Fasching!

Servus Fasching! This is my new favorite holiday...ever. So Fasching is a big holiday based off of Carnival, its basically the Mardi Gras of Austria. Since being in Austria for two and a half weeks I have learned that Austrians will use anything as an excuse to party, and Fasching is no exception. Every year there is a huge parade through the city center and then everything is shut down so the whole city can literally party in the streets. And let me tell you Austrians are good at that.
  For some crazy reason they wanted the international students to be involved...so we all painted absurdly large t-shirts and represented our countries. Well any lack of American pride I might have had previously was erased as I skipped through the streets chanting U.S.A in a tall tee. Per usual the school turned it into a huge party so at 10am we all got together to paint our faces and act ridiculous. As we hit the streets I realized that Fasching is no baby parade. The floats, costumes and performers were clearly very passionate about this day. So I can only imagine how they felt about a bunch of international kids dancing in the streets singing their national anthems, (by the way this was not required...we just all got very patriotic at one point or another). So of course in this proud moment there was a camera broadcasting live on Austrian television. Which made me feel like I was essentially a part of the Macy's Day Thanksgiving parade of Austria. Basically superstar status. So here is my little moment of fame, yes I am running around and throwing confetti...the moment was just too priceless.

http://tvthek.orf.at/programs/3622897-Das-Steirerland-im-Narreng-wand/episodes/3622895-Das-Steirerland-im-Narreng-wand
If you check it out the International students come on at 18:40 approximately. Only in Austria are 20 kids in tshirts considered anything special...

 Here I am repping little Rhody....a place that apparently no one has ever heard of. Go figure. Also they can't seem to grasp the fact that we are named Rhode Island yet we aren't an island. Oh well,  im clearly WICKED excited to be from RI.

This is me being friendly with my favorite border neighbor Canada, the back of her shirt said "Canada, Eh?" Absolutely epic.

So after trekking through the streets of Graz for a few hours we decided it was our time to partake in the festivities. There were so many street parties that we literally just fell into one. Then proceeded to dance like fools for hours. I am legitimately sore from this. Dancing around the streets of Graz both in the parade and after was amazing. Definitely something I have never experienced before!
                                                         Ein schöner Tag!