Mid-Trip Experiences
the top of the summit was reached, it was well worth the trek. We each carried a stone we plucked from the bank of the lake to a point before Mozart's supposed hermitage and placed the stone among others. I do not know if the tradition is unique to Austria, or is common among many pilgrimages up mountains, but the experience was very surreal. It felt meditative -- as if I was relieving myself of a burden I had been carrying. After the trek up the mountain, the journey down was very easy. We reached the bottom and had a wonderful lunch with a gorgeous view of the lake. Behind the restaurant we saw the imposing Maypole that the town erected celebrating the return of warmer weather. Overall, the trip to Wolfgangsee has stuck out as a wonderful look into the cultural life of the smaller towns and villages that are spread among Austria.
By Nash Dean
6/2/2018
My travels thus far on this study abroad have surpassed my expectations of the adventures I imagined. You do not really know how your journey will end up until the time you have begun down the path. I understand that now. So far we have been to Munich, Budapest (this was an extracurricular trip), Wolfgangsee, and are now in Vienna.
It is very difficult to compare the experiences from each of these places since they are all so unique. However, if I had to pick a favorite simply from natural beauty, it would be Wolfgangsee. The village and hike up the mountain was one of the most tranquil experiences of my life. The path to the top was a steep thirty plus degree incline, much steeper than the shallow hills Florida has to offer. But once
TheMaibaum (also called a Maypole) in Wolfgangsee
Me standing in front of Wolfgangsee Lake
Me posing halfway up the mountain we hiked in Wolfgansee (Outside of the frame is Mozart's Hermitage on the right)
As for our current trip to Vienna, I have enjoyed it very much. This trip was also included in the program like the trip to Wolfgangsee, but I am happy that the program has had some loosely structured trips. I believe these trips have given me greater cultural insight on Austrian heritage and history. So far we have taken a walking tour and seen the tombs of the Hapsburgs along with a tour of the State Opera House, Austrian Parliament Building and United Nations Headquarters. Additionally, we had the opportunity to see a free opera in the courtyards of the Schönbrunn Palace. I personally found it enlightening and a very beautiful experience. Originally I was not planning on attending, however I changed my mind last minute, but got lost on the way to the U-Bahn. Fortunately I found a nice Serbian man who had a better sense of direction and led me to the concert. As for today, we had the liberty to plan our own events. I took advantage of the free day by exploring the area around the Schönbrunn Palace. Tomorrow we will return here to take a tour of inside the palace, however I wanted the opportunity to see the rest of the grounds first since we will likely be rushed along the tour in order to make our train. So far however, I have pleasantly enjoyed Vienna.
Me posing on the Grand Staircase at the Vienna State Opera House
The Free Opera performance at the Schönnbrunn Palace
Me sitting in the same seat the Austrian President would in the Parliament building
As far as the rest of the program goes, I have enjoyed meeting many of the other students of whom I'm studying abroad with and particularly taken a lot of interest in my European Union Economics and Politics class. My other class in Cultural Business has been more of a disappointment since the material covered in the class thus far has been nearly the same material I learned in my Principles of Marketing course at the University of Florida. I still have hope that the class will get better though. Additionally I wish our program took place at the University in Salzburg to give a more complete study abroad feeling, but I have enjoyed getting to meet the other foreign students staying in the same location where we attend class. Though the program only has a couple more weeks left, I know the weeks will be filled with long lasting memories and experiences!