Saturdey

I woke up around 9:30 and went out to run errands before everything shut down at 1.  I got a puddingklampf (?) aka an american donut with a really mild bavarian cream filling, and actually much better than an american donut.  Then I went to the market and got a bunch of groceries and supplies.  When I came home, Pierre was about half way moved out and an hour later he was gone.  At first I thought I would sort of miss him, but about 2 minutes and 49 seconds after he left I was blasting "i gotta stay fly" and dancing in my new room.  I started cleaning the room up a bit and kept going until it was pretty much spotless.  I have completely taken over his old desk and set up hq for groceries and cooking supplies in its place.  I included some pictures of his old desk, the bathroom, my new bed, and the view from my window on the top floor of the building.  

today was the last day to enter the braunprize 2009 so I took a few hours to get that in before going out to do laundry around 6.  I found my way back to the "wash point" easily but it took a while to actually get going because I had to walk around and find an open shop that could break my 20 for 4 5's.  While my machine was going I was debating in my head whether to go back out and break a 5 for 1's to do the dryer-but pretty much just said screw it and I decided to come back to the dorm and hang up the wet clothes on the 5 doors, and 2 radiators.  I got home a little after 7:30 and am going to start planning the trip to schonbrunn palace tomorrow morning.  

Musique

More snow this morning, so more tram riding.  Mo and I started right into modeling this morning and before lunch we brought the number of modeled concepts up from 4 to 6.   Klemens, Mo and I went back to Hofer and got lunch and I can tell the three of us are sort of forming a trio.  We ate and then had coffee and pastries that Rudolf's or Christoph's (im not sure which) mother brought in for us.  We played 4 games of ping pong in the afternoon and Christian and I were on fire.  

I came home around 7 and made a pizza for dinner.  I briefly saw Pierre on my way back out and he told me he is moving out tomorrow (to a single room 2 floors below)--so I will have this room all to myself.  I went exploring in a new part of the city tonight and Im pretty sure I ended up in the turkish district (16th) and had to have been no more than half a mile away from the Danube.  I found a 24 hour self service laundry mate by accident--and by tram it will only be about 10 mins away.  I think I was doing a sort of pimp walk for the whole 5-7km because my pants were too big, and I was blasting my ipod...but let me just tell you 5-7km of pimp walking can really do a number on your left hip...and I think I will taking the tram tomorrow.

Tonight was one of those times when you realize how big the world is and how little and insignificant you are in it--in a good way.

mr. maps

When I woke up this morning all I could through the windows was white.  I walked out the door to really big and fluffy snow flakes and because I was already running a little behind, I decided to take my first legit tram ride.  I went to the Tabak (tabocco store) right by my stop and bought a ticket.  Work went well today and Mo and I modeled 4 concepts between the two of use--2 each-but he is using alias and his were a lot more complex.  I got hung up for a while trying to make some complex curvature but Roland was able to show me how to get what I wanted in less than 5 minutes--showing how little I actually know about solidworks after two years.  I had to sit at a different work station today because I was modeling, but was right next to Klemens (the most talkative of the designers) and he had lots of good stories and questions.  

For lunch we went to Hofer a sort of generic super market but with a good selection.  Mo and I both got an asian microwavable lunch and then split a 4 person helping of tiramisu which was only 2 euro.  It is getting to the point were I have in internal clock set so at around 4 I start getting really fidgety for ping pong.

