Week 1

Hello Everyone,

                I am writing this blog as a record of my travels, and for my various friends and family so they can have a more detailed account of what is happening to me while I’m in Austria.

                I left last Monday at 10:45 AM.  The flight was not too bad.  I flew into Washington Dulles, and transferred onto another airplane going to Munich.  While I waited in the airport I got into a conversation with a German man and his wife.  They were not from Munich, but from a small town nearby.  They knew Innsbruck well though.  The national sport of Austria is Skiing, and many people come from around Europe to ski in these mountains.  They recommended that I go skiing while I’m here.  I’ve been told that the nearest glacier, about 30 minutes away, will open for the season in October. 

                I boarded the flight to Munich.  7 hours and 15 minutes.  To tell you the truth it seemed too short.  I watched a movie and had about 3 hours to sleep.  I also spoke to the girl sitting next to me.  She was a high school student from Munich coming back from vacation.  She told me that October fest begins this coming week, and that I should visit Munich for it.

                When I arrived in the airport, I had no problems entering the country, my baggage was fine, and I walked through customs without a problem.  I had looked online for trains to Innsbruck, and I had planned out to go from the airport to the train station by way of the metro system, and then on to Innsbruck.  I had overlooked one detail however: I approached an ATM to get Euro’s and the machine would not take my card, nor would four other machines from different banks.  I have had the problem in Argentina that an ATM might not accept my card because they are on different information systems, but there is always another bank that would take my card, usually 2 out of 4.  I had arrived at 8:00 AM in Munich, making it midnight, and once I had made the rounds to the different ATM’s it was nearly 1:00 AM in Texas.  I had called the bank a week earlier in order to free my card for my trip, declaring that I was going to Europe, and that I would be spending a year in Austria.  The start date I had given them was September 11^th, which was when I arrived in Munich.  I thought that perhaps with the time difference the bank hadn’t opened up the card for September 11^th in Texas.  So I waited a few hours.  I struck up a conversation with a fellow American who was actually working traveling back and forth between Germany and the US.

                I checked my card again at 2 AM Texas time, with no luck.  I began to worry but I didn’t want to disturb anyone back home because they were fast asleep.  Around 4 AM Texas time I became a little anxious and tried calling collect, but my parent’s cell phones don’t accept collect calls.  I had no money besides a dollar and a few cents.  I found a place to sleep, being exhausted with the situation and with the trip.  I woke up and I brushed my teeth in the airport bathroom.  I tried explaining my situation to a lady in a cash exchange booth, trying to trade my dollar and cents for a Euro to call home.  She suggested that I ask the information desk for free call to my bank.  I went and asked, and we got ahold of my bank.  I told them to release the card in Germany for the day.  That was the discrepancy that I had told them Austria, and not mentioned Germany.  I had said Europe, but I guess the more specific location was what mattered to them.  Well after about fifteen minutes from my call I tried an ATM and got money to take the train.

I had to take 3 trains, and the metro system of Munich to arrive in Innsbruck.  The trains were great, and whenever I asked someone for some help, they were ready to help, and they usually responded in English when they heard my German.

                I arrived in the train station in Innsbruck and I needed an internet connection to find the hostel I had made a reservation in.  I walked over to a guy about my age and asked him where I could find internet.  I pointed me towards McDonalds, and came in with me.  He was German, from Berlin, and he was also studying in Innsbruck.  He was extremely helpful; he showed me a website where I could find out what bus lines to take within the city simply by putting in addresses.  He even rode on the first bus I had to take with me.  He was already going in my direction, but he came, got off and helped me find my stop.  Once I was there we exchanged contact information, and he was off.  I got on the bus and the bus driver, knowing I was new to the city, pointed out the hostel I was staying in. 

                In the hostel I met a roommate who suggested where I could buy a telephone and a USB device that would give me personal WIFI internet for a fairly decent price.  I was simply amazed by how helpful people are here, offering time, knowledge, and advice without hesitating or suspecting me to be some sort of weirdo. 

                The week went a little smoother.  I met up with a classmate from Texas who is here on the same exchange and he gave me a small tour of the central city.  He showed me where to register myself, get residency papers, how to register myself at the university, and he showed me a small local café where I could get internet for free, beer, or coffee, and listen to some pretty decent music. 

                Once I had registered myself I used the café as a home base to search online for apartments.  Of about 20 places I contacted, only one invited me to get a tour of the apartment.  Even there I put myself on a list of at least 15 people who were also interested in the apartment.  The housing situation here is really bad; there are a huge number of students that come in and look for places to stay, but the city is relatively small, and so space, especially near the city center, is tight.  Landlords and sublet people have their pick of people who are looking for housing.  The dorm situation isn’t much better.  I was told that a law about the registration date for first year students in Austria changed recently and so there are more students coming in at an earlier time to find housing. 

                Another issue is that some of the places I have looked into require a two or three year contract.  This is fine for European students who are here to do their masters or bachelors, but not very helpful for me.  I understand though, landlords don’t want to undergo the process every year; it helps to have a solidified relationship for a few years.  Many of the landlords live abroad.  Italy is about 45 minutes away, and many landlords live there, or they live toward the west.  My friend told me that his landlord lives in Hungary. 

                I became lucky last Friday and I met my new friend who had helped me out at the train station and seen to it that I found my bus stop.  He told me that he was leaving to visit his girlfriend in southern France for about ten days.  He kindly offered me his room while he was away, so I wouldn’t have to pay for a hostel.  I’m quite impressed by the hospitality of people who are here, I don’t know if I could have made the first few days with the open good natured attitude of people here.

                 Here I am now.  The apartment of my new friend has a wonderful view; you can see the whole city from his bedroom.  It’s beautiful and last night I could hear an outdoor concert going on somewhere in the city.  Now I’m waiting to hear back from an apartment I visited, and still in search of others in case it falls through.  It’s been hard, but quite fun.   Until next time

Lucas