How to Meet Locals While Studying Abroad

It might seem like I’ve been spending all of my time lately traveling. And I have been traveling a lot! But also part of study abroad is to experience the local culture. I was worried when I came to Vienna that I would end up only hanging out with other American students. That’s what everyone warned me not to do. It turned out to not be a huge problem. Here’s what has helped me get out of my comfort zone and make some new friends from new cultures.

The most important thing to remember is not to be afraid to fly solo. You will have to do some things alone. It will be okay. I promise along the way you’ll meet amazing people. But a huge group of friends is hard to approach, and being a part of a huge group is easy to get comfortable with. As just one person it is easier to meet people in classes, at events, and wherever you happen to be. Getting out of your comfort zone is what it’s all about. The risks might seem big, but the rewards are bigger.

So, once you’ve decided to take the leap and try something new, what do you do? Where can you go to meet people? Classes can be a great way to interact with locals, but there are lots of other options as well.

·      Take a look at the services offered by your host university. WU has a buddy program that pairs incoming international students with regular WU students who can help show them around. I was paired with a fabulous buddy. She has been really helpful, giving me advice about what to do around Vienna. We try to meet every other week or so to at least grab coffee and chat.

There is also a program at WU that matches students with conversation partners. The partners then practice their language skills. Again, I was lucky and have a great partner. We meet once a week to practice talking in English and German. Sometimes we meet on campus and have serious sessions. But other times we go somewhere in the city to hang out or grab ice cream.

Try to see if your new university offers anything like a buddy program or a language exchange. The structured setting can be helpful if you want to meet people, but you are naturally shy.

If you’re still searching for ways to meet people, the best way I’ve found is going to events. That way you are guaranteed to have something in common with everyone you meet, since you all decided to go to the same event. But finding out what is going on in a new city can be a bit tricky. Luckily, there are several options for places to look.

·      Search Facebook events. Chances are, wherever you are studying abroad, there is a lot going on. Here in Vienna there are a ton of events every day. I use Facebook’s events feature to browse what is going on. The ability to see what all my friends are interested in going to is great. Plus, the search feature lets me look up events that I’m interested in. What are your hobbies? Look for events related to that in your area.

For example. I like to go swing dancing, so I just typed “swing dance Vienna” into the search bar. I found a cool movie premiere/dance event to go to. While I was there I met some nice people who told me about other dance events in the city.

·      Look around the web. Meetup.com is another place online to look for events. People and organizations post about things that are happening, so people can meet up. Through the site I found a regular board game night at a local game store. I go every week now, and have made some great friends there.

Of course, there are non-internet ways to find out about what’s going on as well. Posters around town often tell about the best events. It comes down to finding something that sounds fun to you, and just going for it. So be bold, get out there, talk to people, and have a great time!

All the Best from Budapest

Even though I was only in Budapest for three days, my time there was jam-packed. Every detail of my trip will absolutely not fit into this post. But I wanted to share some of my favorite places I went in Budapest. There are lots of distinct districts and areas in the city. They each have their own charm. These were some of the highlights for me.

Vörösmarty Square

I took a free walking tour of Budapest when I first arrived, and this is where it met. But when I got there, I found that they were having a spring market as well. What a great surprise! This market had everything. Lots of food of course. But also hand-woven baskets, traditional Hungarian embroidery, wreaths of dried fruits and spices, and adorable ceramics. I really enjoyed seeing it, and I’m glad I stumbled on it at just the right time. Plus, it smelled heavenly.

That sign says rooster testicle stew...

Buda Castle District

It is just a short walk from Vörösmarty Square to the Chain Bridge, which will take you across the river to the castle district. The Chain Bridge was the first bridge built across the Danube River. It was built in 1848. It joined what were then two separate cities, Buda and Pest. In 1873, they officially merged to become one city, Budapest.

The Buda side is known for being hillier. It is where the Buda Castle was first established in the 13^th century. Construction continued through the 15^th century. You can see ruins on the grounds today.

Behind is the President's house. It's the white house.

Most of what you see now are baroque buildings. They were built in the 18^th century and used by the Hapsburgs when they ruled Austria-Hungary. 

Fancy Baroque gate

Castle from the river

The baroque castle

Lion guards

Also on this side of the river is the MatthiasChurch. It has seen royal coronations and weddings since at least the 15^th century. What I thought was the most impressive part was the patterned roof. It is covered in Zsolnay tiles. They are a  special type of roofing tiles made in Hungary that are prized for their rich color.

Just next to the Matthias Church is the Fisherman’s Bastion. The structure is a lookout across the river. The spectacular view is accompanied by seven white, stone towers. The towers represent the original seven tribes, who were united under Hungary’s first king, St. Stephan. Meant to reflect the unique culture of Hungary, the towers are an unusual shape. I definitely enjoyed walking around, looking at this architecture, and the outstanding views across the river. This is the place to see the famous Parliament building.

