30 December 2010

Preparing for Vienna

This is my very first time blogging.  I will be spending the next five months or so in Vienna for study abroad, so I thought it would be a good idea to document this experience through a blog.

I am very excited and nervous at the same time.  It is my first time in Europe so I hardly know what to expect.  What I know is that I am eager for a change.  In the last five semesters at University of Puget Sound, I have changed my direction many times, and I feel I have made many mistakes, including decisions on my major field of study.  I found myself losing my appetite for learning and for many other things I used to be interested in.  I hope to maybe regain my old interests or discover new ones in a complete strange city.  I hope to get better at German and learn about Austrian and Central European culture, art, architecture, literature, and much much more.  On the other hand, I do not want to have any expectations – I want to free myself from all of that and just be able to go out and appreciate whatever I run into.  I want to travel around and get lost.

Clark Fork River in Missoula, Montana
Meanwhile, I am staying at my sister's in Missoula, Montana for the holidays.  This means I have lots of time on my hands and almost complete control over how I spend it.  Winter in Missoula is very cold, almost colder than I remembered.  I like to monitor the whether, and I almost have to.  I mean, I find it occupying my thoughts because I am constantly cold and because it determines whether I want to, or am able to, go out or not.  As of right now, it is 10º F outside.  Let's see... it is 29º in Tacoma, 21º in Vienna, 57º in Taipei, 36º in Copenhagen, and 41º in London at the moment (I look at the temperature in Copenhagen for no significant reason; it's fun.  And London... well, I will spend one day there before I get to Vienna, so I guess that is a sufficient reason).  I amuse myself thinking that by having lived in Missoula, I can never be scared of the cold almost anywhere else I go.  Oh, and I shouldn't fret about the heat either, as it gets pretty hot in Taipei in the summer.  My point is, if there is one, that is, this is a cold, gray, quiet, and lonesome time before the big adventure, and I am patiently waiting for my departure...

I made some cookies for Christmas: Rosenmunnar, Scandinavian almond bar, and honey lace crisps.  Honestly, I simply decide what to make based on two things: the name and the appearance.

2 comments:

  1. I think it's a great idea to blog your experience, Joan!

    Follow your heart
    Follow your steps

    Happy New Year my dear :)

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  2. Wow I actually get viewers? This is great. Thank you Vivian! Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete