This was my official first time studying abroad outside of Marching Mizzou, and man was this a great experience! I’ve always enjoyed learning new languages and seeing cultures and places outside of my own and how other people live their lives, and I especially really enjoyed Vienna, partially cause we were also there for longer, but I really started to feel comfortable there the more I understood the layout, the language and especially the public transportation. Their ‘subway’ is called the UBahn, which is another incredible tram system, mostly underground, and is very convenient for travel throughout a very big city, as well as made it very easy to remember where different landmarks are located, including our hotel.

The name of the program I was a part of was the Degenerate Music and Art in Vienna and Budapest, so we went to a wide variety of museums, churches/cathedrals, music buildings and memorials, and we also visited a couple of heavier places such as the Terror Museum and a concentration camp. These all connected very deeply though knowing how much truly happened at the same time, that it wasn’t just the Germans disliking certain music or art, they disliked the people and wanted to feel superior, so there were many instances where the emotions were heavy, but we learned a lot of very valuable lessons on the program, and the main one is to live your life to the fullest.

We are very lucky to be where we are today, and having this kind of experience really opened my eyes to what really matters to me and how I should just go for my dreams and not let anything stop me, and you should, too. These kinds of experiences don’t come around super often, so take the chance and live your life to the fullest!

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Learn more about this blogger’s study abroad program: Degenerate Music and Art in Vienna and Budapest