1-800-europe-blog - Tumblr blog

[1-800-europe-blog]

Morning No. 1

I woke up this morning in a queen sized bed covered in pillows and blankets. In my own room. With carpeted floors. And a ceiling fan. And a closet with more than ten outfits. In a house not shared by 500 other people.

And it was so. weird.

I hated Europahaus with my entire heart- it was freezing cold, and always, always, always dirty. I had one pillow and one blanket, both of which were wards of the dorm and have been used by EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO SLEPT IN MY ROOM BEFORE ME. It was a gross place, people.

But I woke up in my beautiful new room, in my beautiful (CLEAN) new house, and felt almost sad that I would never sleep in my faux-Europa-home again... That feeling was quickly remedied when I used my own bathroom that wasn’t two feet from my bed, though.

It’s going to take some getting used to, but I am officially home.

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I’M HOME!!!

I had so, so many posts about my last week in Vienna, the packing up process, saying “bye” to everyone, and my last day, alone, in my city that I was going to post after I surprised my friends (I came back two weeks earlier than I told them)... Now that I’m home, though, it doesn’t seem important to share my pitiful final days in Europe. Because I’M HOME!!!

I walked through the door, hugged my parents, and we all three cried. A lot. 

My dad said, “You are never allowed to do that again.”

Roc peed everywhere.

It was perfect.

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Advice from an English Major

Do not study abroad.

It’s amazing, sure. 

But for my Modern Europe final I have to write a ten page paper- something I was doing on a biweekly basis for the past year (shout out to Dr. Hackler and Dr. Weaver) and could finish in less than 48-hours with the right amounts of stress and On-Cue coffee.

Yet here I am, in mild shock over a ten page paper. 

After one semester of not touching my keyboard for anything but Tumblr updates and GroupMe messages, I have forgotten how to even begin a research paper.

How do I format margins?

Is 12-point font normal?

I have to cite every source?

What does MLA stand for!?

Next semester is going to be the longest. Please pray for my professors. 

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Single Digits

Nine days left, and today is perfect.

It’s sunny, we’re camped out in Starbucks writing a paper, have decided on our Christmas Markets for tonight (Karlsplatz, Belvedere, and Universitåt), and are making a TREK to get REAL BAGELS at Blue Orange off the U6. 

It’s a combination of the little things, people. 

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UPDATE!!!

I added two more Christmas Markets to the list, and 2,000 more calories to my daily diet.

There’s a traditional Austrian holiday treat called Kaiserschmarren, which roughly translates to scrambled pancakes. 

SCRAMBLED. PANCAKES. PEOPLE.

They make huge, thick pancakes on a griddle and, right before they’re fully cooked, break them into bite-sized pieces, cover everything in sugar, and make Sara Pitts the happiest girl in the world.

They come served with vanilla sauce, apple puree, plum compote, or warm chocolate sauce(<3), and are only FIVE EURO for a heaping bowl. 

I didn’t come to Europe with diabetes, but I absolutely might leave with it. 

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No Bad Days

Today was extremely Viennese (AKA, my favourite kind of day).

We went to Mariahilferstrasse to get Elle’s Christmas gift and add to Cole’s ever growing, Zara-fueled wardrobe, then walked to the Maria-Theresien-Platz Christmas Market for lunch; stopped at Naschmarkt for hummus and falafel and emptied Cole’s Polaroid while standing in front of Neni’s Christmas tree. We explored the Schönbrunn Palace Christmas Market and didn’t leave until we’d eaten so much we legitimately hated ourselves, finished our season of Grey’s (Shonda Rhimes is the love of my life), and are ending the day with Hüttledorf station Turkish noodles (the thing I’ll miss the most about Vienna).

The ONE downside to today was realizing it’s our last double-digit day in Vienna... Which was quickly rectified by remembering we’ll be spending the holidays in Mallorca. #BratLife

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*Cue Bawling my Eyes Out

Being completely used to a place makes it feel like home. 

Seeing the same things, taking the same buses, knowing the U-Bahn stops by heart, having a favourite place- it all feels like home and I LOVE IT. 

But it really, really hurts my heart that my family will never see this place, and it makes going back to the US a little harder.

Like, I actually lived in a foreign country for four months and my people have no idea what it was really like. So I’ll go home, show them some pictures, and... That’s it. 

They don’t have any personal interest in Vienna because they’re completely removed from my entire experience. I won’t be able to say, “I would kill for an Anker chocolate croissant right now.” without getting eye rolls from my siblings, because they’ve never had one. I can’t talk about how much I miss walking around Mariahilferstrasse without them tuning me out, because they don’t know how much fun it is to be there.

I’ve heard that the adjustment period going back to the States is more difficult than the adjustment to Europe, and I never understood why until now.

The cultures are different. The language is different. The people and food and lifestyle are different. You effectively live a completely different life for four months... Then you just go home.