I am planning on taking a tram out across the danube on saturday because I have yet to be on that side of the city.  Then on sunday--when everything is closed--i will go out to schonbrunn palace with all the other tourists. 

and now for the best news of the day.  Mo and I left at the same time today, and just before he walked out the door he grabbed a scooter (a razor not a motorized scooter) and brought it outside with him.  I thought he was just going to mess around for a little but he looks back at me and says--"ok, see you tomorrow" and proceeds to go flying down the middle of the road on a razor scooter with about a half inch of snow on the ground and still coming.  I had seen it by his desk before but didn't know that he actually makes his 15 minute commute on a razor...if it wasnt clear before, it is now...Mo, is a badass.

if it weren't for venetians blinds it would be curtains for us all

I had to get up a little early this morning to get to the bank to figure out how I need to change my account to be able to do laundry at the dorm--I got it figured out in less than 30 seconds, so I had some time to kill...didnt want to be at work too early ya know?  I stopped at a little private bakery and got a big roll with cheese melted all over it.  The first few bites were really good but after walking around with it (it was snowing this morning) it got a little cold and lost its novelty.  

Work went well and Mo and I got a lot of work done on our project.  We had a review at the end of the day with all the other designers to help us pick a few final directions to move ahead with, and at the end, Roland mentioned to Mo and I to watch our hours on this project and not give it too much time.  Pretty much--don't make it perfect--the client isn't paying that much.  It is the first time that I have had to watch how much time I spend on a project based on what a client has payed for--but im sure not the last.  Christian, Klemens, Mo, and I are getting really good at ping pong and you can probably here us playing in the next building over.  We all get really excited and now that our rallies are getting better there are lots of theatrics involved.

Lunch was tasty again with more salmon, but the discussion was much more filling.  Klemens never runs out of wierd stories or questions about america so we are always entertained.  Today he was explaining his dreams of making one really great product and selling the concept to a company--and then they would pay him royalties for the rest of his life.  He kept saying "10 cents a day"... and lunch ended with us calculating how much money you would have in 20 years if you saved a certain amount of money every day.  I am really excited that I will be with these guys for another 5 months.

tuesday

Today was pretty relaxed at work.  We were finishing up the deliverables for the presentation and I got a compliment from Rudolf for the work I had done on it so that was good.  We went to Spar to get lunch today and I got a bag of 6 rolls-cream cheese, smoked salmon or lox, a tomato, and a litre of ginger ale for about 5,30 euro....and I got enough supplies that I all I need to get tomorrow is another tomato.  Today was the first day we haven't played ping pong and that kind of sucked but everyone (except me) was sort of stressed about the presentation tomorrow.  They printed out a big board of all the concepts they are presenting tomorrow and it was cool to see them using a lot of my work.  

Still no news on the laundry front here--and when I was telling my mom about it--she remembered she packed me a few sink tide packets, So I just washed up a load of undies to get me through till the weekend.  Thanks mom!

boys noize

I decided to try a new bakery on the way to work this morning and got a really good chocolate/peanut croissant.  Work started off with our weekly meeting and there is a lot starting and ending this week with two client presentations and two project kickoffs.  The main project that I have been working on is being presented on wednesday and I have one rendering left to do and a few concept sketches.  Mo and I went out to Kai's again--the all you can eat japanese restuarant with really good sushi for 5,90 euro (I have no idea how they make a profit).  We ate a ton and finished it off with a big bowl of Lychee--my new favorite fruit.  I found out that Mo is only going to be at GP for another couple months because of the really strict work visa/austria citizen ship rules.  I also found out that his GF is working at Frog Design in Munich--probably the most famous design firm in the world (next to IDEO).  I left work around 7:15 and briefly came home to get my grocery bags and then went back out to the nearest market and spent 30 euro on groceries.  For some reason buying a lot of food gives me a such a boost. 

whirlwind

Today didnt really turn out at all like I was expecting yesterday.  I woke up late and finished my second book of this trip.  I asked pierre about the laundry system here (it is really unnecessarily complex) and went to the bank to try and set up my new card so that the laundry machine's could read it--to find out that I dont have the right type of card.  Then Pierre lets me use his card but it turns out the single laundry machine for our whole building is broken.  So....I will have to figure something out tomorrow or else I am going to be hand washing two weeks worth of stuff.  

