February

Time is really flying by since I arrived in Austria just over a month ago. Already I have learned so much and had so many new experiences. My first day here I found myself relaxing in a hot mineral pool with snow all around me while my ears froze and my host mother and 8 month old host brother had baby swimming lessons inside. As far as first days could go I don't think it could have been much better.
A few days later I met Bailey, an exchange student from America who stayed with my host family before I got here. A few hours after meeting her we were in Vienna looking up at the Stephansdom and wandering down the most expensive street in Vienna. I really enjoyed wandering around as the architecture here is amazing.
One week after I arrived and settled into my new home I was once again packing my stuff for a two week language course in Altmünster. There I met all the other inbound exchange students from Australia, Argentina and Brazil. The language course was a lot of hard work but also a lot of fun. One afternoon after classes had finished we took the bus to Gmunden and walked to McDonalds it longest trip I have ever taken for McDonalds as none of us really knew where it was. Let’s just say we definitely went the wrong way but we got there eventually.
On Saturday the afternoon classes were cancelled and we spent the rest of the day playing games with the Austrian rebound exchange students. I was very surprised when I met Paula an exchange student who stayed in Timaru last year, we had met once or twice in New Zealand and she had even gone to my High School ball so it was great to see her.
We had no classes on Sunday either so our teachers took us out on a day trip to Salzburg instead. It was amazing. We spent the day wandering around Salzburg looking in the tourist shops and in the afternoon I climbed up to the fortress with a few friends. Unfortunately we left it to late and didn't have enough time to actually go inside the fortress but the view over Salzburg was definitely worth it anyway.
Later in the week we all went ice skating and sledding which was a lot of fun. On Thursday an important Rotary man from Switzerland joined us so that night we put on a talent show. I had a lot of fun dancing around to S Club 7's Reach with some of my new friends but unfortunately as we practised it a lot the night before I can honestly say that I can not stand that song anymore. On Sunday I was rather sad to leave language camp and all the new friends I had made but I was looking forward to Ski camp 3 weeks later, when we would all meet again.
On Monday I had my first proper day of school which starts at 7:35. I met a lot of new people and everyone was really nice. Everyone was very excited about the ball that was happening that night but unfortunately it was too late for me to get a ticket so I couldn't go. I enjoyed the next day a lot though because as part of the ball everyone stayed up all night and goes to school the next day in their dresses and suits. I still didn't really understand any German but they had no trouble making themselves understood and my understanding of German is slowly improving.
Last Friday (26th Feb) was my 18th Birthday and I had a really wonderful time. My host family surprised me with a birthday cake as did my class mates which was really sweet. After school, went to Vienna with some school mates and then the movies where we watched Shutter Island, in German. It was a good movie, as far as I could tell, and a great birthday.
Tomorrow, I am off to Schladming for ski camp which I am really looking forward to.
Until next month,
Jess