And while you’re struggling to get reacquainted with driving everywhere, and 24-hour grocery stores, and the visual onslaught of suddenly being able to read and understand everything, you also feel alone because no one around you understands why it’s SO HARD to get used to a life you’ve lived for the past twenty-two years. 

I, however, am one of the lucky ones.

I have Sus, and Jess, and Cole, who have been here and love the same things I love and miss the same places I miss. I will be able to text the words “naschmarkt” to those people and get back the exact sentiments that I’m feeling.

I haven’t even left yet and I’m already insanely thankful for my Study Abroad Support Crew. <3

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Mission: Ridiculous

My lack of classes, completely open schedule, and determination to never be bored has lead me (and, subsequently, Cole) to a new goal for my last few weeks in Vienna: SEE EVERY CHRISTMAS MARKET.

It sounds easy enough, but we have thirteen days left.

And there are over fifty Christmas Markets in Vienna.

So far we’ve been to three.

I’ll keep everyone updated on our progress.

Question for Michelle Bowie/Marian Redwine: is this something I can get SNU credit for?

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It Finally Happened, People

I’m officially desensitized to Vienna. 

A girl in our group posted an Instagram picture of the Christmas Market between the Art and Natural History Museums, and I scrolled past it like I do pictures of SGA events.

I am so used to Vienna that I now SCROLL PAST IT on Instagram.

I was warned it would get to this point (shout out to my girl Sus), but I didn’t believe it would happen to me.. Well, it has. 

Vienna is home now.

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WHITE THANKSGIVING

IT’S SNOWING. IN MY FAVOURITE CITY. ON MY THIRD FAVOURITE HOLIDAY. RIGHT NOW. 

I get to walk through snow, eat Thanksgiving dinner at Martin’s (our favourite restaurant in Vienna), and go to the Schönbrunn Palace Christmas market tonight.

My life is a JOKE.

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Bummer Summer

My last two weeks in Europe were supposed to be lived in airports and hostels, seeing everywhere left on my List and experiencing Christmas in four different countries in a matter of weeks. My plane tickets are purchased, museums lined up, bakeries heavily researched. The only thing standing in my way now is LITERALLY EVERYTHING.

I was advised not to get a visa for my semester abroad, because Europe has bigger things to worry about than an American college student overstaying her 90-day grace period. Well, those “bigger things” include things like: terrorist attacks, bombings, refugees, over crowding cities, etc. And how does Europe start getting a handle on everything going wrong? 

TIGHTENING BORDER CONTROL. 

After I hit my 90-day mark on Saturday, I’m technically illegal in the Schengen and have to stay low- meaning, not throwing my passport at TSA in airports all over Europe. 

I’m definitely bummed that I don’t get to visit Harry Potter Studios, or see the Monet exhibit at the Louvre, or eat macarons under the Eiffel Tower like Blair Waldorf. I really wanted to see Christmas everywhere and add to my mom’s European Rock Collection (ask her about it), and it kills a very real part of my adventure loving heart to let multiple plane tickets go to complete waste. 

But I’m in Vienna, people!

I get more time with my Damn Fam! 

I’m going to see my real family in ONE MONTH!

Honestly, my heart is so full that it’s hard to stay bummed about something like not getting to see the filming locale of The Aristocats. 

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What I’m Reading/Read, Pt. 2-4

(I’m terrible at consistency, I know.)

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot. For anyone vaguely interested in medicinal history or looking for a well-told (true) story about how one woman’s cells changed the entire medical field. 

Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior, by Leonard Mlodinow. Read this book. It’ll make you hyper aware of your subconscious- in the best way- and is a literal fountain of knowledge.

What the Dog Saw, by Malcolm Gladwell. A compilation of The New Yorker articles written by Gladwell which seamlessly combine the psychology of business from varying platforms. Buy this for anyone with a business/wanting to start a business/interested in business/has ever said the word “business”. He is quickly becoming my new favourite writer, if my opinion influences your “To Read” list at all.

[1-800-europe-blog]

The Love of my Life

I’ve had an unhealthy, one-sided relationship with Justin Bieber since sophomore year, and my biggest dream is to see him in concert.

Well, guess whose crew bought tickets to Justin Bieber in Tulsa on April 7th.

MINE. MY CREW DID. I GET TO SEE JUSTIN BIEBER IN TULSA ON APRIL 7TH WITH MY FAVOURITE PEOPLE OF ALL TIME. 

It was weird celebrating the most magical news by myself  in Europe instead of jumping around Chapman 102 singing “Beauty and a Beat” with Elle and Nan, but I’ve decided to spend December 22nd to April 7th celebrating our boy JB instead. 

Spring semester 2016 is going to be wild, people.

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No (New) Roommates

Please disregard everything I’ve said about my roommate up to this point: She is the absolute worst.

