Well, we made it. We arrived in Graz, Austria around 9:30 am which would be 2:30 am Chicago time. Once we left the airport we had to hike about a mile or so to the train station. I was really surprised they didn't have any form of transportation right next to the airport other than a taxi. We took the train to the middle of Graz where we found a bus then a tram to get to the school then another tram to get to my dorm. Mind you we were dragging about 3 big suitcases and one smaller one plus a backpack and another small bag. If that doesn't scream tourist then I don't know what does. Hah you would think it would've been easier to take the taxi so we didn't have to lug all the bags everywhere and up and down stairs. I'm not kidding you it took us 3 hours to find out how to get from the airport to the first stop at school. It was a llooonnnngggg trip. So we get to the dorm and get my keys then we open the door to my room...its pretty much the size of a closet. I didn't know what to expect but I don't think I was expecting that. Luckily I only have to be in that room for a couple weeks. The tricky thing is going to be getting from that room to the other because I have 2 big suitcases and my backpack and they're about a mile and a half to two miles apart. It'll be a challenge to figure that one out lol. Well we left the dorm after dropping some bags off then trying to find mom and dad's hotel was another couple hours. Oh boy...I didn't realize we would be doing so much walking I've found muscle I didnt know I had in the past couple days lol. So on top of not knowing where we were going and finding our way around the city draggin bags everywhere and pulling out a map every stop we went it started pouring once we got done with dinner and on the Tram. Then we missed our stop and ended up at a gas station where we sat to wait out the rain. It was freezing and it began to hail! This was by far the most interesting day I've had in a long time. What more could have gone wrong or been more difficult. But it was an adventure and we made it safe and sound!!

Today we went on a guided walking tour. It was mostly about the history of the city. There was a bunch of stuff about aristocrats and princes and wealthy families. I don't remember a lot of it but it was definitely interesting to see all the buildings...they were absolutely beautiful!!!! We went to the center of the city where there's a lot of shopping to do. It's known for its shopping because its so close to Italy so there are a alot of Italian brands and unique shops that aren't all throughout Europe. The picture of this court yard is where the royal family used to live but now its just a bank and some other things. It was neat in front of the building though because in the courtyard there were a bunch of pillows and umbrellas where people go and hang out or read. They had a book store set up in the same place along with some food stands. One thing thats different from the states is all the stores close earlier. They're usually open 9-5/6 M-F 9-1 S and closed on Sunday. I think that'll tak some getting used to but maybe that'll force me to do my homework on the weekends then lol.

Its been challenging to figure out how to talk to some people too. They know English but what they say and what they mean is different than how we would take it so I've had to rearrange how I say things and clarify myself more than usual. Its definitely expanding how I think becuase I'm having to come up with alternative ways to describe things. I usually feel bad when going into a restaurant because I don't know how to speak German hardly so I always have to ask if they speak English. I'm hoping by the end of this experience I can at least talk to people a little bit in German. I start my German class on Tuesday so we'll see how that goes. I'm kind of excited for it just so I can get into a routine instead of not having a plan.

Bis zum nächsten Mal, Auf Wiedersehen!!