We've gotten down to the final week of the experience of a lifetime...  from 4 months.. to 4 days...

It's really been developing all semester long without me even realizing, but I've completely fallen in love Vienna and everything about it.  I'm starting to feel that little pang in my stomach when I think about leaving all of this behind.  When we reached the 3 month marker, the relationships that I have been building here with my peers and teachers started to feel really important to me.  Now I am a little heart broken to leave behind so many amazing people and connections I've made.  I know I will always carry them with me and these are experiences are some that we will always hold dear.  

Every time I asked someone about studying abroad who had already done it, they gave me the "YES, you HAVE to do it.  It's the most amazing experience. DO IT."  They were right.. and I didn't really understand that until recently.  There are moments when I have felt so passionately just over the fact that I'm here, in a completely foreign country, and I dared to do that.  It was all my idea and my decision and I've made the most of it.

I remember before I left, when I was applying for this study abroad trip, I never truly thought it all through to be honest.  I didn't know what to expect, I just thought, hey it might be cool to go somewhere for a semester and all the music students go to Vienna.. for obvious reasons.  It didn't even hit me.. until.. I landed in Vienna maybe?  In all of our first meetings here, they kept saying, "You're already not like most students your age.. b/c you dared to do this."  Most students don't study in a foreign country.  I hadn't actually thought about it like that, but I suppose it's true and it's really cool.

I just had a really nice dinner with Ryan, Ross, and Howard and we just kind of talked about how everything moved so fast here.  September and October were normal (for me they were slow), and then, as Ross said, we hit November and it was like a race to the finish line.  And here we are.  Those 6 weeks flew faster than any 6 weeks of my life.  

I feel like it took me longer than most to really "find myself" here, but once I did, I've never been happier with my life.  I want to be here for a lot longer.  I feel like I've really broadened my horizons and opened up a lot of opportunities for my future.  I'm looking at some many options for grad school or... whatever happens after undergrad.  I'm so not ready to make those decisions yet, but I'm so ready to dive into everything.  

I've grown so much here.. everyone has :)  There is this indescribable feeling you get, I think, when you study abroad.  Kind of like that amazing feeling I had after walking out of every lesson in the Staatsoper and just feeling so content with everything.  Even if there was a lot of stress with school or people or anything.. my lessons, rehearsals, and concerts were such a relief from the stress of life.  It's this feeling that's reflected on everything here now.  I get this really happy feeling when I get to the top of the escalator in the Ubahn and I've chosen a perfect piece on my ipod to listen to as the Opera house comes into view.  Or when Wolfgang gets me backstage for operas and I look out into the gorgeous hall with an audience applauding more appreciatively than any audience I've ever encountered.  And when I walk in the Innere Stadt and see incredible building after building everywhere.. the history of this city!!!  There's just this utter joy from being in a city like this.  I don't think I could ask for anything more from a city.. (except maybe for free bathrooms =P).  But in all seriousness, I don't know how I really feel about leaving just yet...  I just need more time...