In other news.  I bought a bike!  I wasn't really planning on doing this so quickly, but I saw a bike a few days ago on ebay that I really like and it is located about an hour outside vienna.  It is an older Simplon road bike with full dura ace 7400 parts.  It is single speed but has dura ace; crank, hubs, seatpost, headset, brakes, and stem.  It also has a crazy selle san marco saddle, and pretty nice rims (mavic and rigida).  The frame is yellow and white and has chrome lugs and fork.  I was just casually watching it on ebay to see how much it was going to go for but last night I started to really think about it and decided that I would bid on it but only up to 225 euro (i had about 350 in paypal that i wasnt budgeting into this trip because I couldnt get it out in time before I left).  With an hour left the bike was at 110 euro, with 2 minutes left it was at 160.  I bid with like 1:15 left for 170 and ended up winning the bike for 166!  I also have a 10% off coupon from ebay right now.  So I am getting this bike for under 200 US dollars--and the dura ace parts alone are worth close to that.  I included some pics from the ebay listing-

I am already dreaming about the adventures we will have together...my bike and I

Best day yet

I got up fairly early for a saturday and walked outside to the nicest weather we have had yet here in Vienna.  It was about 45 and had the most blue skies I have scene in a while.  Everything was alive and I had a really great energy and spirit.  I walked for a while to find a store that sold cheap kitchen supplies.  I found Austria's version of Tuesday morning or TJmaxx and hit the jackpot on needed supplies.  I got a plate, bowl, fork, spoon, spatula, and fairly large pasta pot all for about 11, 50 euro.  I wasnt meeting Mo until 1 so I walked around a bit and got a great pastry at a local bakery.  I came home around 11 and took a rest and then went back out around 12--to take some pictures and slowly make my way to the MQ.  I photographed my 20 minute walk to the MQ every once in a while but wish I could have had a better camera because the light was so amazing today.  Mo and I first went to the Museum of Modern Art (the big gray building), then got lunch, then went to the Leopold Museum where there is a Gustav Klimpt exhibition going on.  Finally, we went to a small Red Dot communication design award exhibition--but that was sort of a waste.  I just got home so I have been on my feet for about 7 hours and they are feeling it.  The museums were really fun but the buildings were more exciting than the work for the most part.  I think I may go out to the schonbrunn palace tomorrow if the weather is nice-it is a big beautiful palace but really touristy.  

It was a really fun and productive day and I am going to rest my feet for a while.

friday

I didnt get to bed until late last night because Matthew Sander sent me a link to a really awesome hiking spot in Switzerland called Viamala.  I got really super excited about being outdoors and hiking and all that stuff and spent close to 2 hours googling other cool places to go hiking and I started making a list of places I want to go in the next 5.5 months.   I told Mo about Halstatt, Austria--one of the places I found last night...and he was like "lets go".  I talked him out of it though because neither of us know where the hell we are going in vienna, let alone the rest of austria.  So, Instead, we are meeting at the MQ tomorrow to go to a few museums that we both want to check out and we will better plan a trip for next weekend.  I dont really even need to say it--but klemens and I are still untouchable at tischentennis.

Work was good.  I did a few more final renderings for our client presentation coming up next week and Roland and I set up a good system where he is rendering out 3ds max images that I clean up in photoshop and then put into a scene.  I also got to sketch on the tablet for a long time today and that is always fun.  I got my Bank Austria card in the mail yesterday and stopped by the bank and got my pin number and everything set up this morning.  I walked a little out of my way on the way back and it is so exciting to be able to get lost/see a new place with 1 wrong turn.  Pierre and I made frozen pizza's for dinner and I have a feeling I will pass out pretty soon..to make sure that I get up early enough to run my errands before vienna shuts down for the weekend.

thursday

Today wasn't nearly as busy as I thought it might be.  I did one rendering and then we had a big brainstorming session for a new project that Mo and I are going to do and I spent the rest of the day just sketching concepts.  This was the first semi-nice day we have had with temps around 35-40 and blue skies and I really wanted to be outside in the alps somewhere.  Mo and I are planning our weekend travels tomorrow and are both excited.  Klemens and I are officially indestructible at gnip-gnop but Mo and Christian won't switch partners until they have beaten us.  

