Homecoming

Today was our flight back to Austria, and it was really exciting. On the plane, I was sitting by the window. One hour before arriving, I looked out of the window and suddenly felt my heartbeat with a positive feeling. Above the clouds, I saw the mountains stretching out. A smile appeared on my face because I knew that in about one hour, I would see my loved ones, my friends, and my family again.

But at the same time, I felt a bit worried. I knew it was the end of our journey, and I thought of all the experiences we could have had, all the people we met, and the distant people who had become close friends. In the end, I was happy that we were allowed to have this experience.

When we walked off the plane, we saw the airport, and on the balcony of Salzburg Airport, we saw our parents waving. In that moment, I felt a little tear running down my face, and we knew we were home again.

As we were looking for our suitcase, we couldn’t wait to hug our family members and talk with them about our journey.

So that’s 7ab, over and out.

Felix Wimmer

Goodbye USA!

Today was not only the last day in New York City but also the very last day of our USA trip. 

After we had breakfast, we left our rooms, packed our stuff and went straight to Central Park, where we wandered around visiting many places where famous movies such as Home Alone 2: Lost in New York were filmed. 

After leaving central park we had a small lunch and walked over to the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) where we were allowed to walk through the exhibitions and the museum shop by ourselves. We had the opportunity to experience some of the most famous art pieces the world has ever seen (e.g. Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh), as well as to explore exhibitions by artists we didn‘t know before.

Then it was already time to head to the hotel and then to the airport, where we had to say goodbye to the US. We felt sad, that those amazing 3 weeks were already over, but we were also looking forward to seeing our families again. All in all we are extremely thankful for this opportunity and for all the wonderful memories we could collect during this trip! 

Paul Seethaler

A day in New York

7th of November: A day in New York

Our journey began at the hotel, from there we walked down to the Hudson River to explore some of New Yorks creative  spaces, starting with Little Island, a floating park on the river. Built on modern-shaped pillars, the incredible architecture offered stunning views of the river and the city. It was an escape from the chaos of the streets,  reminding us of New York’s quality to combine nature with art.

Next, we visited the Vessel in Hudson Yards, which was an impressive  architectural building because of its honeycomb-like structure and hidden stairs to the top of the artwork. Sadly there was a strict rule, that forbid us to walking up to the observation deck.

From The Vessel, we continued walking to the High Line, an unique park built on a former railway line. This green path lead us through the city, offering views of urban art, wildflowers, and the surrounding architecture. Walking above the streets, we felt connected to the city in a way that was very inspiring.

Another essential part of our day was the 9/11 Memorial and the Memorial Museum. The Memorial, with its two massive  pools, was a place of quiet reflection. On all  sides, names were engraved to pay tribute to the lives lost on that tragic day. 

The Museum strengthened the experience, taking us through, photos, and personal stories. Seeing items like pieces of steel from the towers and hearing recorded messages from loved ones made the tragedy feel very real. It was a humbling and emotional experience. Later that day we visited the One World observatory to watch the sunset.

One of the most magical parts of our day was seeing New York City at night. Despite the cold many of us were standing on the deck of the Staten Island ferry and we admired the skyline, seeing the Statue of Liberty, which stood in beautiful contrast to night sky. 

– an unforgettable impression of the city that never sleeps.

Lilly Meschtscherjakov

Next Stop: NYC

At 3 AM we got frantically woken up by an emergency alarm blasted through the hotel, we rushed through the emergency exit with our pyjamas. Confused and shocked we waited outside the hotel until the fire department arrived. The firefighters hurried inside the hotel… But luckily it was a false alarm. So we went back to sleep. We didn‘t get a lot of it that night.

At 7:50 am we packed our suitcases and hopped into the bus. We drove for about 4hrs until we arrived in the city. Instantly we were astonished by the sheer size of the city and the building. After dropping our stuff off in the hotel we had some time to explore Times Square and eat some lunch. We went to the Grand Central Station, it is huge! Over 2 million people commute to this station every day! 

Then we strolled through midtown towards Rockerfeller Center, there we passed the Empire State Building and other skyscrapers. Mr. Baier taught us a lot about the geography of New York City. We also visited to St. Patricks Cathedral.

Later that evening we admired Times Square at night. After eating dinner we headed back to the hotel, because we were very tired. It was a day full of adventure and experiences!

Nicolas Cossmann

Our 2nd day in Boston

Yesterday was our second and most exhausting day in Boston. We spent almost the entire day walking, but it was definitely worth it. We were able to see so many different buildings, went to the Mapparium and also walked along the famous freedom trail.

Our day started with a breakfast at 8pm and right after that we headed to the Prudential tower. It was overwhelming to stand in front of such a huge tower, as we don’t have such high buildings in Salzburg. When we arrived on the 52nd floor, we were able to see the whole city from above. It was a phenomenal view!

After a shopping break at the Prudential Center we went to the Mapparium. We were given a short but very interesting guided tour there. The Mapparium is a huge globe that can be viewed from the inside through a 30 feet (~9 meter) long glass bridge.

Eventhough it has already been a pretty exhausting and long day, we still got enough energy to walk the famous and historically very important freedom trail. Mr. Baier gave us a vey interesting tour and showed us many important places in Boston, such as the Holocaust Memorial.

By then we were all pretty tired, so we had some time to buy us food and headed back to our hotel.

-Matteo

Goodbye New Hampshire, Hello Boston!

Today’s morning was very emotional. Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to our host families, but we were all looking forward to visit Boston.

After a 2 1/2 hour drive with the school bus we arrived at our hotel in Boston Then after a short break we took the Subway to the Harvard university. Mr. Baier showed us around on the campus. We learned a lot about the about how Harvard and other colleges/universities in the US work. Many successful people like Barack Obama, JFK and Steve Jobs studied at Harvard.

After the campus tour we went to the Harvard Museum of Natural History. The museum was a great experience, because there were a lot of old exhibitions, but they were supported by up to date science. We saw some really detailed flowers and plants made out of glass, there was a huge exhibition dedicated to flora and fauna (Insects, Sharks, Animals in New England, Dinosaurs, Asian and African animals etc.), and also a big mineral collection.

Later that day we got to explore the infamous Boston Chinatown. The streets were beautiful and the evening city skyline was magnificent. After dinner in Chinatown we walked back to our hotel!

All of us are really grateful for the things we got to experience and the memories we made in the two weeks.

Thank you!

David Bojtschuk

Our last day in New Hampshire

Today was our last day with the host families and I couldn’t believe how quickly two weeks had passed. In the morning, I had the opportunity to meet the entire family at a family brunch. It was so interesting to talk to the grandfather who had lived in Austria many years ago. He was excited to share his experiences and very curious so I answered lots of questions.

In the afternoon some of us met at Makayla‘s house for a Friendsgiving dinner. We had a very nice evening, eating delicious food and spending time with each other. Of course the night was bittersweet, as we remembered the many things we experienced and had to say our first goodbyes. 

Altogether, the day was a perfect ending to this amazing experience.

 

Katerina Simiuc