Picture this: there's a shy German major who decided to
take a year to study in Salzburg, Austria, even though it meant being over
four thousand miles away from her comfort zone, so that she could experience a
culture she'd never seen, see places she'd never been, and learn a language
she thought she knew.
That’s me! And this is my story.
Danville, pre-departure
My name is Christina Kleinfelter, and I am currently a
senior at Longwood University. I opted to study in Salzburg, Austria for a
year to fulfill my study abroad requirement in my junior year. I will graduate
in the spring of 2005.
Why Austria? I wanted to experience something a little bit
different than the usual year abroad in Germany. I had heard that Austria was
such a beautiful country, and I wanted to see it for myself. I knew my
potential German proficiency would not be compromised as Hochdeutsch,
or High German, is taught there, just as it is in Germany.
I left America on September 24, 2003 to meet with my group
of eight fellow German students—none of whom I’d met before—in Salzburg
on the 25th for orientation before the begin of the winter
semester. I came not expecting anything because I didn’t know what to
expect, as I had never been outside of the States before. Little did I know
what a fabulous, irreplaceable experience I was going to have. One of my
professors at Longwood told me before leaving that staying for a whole year
would change my life—boy, was he right!
Cultural Distinctions – How Austrian culture
differs from American culture
Say What? – Things you hear in Austria
that you won’t anywhere else
A Picture is Worth… – I’ve been to so many
places, and I’ve posted here the photos that best represent what I’ve seen
Longwood vs. the Uni – The uni in Salzburg
is good, but nothing beats Longwood!
Salzburg ist Wunderschön! – Pictures of my beautiful city