IFYE Q&A

You asked, I answered! I am nearing the end of my three month exchange to Austria and have gotten to experience many things. Some parts of life in Austria have been similar to life at home, while other things have been completely different. I’ve had time to reflect on these experiences, and below are my responses to questions that I have received about my trip with IFYE Austria.

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What‘s been your most unexpected experience?

Part of IFYE is to expect the unexpected, but there are still things that come up out of the blue! Walking pigs with harnesses and lead ropes definitely wasn’t in mind when I was preparing to travel to Austria. But I was most surprised at how much I enjoyed learning about life on the farm, since I do not really come from a farming background. My favorite tasks I learned on the farm was feeding baby calves milk and harvesting honey; both things I had no idea I might get to do. Another thing I was aware of but didn’t expect to get to do was travel to other European countries by train or car. I’ve gotten to travel and go on day trips with my host families to Czech Republic and Hungary, and also step into Slovakia.

What is one thing from Austria you will definitely be bringing home with you?

A skill that I used or often experienced my host families using was preparing homemade meals. These meals often prepared from scratch. Not much in the fridge or pantry was pre-made packaged foods. I loved how yummy and healthy all the food was that I had. A physical thing I will be bringing home is my drindI (traditional dress), but also lots of good chocolate to share.

What has been the best moment from the trip?

It’s impossible to pick just one! The best moments are experiences of the culture like festivals, and exploring sites or attractions, but also time spent with my host families when making new foods, playing games, completing tasks together, and enjoying conversation.

What’s been the biggest culture shock?

The language. Even though German is sometimes very similar to English, it has been the hardest and most challenging thing to get used to. Other than the language, sweet warm meals for lunch. A broth or pumpkin soup as a starter followed by apple strudel or something similar as a main for lunch was a new, somewhat strange combination.

During your IFYE experience what was so fun or impactful that you’d love to do again?

The most impactful event was our in-country orientation when all IFYEs were together. Here we were able to get to know each other and spend time together. It felt great being able to talk to other people that were going through similar things, but also able to talk about unique things to our own countries or states. It made the excitement of the program come alive again. The Austrian host organization also made a big impact to our stay, with organizing multiple things for us beyond our host families, like train passes and other fun events. I would have loved if we could of had more days together at the orientation, or more meet ups throughout our three months in Austria.

One thing you had never done before, and how did it turn out?

Making homemade hamburger buns. One afternoon I was left alone to make bread buns for burgers we would have for dinner. I was given a recipe in German and had it explained to me in English. It had been years since I made homemade bread, and never had I made buns before. To my surprise they turned out amazing and we ended up making them again for another meal!

Other than your pup and family what do you miss the most?

Ice water. Here drinks are often kept at room temperature, drinks in a restaurant are served without ice, and water at home is consumed from the tap. Another thing would be driving a car. I’ll have gone the entirety of my trip traveling by train, bus, bike, or a passenger in a car. I also really miss my friends and attending regular yoga classes.

What would you go back and do again?

From the perspective of visiting Austria again in the future, I would like to visit Salzburg again. I loved the city and had just a couple days there, so it would be nice to visit sites I didn’t have time to. One of my favorite things I got to do in Salzburg was ride bike through the city to see the sites, and I don’t think I could ever get tired of it (mentally tired anyway, the hills can be bigger than they look).

Was it hard to adjust to different host families?

With each host family came different experiences with their own unique things to adjust to. Some parts of the host family life took longer to adjust to than others, but overall not difficult. Living with a family however is much different than in my own apartment or even in a hostel, so there definitely were changes. How fast I adjusted to a family depended on the amount of time I spent with them, how much English they spoke, and how much time I had already spend in Austria. As my trip went on, it was easier for me to pick up new things and adjust faster. Something that was definitely hard to do was when it was time to leave my host family or the next.

What did you do on the farm?

I helped with chores and tasks best I could. I mostly observed the way that things were done and had them explained to me while I watched. Simple tasks were shown to me and then I could do them on my own. I helped feed the animals, milk cows, pick fruits and vegetable from the garden, tame younger animals with the lead, and prepare foods for the winter.

Did you host families like the American food you made for them?

Yes! Some things they changed up a bit or added something additional to. We enjoyed lots of burgers, pizza, sloppy joes, and I’ve made so many batches of brownies I can’t even begin to count!

What is the thing you miss the most that you want to do when you get home?

Cuddle my dogs.

What food do you miss the most that you want to eat when you get home?

Tacos, rice, nachos, any Mexican food really! Speciffically a burrito bowl from Qdoba. Also Starbucks, there are locations here in Austria but not in the small villages where I‘ve spent most of my time.