Klemens was telling me stories about some weird people in austria--and said "there are a lot of perverts here" in a bad english/german and I almost died laughing.  I left around 5:45 cuz I didnt have a whole lot to work on--and am not getting paid by the hour....

For the first after arriving--I am starting to think that a bike would be really nice here and I am beginning to not be scarred of the traffic as I am around it more.

wednesday

I can tell I am really settled in to my routine as waking up is getting harder and harder every morning.  Work was good today--I wasn't very busy until the end of the day when I had to do one of the most complicated photoshop context renderings I have ever done.  Rudolf was presenting a book he just wrote/published about design and marketing tonight so about half of the designers left early to go watch that.  Mo and I decided that we would plan our weekend trip on friday during the day.  We have no idea where we are going but are both excited and I know we will have fun no matter where we go.  More ping pong today and Klemens and I are straight up dominant.  It is amazing how exciting going to the Spira (local grocery store) is every lunch.  About 95% of the products are totally new to me and I really get a kick out of shopping for food here.  I think tomorrow will by my first really busy day with 6 final renderings to do before a client presentation sometime soon.  It is really interesting seeing the difference in the way a small consultancy works verses CCI, and I am so thrilled to be having this experience -- to find out where I want my career path to go--If I get the chance to steer it.

banshee beat

i will go in chronological order today....Monday morning I went to the bank and finally got an account set up so that they people who run the building can withdraw my rent each month.  Work was good and we got some exciting project news at the weekly gp meeting.  I came home from work really hungry and when I got home--i immediately went out and bought 30 euro worth of groceries--that doesnt sound like all that much--but to put things into perspective--if a block of blue cheese is 5.00 than it is like 1,70 euro here.  So, those groceries will keep me fed after work for atleast a week and a half.  I felt really good after getting all that food--and realize now how relieved I am to not have to get dinner on the way home from work.

Today started ok but slowly got better and better.  None of the designers have seen my work--just christoph and rudolf the managing partners---so I finally got the chance to show what I could do a bit.  I had been gathering a bunch of images for context renders and Roland asked If I wanted to try and do one.  I did, and when I was done he called two other designers over to show them what I had done, so that felt good.  I think I gained a lot of respect--not that they didn't respect me--but I dont think they had a gauge of where my skill set was.  Later he asked me to make a rough prototype of a concept we are working on and again I think I was able to make a good impression with my working knowledge of all the tools they had.  

We also played 6 games of ping pong today and Klemens and I won 5 - he said we were the new dreamteam.  I can tell everyone is getting comfortable with me around and they are much more talkative the last few days.  I have a feeling this is going to be a really fast 6 months!

I wore my obama shirt today and everyone LOVED it.

sunday

I only got about half of my errands done yesterday because most of vienna shuts down around 1 on saturday....and stays closed until monday morning.  I went out for my big walk around 6 and didn't come back until around 10:45.  I explored more of the museum district and found a whole section of really beautiful/huge imperial palaces--or else buildings that look like palaces.  I uploaded a few of the better shots on here but will post more a bit later.  It was really cold but really exciting and I really loved just like wandering around with no direction.  

When I got back to the building Pierre told me that we had been invited by his friend Anna (she came to my birthday @ the student bar) to go to a birthday party in the 7th district near GP.  Again, In america I would probably not have gone but before I had time to think I said "lets go".  The party was in a really cool student apartment with atleast 15 foot ceilings.  There were two other Americans there and it was nice to be able to have a conversation where you could use the subtleties of english and not just flat communication.  They were both from california and were studying urban planning and they were both new to Vienna as well.  I talked to an austrian guy who spoke fairly good english for a long time and ended up having a much more fulfilling conversation with him than the americans.  Almost everyone I talked to asked me about Obama and what I thought about everything.  All the austrians/germans were just as thrilled about him as I was and thought that it was a big step for america.  

