The Vienna Diaries~ The Fun is Done

I'm so sad to be back from Austria. So sad.
It had felt like the whirlwind journey would never come to an end but that's the joy of travel- each day is new, exciting, interesting and most of all a chance to grow.

The first month was spent learning the basics of German. I took an intensive A1.1 course at the university's language center. This is where I met (almost) all the North Americans I knew in Austria and FYI, there are loads of them in the country- who would have guessed! A lovely, lovely Canadian girl who actually moved to London this past September- just 10 minutes down the road from my Dad's place. What a small world right?
The course itself was fairly easy to follow with regards to speaking and reading. The grammar, however, was where most of us struggled. For those of you that don't know German grammar is a b*tch. The course ran for the entire month of February, 3 hours each day and went by faster than I had originally expected. Soon we had passed our examination and were walking away still not being able to speak German :(.
Also in this first month I met three people I became undoubtedly close with throughout my whole stay. Taz, Iyana and Nica. They were the three that shaped my experience in Austria and when Taz and Iyana had left for home, I truly felt like I had lost my family.

The best memories I hold from living abroad range from the tiny special moments to the nights spent wild and free. The cooking adventures with Taz and the Phil dates with Iyana were amongst my favourite. As we all lived in one big extremely nice student building we were there for each other 24 hours a day. You could get home at 6am from a heavy night clubbing and find a group of friendly faces vibing to some music offering not only tunes but pizza! When the major sports matches were on you could be sure to have a beer and fajita party hosted by the accommodations events team to loosen up.

Whilst in Vienna I had planned to do lots and lots of travelling but I'm slightly ashamed to say I just got caught up. I only left Austria once and that was on a random trip to Budapest with my sister, Tara. In fact, thinking about it, part of the reason I didn't leave was because I was nicely surprised with vists from family and friends. I had originally thought no one would come and visit... it turned out I had 6 visits in total!

Looking back, although for the most part I didn't want to leave- towards the end I was happy to say bon voyage. End of June had come, my exams were over, my room was packed up, my winter things sent back to the UK and my backpack and suitcase packed for the next non-stop month of travels. I had spent the last two months of my stay in Austria feeling rather low, mostly because my two very bestest friends there (one who has become my boyfriend) had left and now the summer was in full swing. I ended up spending a lot of my days studying, exploring and going for hikes but it hadn't been the same as having them there.

It now being winter in London, I do think a lot about Vienna. It holds a special place in my heart and although I wouldn't choose to live there again, I would definitely visit- without a second thought! I have unfinished business with Austria and I know they are waiting for me haha!

Peace&Love,
Willow

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The Vienna Diaries~ Kelsie Visits

Yesterday was my gorgeous twinny cousin Kelsie's 22nd birthday. Oops, I almost wrote 16th there haha but she is definitely 22 (don't judge by height hehe). We were pretty much like sisters growing up and then she moved all the way north of England, to Scotland while I stayed down south in London.
It was so lovely to see her and I couldn't believe she was making the effort to come all this way to see me and my new city. We hadn't spoken for a year or so and we hadn't seen each other for about 5 years. I hadn't actually realised it had been that long, so it was really special having her with me.

Kelsie flew into Bratislava airport as there were no direct flights available into Vienna on the weekend she had planned to visit. I was supposed to meet her at the airport but in my true style, I was running late and missed my coach across the border. Poor Kelsie had a super low battery and managed to catch a train from the airport to Wien Hauptbahnhof where I met her and we made our way to my student halls.

The next day involved lots of sightseeing, which we all know means a load of walking.

It was a good idea until...

Ouch...

By the late afternoon, we were exhausted so we decided to head inside for some food and get ready for the Friday night fun to follow...

I had been told about a nice hip-hop event some friends were DJing at and so we headed to Praterstern where the event was taking place. The music was so so good but sadly the venue was a lot like a shed. We just thanked the bottle of Gin we had finished earlier and boogied the night away.

Saturday was a sunny but chilly day. We had a slow morning and then took a drive up to Cobenzl, 2/3rds up the mountain that overlooks Vienna. We brought some drinks, some music and a ball to wack about. It turned out to be extremely cold once up there but we made the best of it, as with good company always comes good vibes.

 

That night was a bit less shed like and a bit more messy drunk-extremely sober. Sadly we were the extremely sober ones... We headed to another DJ event to have some drinks and meet some friends and from there went to Pasage, one of the more 'boujee' clubs in Vienna. Maybe we weren't drunk enough but my gosh was it far from 'boujee'. More like messy drunk 17 year olds falling about the place to semi decent music. Kelsie wasn't impressed and to be honest neither was I. We tried to make the best of an awkward situation, especially as we had paid entry but after an hour or so, we left.
As we had left so late to head out we ended up getting in around 5am. Kelsie was leaving the next day and we hadn't organised her transport back to Bratislava, while Kelsie slept the little she could before the exhausting trek back home, I sat up trying to find a coach or train that wasn't completely booked up, back to Bratislava. Turns out none of the available trains would get her there on time for her flight, as so the only option was the 8am bus from the Hauptbahnhof. She managed to get an hour or two sleep and by 7:10am we were running for trains to reach the correct bus stop.

