My New Addiction


So I’m afraid I’ve become an addict since I’ve been here.  I’ve been in Linz roughly three and a half months, but it really only takes a day.  Ever since I stepped into the H & M on Landstrasse I was in love and I was addicted for life.  And I honestly don’t know what will happen when I go back to the States!  I’m thankful that, of all places, they chose to open an H & M in Atlanta.  Otherwise I might not survive. 

I’ve only been shopping a couple times there, but I love it every time I go!  I like looking at all of the clothes on display, but my favorite places to go are all the sales racks.  And Linz doesn’t have just one H & M… it has two! Right down the road from each other!

Before I came to Austria, people told me that it would be really important for me to dress nicely when I went out.  None of this sweatpants-or-workout-clothes-to-class-or-out-to-run-errands business.  For the most part, I’ve found, this is true, but there are still some students who walk around campus in sweatpants.  I’ve noticed that people generally look pretty put together out in the city, but no more so than I’m used to back at home.  The only difference is that come exam time there are not that many more people running around in shorts and T-Shirts on campus, and I have yet to see someone come to class in their pajamas, which was a pretty regular sight at Maryville. 

In the clothes department what I do miss is having University gear.  While most colleges have all kinds of T-Shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, water bottles, what have you, JKU (as far as I’m aware) doesn’t really have anything like that – just a T-Shirt I think.  I found it interesting that this kind of thing isn’t as popular here.  And, in talking to other European students I’ve found that they say the same thing.  Yet another one of the tiny details that makes things different.

In any case, where as I used to rarely ever go, I feel that once I get back to the States I’ll be frequenting the H & M in the city a little bit more often.