I'll be the first one to admit that I wasn't wild about going to Austria. I wanted to study abroad, but in Germany. But that wasn't in the cards for me. It's as if I was meant to come here.
My first 3 months here were a test. I wasn't homesick, but I was lonely and annoyed bý the new culture that I had entered. I didn't realize that it was culture shock, but it was. I was adjusting to living in a foreign country that wasn't Germany.
It was hard to meet the locals at first. In our program, we are all Americans, and we stick with our little group. It is, after all, much easier to stay around the people that understand the same pop culture references and, of course, what it feels like to be a foreigner in this country.
However, enough was finally enough, and, although I do like the people in my program, I am here to study and learn German in context. So I decided to take the plunge and join a Catholic church group here. It was difficult for me to take that step. I am always tired on Wednesdays after babysitting, so I normally just head home. But I knew eventually, if I wanted to meet people, I had to put in the effort. So I went to the prayer circle. And, to my surprise, met many nice people that invited me to join them right away. Now I have lunches planned, parties to go to, weekly church events, etc. All it took was that one step.
I've heard it from German women living in the states before, and now I am living it here. It is difficult being a foreigner. It is lonely. You stand there at school, at the store, on the street, just hoping to be noticed. Hoping that someone will see, perhaps, that you are new to the area. Will they come up and talk to you? Will they invite you out for coffee? Will they even notice you at all?
The problem with being passive is that it gets you nowhere in a foreign land. People aren't mind readers. If you want to meet people, you have to go up to them. I'm not talking about being over aggressive and creepy. I'm talking about taking a small step. What about that nice girl in class who always says hi to you when you walk in? Why not sit next to her and ask her for her e-mail address, in case you have any questions about the class, as you are an exchange student? What about that woman you see everyday when you drop off your kids? Perhaps you could arrange a playdate and you two could bond over coffee?
It's all easier said than done. But if I hadn't walked into that church, looking all nervous and uncomfortable, I would still be lonely and out of touch with this culture. I put myself out there, and now I feel so much more comfortable here. Sometimes all it takes is a few friends and a new understanding of a culture :)
And so, I will say something I never thought I would. I love Salzburg. I really do. I love walking around and seeing the fortress, going to the cafe behind my Studentenwohnheim for a latte macchiato friddo, riding my bike to the supermarket, walking over the bridge to the bus stop while admiring the Salzach river, meeting friends for coffee and cake, babysitting for two adorable Austrian girls, and so much more. As one Republic says, 'There's nothing to complain about.' I now walk around and smile.
:)
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