were filled with men. Upset with the situation, we went up to the desk to see if we could change rooms. They said, no, for it was a co-ed hostel... where ever there is a bed, anyone can sleep. So, we crawled into our faded disgusting sheets and tried our best to sleep the night away. I, however, could not, and stayed awake most of the night. The next morning, we faced the bathrooms, and all took showers. Heather (my roommate in Vienna) whispered to me that she did not like the living situation, and I totally agreed with her. So, we vowed that if we could find a hotel room by the night, that we would leave, and if we couldn't, we would be strong and get by. Well, luckily we found a hotel room, an extremely nice one for a reasonable price. It was called the Hotel Carlton, I suggest it if you ever come to Prague. It was so so so nice to have our own bed with our own bathroom and shower plus included delicious breakfast. After we made the decision to get a new place our attitude drastically changed. We were excited about Prague, not dreading the whole day about going back to our hostel. On Sunday, we trecked through the crowds on to the Charles's brigde which led us to the Prague castle. On the way up to the castle we stopped in to see St. Nichols cathedral, and ended up walking 300 stairs to the top for a bird's eye view of the castle. It was a horrible climb, but def. well worth it. We then went to the Prague castle, walked around, and actually ran into some people who were also visiting from our school. We then went into the Basillica of St. George and ended up walking up another tower, this one much much worse. It was a tight circle the whole way up the 287 stairs. It is amazing what people were thinking when they built these insane staircases in the early 14th century. We then headed back for dinner and went to bed for our next long day of sightseeing. On Monday, we pretty much just shopped and spent sometime getting to know the city. That evening we went to a really great reasturant called the Louve and then made our way to a black light theater performance downtown. It was an enjoyable evening. On Tuesday, I took a taxi from our hotel and met my friend Anna at the Prague airport. We got on a Sterling plane for 40 Euro and made our way to Copenhagen. The flight was so short, only lasting an hour. Melissa, my amazing friend from Trinity, picked us up from the airport and rode the train with us to town. That evening we hung out, and walked around town. Anna went with her boyfriend, and I back to Mel's apartment. We ened up watching 2 episodes of Lost and falling asleep. She was so nice to share her bed with me. It was a little crammped considering it is a twin size bed, but we managed. This morning, I woke up and am enjoying my time off, while Mel is in class. This evening we are going to do some sightseeing and cherish the day. It is beautiful ourside and about 56 degrees. Well, I hope all is well. Love, Chelsi

Im finally in Prauge

I just wanted to let you know that I made it to Prauge. Its abs. beautiful!!!! I dont have long to type because there is a line for the computer and we have a full day ahead of us. But know that I am safe and doing well. One thing I have learned is that its better to pay a little extra for a hotel. Hostles are just not my thing...but its an experience. I hope everyone is doing well!! I will try to get on soon and let you know all Ive seen and done!! have a great day!! love you!

German Intensive is over!!!

Guten Tag!!

My German Intensive is over!! Very exciting!! After we finished our extinsive exams, we headed down to a place in the 15th distric to sign up for a work out class. Vienna offers a multitude of opportunities for anyone to join a workout class. There are a billion classes to choose from including a wide range from Yoga to Cycling to Gun shooting to Trampoline Jumping... pretty much anything you desire is yours!!! So, I joined a cycling fat burning class on Mondays for 17 Euros. For the past week, I was having a difficult time on deciding which classes to take during the semester, and after a long time of debating, I think I finally found the course load that will work. I will be taking a Vienna Art and Architecture class where one day out of the week we will have the opportunity to explore art museums and old buildings plus get a free museum pass for anytime during the semester to all the amazing places around town. I also will be taking an Art, Culture, and Events Management class which I am also thoroughly excited about. Along with this I will take an International Finance: Euro banking class and International Organizations class plus Elementry German I :) I am excited about each one of these classes, they all seem very interesting. They will begin on Monday the 24th.

So, tomorrow I leave for Prague at 10:00 AM from the South Train Station in Vienna. I should arrive in Prague around 2:00 PM and will stay in a youth hostel down town. I am probably not going to take my lap top, so hopefully I can find a place with computers to keep you updated.

