Here I am, reporting live from Vienna, Austria. That’s right, folks. I am writing to you from a lovely little flat more than 4,000 miles away, across the Atlantic Ocean, in a country I’ve never visited before. And I am completely alone.
While I am normally quite comfortable kicking it by myself, I am in an entirely new place — a place where I’m unfamiliar with the customs, the cuisine and even more terrifying, the language. Unfortunately for me, I don’t speak a word of German but for apfelstrudel and kaffee — the important things, you know. I have never felt so out of my ?element.
I’ve had great experiences traveling alone. I get to know myself. I know that if I can navigate a foreign city on my own, I can do anything. This time around, I’ll be completely on my own for a week. And these next two months will mark the longest time I’ve been away from home, be it Cleveland or my beloved Bloomington. I underestimated just how much my world would be turned upside down. This jet lag is ferocious, let me tell you.
But when you are completely on your own you need a support system, whatever or whoever that may be. Nothing will ruin what could be a phenomenal experience more than feeling like you just want to be somewhere else.
I remember last summer when studying abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France, I was having the time of my life. I befriended great people, drank cheap, yet excellent, wine and got to explore the south of France. I was not alone.
I also remember one other student on our trip, who, unfortunately, didn’t seem ?to have this experience. She often stayed in her single dorm room alone while the rest of us went downtown to watch the World Cup or hang out in the park. She frequently opted out of the excursions provided by Aix-Marseille Université and kept to herself. Maybe she just felt too out of her comfort zone, or maybe she couldn’t connect with the other students. Maybe she didn’t have a support ?system.
Though my roommate and fellow intern will not arrive in Vienna until next week, I know that I am capable of getting through this time all by my lonesome. I’ve got my support system and a wonderful city right in front of me that I have yet to see. And in July, a member of said support system will be joining me on my Viennese adventures. We hear Prague is gorgeous. And Budapest? Let’s do this.
I know I’m not the only one experiencing this isolation. Summer internships, jobs and friends moving away can wrench us out of our comfort zone and into the unfamiliar. But apparently, that’s life. And so it goes.
I refuse to let my sense of adventure disintegrate because I’m a little nervous. OK, I’m a lot nervous. But these two months in Vienna, I am certain, will be an experience like no other. I can’t wait to immerse myself in this city and maybe even learn a thing or two about myself along ?the way.
nrowthor@indiana.edu
