They speak German

When trying to decide what to title this blog and write about, a cleaning lady came into the room and asked me a question about the trash. Without thinking, my immediate answer was in spanish. The embarrassment on my face and the confusion on hers was a sight to see. Then it hit me: I'll write about the culture shock.

When we first got to Vienna, I was so excited. Everyone was laughing at me on how giddy I was just to be at the airport. I wasn't bothered by the fact that I could hardly read the signs, barely understand the people, or fluently speak the language. But, you could tell that the comfort level that I was at was far beyond those of my fellow classmates. The past three days have been interesting to see the interactions between my friends and the culture here in Vienna. The most common thing I've heard is "I can't understand anything. I miss London." I guess I never really thought about how scary it is to actually be in another country that doesn't speak english. I was there once before, and yes, i didn't understand, but for some reason, even then, it didn't bother me. Maybe its my normal ignorance of everyday things in america or my way of coping, but I'm content being surrounded by "unknowns". I find europe to be an adventure, ready to be explored. And exploring we do. The second day consisted of a scavenger hunt around vienna in pre-made groups. My group was the only group who used the subway system because I'm the only one who could navigate it, giving me the first reaction of "Its not that hard! This is so easy!" And then I realized, I've traveled on these trains before, and they haven't. If anything, that is my culture shock...

It has been wonderful seeing Vienna again, despite the fact that it has rained almost everyday. I just don't know about others. The standard expression was literally "shock". God made all kinds of people, and they don't all speak english. Its a learning experience, even for me.
Time to travel once again! Off to Stephens Dome I go!

Till next time!