I had the great opportunity to live and go to school in Vienna, Austria. I was lucky to be in a city with so much history, where some of the buildings are hundreds of years old. Almost every single situation is different when compared to America. The people are among the most interesting I have ever spoken to because they are more laid back, they eat differently, speak differently, act differently and they seem to enjoy life’s little joys much more than the average American.

The school system is set up differently as well; it is spread out throughout the day, but in between there are large breaks that last as long as three hours. In between studies, students go to a local café, a bookstore, or just walk around in the city. One of the first things that I noticed when I walked into the city for the first time was that the people take their time and enjoy everything. Coming from Los Angeles where everything is a rush, and everyone is concerned about the next big thing, living in Austria was a huge culture shock.

The food is completely different, even the McDonald’s is different; it is less greasy, and you can but a glass of beer on tap there. If you go to a movie in Europe, the ticket price varies depending on where you would like to sit, and again, you can buy a glass of beer on tap. There are many European restaurants here in America, but none of them are even close to what is really served in Europe. For the most part, Europeans love to eat meat and they have some of the richest meat I have ever eaten.

In the evenings there are many places that open up, where people go to drink and socialize. It doesn’t even matter what day it is because drinking is a way of life in Europe. Beer almost seems to be a food group, since most of the beers that restaurants serve come from local breweries.

Subways run almost anywhere making getting around easier. The subway system runs smoother than any other public transportation system I have ever ridden. It is very precise, as a train will get to a stop every two minutes on the dot.

The costs of items range in price. Food is cheap, while clothing is more expensive. The tap water is drinkable, but everyone drinks carbonated bottled water. Very few American products are sold in the supermarkets, so everything tastes different. The local markets have such an interesting variety of food like cans of caviar next to cans of liver.

At school, the teachers obviously liked what they did, and they were interested in what we had to say, and once again they were very laid back. They swore, and they drank on their breaks, but that’s just the culture.

When I came back to California the culture shock really set in. I can remember saying to my mom, “I came back to this?” Austria was enjoyable, and I loved every minute there. The world is small, but the cultural gap that separates us is large. Europe is a place where people love to be physically fit, but almost everyone smokes. Almost everyone there drinks, but there are almost no accidents caused by drunk drivers. Everyone there knows how to have fun and live life, but at the same time they know what they need to do to be successful.