"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