The City of Vienna

By: Anna Hawboldt, British Columbia Institute of Technology, winner of the Spring 2022 BC Study Abroad: Stories from Abroad Scholarship

Study Abroad Destination: Austria

Vienna is a city mixed with calmness and liveliness. During the days, the cars, bikes and trams move quickly throughout the city. Simultaneously people will be enjoying their coffees at a street side café with no intent on leaving soon. 

As the night falls, the restaurants prepare for their evening rush and the bars down by the canal open their stalls. The roads, bike lanes and sidewalks stay busy as people make their way to meet their family and friends.

As you move down to the canals you will pass people sitting on the edge. Their feet overhanging the water as they listen to their music on their own speakers. 

On my second night, down by the canals, I met Eva the bartender, who spoke excellent English. She moved from Croatia to make a higher level of income.

"I make up for the lack of knowledge of the German language with my English. We don't all speak English or German, but we can still work together"

- Eva

She illustrated the patience and calmness of people who work in Austria even when they work in fast pace environments like a bar. 

That night, as I made my way back to my hotel, I saw people dancing against the graffiti art-filled walls of the canal without concern for the time. 

The art ties in the different aspects of the Austrian culture by it being busy with colours and shapes while radiating calmness.