It all happened so fast and before I knew it, we were waving goodbye.

Thank you for making the effort to come and visit me Keke, it really meant a lot. <3

Peace&Love,
Willow

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The Vienna Diaries~ Cassie Visits

A day with Cassie.

I saw this beauty standing in the distance, in blackish jeans and a cute coat, cordry was it? She was waiting by Praterstern station tram stop and looking out into the distance. Vienna. Only thing missing was a pretty setting rather than Praters concreate view. I crept up behind her as I do all those I approach from behind (without sounding creepy haha) and gave her a huge hug. Cassie jumped a little and we both began laughing, I knew our wonderful day had begun.

I went to school with Cassie for 5 and a bit years... ages 11 till 16, untill I dropped out of Sixth Form. We caught the train to and from school everyday together (along with some other wonderful people) for around 4 of those years in which we build a more solid friendship than we had probably anticipated at the time. 

Who knew we would end up sat at Aida in Stephansplatz, Vienna smoking a cigarette and sipping on a Wiener Melange. 

We began the day doing all the cool touristy things. That included walking in and around the 1st district, Stephansplatz and so on, taking a trip to Schönbrunn Palace, strolling through Meidling Shopping Centre (not much to see at all, but sometimes that's nice) and rounding up the day with Hunterwasser's Apartment design. 

The day was fruitfull as we rekindled a spark in our friendship that was longing to be ignited. I heard about her new found love and she sympathised with my usual dramas. I had a great day and it was filled purely with laughter and shitty tour guide skills.

Thank you for visiting me, beautiful lady. May all your dreams come true.

See you in Japan <3

Peace & Love,

Willow

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The Vienna Diaries~ The Chocolate Museum

One of my best friends in Vienna, Iyana is from Alabama. She is a glowy, bubbly person with a heart of gold. I had never met such a thoughtful and caring soul... and she had midterms! In the UK at least, midterms don't really seem to exist. Maybe it's the schooling I've come into contact with which has meant I'm lucky and escaped the dreaded midterm exams. Iyana, being from the USA has had to deal with this shit all her life. I wanted to treat her to something really lovely that would help her distress and what better than chocolate...

The first week I met Iyana, she had mentioned a chocolate museum in Vienna that she had wanted to visit and myself being a lover of chocolate (or just food in general) thought it was a great idea. The conversation faded and a month and a bit on I told her to get dressed as we were going out... well, it didn't happen quite like that but Iyana still had no idea what was going on (she claims hahaha). We caught the S-Bahn to Praterstern, only a 3/4 minute ride from our student accommodation and then walked in the brisk wind to Prater, where the museum was located.

All made of chocolate! 

Even though the chocolate museum felt like an outdated chocolate wonderland that probably had it's high time in 1980's  Iyana and I still had such a lovely time and it felt good knowing I have this wonderful lady in my life... I appreciate you girl! Here for you anytime, anywhere <3

Peace & Love,
Willow

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The Vienna Diaries~ My First Day

I haven't written anything about my move to Vienna, apart from the odd scribble in my diary and now I find myself sat in bed at 3am wondering why...

I moved here on the 1st February and it's now the 5th March. Sheesh. Over a month and here I am, sat reflecting and writing down my thoughts.

My First Day 1/02/2018

I caught the westbound central line train bright and early from Loughton to Stratford. I remember thinking about how this is my last time in such a familiar and almost routine location for at least the next 5 months. I waited for Vinny to arrive as I had got there quite early (for once) and when we met each other he grabbed my hand luggage and one of my suitcases and off we walked to the platform. I had previously struggled with my 2 overweight suitcases and 10kg backpack so was therefore reminded of how much I will miss this ever so important man in my life.

Once I was checked in and past security and was able to sit and watch the planes taking off. I was completely alone now and I felt a little odd. I still didn't feel like I was moving countries. I had packed, said my goodbyes and I was then waiting for my flight to be called in this tiny duty-free airport, yet I still did not understand why I felt so calm. Possibly I was just exhausted as I only had around 2 hours sleep but even still. The reason I mention this slightly confusing feeling is because I still somehow feel it. I am so at home in Vienna, however, I feel like I haven't moved countries at all, but rather taken a nice, long break that keeps going on and getting better. 

