Settling In

Hey everyone! Sorry I didn't post this entire week...it's been busy! I've been getting into a routine and settling in more here. Weird to think I've been here for 2.5 weeks! It's gone by so fast!

This week, I went to Prater Park one night...it is a HUGE amusement park in the middle of Vienna (weird, right?), and that's where the famous Vienna Ferris Wheel is, built in the late 1800s (kind of a tourist trap though, 8.50 Euros for one time around). But, they have REALLY cool rides there....I don't know how Austrians think up such rides. I went on the classic swing ride, where you get on swings and go around and around. Except, this swing ride went around and around 300 feet above the ground, with a great view of the park and the city.

I also went on a bike tour that my study abroad program organized on the Donauinsul, which is the biggest recreation site any city has ever created for the citizens. It was about a 1.5-2 hour bike ride with 20 other people on the program. Many people go biking, rollerblading, running, walking, swimming or just lay out on the insul. However, since this is Europe, people like to leisurely express themselves by laying out on the insul without clothes on...which we biked through. Needless to say that wasn't my favorite part of the bike ride.

I went to a market closeby my apartment yesterday called the Brunnemarkt. GREAT market, with a lot of ethnic and diverse people....and I can get 10 eggs for 1 Euro!

My friends and I are starting to plan trips to go throughout the semester....Salzburg the last weekend in September, Berlin in November for the 20th anniversary of the wall falling, and maybe a few other places in Austria. My program ends on December 18th, but I bought a plane ticket to come home for the 23rd so I can travel around a little bit. One of my roommates, Maddie, bought a plane ticket to go back to the states on the 22nd, and we decided we would travel around together. So for about 2 hours this morning we were planning what we want to do. She found a railpass for Slovenia--$45 for 3 days of UNLIMITED traveling! So...we're going to Slovenia for a few days in December. Kind of random, but I did some research on Slovenia--and it's gorgeous.

Alright, off to clean and get my life organized!!!

Also: This Friday, I leave for Prague, Budapest, and Krakow for 10 days (my study abroad program organized the trip). I'll try and do another entry before I leave! And sorry about the pictures...it's kind of a hassel to put them on my blog since I can't do it at my apartment, but I will make a huge effort to add some this week.

Auf Wiedersehen!