Grocery shopping is the highlight of my day. I have to mentally prepare myself to face the hoards of hurried German-speaking shoppers. I also have to physically prepare myself by layering up, getting on coat, gloves, scarves, boots, and the usual keys, wallet, etc.  I only buy one bag of groceries per trip (European style). People give you dirty looks if you take too long in the line and if you had a cart you couldn't navigate through the crowd! So it took a few days worth of shopping to put together a single meal (it also gives me something to do!).

Thanks to Corina for dishes and cookware!

(estragon is mustard! in a tube!)

My toast (aka a grilled ham and cheese sandwich) was yummy!

Went to McDonalds today! There are only about 8 menu choices total (+happy meal) and it was really busy, we had to wait for a table.

(sorry I forgot to take a picture before I started eating)

Although it looks very similar, the food is not nearly as greasy. Even the ketchup is different! That being said...our McDonalds taste better!

Thanks to my 'buddy' Nadja! She has helped take me around to run errands, get moved in, and work out things at the school. She also bought me lunch today!

My humble abode...
(I'll post pictures of the room as soon as I get blankets and bins and such :) )

The kids coming to play for recess!!! They all shovel snow the whole time

(this is out of my third floor window in my dorm)

My dorm! Concordia-heim. It is for students mainly, but also random people that don't go to school live in the dorms.

A field next to the dorm

I'm on the third floor-- this is the beautiful stained

 glass windows throughout the stairwell

My dorm! It looks pretty drab, hopefully spring will come (I'm doubtful at this point) and I can post more colorful pictures

My hall way-- My room is the second one there on the right

 (the first you can really see here)

No keys, all key cards! Makes it easy to get in and out,

also easy to lock yourself out!

Everything is very very new. Nothing is the slightest bit damaged or 'used'

Went to the pub with some fellow exchange students! Darren and Gemma are my neighbors (Irish) and Claire (American) is basically a neighbor :)

They've been here since September and have already been a huge help!

It was fun talking politics with Claire, who is from NJ/Iowa/New Mexico, in an Irish pub in Austria! And we have similar political views :)

 

The Uni Pizzeria! mmm

It snowed for nearly 12 hours straight this morning. It actually felt warmer than it has been and the snow was coming down in big, pretty flakes. Unlike Oklahoma there is no wind, so though it is cold it isn't a miserable kind of cold.

I live right next to an elementary&middle school, so I see all the little kids

 come out all bundled up for recess!

The buses (usually very punctual) were running 10-15 minutes late. Everyone kept checking their watches, they couldn't believe how late they were!

Corina and I spent Sunday with her parents at their house. They have a beautiful farm in a small town about 30 miles north of Klagenfurt. Her mom is a wonderful cook and I had such a great time.

My first train ride in Austria

Cole slaw with bacon and a bell pepper salad. I could live on this.

The view of the town from the kitchen window

The most popular beer that you drink with this soda. Tasty!

I decided they didn't like me because I was wearing leather boots...

Their wonderful and gorgeous home!

They have cows, chickens, and cats!

There is a city market on Thursdays and Saturdays.
Rather than fruits and vegetables like a farmers market in OK, they had more meat than I've ever seen in my life! Meat, cheese, and bread... I can't complain. Maybe the produce will come in seasonly.

I took this picture for my mom, it reminded me of her!

I thought it was only natural for my first food to be apple strudel... Once I parked my bags in Corina's apartment we went for coffee and pastries. We had Apfelstrudel and Sachetorte, famous Austrian chocolate cake.

I arrived in Klagenfurt at 10:45 a.m. (3:45 a.m. CST) with no delays, no missed flights, and no lost bags! The Klagenfurt airport is very small, so the plane parked out on the runway and we walked to the one baggage line. Corina, my roommate from last year in OKC, was waiting for me!