By Katie Stanley
Not only do we Salzburgers like to connect with the local Austrians, but we also like to keep in contact with our fellow American students abroad. For one thing, many of us meet up with UP students, as there are semester programs in Granada (Spain), London (England), and Nantes (France). One or two from the other programs have even made it out to Salzburg to visit our beloved Center!
Even more exciting is our newfound connection with another group of Americans right here in Salzburg: those participating in the semester abroad program with University of Redlands, a college in California. Last semester we were invited to the Redlands Salzburg campus to meet their students, and a great time was had by all. We especially liked swapping stories of our adventures, comparing our experiences, and enjoying a taste of America that we hadn’t experienced for several months.
On January 17th this semester we were again invited to dinner, this time with the new Redlands group that had arrived only a week or so prior for the spring semester. Connecting with this group was just as successful as the first, though the dynamic was a little different. There we were, seasoned veterans of living abroad, mingling with “new recruits,” if you will. This too was entertaining, as we could tell them about our travels and they could teach us all the American culture we’d been missing! Also, since we connected early in the semester, the doorway has been opened for further meetings during the next months. As the Germans and Austrians would say: “Wir freuen uns schon darauf!” (we’re looking forward to it!)