Dear Kate,
After being here for almost three months, I have determined that Europe is the smallest place in the world. Not literally, of course - the crazy lengths of the train and bus rides can tell you that. (35 hours on a bus to Spain? No thanks.) But metaphorically - definitely.
It's impossible to go anywhere without running into someone you know. It could be the Mexican restaurant on the corner or Florence - chances are you'll see someone you've known at some point in your life. In fact, it's hardly a surprise anymore when people run into their best friend from eighth grade in Venice or their freshman year roommate in Berlin.
Of course it's weird, but if you really think about it, it's not that much of a coincidence. All college students in Europe do their traveling on the weekends, and, for the most part, everyone hits the same big cities. When they get to those cities, they're probably going to the same major tourist attractions. I've run into people at the gigantic castle in Bratislava, Las Ramblas in Barcelona, and even this past weekend in Wenceslas Square in Prague.
Speaking of Prague, visiting you this past weekend was amazing. Even though it was my second time there, I loved wandering through the city, even the touristy parts, and, of course, seeing all of the Tufts people that are studying there this semester and everyone that was visiting this weekend.
It's not really that surprising that I was choosing between study abroad programs in Prague and Vienna - I feel like our cities are pretty similar. It's something indescribable - maybe it's the looming palaces and towers, the rivers, the cobblestone streets or that faint sense of Old World charm.
Prague definitely has some pluses compared to Vienna, though. First of all, Prague isn't that expensive, while the imperial atmosphere of Vienna comes with imperial prices. I love that you think the equivalent of $2.50 is a lot for a cup of coffee - try paying the equivalent of $5.75 for a Dixie cup of coffee with an ounce of whipped cream just because it's being served in some cafe where Leon Trotsky once played chess. Plus, your beer is actually cheaper than bottled water.
Second, Prague has bagels. If there are bagels ANYWHERE in Vienna, I don't know where they are. And I've been looking. Being a college student in Boston, Dunkin Donuts bagels and lattes clearly constitute a large part of my diet back home. So, when I saw Bohemia Bagel in Prague, my immediate reaction was to buy a huge quantity of bagels to bring back to Vienna. By the way ... can you bring me another bag when you come to visit this weekend?
I don't think the traditional food in either city wins, though - for us, anyway. The goulasch, wurst, schnitzel and ham-stuffed everything of Prague and Vienna isn't really that great for a pair of vegetarians.
At least if we can't find any traditional food that suits our taste, we can indulge in the hot alcohol that they sell on the streets. I enjoyed the grog (hot rum) that I tried this weekend, but I bet you'll love the gl??hwein (mulled wine, but literally "glow wine" - it gives you a glow, get it?) that I'll get you this weekend. Personally, I think it's the best way to deal with the chilly Central European climate - and it wouldn't be too bad of an idea for coping with those Boston winters, either.
No matter how much I enjoy Prague, though, there's something about Vienna, with its palaces, caf?©s and operas that I really connect with. At this point in the semester, it's really hard not to remember the decision process that got me here, and it's kind of interesting to think what my semester would have been like if I had ended up in Prague or Paris. I even think about whether or not I've made the right choices about where I've traveled.
I consider whether or not I would have had a better time in Brussels or Krakow, or if I would have gained more from seeing Berlin than the small Austrian towns I've visited. When it comes down to it, though, you can't really think about that stuff - you just have to trust the decisions you made.
The thing is, the longer I'm here and the more I hear of other people's travels, the list of places I absolutely have to go and of things I have to do just gets longer and longer.
That means only one thing: I'm going to have to come back.
See you this weekend!
Bridget
Bridget Reddington and Kate Peck are juniors majoring in English.