It's funny...when walking around here it feels really different than the US, but when you are with the people you realize how amazingly similar everything is.

Human/Together/One more time/Music sounds better with you

Im gonna do this entry a little out of order cuz i skipped yesterday but need to write what just happened before I lose the excitement.  I left work at 5 after a really fun day--more ping pong--really funny research (i spent atleast 3 hours finding high resolution images of male legs)--and we went to the market as a group again to buy lunch (it just feels so awesome to walk around with the other designers).  It turns out Mo (not Mole as I previously thought) is flying to Munich tonight but we have already made a few plans of what to go see together next weekend.  

so anyways--i left work, and decided to take a long way home and try and check out a building with a steeple that I could see from far away.  Well, I got there and it was ok--but then I saw another steeple so I kept walking--this went on for like 20 minutes, and the further I went the cooler/more beautiful stuff started getting.  I could see a busy street up ahead and so I turned my ipod up really loud so I could hear my music.  I rounded the corner and was in a big plaza in the museum district and just got this awesome feeling in the pit of my stomach and at almost the same exact time the song I was listening too (human/together/one more time/music sounds better with you----daft punk--alive-@minute 5:20) started hitting this bad ass beat really really hard in my headphones and I had to try really hard to not start crying.  It was so beautiful and I all of a sudden had that feeling that I was missing before--of really being in europe and being alive on an adventure.  

I went on to walk (at about a 6 minute mile pace) for 2 more hours--and could have gone all night but i didnt have my camera-and my fully loaded satchel was getting heavy.  It is amazing how much I was missing right around the corner and I all of a sudden LOVE vienna.  I am going to go out tomorrow night with my camera and nothing else for atleast 4 hours.

Tomorrow's agenda: buy plates/bowls/utensils, cooking equipment, tram ticket?, get groceries, and go to really awesome outdoors store I saw tonight on the way home.

now things get out of order--yestday--if I can remember.  Work was good--a little boring at first with more p-shop iterations, but after lunch I got my first experience with german solidworks.  I only had to make 3 little parts but it took a while to get my bearings and actually start making something.  We went out to eat at an all you can eat japanese restaurant with sushi and it was really good and again really cheap @4,90 euro.  I came home late from work at around 8 and finished the book I had started my first night here.  I got up at 7:30 this morning to go to the bank to open an account here but I forgot my passport so things didn't get very far--but I have an appointment at 9 on monday to get it all set up. 

my first full week in Wien--24 more to go...

gnip-gnop

Last night at 10:00 pm, Pierre turned around from his computer and said "sooue I am wonderring if youe wouod e like to go pelay pouule on your birshthday?"  I was right about to get in the shower and go to bed, but I really want to push myself to do things I normally wouldn't on this trip, so I said "Youe betcha" in my best french accent.  We ended up going to a really cool student bar and playing pool for like 4 hours and a few of pierre's friends met us there.  It was really fun and I am so glad that I went and to have such a thoughtful roomate.

I woke up to what I thought was rain hitting the windows but when i went out to catch the tram--there was an inch of snow on the ground.  I decided I had to walk in it because it was so beautiful--and didn't feel like pushing my luck and ride the tram without a ticket.  Today was the first day of work that I felt like I was all there and really at ease.  The last designer that I hadn't met (and who i sit next too) came in today and I think we will become good friends.  His name is Mole? atleast thats how you pronounce it and he doesn't speak german either.  He just got his masters in ID at UMEA -aka the best ID school in the world-and has only been with GP for 2 months.  He was really excited that I don't speak german either and we talked in english for an hour during lunch.  He asked if I would want to go on hikes in the alps...before he even knew that was like my whole reason for coming to austria, so we hit it off well.

