My transition from Paris to Vienna has been great. The morning I left Paris, it was storming (thunder, lightening, heavy rainfall)...so the flight had more turbulence than I've ever experienced. I literally was gripping onto my seat, and there were screaming people behind me which wasn't helping the situation. Luckily, it only lasted about 15 minutes or so. But I'm not gonna lie, I may have said a prayer.
I want to mention the flight experience with FlyNikki. We are seriously getting shafted in the US with our plane service. I've never felt so welcome on a plane! The flight attendants were beautiful women who wore bright pink tops and short skirts! They even wore high heels, pink lipstick, and pink berets! When I walked on the flight, the plane was playing Kid Rock's "All Summer Long" loudly. I felt like I was supposed to be heading to Vegas or something. They had the best service I ever experienced on a plane. So including the awful turbulence, it was a memorable flight.
I arrived at Wombat's hostel in Vienna. This hostel was super unique. When I first walked in, I saw a giant common room with a huge couch, a pool table, and this massive "chill spot" which is pretty much a big elevated cushion with a million pillows. There were people lying all over the place, clearly exhausted from the heat or the night before. This hostel was much bigger than the one in Paris, and they were much more English-friendly and hospitable.
I rode solo most of the day, grabbing food and walking around Vienna by myself. Later on I met my roommates, 2 Aussies and a German.
The best part of this hostel is called the WomBar. It's a public bar located in the basement of the hostel! Upon arrival, they give you a coupon for a free drink. When my roommates disappeared, I was left alone and hadn't really met anyone in the daytime. So, I mustered up some courage and decided to go to the bar by myself and hope for the best. Best decision I ever made! I had a blast. The spain/paraguay game was on, and everyone was drinking and having a good time. I met backpackers and travelers from all over, especially the United States and Australia. A group of girls from CA (and a girl from Hinsdale!) were very nice and we hung out the entire night.
One thing that I am learning on this trip is that you have to forget about your insecurities with talking to strangers. Yes, you feel kind of stupid for a minute or so, but it's a hell of a lot more fun than sitting by yourself in the room. Especially when you're a solo traveler, I am always relieved when I meet people who are so willing to invite me along.
Today I moved into Haus Erasmus, where I'll be living the next couple weeks. After I unpacked, I decided to get out and really see Vienna. I can't even describe how much I fell in love with this city. It's beautiful, clean, part urban/part country, picturesque, unique. My pictures are nice, but you really cannot grasp how shockingly nice it is. Normally you expect big cities to be somewhat grimy and gritty, but with nice architecture, museums, etc. But Vienna, it was like walking into a meticulously-kept home where the owners treat their guests like they've known them forever.
Paris was outstanding, but after coming to Vienna there are certain things that I look back on (solely as a tourist) in Paris that make it harder to truly love. Paris reminds me of New York. They are nice people, but not overly hospitable. I didn't live there long enough to judge, but from what I experienced, the service was downright terrible. Andrew and I waited 40 minutes for a check one evening (after asking 3 times for it). It's a much colder culture. But Vienna reminded me of a small town where everyone is pleasant and friendly. First off, they speak perfect english and they are extremely nice. I was lost earlier today, and a women LITERALLY walked me two blocks and told me which U-bahn(train) to take back. I told her not to, but she insisted because I was alone without a map (speaking of which, I'm an idiot for forgetting a map when I explore by myself). When i went to a cafe for lunch, the service reminded me of America where they are very attentive, and I appreciate that.
Tonight, everyone in the program met up in the lobby to walk around town. It was a great chance for introductions. People are from EVERYWHERE! A decent amount of Americans, Ukraine, Croatia, Canada, Spain, China, Japan, etc. It was really nice and I can tell we will have a great time as a group. Once back in the haus, a couple of us had some beers up in the "game room" and got to know each other further. Most people were jet-lagged, so the night ended pretty early. But so far, I feel really great about the whole thing. Tomorrow we officially start with an opening ceremony in the morning. I am looking forward to all the fun activities that await!
Here is a great video for what happens at midnight in Paris...
And here is an awkward mini-tour of my room....don't make fun of me...
Happy 4th of July from Vienna,
T
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