I eventually boarded the plane and slept for the whole journey. I arrived in Vienna at around 3pm and decided to catch the train as I knew that a taxi would be the easy and expensive way out. I dragged my 2 suitcases down to the station and spent about 10 minutes trying to figure out which ticket was correct for where I was heading as well as why on earth google maps was telling me to leave in an hour rather than straight away. Despite the fact that I had changed the language to English on the machine it turned out to still be a struggle for my tired brain and after jabbing at the touch screen overs and overs, a ticket was spat out and I headed for the platform. I looked at the monitor and could not figure out which train was heading to my stop. Google maps was telling me to leave in an hour and it hadn't clicked that I had just forgotten to change the time on my phone (as I had taken it off automatic whilst in Morocco). I decided to take a chance and go to the platform most people were getting on- the 1st platform. It was a smart choice too as I made it safely to Traissengasse Station and was then able to complete the final leg of the journey, the 7 minute walk from the station to my new home... The Fizz. Unfortunately, it was raining fairly heavily and I arrived looking like a washed-up Londoner. 

My room was (and is still) so so beautiful. I am staying in a student dorm that is quite literally kitted out with everything. It has a music room, 2 study rooms, a cinema room, a rooftop terrace, large common area (with hammocks!), shared kitchen and dining area for everyone downstairs, kitchens and living rooms on every 2nd floor and not to mention my own room that has a private kitchenette and bathroom. We can use the amenities downstairs by popping to reception, that includes pool tables, Fussball tables, Playstations, extra beds, BBQ's and everything else you may want or require to live comfortably. Ok, so I'm done showing off and I am so happy to be here, even if it did mean I pay a little more than other students in Vienna. I am still paying less rent than I was in London for something a 20x the quality and comfort. 

I was shown to my room and after sorting out the legal bits was left to relax... or not. There was, of course, no bed linen, food, pots or pans, toilet paper or anything. My suitcase had been stuffed to the brim with clothes and shoes and so a trip to the nearest supermarket was required, but I was beginning to realise how exhausted I was. The linen-less bed looked so inviting and I didn't care too much about my hunger. I was wet, cold and tired! I eventually decided that I should just do what needs to be done now- or as much of it as I could in order to avoid more stress tomorrow. I headed to Wien Mitte, Landstrasse, a shopping centre 7 minutes away by train, in order to buy a duvet, pillow and some bed sheets. I ended up spending hours in Interspar trying to work out the measurements and find some decent food to take back. Everything felt like such an ordeal, especially when I didn't understand a word of German. I really was the ignorant foreigner that did not speak the native tongue and couldn't communicate even to ask where I could find the bread. Most people do speak English in Austria or at least Vienna so in all truthfulness it was not a huge issue, but what I struggled with was the slight embarrassment I felt when trying to be respectful and at least attempting to use my limited knowledge of German to communicate. As it was I walked around Interspar with my phone in hand and google translate bright on the screen. Such a simple and usually enjoyable process for me had turned into stress. I had to get a taxi home as my trolly was filled to the brim with shopping bags and there was no way I was catching the train again, especially in case it started to rain. I called an Uber and within 5 minutes I was picked up. The driver was super friendly and basically the third or fourth person I had had direct contact with since arriving in the new city. He did not speak a word of English and found it hilarious when I attempted to be polite and converse with him. I remember being asked questions in an Austrian German accent to which my reply would be, 'errmmm ja- Entschuldigung, I don't understand, meine Deutsch ist schlect'. The driver would throw his head back with laughter and then proceed on to asking me more Deutsch questions. When I would ask some English questions he would simply shake his head showing that he hadn't the faintest idea what I had said. The slightly strange and painful experience was eventually over and I had never been so happy to rest my head. My new bed, my new room, my new city- Vienna was my new home and all I could think about was sleep.

Peace&Love,
Willow

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I'm Moving to Vienna!

It was around two weeks ago that I found out in February 2018 I will be enrolling at the University of Vienna for their 2018 summer semester as a student of the Sociology Department!

CRAAAAZYYYY, I know!

Coming from an average working class family it is amazing that opportunities like this now exist for people like me and I am honoured to have been nominated and selected by Goldsmiths, University of London and the University of Vienna. 
The semester begins on the 1st March 2018 which as of now seems miles away, but I know once Christmas has passed it will most definitely fly by. The summer semester lasts 5 months in total as it finishes on the 30th June 2018, although I will be heading down there possibly 2 weeks to a month before hand, just to get my baring of the city.
I will be studying within the Sociology Department and all my grades will be worked out on an average of how well I perform throughout the term, which means no slacking off for me- I must stay focused (something I can struggle with). Once I am back in London for summer holidays, the transcript of all my grades will be sent back over and Goldsmiths will then do the conversion and update my file ready for my third and final year...