I spent the whole day doing p-shop renderings of some stuff that I have never worked on before so I learned a lot and got a great critique from my boss (the language barier actually makes critiques really fun and interesting).

before I left we had a ping pong tournament in studio and Christian and I beat Klemens and Mole in a 3-0 sweep.  On the way back home, I stopped and got--a 3 dollar donor Kabab and a coke from a little dive restaurant.  I ate it as I walked back in the snow and it was by far the best meal I have had in a long time.  Tomorrow is picture day at GP and I will be up on the web in a few days!  

and yeah, I know--I need to start taking/posting pictures

friday the 13th

I always loved it when my birthday was on fridays--but alas--its tuesday and I am now 23.  Today was really great at work--I did a whole bunch of sketching (they sketch a whole lot) and I have a few renderings due tomorrow but it is very low key/stress.  The whole studio went out to eat today as a welcome lunch for me (they didn't know it was my birthday--but it was great to go out with them).  It is amazing how used to german I am now--not that I understand any of it--its just that I am good at zoning it out as ambient noise.  They are a really funny group and it is amazing how similar industrial designers are (the ones that I know).  About half of them can carry a conversation in english and the others just squint there eyes in confusion If I get talking too fast, but I don't think communication will be a problem.  

Pierre asked if I wanted to go out for my birthday but as all of you know, im not big in the social scene and would rather just stay in a read a book/sleep.  I think I am finally at the age where a birthday is just another day and if no one reminds you, you would forget it all together.  So, thanks to all of you who reminded me!!!!

1st day of work

I just got back to the building after work and then getting groceries.  Im  not sure that GP could have been any nicer than they were.  Christoph my "tutor" as he called it was really awesome and spoke very good english (they all did).  He gave me a tour of the space--which is really beautiful and introduced me to all the designers that were there--now only 5 ID's, 1 interaction, 2 managers, and me.  They had me fill out a non disclosure first thing and then went to work setting  up my email and other accounts, and said they would get me up on the website in the next few weeks.  I got put right into a project that everyone is working on and is being presented on wednesday.  Christoph told me about all the work they have coming up and it sounds like a great time to be here.

The other designers were all really young--maybe 30 at oldest.  Four designers and I all went to the local market and bought stuff to make for lunch and made it in the GP kitchen--they have an espresso machine, dishwasher, microwave, and everything else you would need for a quick meal.  Almost everything in the office is branded GP--plates, mugs, pens, sketchpads.  They did there best to speak english and well really funny and sincere.  2 of them offered to take me hiking in the alps when it gets warmer and I really hope that they will!  

Overall--Im not sure that it could have been a better first day--except that I walked 2.5 km in the blowing snow this morning--aka-im taking the tram tomorrow.

Also--why is food (good food) so cheap here?

Sunday

Whenever I log on to the blog and post something new--I get in this weird time/space continuum and can't remember the last time i posted.  I have my watch on the 24 hour system, my phone set to US time, and my computer set to 12 hour austrian time.  On top of that--at 1 in the afternoon the sun is about 20 degrees off the horizon--making if feel like it is 7 am.  Then it is dark by 4:30!  It will be awhile until my internal clock syncs up with what all my electronics are telling me.  

I woke up late today and decided to walk the route to GP one more time before work tomorrow so that I wouldn't get lost on my first day.  I didnt take my map--something I thought was going to be a lot more bad ass then it really was--and I made it there fine within about 28 minutes walking at a normal pace.  

Sunday's in Vienna are really dead and almost no stores are open.  Also-it was snowing a little and we had really gray skies that for some reason made it feel like I was in Russia (interesting, as I have no idea what Russia is like). 

Pierre said the Ball was very fun, but he was a little disappointed in that some of the attendees were not as dressed up as they should have been and it wasn't quite as grand as he was hoping. 

I am really excited to go to GP tomorrow, and I look forward to seeing how they work.  As I was walking around today I saw a graphic/branding campaign that GP did for the austrian universities/book stores, so that was pretty cool.  I really have no idea what to expect at work tomorrow and I think that is the point of why I wanted to take this internship.  I can't imagine a better internship experience than what I had at CCI, but i want to see what it is like doing something completely different--different country-different people-different products-different everything.

