Some travel advice from my counter-part.
I’ve been in Vienna for a month. A whole month. That’s nuts. The days are flying by, and I’m trying my best to make the most of every single one. I’ve already learned and seen so much. So, in honor of this day, here are ten European observations I’ve made thus far:
1. Having a small bladder takes a toll on your wallet. Seriously, you have to pay to pee everywhere you go. It adds up.
2. The boys have nicer hair here. And clothes. And shoes.
3. Everything is small. Elevators, cars, shampoo bottles, coffee cups… Maybe I’ve just been in big ol’ America too long.
4. Sweatpants, leggings, and athletic clothes will earn you disapproving stares from the little Viennese ladies on the U-Bahn. Thankfully, I am neither athletic nor a sweatpants-wearer, so I’ve managed to avoid the glares.
5. It costs about three dollars to send a little postcard back to the States. So don’t be offended if I go broke and you don’t get one.
6. 90% of the notebooks here contain ONLY GRAPH PAPER. Making back-to-school shopping a weeee bit frustrating.
7. In some bakeries, there is a “sit down” price and a “take away” price for your pastry. Don’t try to sit down if you’ve ordered the latter. It gets awkward.
8. Almost all the music here is in English, none of the swear words are censored, and even though everyone can sing along, no one actually understands what they’re singing along to.
9. If the person you’re talking to doesn’t speak English, putting on a desperately confused face is rarely going to stop them from continuing to speak rapid-fire German. It’s best to just nod patiently and find an appropriate moment to retreat. (That one goes out to my cleaning lady, who I think wants me to keep the garbage can under the sink. Or she was just saying hello. I couldn’t tell.)
10. “Austrian cuisine” is synonymous with “copious amounts of meat and cheese.” Refer to Exhibit A, dinner last night at a nearby Austrian restaurant.