This week has been a good one. It has been beautiful and relatively warm. I went to the Nachtmart on Tuesday with my class to practice German. This is a farmers market that offers a wide variety of fresh ethnic foods. We got to purchase a variety of breads, cheeses, meats, and veggies. When we got back to class, we had to explain to the teacher in German what we purchased and then we were able to make sandwiches. On Wednesday, I went to a local cafe with my German class to practice ordering in German. This was fun because we got to order anything we wanted on behalf of our school. I ended up getting hot chocolate and a grilled ham and cheese sandwich with ketchup. Thursday, I aced my oral exam, and today I officially finished my intensive 3 weeks with a decent final. As for this afternoon, my roommates are sound asleep, rejuvenating for this upcoming week, and I have just finished watching the excellent movie, High Crimes. I love this movie... if you need a good movie to watch this is the one. We have a TV but the channels are all in German, which is not pleasurable at all. Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!! I hope to write soon, but if I don't know worries, I am just soaking up the memories in Prague and Copenhagen!! I will be back in Vienna next Saturday (the 22nd) at 10:45 am.

Love,
Chelsi

sunny day

Hey everyone!! I hope all is well!! Today went well, the sun was shinning and there was not a drop of rain. It feels like it has been cold and rainy forever, but today was beautiful. I have only 2 more days of German intensive and then I am off to Prauge and then Copenhagen to see my friend Melissa!! I can not wait. I have been studying all day for my oral exam tomorrow. I am a bit nervous about it because we have to draw a topic from a hat and talk about it for 5 minutes.... I don't think I know enough German words for that!! Anyways it will be over soon, and then I get a 10 day break before real classes start. I think tonight I am just going to hang out and relax and try to cram more vocab into my head. I hope everyone's day went well. Love you!!

a great time with the family...

This weekend I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with my wonderful grandparents in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria. I left Friday at 12:57 pm from the South Banhof Station in Vienna and arrived in Villach, Austria at 5:45 pm. The trip went rather smoothly, I read a book and listened to the smooth sounds of my Ipod. I am so grateful for who ever invented the Ipod. This little contraption helped to somewhat block out the sound of three screaming babies in my cabin. Once I arrived in Villach, I had some what of a problem finding Opa and Eric. They happened to have been on the wrong platform, which left both parties weary. After 10 minutes of searching, we found each other at the bottom of the stairs between the two differing platforms. When I left Vienna, the day was cold and wet, however, when I arrived in Villach it was clear and pleasant. We packed ourselves in Eric's BMW and traveled through the Alps to our hotel. The hotel that we stayed in was the Hotel Eschenhof, which is rated top in the area. It was a very beautiful hotel that was set close to the village. That night we had a very nice meal. I had veal schnitzel with a cold salad and warm bread. It was so nice to be surrounded by family. I had a wonderful time getting to know Aunt Desiree, cousin Sierra (2nd grade), and Uncle Eric, for it was the first time I had the opportunity to meet them . The next morning we woke up bright and early for breakfast. The buffet was outstanding with a multitude of choices for cereal, bread, juice, fruit, eggs, etc. Sierra and I drank the hot chocolate, I must say it was one of the best hot chocolates I have yet to taste. From this point on Sierra and I had hot chocolate with every meal. From breakfast, we took a bus up to the the top of a mountain to watch the cows come down. It was a celebration that happened once a year, which marked the beginning of winter. All the cows were adorned in flowers and were herded down to the village for a party. A band lead them all the way down the mountain. Once the cows arrived, the party began, a sermon was given and blessings were bestowed. Tons of great food was served and lots of pictures were taken. **As a side note, I am trying to figure out how I can post my pictures on here so you can see what I am experiencing. I am hoping to get them up in the next couple days. Thanks for being so patient.** After we had enough of the celebration we headed back to the hotel for a nice long nap. That afternoon I took an almost 4 hour nap, which was desperately needed. That evening we went down to dinner. I had a balsamic marinated steak with mushroom soup and salad. I have to say that I have had the opportunity to have mushrooms at every meal since I have arrived in Europe, which is extremely nice....Dad, I thought I ate a lot of mushrooms before... but now I eat tons..and they are so so tasty :) Sunday morning, I woke up and ate breakfast and headed for my departure at the train station at 10:20 am. I arrived back home in Vienna at 3:00 pm. Overall, I had an extremely wonderful time and appreciated Opa, Helga, Desiree, Eric, and Sierra's kind hospitality and love. It was such a great experience and it is one that I will always hold in my heart. If you are ever in Austria, Bad Kleinkirchheim is definitely a place that shouldn't be missed. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Thank you again for reading!!! I am going to head to bed and get some rest for another long week of German!!

Its too cold outside...

