Like the unjustly more popular Italian “Ciao,” the Tyrolean “Servus” is a means of greeting as much as of saying good-bye.

In this sense, we first and foremost want to raise our glasses and say a melancholy “Servus” to our lovely exchange students of the preceding winter semester. Many of you might have already left Innsbruck, some of you are still out there enjoying their final downhill rides before packing your bags. We are sure you’ve had one hell of a ride those past few months. You’ve made experiences you will remember for many, many years to come, you’ve met people who from now on will be your circle of friends all around the world and maybe you overcame challenges that helped you grow, be it academically or personally. We at ESN Innsbruck tried our best to help you make these experiences. After such a semester, our greatest reward would be if in some of the stories you are going to tell your friends and families back home, your adventures with Knut had a little role to play.

Our bigger hope is that even though leaving now makes you think you are running right into your post-ERASMUS depression, you will remember Innsbruck as a place that will give you a warm welcome once you decide to come back.

Until then, our “Servus” is not a definite good-bye, just a casual Tyrolean “see you soon!”