"Going Back To Kansas City"

In the Lake District

In the words of Geoffrey Chaucer, "All good things must come to an end." Yes, the time has finally come where I say my goodbyes to the place I have called home for the past 5 months. It is hard to believe that just 141 days ago I journeyed out of Kansas City to Linz, Austria. It is also hard to believe that one of my all time dreams which was to study abroad is coming to an end. This journey has been filled with countless ups, numerous downs, and never-ending adventures. I am beyond grateful to God for this amazing opportunity and for keeping me safe in my time abroad. I am also entirely grateful to the friends I made while abroad who encouraged me, made me laugh, and most of all helped me get the full experience out of my time abroad.

In Zurich

Lucky for me I was able to spend my last weekend traveling to Switzerland, Innsbruck,  and Salzburg. For my last weekend in Europe, I went out in style. It has always been a dream of mine to travel to Switzerland. In fact, if it hadn't been for how expensive Switzerland was I was highly considering studying aboard there. After a 6 hour journey through lower Austria and Switzerland my friend and I arrived in Zurich. The train ride was probably one of the prettiest train rides I have ever been on, I couldn't keep my eyes off of the scenery! Upon entering Zurich I was amazed with how clean it was and shocked by how expensive everything was. It was also about a million degrees outside something I have not experienced yet while in Europe. Despite the heat and prices Zurich was absolutely beautiful. The phrase you get what you pay for could not be truer than for Zurich. Everything might of been expensive but, the city was clean, the public transport relatively nice compared to other cities, and the overall scenery breathtaking.

Center on Innsbruck

After Zurich we took a train to Innsbruck, Austria, many of you are aware that my grandparents live in Innsbrook, Missouri. So naturally I had been trying all semester to take a trip to Innsbruck so I could say I had been to an Innsbruck/ook in two different countries. Innsbruck is defiantly a place where tourist go. The town itself though was beautiful and unique due to it being surround by the Alps. It was also like stepping back into time. When we got there we even got to see a band playing. I also bought my favorite purchase in Innsbruck, a drindl. A drindl is traditional Austrian dress and I have wanted to by one the entire time I was in Austria. I can not wait to find every excuse to wear it.

The last stop was to Salzburg. Salzburg is probably the most touristy city in Austria because of the movie The Sound of Music. Even without the Sound of Music though Salzburg could easily be a popular city on beauty alone. Like most European cities the architecture of the city is beautiful and takes you back in time. 

standing in front of the gazebo!

While in Salzburg my friend and I took the Sound of Music tour. This tour took us to various sights of the movie and even drove us through the historic lake district of Austria. Once again the scenery was beautiful. The tour was really fun and it was filled almost entirely with Americans. Not going to lie it was very weird hearing that many people speaking english at once. Coming back to the US will defiantly be an adjustment! The weekend was for sure a great way to end my time in Europe!

Last night with the Americans

I'm coming home for Austria with a very empty pockets but priceless experiences that have shaped me into someone different than I was when I arrived. It will be weird to come home and not be surrounded by old architecture, large gothic churches, and cobblestone streets. I am excited to come home though and will forever be grateful for the time I was able to spend in Europe. I will be coming back one day, that is a promise! I hope that everyone has enjoyed reading about my adventures in Europe. I can't wait to come back and have more. Until then I will be listening to "Kansas City" by Marcus Mumford on repeat the entire flight home. Thank you all for reading my blog, until my next adventures... 
Auf Wiedersehen, 
Liebe Alex
"Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories." - Ray Bradbury

Home Away From Home

With only a week left in Linz I am overcome with a sense of nostalgia. To think something I dreamed my whole life of doing is coming to an end in just one week. I would like to apologize for my lack of blogs. Over the last month I spent most of my time in Linz hanging out with fiends and studying for my last exams. I did take one day trip to The Eagles Nest which for those who do not know is a house up in the mountains that was built by Hitler as a kind of hangout. It is technically on the German side of the Alps but, the view is of both Austria and Germany. The Eagles Nest is near the town of Berchtesgaden and the views are absolutely breath taking! 

Over the past couple of days I was lucky enough to have my grandparents come to Linz and visit me. Having them come visit me gave me the perfect opportunity to be a so called tourist in Linz. As many of my friends and family have asked me about Linz this is the perfect opportunity to tell you all about my home away from home. 


As many of you know, I have spent the last 5 months living in the town of Linz. Linz is a city of 200,000 and it the third largest in Austria. Linz is also the capital of Upper Austria and sits along the Danube. Many of you have most likely heard me complain about Linz and how small it is as well as how I am bored here. In all honesty though, Linz is a very nice city with plenty of restaurants, museums, and bars. The university I go to is about a 20 min tram ride from the city center and for just 10 euros a month I have been able to use all the public transport I want. I will probably miss the public transportation the most. 

In 2009 Linz was ranked as the culture capital of the world, and all though I did not visit the Ars Electronica Center or the Lentos Museum I have heard really good things about them. Linz also boast to having the largest, not tallest cathedral in Austria. There also is a very nice castle, although it does not look like much you can get a pretty good view of Linz from it. The streets near the city center are also very quaint and my grandparents made the comment that Linz's streets are very typical of Europe. After traveling to many european cities I agree. 

While my grandparents were here I took them to Postlingsberg which is a church at the top of a hill. At the top you have a spectacular view of Linz and the Danube. We also took the chance to visit Linz's Botanical gardens. The gardens were like any other botanical gardens I have been to but, since we were able to be there on such a nice day it was very beautiful. 

Probably my favorite thing about Linz was hanging with my new found friends and going to various festivals and restaurants. Every fall and spring Linz is host to the Urfahraner Market. Here there were beer tents, carnival rides, delicious food, and live music. There were also plenty of people walking around in traditional Austrian dress the Dirndl and Lederhosen. Going to this festival was super fun and really immersed me into the Austrian Culture. Linz also is host to Bubble Days which is an outdoor concert as well as wake boarding contest that takes place on the Danube. I also participated in going to a Street food Festival which reminded me off all the food trucks you see at First Fridays in Kansas City. Lastly, because of the Euro Cup I had the opportunity to cheer on Austria at the Public viewing Area. 

Cheering on Austria

Linz may be a small city with not a lot of attractions but it was my home for 5 months and I will miss living here. Although, I am beyond ready to return to Kansas City. 



Be on the lookout for one last blog about my last adventure in Europe where I will be traveling to Zurich, Innsbruck, and Salzburg.

"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles." - Tim Cahill
As always, Love Alex