By Erin McElwee Staff writer
Imagine taking a self-driven roller coaster ride down a mountain in the Alps, seeing the countryside and a town below pass you by.
This is just one of the things senior graphic design major Morgan Sattler was able to experience on her Global Opportunities trip this past summer to Austria.
The annual GO Austria program, run by David Imhoof, associate professor of history, and David Steinau, associate professor of music, offers students an array of opportunities and experiences—from hiking mountains to seeing one of the best operas in the world.
Sattler, from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, has always had a passion for the arts and for adventure. It was for this reason that the trip to Austria caught her eye.
“I chose Austria because of the fantastic scenery along with the beautiful music. My sister sings opera and wanted to hear how the music is in other parts of the world,” she said. “I also heard of all the adventures they would take, as well as the discussions between our class and a set of Austrian university students.”
The 18-day trip took students to three major cities in Europe: Munich, Germany; Salzburg, Austria and Vienna, Austria. Most of the trip was spent in Austria, which Sattler said is marked by its own unique culture and history. “Many of the buildings were centuries old and still standing,” she said. “The architecture was beautiful and I have never seen anything like these buildings before.”
One thing Sattler didn’t expect, but also loved was how active the group was throughout the trip.
“My favorite thing on the trip was hiking up this one mountain that took a very long time. The view was incredible and no picture could capture how beautiful it was,” she said. “Once we got to the top, there was a single roller coaster ride per person. You had to control the coaster yourself and it carried you through the mountain.”
Sattler said that her experience with the Susquehanna GO Program in Austria has changed her view on the way she sees the world.
She said: “It is hard to think about how the world works when you have not been out of the country. You see how other countries run and their points of view about things. I think it is a great way to learn if these countries are more successful than our own in certain aspects.”
Meeting with Austrian students helped the group compare and contrast cultures, making them more knowledgeable world citizens, according to Sattler.
Sattler said she enjoyed her time in Austria.
The experience is not just one she will remember forever, but it has also has given her a new passion and goal: to become a world traveler.
“All I want to do is travel across the world now,” she said. “It is fun trying new things and being a part of something that you are not comfortable with.”
