This was by far my favorite day of the entire trip! We used our free day to go to Salzburg, Austria. When it came to planning the trip I was very indifferent about we did and I was genuinely up to do anything as I was not particularly drawn to Austria for anything specific. Erin had a great idea to hike the Sound of Music Trail and she had been looking forward to this for a while. As I love hiking and reconnecting with nature, I opted to seperate in a smaller group to go on the hike instead of exploring the city. So 7 of us took another 40 minute train ride out to Werfen. A 40 minute train ride sounds pretty mundane on paper, but once we reached the halfway point of the ride, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The views from the window were mindblowing, we all went nonverbal to focus on watching our sightings. Already, I was blown away by the views on the train, so getting off the train and walking around town, I was floored by how scenic the area is. The train station is tiny and surrounded by nature, we first saw a waterfall and as we inched closer to the train, we had a clearer view of the mountains. Before starting the hike, we stopped at a market to get water and I got crunchy green grapes to munch on the entire hike.

We initially thought that this was going to be a relaxed hike on a paved trail that we could easily do in jeans. So as we were all dressed nicely and not at all wearing hiking attire, we quickly learned that this hike was not at all relaxed. I remember feeling the heat and the pressure hit me at once as I began munching on my crunchy green grapes for relief. The hike included many steps and steep trails, so I was struggling to avoid sliding down as my sneakers were quite flat and had little traction. Unfortunately we had a fall and it somehow was not me. Brooke fell while looking back at me as I tried to hold onto her when I felt like I was going to fall. This definitely lifted our spirits and it was a good laugh for everyone. We finally made it up to the lookout point with a herd of cows roaming around. Once I saw the cows and breathtaking view, I immediately knew I made the right decision by choosing to go on the hike. Before I became obsessed with horses, my previous fixation was on cows, so I immediately felt like I was at home being surrounding by the cows. Carly was maybe even more excited to see that cows than me as she ran ahead of everyone and actually touched the cows! I kept my distance and just enjoyed the peaceful energy they were radiating. After taking pictures and frolicking, we made it back down to catch a train to Salzburg.

Though I didn’t watch the Sound of Music, I’m so glad we had the chance to go on this hike. The views and the cows made the experience worthwhile as it was incredibly scenic the entire way up. I now understand why so many people are drawn to Austria’s natural beauty. The mountains seemed endless, the rivers were crystal clear, and every turn on the trail revealed another incredible view. While the site visits and touring Bavaria’s cities taught me about history, business, and culture, this day gave me an appreciation for the nature that make this region so special. The hike was not as easy as we expected, but reaching the top and taking in the scenery made me grateful that I pushed through. The views, the cows, and spending the day with friends, made this experience worthwhile and something I will look back on fondly. It reminded me that study abroad is not only about learning in classrooms and company visits, but also about experiencing places in a way that broadens your perspective and creates lasting memories.

This was our final night of the program before departure, so we said farewells to the German students and spent time together as a group one last time!