Things I'm nervous about:

• Despite learning German from Year 7 till Year 10, I can just about introduce myself. It is very funny actually, how life works. My classmates and I all used to complain about learning German as it was difficult and our teacher was Italian herself- not very convincing (I know we shouldn't have judged!) and now here I am struggling to find an affordable intensive German language course that will make me a native within 3 months hahaha!!!
• I mean all the worrying aspects are going to relate back to the language barrier however I'll break a few of them down. Making friends... This is worrying and although I don't find it exactly difficult to make friends, even a confident, outgoing person can feel nervous about this. I mean I could accidentally end up hanging with the wrong crowd and end up trapped in a scary situation not speaking German and not being able to escape!!! Or what if I just end up alone and lost... wandering the streets every Saturday night looking for a pal?! :(
• My course... yes, it will be taught in English (Thank Goodness as I did spend about 4 days shitting myself at the fact that I may have to do half my course in another language). Rest assured that I won't have this little stress but I have heard this particular university system (from a native Austrian) is quite rigorous and takes no prisoners! Please Goldsmiths... please have me ready for what I am about to get myself into. Even just reading the course catalogue made me realise I need to start reading like 4000 words per minute to even have a semi chance at getting a decent grade. Shize.
• Getting around... I know this will eventually come to me and it won't take too long for the penny to drop but seriously. Finding my way around Vienna will not be a walk in the park by any means. It is just one of those things I have to take in my stride.
• I know I have already mentioned my course but I have to admit the prospect of FAILING is a very big risk. It took a while for me to adjust to Goldsmiths and now I'm making myself do it all overs again in Austria?! If I do not pass the summer semester I will have to retake the whole year!!!
• My skin colour... This has been an underlining worry about the complete experience as I have heard many rumours that it can be slightly racist in Austria. Of course these are just rumours and there is only one wa to find out. It is a capital city and not a little village in the middle of the countryside so that definitely does help, however it doesn't remove the worry. There was a point when Vinny was considering moving over there with me for a few months to see what he thinks of it, but he too (as a black male of African decent) was warned that he 'won't stand a chance'. I understand people only say things like this out of concern and of course to raise caution but I've realised that if you listen to everything everyone says you will never leave your house! Many people have also old me about how I will absolutely love it and have a blast- without a mention of my brown skin! I will be regularly writing on here to keep my readers in the know about my experience as a mixed race 20 year old living in Vienna, Austria.

Things I'm excited about:

• The fact that when I get back I will speak a decent (I hope) level of German!! I've been trying to get myself to learn a second language for a very long time now but it is much easier said than done. Now I will be knees deep in the German language, yay meeeee!
• My accommodation... although it hasn't been sorted yet, I am so so excited at the prospect of having as cool little room/ apartment in a quaint capital city. I'll do it up and make it totally me as well as make sure I'm living in a great location near lots of amenities, so when people want to come visit me... I will be a stone throw away from some exciting things to do and see!
• Travelling (of course) around the whole of Austria! This is an area of the study abroad scheme that excites me the most. I will get to travel all over the country and to neighboring counties such as Italy, Switzerland, Hungry and more of course. I really also want to venture to Salzburg, Austria where the Sound of Music was filmed.... how incredible!
• Making friends... although this is a worry, it also does make me so excited at the prospect of  possibly building relationships with people that could last a lifetime! The sailing trip I ventured on was only for 2 weeks and yet I came back to two incredible friends... Giullianna and Lettie. If the same can happen over a 6 month period I will be more than overjoyed as real friends are far and few between ;).
• I am excited to learrrrrnnnnnn all about Sociology from a completely different perspective to what is taught at Goldsmiths. Although Goldsmiths is good at being very open and understanding to the fact that there are many different and contrasting interpretations of theories and theorists it will be great to see if thousands of miles away people think the same, similar or worlds apart!
• Experiencing Austrian culture including the food, attractions, music, fashion, attitude in general and nightlife woooo! I'm almost certain I will be seen as an alien, being British and all haha.
• My family and friends coming to visit me and seeing how well I'll hopefully be doing. I will get to show them around and open their worlds a little more!
• Returning home and feeling that sense of achievement. It sounds overly cringe I know but it is true. If I do this and return to tell the tale- still smiling- I will have achieved so much more than I could have ever hoped for. Hopefully making my family, friends and mumma (guardian angel) super proud of me!

I will be keeping the site updated with what happens next in my incredulous venture so stick around and check back every now and then. Oh and wish me luck in these next few hectic months of preparation!

https://www-tc.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/files/2016/09/vienna-summer16-promo-mez.jpg

Peace&Love,

Willow

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