Vienna...The last couple days

The last few days in Vienna were another experience in itself that I don't the program would have been the same without. Getting to see the St. Stephens Cathedral and the catacombs was extremely interesting, every step feeling like a step back into history. The catacombs were beautiful and a little frightening at the same time, especially considering the original bones of the graves were left at the site. The tour with the chartered bus, however, I must say, was not quite as great as I had hoped it would be. Although I know there would have been no other way to take a tour of the city so quickly, I almost wish we could have stopped more places and spent time getting to know the sites.

The next day at the wax museum was very enlightening concerning medicine and anatomy. The models were much more realistic than anything I could have imagined, and I could easily see why they would be used in the teaching of the anatomy of the human body. The most interesting ones in my opinion were the ones depicting human birth, congenital diseases, and abortion. Though controversial and even inaccurate at times, those wax models were great at demonstrating the birth process, the early methods of abortion, and even the early understanding of multiple births. The entire experience was another addition to the amazing time I've had on this trip.

The Sigmund Freud Haus, however, was the highlight of the time we spent in Vienna. I quickly found him extremely interesting and quite the role model in the field of medicine. Despite his problems with addiction and developing healthy relationships, you can't help but admire the talent, intelligence, and guts that he constantly demonstrated. I can't wait to get his book concerning dreams and start reading his genius!

Lastly, the opera proved to be so different from what I was expecting, an event that has encouraged me to start learning Italian. The language was so beautiful that almost had a hard time deciding which I appreciated more--the orchestra or the singing. Mozart's genius was uniquely complemented by the lyrics and song, and I can't wait for another chance to see something so beautiful.

All in all, Vienna was one of my favorite cities--the beauty and size both a little overwhelming and humbling at the same time. This whole trip has been an experience that has encourage to learn like four new languages and definitely to spend at least another semester abroad. I can't wait till my next study abroad, and I hope that everyone else feels the same way.