Dear Vienna,
I want to thank you for an incredible five weeks exploring your streets. I grew because of you, you made me do things for myself and learn to navigate on my own and fend for myself. Thank you for having one of the simplest and easiest public transportation systems I have ever encountered. I remember first looking at your subway map and thinking to myself, "I am never going to make it anywhere" but you showed me that I didn't even need the map and I became an expert on jumping on and riding to whatever part I needed to get to.
Thank you for bringing me together with a group of people that I plan on keeping around for the rest of my life. I knew no one else and it took just one meeting at a bar on the first night and eating ice cream and drinking mojitos for me to find lifetime friends. You made being away from home easy because you snuck into my heart and made me feel like I was home. With your endless beauty and historical knowledge, I was never at a loss of what to do and you constantly had me peaking into magnificent cathedrals and reading endless plaques.
Thank you for making the idea of going to a foreign city less scary with the friendliness of your citizens. Thank you for having such nice taxi drivers and giving me the chance to meet new people and hear their life stories. I survived a summer of curveballs and you made sure to show me that I was going to come out OK and encouraged me to strive for what I want. On your cobblestones I was able to truly find a piece of myself, and I believe I flew off your runway a more confident and a stronger young lady. For that I will always be grateful, Vienna. At first you had me very scared and a bit uneasy that I would enjoy my time, but you revealed to me the beauty of city life and the hidden treasures you can find if you take the time to look for them.
Thank you for fun nights dancing under the stars and endless laughs with friends. I could not have asked for a better place to spend my time studying and a better place to explore history, architecture, night life, art and music then with your limits. I feel like I blinked and my time with you came to an end. You saw my smile, wiped my tears, and heard my laugh. You don't have to wonder if I will come back because there is no doubt in my mind that you and I will meet again.
I left you with a full heart and memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I cannot thank you enough for all you have taught me and for making this trip so very special for me. Stay beautiful, Vienna.
Always,
Tammy
