What the University Didn't Tell us....

Before the 167 of us Franciscan University students boarded the plane bound for Austria, we were informed of many things. Over the course of the four pre-Austria meetings, we discovered the necessity of converters, the practicality of peanut butter, the scoop about the mandatory laundry fee, and the wonderful opportunity to travel around Europe. Despite the helpfulness of these meetings, there were many things we weren’t told. It isn’t exactly the University’s fault; it is just an honest fact.

I wasn’t told how much I would want to know German. Before I got to Austria I had approximately zero desire to learn German and I assumed that wouldn’t change. Yet within a few days of being in Austria, I was wishing I knew the local language. It surprised me that although I was surrounded by English-speaking people most of the time that I would have such a desire to converse in a foreign language. Just the simple phrases that I have taken for granted due to living in a country that speaks, mainly, one language: Excuse me, thank you, please, and the list goes on. Much can be expressed with gestures and snippets of English and German, but there is much to be desired. I almost wish there was a mandatory introductory German class offered on campus.

They didn’t warn us adequately about the Kartause kids. The Gaming staff did their fair share of informing us about them, but by then we had crossed an ocean for a semester with little chance of running home. Adorable little children play outside in the snow after Mass. A perfect picture ofAustria: the red roofs dusted in white, children and adults conversing in the chilly air, the snowy mountain peaks reaching heavenwards, the…snowballs flying through the air landing on unsuspecting college students. The staff did warn us, but the children’s faces were so sweet, I was almost in disbelief that they would attack us. Yet they did. With smiling faces they expertly packed snowballs and then sent them soaring through the air. Victims were chosen and battle lines drawn. I soon decided that I wouldn’t run from their ammunition but rather create some of my own. Of course, one child told me that my snowball throwing was “rubbish.” It is now my custom to go to Mass, with a heart ready to receive Jesus, and a pair of gloves to pack snowballs for my little brothers in Christ.

The University didn’t tell me that some of the best weekends you have will spring from disappointment. This past weekend I was all ready to go to Slovenia minus the actual tickets. On the night before departure, the trip plans were dropped and I had no other choice but to stay behind in Gaming. Yet what seemed to be a disappointment changed into one of the most relaxing weekends I’ve had thus far. I did some homework, went sledding, met some of the local children, and hiked to the waterfall. Overall, it was a wonderful weekend that began as regret for ‘missing Europe.’ Instead, I experienced the beauty that Europe has to offer close to home.

The University did tell me that this could very well be one of the best semesters of my college experience. So far, the classes I am taking now seem the best I have encountered. I am falling in love with Ministry to Moms and the beautiful people I get to meet through it. My fondness for the German language is growing by leaps and bounds. I’m becoming more cultured, I like to think, and by this point I have participated in Mass in English, German, and Czech as well as a Byzantine Divine Liturgy. Perhaps what the University didn’t tell me was much more satisfying to learn on my own.

A post by Trish Irvine