When Team Graz met at Chicago O’Hare, we were basically strangers. It is strange to think back on that day after our amazing five weeks together.
We started our journey with a visit to a swimming pool in Baden bei Wien. Here, we were able to start finding out about each other in German.
Upon arrival in Graz, the students were welcomed by their eager host families. Next, we had our first official day, which included a tour of Graz and our language test. Due to a holiday, the students then had a four-day weekend to spend with their host families.
Before we knew it, we were busy with our courses. As the students became more comfortable communicating only in German, we were able to see their true personalities. Those personalities especially shined during our daily adventures, which included places like the Stadtpark, the Styrian Armory, Schloss Eggenberg, and climbing the 260 steps to the Uhrturm to take a trip down the world’s tallest underground slide. We were also blessed with excursions to Burg Hochosterwitz, the Wörthersee, Riegersburg, and the must-loved Zotter Chocolate Factory. We had so much fun getting to know Graz, the surrounding area, and, most of all, each other.
We concluded our time in Graz with a memorable Farewell Show where the students shared their many talents and thanked their host families. This was a moment when we realized that we were truly a team: we supported and cheered for each other, during the program and as we prepared to depart.
Leaving Graz was difficult. The students felt so loved by their host families, and they felt comfortable in their new city. After many tears, we boarded the bus to Vienna.
In Vienna, we enjoyed our last days together as a team. We saw many sites, including Schönbrunn Zoo and Palace, Stephan’s Cathedral, Belvedere Palace, and the Prater with its giant Ferris wheel. Mostly importantly, we got to spend time with our friends, who were strangers only weeks before.
When we had to say goodbye, we did so as a team. We had succeeded in celebrating each individual's uniqueness as we learned German and about Graz. We were sad, but for such happy reasons: we are left with memories and lessons that will last a lifetime.
On our first day when we arrived in Vienna:
At the airport in Vienna before we flew home:
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