Salzburg, Austria

Living and socializing with new people, let alone be on a new continent was an exciting and scary idea. I didn't know what to expect from living with a host family. Liz and I chose to be roommates. Our host family was Phoebe and Ioan (pronounced Yo-Han) Kloss. They had five children, with three living on their own. The other two, 16-year-old Hieronymus and 11-year-old Enzio, lived with us. When I told friends about living with a host family, many of them said they could not fathom doing so. Yet, as apprehensive as I was, it was one of the best experiences of my life. Each and every day I woke up with the Alps in the background and adventures just waiting for me to experience them. The first picture depicts the Alps rising just beyond the house I stayed at while the second one is of the Alps during sunset. This was one of my favorite times of the day. My room was attached to a balcony where I could sit down in one of the wicker chairs and gaze at the sunset. People say that Europeans are so relazed and enjoy life more free of stress. I couldn't have felt more happy or relaxed than I was at that time. Not many people can step outside their house and enjoy such a beautiful part of nature. I was truly lucky to have been able to be a part of that opportunity.
I also included a picture of one of my favorite spots in Austria, the flamingo pond. Sometimes when I needed to just get away and be alone, I would walk past this pond and just gaze at the flamingos. It was a source of peace and serenity for me; a place where I could gather my thoughts and reflect on my life at that moment in time.