All semester, Tijana has had this weird obsession with unplugging our refrigerator. As someone who keeps their groceries in aforementioned fridge, I have an issue with it. Anytime I’m gone for more than a day she unplugs the fridge, opens its door, and lets it sit at room temperature for two or three days.

 Everything in the freezer melts, all of my dairy spoils, and all of her meat and cheese starts going bad. I get mad and she becomes perplexed  and frustrated that having a warm refrigerator upsets me. No one wins.

I come back from traveling, open my computer to check my e-mails (waddup, 2001), sit at my desk... And realize my feet are resting in a huge puddle.

When I left for Poland, Tijana unplugged the fridge. As per usual, everything melted and went bad. This time, though, all of the ice buildup melted in the direction of my desk and the mound of clothes sitting under it. 

MY CLOTHES WERE SITTING IN WATER FOR FIVE DAYS.

I open the window and start (angrily) wringing out sweaters, jeans, and socks until my roommate comes home and I explain what her compulsion did to my stuff. She looks at me, shrugs her shoulders, and says, “At least now your warm yoghurt isn’t the worst thing that happened.” 

Touché, Tijana. 

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Stolen Phone Comin’ in Clutch

In September, I was so confused as to why I was in Europe. I wanted to be with my friends. I wanted to be with my family. I wanted to be comfortable.

But as this semester has progressed and I’ve had time to spend in near-constant thought, I’ve realized some pretty huge things. Things I probably would have been content with or just let happen if I hadn’t had this semester away from my usual distractions. 

Since my phones were stolen, every time I leave Europahaus I am completely alone. I don’t have games to distract me on the U-Bahn. I don’t have a phone to compulsively check every three minutes. I don’t base my café or restaurant choices on which place has free Wi-Fi. 

It has it’s downsides, but I’ve grown to love a life not glued to a screen. 

I’m, like, the ultimate hipster now.

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CHRISTMAS MARKETS, PEOPLE!!!!

I’ll admit it: I thought Christmas Markets were overrated. I didn’t believe the hype. Then I went to one, and now I am never leaving Vienna.

As someone who LOVES Christmas, I love being a city that dedicates every free square and alley to Christmas an entire month before Christmas. It’s like the people of Vienna asked themselves, “How can we make our already amazing city even better?” And answered with, “Fill the ENTIRE CITY with hot mulled wine and cider, fresh chocolate chip cookies, and MILLIONS OF CHRISTMAS LIGHTS.” AKA, Sara Pitts’ greatest dream.

Vienna gets me, people. 

Up your game, USA.

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I’m Dramatic

 Poland sucks, but we actually did some cool things there.

We rented bikes (for only 10 złoty!!!) and rode around for hours.. It was freezing, my hands were numb, my lips were the lightest shade of blue, and my nose was an actual icicle. But seriously.. Riding bikes in a different country should be on everyone’s Bucket List. There is no better way to see a city. 

SO MUCH “DAMN FAM” TIME. (Madison (aka, Dadison) likes to refer to our group as the “Damn Fam”. It’s perfect.)  Our hostel was amazing, we were the only ones there, and it was too cold (by everyone’s standards)  to be outside for more than a few hours at a time, so we spent at least 70% of our time in the common room playing games and drinking all of the coffee/tea. I loved it.

However, our Sunday in Krakow was depressing. Like, the most sad, pathetic way I could ever imagine myself spending time in Europe. We spent six hours touring the Auschwitz museum and Auschwitz-Birkenau on a completely sunless and rainy day. I can’t begin to explain how heavy my heart was and the absolute, tangible dread I felt being there. 

We had a guided tour through the museum and upon walking into one of the barracks our guide said, “Be respectful in this place. The ground you are standing on is soaked with unimaginable fear and torment, with human tears and blood.” No one said a word the rest of the tour.

We walked through the concentration camp and were lead through six buildings: the gas chamber and crematorium, which still smells like a fireplace; rooms full of human hair, clothes, and shoes; hallways lined- floor to ceiling- with mugshots of men, women, and children sentenced to Auschwitz; rooms used exclusively for heinous torture. As we saw all of this, the tour guide told us stories, facts, and so much information about what we were seeing. The combination of hearing and seeing everything was too horrible, so I turned off my headset and stared at the floor.. Until we got to the Suitcase Room.

As the name suggests, it is a room completely full of suitcases that once carried people’s possessions when they thought they were being taken to new homes. On them were written the owner’s name, date of birth, and country- “to make it easy to identify their belongs, should they be separated.” I glanced up and saw one name: my own. “Sara Kauffmann 18-4-15 Hollande” was written in neat and girly handwriting on a brown leather suitcase- I couldn’t hang and totally lost it. 

It was, bar none, the most horrible place I have ever been. Actually being at Auschwitz was low-key traumatizing, but I think it’s something everyone should do. I will never, ever go back, but I will also never, ever laugh at a Holocaust joke.