So, it has been raining for the past 3 days (not to mention) it is under 40 degrees F which makes it extremely fun to walk 10 blocks to the train station twice a day. School has been going well, this intensive German is really making me want real school to start. I can't wait to have other subjects to study besides Deutsch. After class, I have been making the rounds at the fun shops in Vienna in search for a heavy nice coat and warm layers. I have not yet succeeded, but I feel it shall be soon. I did however by my first pair of skinny jeans. Yes, I have turned to the dark side and am starting to dress European. Everyone here wears skinny jeans. This phenomenon was not understood until it began to pour outside and my wide leg jeans could not fit into my cherry red with white polka dot rain boots. Now, I have a pair of black jeans that fit nicely into my Uggs and rain boots without discomfort. This afternoon I have spent writing and rewriting a foreign language for my midterm tomorrow. I am not too excited about it. I have a hard time spelling English as it is, how do they expect me to spell a whole new language right, especially German. Oh well, I will do my best. I am so ready for bed, I am not ready, however for the cold sheets. We have not turned our heater on yet, and our house is not insulated very well, so we sleep in tons of layers. After my test tomorrow, I will take a 5 hour train to Villach to visit Opa and Helga for the weekend. I can not wait. So, next time you hear from me, I will fill you in. Hope everyone is doing well!! Mema, I hope your surgery did miracles and Edward... Happy 17th Birthday!!! Love you all!!

What a night....

So, last night we got all dressed up to hang out at a winery with some of our friends. We scurried to the tram thinking we knew exactly where we were going. 15 minutes later we realized we were back to where we had started, we had been talking so much that we totally missed our stop. So, we rode it again till we got to the right place, then jumped on another tram for the last leg of our trip. Well, this tram ended up going up a huge mountain and we realized that we were going the wrong direction. So, I called my friend and told him to not leave the resturant, because when the tram stopped we would go off and get on the right tram. Well, it didnt stop until it was at the very top of the mountain. As, we stepped off the tram we realized that there was a huge festival going on. A lady figured that we were lost and told us that we might as well stay because fireworks were about to start any moment. So we did and soon found out that we had stumbeled on to a once a year wine festival. I called the guys and told them to not wait for us because we were going to stay there. We bought wine glasses and walked around to all the booths for wine tasting. It was the best wrong turn ever. After the fireworks, we realize it is only 10 and that might as well meet up with the guys downtown since they were nice and had been waiting on us, and then we kind of ditched them. So we jumped back on the tram we had come up on and headed for the 1st district. From there we went to a carnival where the oldest fairist wheel stands. It ended up being a blast, we all walked around and looked at all the fun attractions and then went to a cute resturant to sit and talk before heading home. Today, we all woke up late and made pasta with pesto (would you expect anything else), and did our German homework. I think tonight we are going to try to go to a film festival because it is the last night. Who knows though... we seem to have a hard time of figuring out how to get to places. We for sure still have some learning to do :)

A night on the town....

So, yesterday was Friday. I had my first German test which was harder than I expected. Learning a new language is extremely difficult for me! After the long test, I wondered around downtown gorgeous Vienna with my roommates until we were to exhausted to walk any longer. Then we headed on to the U-bahn (underground train) for our hour long ride home. That evening we all got dressed up and were ready to hit the town. Then one of us had the bright idea of trying to go to our friend's house in a district we had never been. We all thought this would be a great idea, but unfortunately we got miserably lost, and ended up in a whole different territory than desired. Not to mention all four of us were in short sleeves and high heels, and it was 60 degrees F outside. Two hours later we decided to give up and make our way to the center of town. Luckily, we were able to meet up with a large majority of our friends who were also walking around town. We sat outside in the cold for an hour trying to decide where to go. Finally after a long debate we ended up at a British bar at 1:30 am. Did I mention we left at 8:00 pm??? By 1:30 our feet were practically bleeding and we were def. not in a good mood. So, we went to the bar and got a pitcher of bier and really really tried to laugh off the situation (which was very hard). Then we realized it was 2:30 am, and the u-bahn stations all closed at 12:30 pm. So, we asked everyone we saw what the best way home would be. We ended up running to a shuttle that was able to take us to our apt, which was extremely lucky. To say the least we had an adventure for our first time out at night in Vienna. One thing I can say is that we learned the train system quickly.

