Kennedy ’s Journals

August 17, 2026

Willkommen in Österreich! ????????

Once I had deboarded my plane at Vienna Airport, I easily found baggage claim. This airport was MUCH more navigable. On my way, I met a girl around my age who was returning from her own study abroad through a different program. It was really nice because, while we waited for our baggage, she shared her experiences with me, and I shared my excitement and nerves with her.

After about 20 minutes, I collected all my bags and made my way out through the big exit doors. I searched for the familiar faces I had met over video call a few weeks earlier and spotted them standing to the left with a sign saying “Welcome Ken” and some red heart-shaped balloons. I gave my host sister and host dad big hugs, and we briefly talked about my flight.

They helped with my bags, and we stopped at a nearby airport café to grab a pastry. My little host sister picked out a donut-like pastry for me. I don’t remember what it was called, but it was delicious and exactly what I needed after such a long and stressful journey!

It felt a little funny having my 11-year-old host sister handle the ordering and payment, since usually the older person would do that. But I guess that’s what happens when you have no clue what’s being said!

Once we were in the car, we started talking about all sorts of things, including my flights, my layover (they were very entertained by that hot mess of a story), and what I was excited about in Austria. The atmosphere wasn’t particularly awkward, although I could tell my host sister was a little nervous about making conversation with me at first.

On the drive, I made sure to stay off my phone and pay attention to everything outside the window. We soon merged onto a highway, and although there wasn’t much to see, I enjoyed reading all the different road signs.

Funny story about the signs: For the first few days, I was SO confused about what an “Ausfahrt” was because I saw it everywhere. I remember genuinely thinking, “What is this *fart thing, and why are we always in it?” Eventually, I learned that it meant “exit,” which made A LOT more sense.

When we arrived in Klosterneuburg, the environment felt cozy and familiar. It reminded me of my hometown in Upstate New York, just much more beautiful and definitely more European. The houses were built into the hillsides, with some sitting much higher than others. At my host family’s house, for example, you walk up a short, steep hill, and from the second floor, you can see the roofs of the neighboring houses below.

We drove past a beautiful light-yellow church, which my host dad explained would probably become one of my regular bus stops since it was the closest one to our house with buses running in the evening.

When we arrived at the house, my host mom and host brother were waiting in the front room. I gave them both hugs, and we talked about my flight and my first impressions of Austria.

They were actually finishing packing for my host brother, who was leaving the next morning for his own exchange to the USA. After they showed me my room, I decided to open my suitcase full of gifts for the family.

They were especially excited to try the Chick-fil-A sauce and ranch I had brought. My host sister loved the trendy dumpling and NeeDoh squishies, and she even put on her new Disney shirt immediately! When my host brother tried the candy corn, he said, “This is just sugar,” which I couldn’t really argue with because he was right.

They also had some welcoming gifts for me. First, I tried Manner, a popular Austrian wafer with a chocolate-hazelnut filling. It was SO good (and I’ve had it MANY times since then). They also gave me matcha powder they had brought back from a family trip to Japan, along with some other Austrian sweets. I especially loved the different kinds of Kinder chocolate.

Since I wasn’t too tired yet, my host dad took my host sister and me on a little drive around Klosterneuburg to show me the community. My first impression was really good. I loved that we lived somewhere smaller and less crowded but were still close enough to Vienna to visit whenever I wanted.

We stopped at a supermarket where I tried Spezi, a popular drink that tastes like a mix of Coke and orange soda. My host dad kept asking me about the differences in prices between Austria and the USA. Most things were priced similarly, but one difference I immediately loved was that taxes were already included in the displayed prices. I still don’t understand why that isn’t the standard way of labeling prices everywhere.

One big culture shock happened when a group of boys who looked around 16 walked past us carrying cases of beer. I was so surprised that I asked my host dad if they were actually allowed to buy it. He casually explained that beer and wine are legally available to 16-year-olds in Austria. That was definitely something I wasn’t used to seeing in the USA… He even went on to say they most likely wouldn’t even be ID’d at the register because they looked old enough. Isn’t that bizarre?

We also drove past the Stift Klosterneuburg, one of the town’s most famous landmarks. Although we didn’t go inside, I was amazed by how beautiful it was. Our last stop was in Vienna’s 19th district, where we drove up winding roads surrounded by vineyards and houses built into the hillsides. At the top, we stopped to enjoy a beautiful view overlooking the city.

On the way home, we passed even more vineyards near our house. There was something so beautiful about the simple rows of grapevines covering the hills. Even now, walking home from certain bus stops, I pass those vineyards, and it’s still one of my favorite parts of the walk.

When we got back, my host mom suggested going swimming since it was so hot. My host sister and I wanted to go, and although Kian wasn’t initially interested, he eventually joined us. It was fun spending time with just the kids, talking about America, his upcoming exchange, and our favorite fast-food restaurants. Amelie also told me about all the things she wanted to show me in Austria, and I promised I wanted to do ALL of them.

That evening, my host family prepared an American-style BBQ for my first night. We ate outside, used the ranch I had brought for the salad (which everyone loved), and even played some basketball in the backyard. They also had me say a few German words, which gave everyone a good laugh.

One of the funniest moments was when my host mom brought out some forgotten ribs from the grill. They were definitely overdone, and she joked about offering them around the table. I remember thinking how similar they were to my own family, which made me really happy. In that moment, I realized how lucky I was to have been placed with such a fun and close-knit host family. 

During dinner, I also tried pumpkin seed oil, a very popular Austrian ingredient. My host mom explained that some people love it while others hate it. We had it over feta cheese as a snack, and I actually really liked it! They warned me to be careful because it stains clothes permanently. Unfortunately, I learned they weren’t exaggerating after getting some on my clothes later on…

After dinner, we watched some shows together. First, we watched my host mom’s favorite movie, Apex , and then my host sister introduced me to a show called The Rookie . To this day, it’s still one of my favorite shows, so much so that some would say it’s unhealthy how much I like it haha!

Eventually, everyone went to bed. I felt bad because my host brother had to sleep on the couch for his last night so I could have the bed, but he insisted he didn’t mind.

The next morning, I slept in because the jet lag was finally catching up with me. My host family had already taken Kian to the airport, so everyone was a little sad after saying goodbye. My host parents prepared a big brunch with eggs, bread, and different kinds of meat. We all sat together, and I got to try Liptauer, a paprika-flavored Austrian spread that I immediately loved. It’s still one of my favorite foods here!

We spent most of the day relaxing, watching shows, and tracking Kian’s flight to make sure he made it through border control after landing in Washington, DC. His second flight ended up being significantly delayed, which caused some stress for my host family, but everything eventually worked out.

It was a much quieter day, giving me some time to settle into my new home and recover from the long journey. After all the excitement of arriving, meeting my host family, and getting my first impressions of Austria, I finally had a little time to take everything in. It was only the beginning of my exchange, but thanks to my host family I already felt very welcomed and at home.

Of course, I didn’t have much time to settle in before my next adventure began. On August 19th, I would be heading to Salzburg for language camp, where I’d meet the other inbound exchange students, the Rotary youth exchange Rotex team, and many more people who would become part of my exchange experience. But considering how much there is to say about language camp… that is a story for next journal.

Baba, bis bald !