Thats it for now--feel free to post or email me requests that you may have--and I am going to take more pictures starting soon so that this blog has a little more pizzaz.

day 2

I woke up around 11 this morning after a long sleep and finally felt refreshed.  I went out and got some more groceries for breakfast; a liter of milk and "Zimt" cakes--aka cinnamon cakes--a knock off of cinnamon toast crunch but very good.  I came back to the dorm and ate and then asked Pierre --which I found out today is spelled --Piotr--if he would show me how to use the rail system here.  So, at around 3 we went out for a ride on the trains and he showed me how to get to Gp.  Once we were there, he asked if I would like to play some pool, so we went to a nearby pool house and played a few games.  Pierre ordered us some beer and I was able to force some down, while beating pierre 5 games to 1 and with american top 40 pop blaring in the bar.  It was really good to talk to Pierre more and we learned a lot about each other.  We left around 6:30 and came back here because Pierre is going to a winter ball at a Palace nearby.

I am feeling more familiar with the city everytime I got out and imagine that in a few weeks I will be able to navigate without any problems.

and here is a photo of GP's entrance--a little blurry--but you get the idea

End of day 1

It is 19:00 and I am beat.  I walked the route to GP and found it without any real trouble.  On the route are atleast 5 supermarkets, 8 shoe stores, and 1 huge church.  I came back to the dorm after finding GP to warm up a bit and then went back out a little over an hour ago.  I walked in the only direction I hadn't gone yet from the dorm and found more of the same from this new city.  

I bought a few things from a grocery store and a danish for a snack and am suprised at how cheap food here is--a fairly large wedge of organic brie was like 1,39 euro.

I have easily walked 6 miles today and all my joints are throbbing after a month at home with no exercise.  I am planning on getting in bed and reading until I fall asleep.

It was a good first day and I am already learning a lot-for example: I have mastered how much time you have to cross the street after the green pedestrian light stops

also--ID was ranked 9th best job to have by the Wall street journal!

day 1

I woke up around 9:30 this morning after about 13 hours of sleep-but please believe I could have slept for 16.  I went on a walk around my building this morning and was excited to find a few little market stores and got my first of many "donor kabobs" basically an american gyro.  I also got 3 bananas, 3 apples and a can of coke all for 4.50 euros!  I went into a few other shops to get out of the cold and was glad to find that most people speak good english and that I was still able to communicate with those who didn't.  

This experience is already so different than the last time I was in europe.  There is a huge difference in doing this by myself, with no security blanket, and I am excited for the challenges that are ahead.  But for now, I am confident that I will be safe and successful here.

I am heading out again soon to walk the route to GP--about 2.5 km and am glad that my mom made me bring my heavy weight jacket.

Wow

Well--

Here I am.  It took three flights and 3 hours of sleep but I am here safe in Vienna.  I am living at student dorm--but their dorms arent for specific schools--or students, as I have graduated.  My roomate is Pierre, a pretty cool french guy who speaks perfect german and ok english.  

I arrived in Vienna at 14:00 their time but didnt get into my dorm until close to 17:00 as the guy who arranges everything was at his second job.  The room is pretty small--but clean and according to Pierre--when he moves out in february it will be just me in this 1 person dorm mouse house with two beds. 

My first impression of Vienna is pretty far off of what I had pictured in my head--it wasn't nearly as quiet and clean as I was picturing.  I also only saw the part from the highway to my dorm so that is just about 1/2398482342348 of vienna, so I am trying to stay positive that this short glimpse does not represent all of the city I will be living in for atleast the next 4 months.

I already have things I need to get done--but I am going to try and just do things one at a time and not get overwhelmed.  I have until monday to settle in before I have to start at GP, and hope that I can get into a routine quickly so I can stop feeling like a visitor in someone else's life.

It is 20:00 (8pm) and I am passing out immediately after this post....

Thanks for watching

Patrick