Oliver Gamson writes "March has been a beautiful month in Vienna and has brought along with it very nice weather. Everything is beginning to bloom, and soon wherever I go there will be beautiful pink and white trees.Earlier this month I danced in my third ball opening, and on the 11th, I had the opportunity to play with my orchestra in Hofburg palace, which is a very famous palace in Vienna and holds a lot of historical significance. The concert was featured briefly on Austrian national television and actually was a Rotary fundraiser event. On the 26th, I had the final concert with my orchestra, where we played Mozart‘s Requiem. This concert was held in a stunning 300-year-old church where Mozart, among many other famous composers, performed.
My family and I also spent a day in Bratislava, which I enjoyed a lot. It is amazing to me that so many European capitals — Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Bratislava — are so close to each other. Someone could do a day trip to any of these cities if they would like. I have now had the chance to visit each of these cities, and these trips have added a lot of richness to my exchange.
My German is becoming better and better, and I can now almost always get around Vienna without needing to switch to English. It is a very exciting process, and my host family has put a lot of effort into helping me learn more.
On April 24th until May 11th, I will embark on a trip through Germany, Belgium, France, Monaco, Italy, and Slovenia. This is a Rotary-organized trip, and I will be traveling with other exchange students. I am very much looking forward to the trip and sending an update on the things we do! On March 29th I will be moving to my third host family, and April 11th will mark three months before I return to the U.S."
Oliver and his host family in Bratislava.
Oliver's three host families came to support him during his concert. Not all of his siblings were there, but it meant to a lot to see almost everybody.
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