With each passing year, Tufts kisses goodbye several dozen semesters worth of tuition to those juniors seeking a semester abroad.
This year, two such deviant Jumbo darlings packed their bags and headed for the Old Country, seeking an alternative to la dolce vita of Roma or the beret-clad Sartre students of gay Paris.
Bridget Reddington now calls Vienna, Austria, her temporary home, while Kate Peck resides for the semester in Prague. Enjoy their pen pal exchanges each week and get a glimpse at life across the pond amidst musical impresarios and the shadows of the Iron Curtain.
Dear Kate,
Vienna is amazing. Right?
Then why can't I think of anything else but getting away from Vienna? All I can think about is roaming the streets, the museums, and the shops of Paris, Rome, Geneva, Berlin ... the list goes on.
You see, this city's gone to my head. Everywhere you go, you're reminded of its history, be it literary, musical or the still-persisting remnants of the monarchy. In caf?©s, I always wonder if I'm sitting on a seat Arnold Schonberg once used. I can't help but think that the streets I walk every day are the same ones that Sigmund Freud walked many years ago.
And when I walk through the first district of Vienna, I'm certain of that history, that grandeur. It's easy to forget that it's 2006 when you walk down the cobblestone streets lined with 18th-century buildings and suddenly happen upon one of the sections of the sprawling Hofburg Palace.
But already I feel restless. Though I've only visited one museum, tried three of the city's more famous caf?©s, and seen three operas, I feel as if there's more I should be doing. I'm surrounded by this crazy fairytale city, so of course, I should be flitting about Europe, fairy-tale style, the way I've always wanted to.
So, I've compiled a list of places I want to go to. Quite frankly, it borders on delusional. My three-day weekends leave little time for 30-plus hours on the train, and my student budget leaves little room for anything but the least inexpensive modes of travel besides hitchhiking - which, by the way, is legal in these parts.
I'm obsessed with going to Paris, more for my romantic notion of it and my cursory knowledge of French than anything else. I've never been to Italy, so I've reasoned that visits to at least Rome, Florence and Milan are necessary. I decided Geneva sounded interesting, so I put that on the list, too. And I barely remember Dublin from when I was younger, so of course I have to go back (my very Irish dad will be proud). I added Berlin out of sheer curiosity. Oh, and of course, Prague.
I actually got my first view of European travel just this past weekend. A few friends and I decided to take a day trip to Bratislava, Slovakia, to familiarize ourselves with train travel and just traveling on our own in general. We researched Slovakian phrases, Slovakian culture, Bratislavian landmarks, and the best places to get coffee and eats. We got up incredibly early the day we went and rushed through the train station, nervous that we would miss the train.
It turns out we worried way too much about it. The train tickets were cheap, the trains from Vienna to Bratislava ran every twenty minutes, and the Euro to Koruna exchange rate was incredible. We got ice cream cones for the equivalent of 30 cents in Euros. Everyone spoke English, and if they didn't speak English, they spoke bad German, which was great, because we speak bad German, too.
We spent most of our time wandering the Old Town, which was all narrow cobblestone streets, picturesque alleys, and gorgeous squares and fountains. At one point, we hiked up to the Bratislava Castle. We met a few interesting characters, including a Dutch boatman who was really excited that he met some Americans. By the end of the day, though, I couldn't help thinking, "I'm ready to go home now." And by home, I meant Vienna.
At that moment, all of the things I had yet to do in Vienna popped into my head. I hadn't seen the Klimt Friezes in the Secession Building, I had about 40 more operas and plays to see, and I hadn't climbed to the top of the Stephansdom Tower. And I definitely had not tried every cake and pastry in the city yet.
So, I've got some work to do. Unfortunately, somewhere between experiencing Vienna and exploring Europe (and maybe Morocco, too), I have class. And homework.
If anything could kill the fairytale vibe, I think that might be it.
Miss you,
Bridget
Bridget Reddington and Kate Peck are juniors majoring in English.
