Elvis Santana’s blog details his exciting transition from New York, London and Salzburg.
Throughout the summer I tried to calculate the amount needed for my exciting trip. What thrilled me the most about my upcoming journey was the language barrier that I would inevitably come across. I was also motivated to visit places people only hear or even dream about seeing; however, I did have one problem and that was the time difference. Throughout my first visit to Germany in 2010, the time adjustment was incredibly difficult. My body wasn’t capable at first to stay awake the additional hours. Since Europe is six to seven hours ahead, I had to periodically schedule naps and official sleep hours in order to sleep comfortably for the next few weeks. This time I would be mentally prepared, however, to once again deal with the issue I overcame a few years ago.
I tried to sleep throughout the flight but excitement took over that goal. Studying abroad is one of the biggest decisions I’ve made thus far. When I first arrived, I noticed how the money in London was preferred to as pounds instead of euros or dollars. Most importantly, everyone drives on the left hand lane! I mean, how crazy is that for an American to think everyday of his stay that being in the left lane is insane! Eventually my mind synced in those details and quickly adapted. First lesson in London: look right before crossing the street instead of left. When we arrived at the hotel, I noticed how everyone from the American Institute of Foreign Studies (AIFS) was from a different place. I met students from Minnesota, Texas, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, and many other states. We celebrated and cruised the city on our second night because most students were completely exhausted. The day of our exploration, we saw not only the Queen’s Palace but also Big Ben. London was exquisite and very traditional.
Finally, the big trip to our next destination. On September 8th (my birthday), we departed to Munich and from there we took a bus to Salzburg. Considering that it was my birthday, I wanted to splurge and explore the city non-stop! I knew I had until December to see everything but how could you tell a 21-year-old American that he couldn’t? A few of us went out that same day and the others were tired because of the small time differential from London to Austria. I didn’t care; we met plenty of people and saw the beautiful city that has officially become my home for the next three months. Calm, peaceful and lovely was my reaction towards my new home. I knew learning the language wasn’t going to be easy, but the journey was going to be enjoyable. Eventually, we began our intense German courses. The Institute wasn’t joking when they titled it intense, but after those two weeks of mandatory German courses, I knew more than I ever did back in New York. The “Österreichen” (German for Austrians) are different from the Americans and were completely aware that I was American. Not only was I saying hello to everyone (which was odd to them) but there aren’t many Hispanics in Austria, and I’m the only Hispanic within the AIFS group. Feeling out of place was an understandable reaction, but acknowledging that a minority took a step forward to a different country was my only interpretation. Class begins soon; let’s see what the University of Salzburg has to offer!
Elvis Santana
Albertus Magnus College Class of ‘15
Organizational Psychology
Albertus Student-Athlete Advisory Committee President Division III GNAC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Vice President