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One Entity writer explores everything living in Vienna as an American Woman has taught her.

You’ve studied maps, learned a few words in the native language (German) and researched some of the cultural customs. Yet, as your plane finally lands in Vienna, you still aren’t sure exactly what you should expect. Luckily for you, ENTITY is here to help. Whether you’re traveling to Vienna or just curious how people live on the other side of the globe, here are 32 surprising life lessons an American woman learned while living in Vienna.

1. The train system (the Austrians call it the U-bahn) is easily the best way for any woman – or man – to get around the city. Public transportation there is just excellent in general and it’s totally safe, reliable, clean, and inexpensive.

2. Ice cream all day, every day. Viennese of all ages love ice cream. Still February and freezing outside? Doesn’t matter. Pass the gelato; it’s practically a cultural custom.

3. You will usually see at least five elegant, horse-drawn carriages on any given day. They are charming and helped me live out my fantasy of being the classy Victorian woman I have always wanted to be.

4. Be prepared for any kind of weather at any time. There is a shocking variety of cold: chilly, cold, quite cold, windy and cold, wet and cold, snow, snowy and windy, snow/rain mixed with cold and a hint of wind. Have at least several styles of coats readily available at all times.

5. Every woman and her grandmother are out stocking up on milk and bread each Saturday morning. This is because very few shops sell groceries on Sundays. (I found this out by arriving Sunday morning, shopping basket in hand, at a closed Billa storefront. . . more than once.)

6. Had a terrible day? Great! Tell your Austrian friends. For some reason, the Viennese seem to love a good story about a rough experience out in the city and students abroad usually have more than one to share.

7. Unless you are in the mood to get run down by a slew of bicycles, check both ways before crossing the street – even if it’s a one-way street (bikes are allowed to go the wrong way).

8. You feel super elegant and sophisticated when you work on your laptop in a Viennese cafe. My personal favorites were Café Phil (super cool and urban with the perfect balance of pretentiously disheveled hipsters and business folk on their lunch break) and Café Sperl (delicious, elegant, and famously used in a scene where Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy have an adorable convo in Richard Linklater’s “Before Sunrise”!).

9. You’ll probably start speaking in a weird British-North-American-Pseudo-German accent that will confuse everyone, including yourself.

10. You start thinking in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit and then you have to convert back when you’re trying to describe what the weather is like to people back home.

11. You will probably become a coffee snob. I have never tasted coffee anywhere that matches the quality in Vienna.

12. When you first arrive, you’ll think those Nordic walking poles that people use to get around the city are weird and probably always will. What are those things even for?

13. You will become accustomed to 24-hour time and then promptly have to Google “how to tell 12-hour time” when you return home.

14. You learn to write your dates “backward.” I’m talkin’ day/month/year.

15. You giggle when you see guys in Lederhosen, but Dirndls will seem so practical and fitting for any occasion that you’ll want one of your own. Talk about global glam.

16. You reach a point when you start feeling more like a native than a tourist, and then you start judging the loud groups of American men and women trudging through the city, especially in Michaelerplatz and Stephansplatz. Cue a minor existential crisis when you remember that, technically, you’re one of them.

17. Laundry is an all day process. Back in the US, it usually only takes 1-2 hours to wash and dry a typical load of laundry, but dryers aren’t a thing in Vienna (and most of the EU for that matter). Break out the clothesline!

18. Everyone says “God’s greetings” to each other and it’s totally normal. “Grüß Gott!” is just the way men and women say “Hello” in Austria.

19. You’ll be super jealous that everyone there has 6 weeks of vacation time a year, plus sick time, maternity, and paternity leave. How do we survive without it?!

20. People will give you stares and comments if they think you’re dressed too warmly, or not warmly enough – sometimes both in the same day, particularly during springtime.

21. It’s Krapfen or nothing. I will never be satisfied with a “donut” from anywhere else again. Same goes for goulash. I fell in love with this beef stew when I was abroad, but now I can’t find it anywhere in the US, and quite frankly, I am distraught. Cuisine crushes are very real.

22. There are approximately 58 types of sugar available for purchase and you can get them all at Billa. You’ll probably buy the wrong kind at first, or maybe that was just me.

23. Punctuality is of the utmost importance in other cultures. You’ll start to panic if you know you’re going to be even even minutes late to anything, and you will subsequently apologize profusely at the feet of whoever was waiting for you.

24. Socialism is really chill, okay? Vienna is an amazing place to live. They’re doing a lot of things right.

25. You won’t be surprised to see a dog anywhere. In fact, they are honestly more well behaved than some of the men and women I know.

26. You’ll probably make the mistake of smiling at strangers, but quickly realize that this is considered weird and flirtatious so you decide to never smile at strangers again.

27. You will no longer be fazed by seeing fully grown adults in business attire on scooters.

28. For a country of people who seem to love orderliness and efficiency, you will become accustomed to the chaotic nature of every public line. Men and women there lose all sense of patience when it comes to standing in line.

29. There is no concept of a “snow day.” Sometimes there’s snow. Sometimes it’s freezing. Work happens, school happens, the trains still run on time. Life goes on.

30. At first, you’ll freak out when you see young children on public transportation by themselves, but then you’ll get used to it. Vienna is a super-safe city, but it still kinda scares you.

31. You will learn to embrace the fact that you’ll get something wrong most days. Living abroad and being outside your own culture is a challenge. At first, it can seem intimidating, but you will eventually grow to love everything the experience brings. It’s a normal part of life to make mistakes and that’s completely okay.

32. You will never figure out where Arnold Schwarzenegger gets his accent. I have never met a single Austrian who sounds like that.

The last “bonus” piece of knowledge you might find yourself learning? That Vienna is a pretty awesome place…and you may even find yourself never wanting to leave.

Edited by Casey Cromwell
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