You can see St. Stephan on his horse

Margret Island

A collection of three naturally occurring islands in the middle of the Danube, this park has been turned into an urban oasis. After touring the castle district, I went hunting for fresh fried Lángos and a peaceful walk in the park. But, I happened to be there for the finale of the “I Bike Budapest” event. So the park was teeming with bike riders. There was also a fashion show at the fountain. Not quite the peaceful walk in the park I imagined, but a fun night anyway.

I did get my Lángos.

Jewish District

Right next to the very heart of Budapest, Deák Ferenc, the Jewish district is a fascinating blend of history and modern life. The same company who lead the general walking tour also offered a walking tour of the Jewish district. I decided to take one Sunday morning. The tour was super! It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip.

This building marks the beginning of the Jewish district

We started with the more historic side of the district, visiting the three synagogues. Budapest was home to over 200,000 Jewish citizens before World War II. They mostly belonged to three main branches of Judaism, hence the three big synagogues in the Jewish district.  The largest was the Dohány Street Synagogue. It is the second largest in the world. The design of the building is in the Moorish Revival style, and looks much more like a church than a synagogue. It even features an organ that was played by Franz Liszt.  

In the past, there was an apartment building next to the main synagogue. The apartments are gone now, but a plaque remains, commemorating Theodore Herzl, who was born there.

There are also two courtyards.  Both commemorate the Hungarian Jews who died in WWII. One is full of gravestones, marking the mass graves where the Red Army buried the thousands of dead bodies found in the Jewish Ghetto. The other courtyard has a memorial. It is a willow tree in the shape of a menorah, with the names of those who died inscribed on the leaves. I found the memorial very touching.

Although the Dohány Street Synagogue is the largest, we also saw the other two synagogues in the Jewish district. Both of them were heavily influenced by Art Nouveau architecture, although they also incorporated Jewish heritage into the design. The Rumbach Street Synagogue was designed by famous architect Otto Wagner.

The Orthodox Synagogue on Kazinczy Street was built in 1911, and had the most Art Nouveau influence.

I really enjoyed learning all about the history of the Jewish people in Budapest. It was a bit depressing at times, but I learned a lot. Sometimes I feel like I miss out on learning about minority cultures when I am traveling, since I love to focus on majestic royal sites. The sites and history in the Jewish district were just as fascinating as any palace though. 

And the history of the Jewish district doesn’t stop with WWII. It fell into disrepair after the war, during the years of Communism. But it has come back to life. Now it is the hip-happening spot in Budapest. It’s where young people go to shop, eat, and drink. The trendiest places in Budapest are the ruin bars. On our tour we visited the very first one.

Szimple started off as a condemned apartment building being auctioned of by the state. Some young entrepreneurs bought it to try to make a summer cinema for the season. They patched what was really dangerous, and just left everything else. Their idea was a hit. In the end, they opened it as a club/bar year round. Inside the walls are full of scribbling and artwork from guests. All the decorations are made from recycled junk. It is a really cool place.

 

Since I happened to be there on a Sunday afternoon, I also got to see their weekly farmers market. Local farmers were there selling all kinds of fresh produce and other farm-products. And in the back, the Járókelö organization was selling steaming bowls of soup. For about $2.25 you could have a delicious lunch, and they donated the proceeds to help the homeless. Talk about warming you up from the inside!

Market!

Lovely soup-selling volunteers!

I don’t think anyone would really call me a hipster, but I was in love with the hipster vibe of the modern Jewish district. Unlike the well-scrubbed, white stone buildings of Vienna, the atmosphere was a little more colorful. Things were a bit rough around the edges, but it added to the charm. I especially liked all of the murals around.

Danube River

There is no denying the importance of the river to the city of Budapest. It literally runs through the middle. I visited the river twice. On Monday I used my 24hr metro pass to take the public boat on a cruise down the river. I think the public boats, operated by the metro system, are one of Budapest’s best-kept secrets. I was lucky to get an inside tip about them. There is so much to see along the river. The views are beautiful, and I had the perfect weather. It was a relaxing, enjoyable ride.

My boat!

 

The other time I visited the Blue Danube was on foot. I took a short trip one evening

after sunset to see the sights of Budapest lit up at night. Walking over the Chain Bridge I had a great vantage point to take some pictures.

The Chain Bridge

Buda Castle

Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion

Parliament

Citadella

While I was in Budapest, I met Zsuzsanna through couchsurfing.com. She was a very kind local who offered to show me around. We got coffee at the beautiful Book Café on Andrassy Street, Then she took me to see the Citadella.

Beautiful Book Cafe

The Citadella is an old military fortress perched on a hill. It overlooks both Pest and the Buda Castle district. On top of the hill is also the Liberty statue, constructed to commemorate the end of WWII. The Soviets actually built it, but it had become such a part of Budapest that it was left standing after they left.

I hadn’t really been planning on hiking to the top of the hill, but was so glad that I did once I saw the view. It was wonderful to get a chance to meet a new friend in Budapest as well. Thanks again Zsuzsanna!

I feel like I left out so much from my action-packed weekend. But there is simply not room for every little detail. I had such a wonderful time; it was hard to pick just a few favorite things. And a big thanks to my host Erzsébet! I’ve come back with so many pictures, memories, and a new appreciation for the old-meets-new vibe of beautiful Budapest.