Aditi Junagade, Comparative Healthcare in Graz Summer 2023
Surprisingly enough, almost all the locals that we encountered in Austria knew English. Whenever we greeted them in German, they would start a conversation in German, leaving us a little speechless and unable to keep up. On one specific occasion, one of my friends approached a cashier to check out and she greeted her in German. From there, the cashier started talking in German and asked my friend if she wanted a bag. My friend, misunderstanding her, said “Carte bitte,” meaning, “Card please”, thinking she was asking if she was paying with card or cash. The cashier then smiled, and said, “English?”, to which my friend nodded, and the cashier translated, “Would you like a bag?”. It was a humbling experience, to say the least, and one that taught us all to not be embarrassed to ask the locals to clarify or explain in English. Nonetheless, every local that we spoke even a little bit of German to, told us how they appreciated us trying to learn the language and even use it. When it came to making host country friends, our best friend were the teaching assistants from the University of Graz. Since they were around our age, it was very easy to connect with them and enjoy our time with them. They would provide us with shopping, touring, and restaurant recommendations that made our time in Austria truly authentic. While in Slovenia, the Slovenian students and teaching assistant that we were with also became some of our host friends. Even though we were in Slovenia for a short period of time, the teaching assistant gave us restaurant and café recommendations that enhanced our experience. I ended up liking a local café so much that I even got my breakfast from there the morning that I was leaving to come back to the United States. Apart from local friends, we also, surprisingly enough, made American friends. While in Salzburg, we met a group of American students also studying abroad in Austria. We exchanged numbers and then also met up with them later in the program when our paths crossed in Vienna. In my opinion, you should not shy away from becoming friends with Americans studying abroad, since they have varying experiences and even recommendations that open your horizons and make your experience that much more special.
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