Austria column
Austria Adventures: Break apart and shine
JACOB WATSON AUSTRIA CORRESPONDENT I am here, and I am not sure what I expected. I spent about six hours on a plane next to a Spanish “tipo” (who I can only describe as smelling like a “botellón“), everyone in town speaks German and I actually have to read for my classes. However, there is […]
Austria Adventure: A Krampus Christmas
CASSIDY RYDELL AUSTRIA CORRESPONDENT While songs like “Holly Jolly Christmas” are running through America’s head and visions of sugar plums entertain children, Austria offers something quite different. Over here, one might be hearing something similar to “This is Halloween” or getting into a very spooky mood because of a little something that is called the Krampus. […]
Austria Adventures: Watching the election from Rome; the pope as peacemaker
CASSIDY RYDELL AUSTRIA CORRESPONDENT As everyone knows, we had an election this past week. And as many of you know, we Austrian students filled out our absentee ballots to vote as our civic duty. However, what you may not know is that we were in Rome, the heart of our Catholic faith, when we were […]
Austria Adventure: Adventures in London
CASSIDY RYDELL AUSTRIA CORRESPONDENT This past week, we finished the stressful ordeal that is known as midterms. Most of us exerted ourselves to our fullest potential, ending up mentally exhausted. The light at the end of the tunnel was our 10-day break, just around the corner. Ten-day is the break that Austrian students either spend […]
Austria Adventures: How to not make plans
CASSIDY RYDELL AUSTRIA CORRESPONDENT “I propose we not make plans, I propose we give this thing a chance and let it work out how it works out. So what do you say, do you wanna not make plans with me?” That is a quote from a movie called “Leap Year.” In said movie, the leading […]
Austria Adventures: Seeing beauty from home base
CASSIDY RYDELL AUSTRIA CORRESPONDENT After weeks of go, go, go, I decided to stay back in Gaming for a weekend before our pilgrimage for Poland, thinking that I would get a chance simply to exist and marvel at the sheer fact I am actually in Europe, studying in a beautiful little town. I received some wise […]
Austria Adventures: What 17 Miles Taught Me
CASSIDY RYDELL AUSTRIA CORRESPONDENT I’ve been in Austria for about a month now. I’ve adjusted to all of the time differences, the slight cultural differences and of course the language barrier. One could say that I’m getting into the swing of things, with a new country every weekend, but nothing could prepare me for the […]
AUSTRIA ADVENTURES: Discovering the universality of the church through Mass
GRACIE WILLIAMS AUSTRIA CORRESPONDENT We are now over halfway through our semester in Gaming, and time is flying faster than I ever thought possible. It is amazing how accustomed I have become to this lifestyle, four days of classes followed by three days of traveling to some of the most exceptional places in all of […]
AUSTRIA ADVENTURES: Trip to Slovenia brings unexpected treasures
GRACIE WILLIAMS AUSTRIA CORRESPONDENT Several weeks ago when I received an offer to travel to Slovenia for my first free weekend, my immediate instinct was to deny it. What was in Slovenia? Why would anyone choose Slovenia when there are Paris, Rome and Munich? The city in Slovenia, Lake Bled, was a hidden gem, the […]
AUSTRIA COLUMN: Austria brings the gift of wonder
GRACIE WILLIAMS AUSTRIA CORRESPONDENT As a record number of Franciscan students arrived for the spring semester in Austria this past week, the school was brimming with students wanting to explore, adventure, and trip-plan. Each student wanted to begin his or her own “Austrian Experience” in a big way. Coming into this experience, I, too, was […]