This morning we woke up around 8:30 am and headed to down town for a delicious breakfast at a quaint cafe. I had ham and eggs and the best cappuccino. You seriously can not beat coffee in Vienna. It is practically the best ever. At 12:00pm we met the rest of our study abroad group at the Opera to get on a shuttle bus for a 3 hour tour around the town. It was such a great experience. The art history teacher was the tour guide. She did an excellent job of narrating. Anyone that can keep your attention for 3 hours is amazing. We were able to see all the fun, historical, and unique spots of Vienna. I cant wait to actually walk around the places that were pointed out. Vienna is such an amazing city, full of culture and adventure. I am so grateful to be here. After we got off the tour we went shopping. I got a really cute pair of loafer type shoes. They are really comfortable and were reasonably priced considering the area I live in. By the time we got home, we were all were exhausted. So, I made tortellini and sun dried pesto sauce for everyone. I must say I have become quite the pasta chef. It is so easy, delicious and cheap. Last night we had pasta with chanterell mushrooms, the night before pasta with capers and tomatoes. Pasta, pasta, pasta :) Oh well, we will eat it till we get tired of it and then someone else is in charge of cooking. Tonight, we are going to a winery that is in our district. It should be fun. Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful day. Miss you all very much.

Finally in Wien!!

First of all, I would like to apologize for not writing sooner. It has been so crazy here with orientation and moving into my new home. So, last week I left Katja and Hansi's house on Thursday morning by train. This was an awful adventure and I do not recommend it to anyone carrying over a small bag. Marie and I ended up having 3 suitcases each, which became a nightmare in a matter of seconds. As soon as we got on the train, people already hated us because of all of our possessions. After 10 very long minutes of sweating and almost crying, we finally were able to find a small space for our luggage to go. We than sat staring at our luggage for the remainder of the time hoping that it would not fall on the passengers below it. 5 hours passed, and finally we had made it to our final destination. We took a taxi to our hotel, and then went to the nearest restaurant for pizza. Later that evening while adventuring around the city, we realized that our hotel was attached to a mall. So, for the remainder of the time we spent walking around admiring the European styles, only looking, due to the price in Euros presented on the tags. The next day, we met our future friends and peers at the train station. It was so exciting to think that these strangers would soon be my closest friends for the next four months. On a tour bus, all 140 IES students piled on, luggage stored away, and best face on. As we drove up the winding roads to our orientation in Mariazell, everyone shared their name, major, and hometown. That evening we encountered a Vienna Wiener Schnitzel dinner, schnapps, slap dancers, and good ol' fashioned Austrian bier. On Saturday, I went to my first Deutsch lesson, first disco (fun times), and toured around the city of Mariazell, Austria. It was absolutely beautiful. On Sunday, we signed up for housing. I woke up not feeling the greatest, but figured it was due to a long night at the disco. Later that day, a cold began to occur. I knew that I had been overworking my self, so I took a nap, while the rest of the people went to a lake near by. That night, I felt my symptoms worsen so I went to bed early. Unfortunatly this wasn't a 24 hour bug. Today is Wed. and I still have a cough and cold. What a wonderful state to be in during my first week of school :) Anyways, on Monday we arrived back in Vienna. My roommates and I took a taxi to our new apartment (which by the way is abs. beautiful). A doctor owns the apartment and provided abs. everything we might ever need which was very helpful and kind. So, the apt is 3 bedrooms and 1 bath. I live with 6 other girls which could seem overwhelming but isn't to bad. We have a really big kitchen and a glass balcony that we can sit out to study or eat. The apt is also furnished with unlimited Internet which is very uncommon in Europe as well as a big TV and DVD player and two long couches in a spacious living room. We really lucked out on our living situation, the only thing that is negative is that it takes an hour to get to our institute. This becomes an issue when we have to be at school at 9 am and if we miss the 8:02 train, we are out of luck :) Fun, fun, fun :) Everyday we wish we had a car, but keep reminding our selves of the great exercise we are receiving. Tuesday was our first day of German. My class is about 15 people which is nice, and the structure of the class is participative. That evening we went to a cute restaurant down the street from school and had a good meal consisting of a yummy hamburger and french fries and TONS OF KETCHUP. Yes, ketchup most of the time you have to buy it, like at McDonald's its 50cents a packet. So, being able to have as much as you desired was very nice. Today, we went to class and spent the day walking around the city. Vienna is abs. beautiful with so much history and culture. Today however was rainy and cold. It is around 50 deg. F. now. I am freezing, I cant imagine what it will be like in a couple months. I regret ever bringing summer clothes, they are not necessary at all :) Oh well, that gives reason to shop!! This afternoon we made it to the grocery store a few blocks away and got fresh baked bread and crossants from the bakery as well freshly squezzed orange juice that you actually squezze yourself. I havent tried it yet, but it looks amazing. Well, I am going to go to bed, its 9 pm here and I'm super sick and just want to sleep before my wide awakening at 7 am! Love you all and thanks so much for reading this!!!!