As the smell of coffee wafts through the air in the local Starbucks, tales of 3 a.m. layovers in German train stations, Parisian adventures and snow melting in the Alps to reveal a beautiful springtime in Austria are recounted to me in exciting detail.
Sound like a backpacking trip through Europe? Not quite. Erin Baker, a senior biology major, decided to spend last spring studying abroad in Salzburg, Austria, all in hopes of gaining a greater perspective on the world and having some grand adventures along the way.
Choosing Austria was strategic for Erin. The heart of old Europe, the country is rich in tradition and culture. A unique blend of German, Czech, Swiss, Italian and Hungarian can be seen in almost everything in the landlocked country.
As her face lights up in joyful reminiscence, Erin describes some of her favorite and sometimes challenging moments packing up and traveling across the “pond” to study at Salzburg College in the quaint city of Salzburg, Austria.
In 48 hours, a trip to Paris, France was decided, planned and booked. What started out as a group endeavor soon became a party of two when everyone but Erin and a friend backed out of the trip. Undeterred, the two boarded their train bound for Germany. Along the way they encountered language barriers, closely missed trains and late nights, but eventually the destination was reached to a grand reward; the heart of France. “It was so stretching,” Erin says. “I had to step out and trust that it was going to be okay. You can accomplish a lot more than you think without knowing the language.”
In small villages throughout Austria there are many friendly neighbors to be found. Thankfully they also don’t mind giving rides to tired college students. After missing the bus back down to the city, Erin had to make the trek back down Mt. Gaisberg, a 4,225 ft. mountain just east of Salzburg on foot. Already sore and tired, she and her friends hitchhiked home with an Austrian farmer and his cousin.
It is stories such as these and many more that Erin holds onto along with the sights and sounds of a country very unlike her own.
For Erin, adapting was not a challenge in these dream-like surroundings. It was easy to become immersed in the culture. Part of her curriculum was language and cuisine. One of the things Erin misses most is the many Austrian dishes she and her friends would spend time making and trying such as goulash, a beef stew with many vegetables and spices, and kaiserschmarrn, a soft fluffy pancake.
Having a host family that spoke fluent English helped greatly with acclimation and although some families can be very strict in their traditions and customs, Erin’s host family was more relaxed, which made for a much easier transition. “I always knew I wanted to live with a host family and really have the invaluable experience of really living in another country,” she said.
One of the greatest and most fulfilling aspects of the study abroad experience for Erin was the great respect and knowledge she gained for other cultures. From the small villages to the larger cities, interactions with people were necessary and most of the time there were language barriers she had to overcome.
However, this deepened her appreciation for not only other cultures but for the individual as well. “I walked away with a greater worldview,” Erin said. “A greater appreciation for other cultures and how they see the world and where they place importance. It really broadened my perspectives.”
Through adventures, and perhaps some misadventures, a greater understanding of the world and people was reached. “People are people wherever you go,” Erin said. “Daily interaction with Europeans pushed me towards looking further into culture differences, definitely stretching my worldview.”
