It was very tough because I didn’t know any English. My family stayed back in Austria and all of my friends were back there. I can definitely say that it was really difficult the first couple of months. In the end, I had a great host family and made some good friends that I still keep in contact with. But the first couple of months were some of the hardest of my life.
Beyond the Boards... Thomas Vanek
Source: Sabres.com