A Winter Wonderland Welcoming

I made it back to Austria safe and sound on Jan. 12.  I was surprised to see not a speck of snow on the ground in Vienna, but as I approached the town of Mürzzuschlag, there was an abundance of snow.  The snow has continued to fall from the sky since my return to Austria.

My first weekend back, I went to one of the warmer parts of Austria, Klagenfurt.  My boyfriend and I visited his mother's apartment there.  There was not nearly as much snow in that town as opposed to my town.  The first night, we went to see the huge lake in the town, Wörthersee.  It was a beautiful site to see just as the sun was setting.  Afterward, we went to the shopping center in town.  We walked through the mall and the surrounding streets of the town.  Banners of lights streamed over the sidewalks illuminating the streets.

The next day, my boyfriend took me to a sauna, Thermal Römerbad in Bad Kleinkirchheim.  The place had 13 saunas total.  It became apparent that these saunas were different than those in America for there was no need to wear any clothes or bathing suits.  People walked around nude as if it was part of the norm, which it is in Austria.  After a nice, relaxing day at the sauna, we were welcomed home with an Austrian meal, Wiener schnitzel! 

Our final day in Klagenfurt, we traveled to the top of a mountain to overlook the town.  Although there was not much snow in the town, there was plenty on the top of the mountain, and it was much colder.  We were able to see the lake that we saw a couple days before.  In addition, we could see mountains from Slovenia and Italy, as those countries were not far from Klagenfurt.

Once we returned to ground level, we traveled to the town of Velden.  It was a beautiful town with a huge lake, the same lake that reaches to Klagenfurt.  We walked around the town for an hour or so.  Then, we went back to Klagenfurt to have one last Austrian meal before we left for Mürzzuschlag.  We had what Austrians call Tafelspitz with Apfelkren.  It was boiled beef with an apple horseradish sauce.  Although I don't particularly like horseradish, I enjoyed it with the mixture of apples.

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"The New Solitude In My Boat"

The New Solitude In My Boat

19. January 2012

"Happy New Year!  After spending 36 days in America, I made it safely back to Austria last Wednesday.  Upon arrival, I knew there was snow in Austria, but I did not expect so much.  During my break in America, I was actually able to wear flip flops again!  Unfortunately, I had to go back to wearing boots now that I am back in the cold climate of Austria. 

I was so excited to return to Austria, but after opening the door to my apartment, those feelings soon changed.  My apartment felt empty and lifeless.  I realized I had no roommates anymore.  I, now, don’t know any English-speaking person in Austria besides myself.  I feel alone on a boat among a sea of German-speaking people.  I have never been homesick before, but I finally understand it now.  It’s really lonely in my apartment without my two Canadian roommates who chose to not return after Christmas break.  I know I will be okay.  All I need is time.  I will soon get accustomed to this new change in my life here in Austria.

My older brother will help me adjust to this change, as he flew from America on Wednesday and will be visitng for the next two weeks.  I’m looking forward to sharing my experience in Austria with my brother, at least for the next two weeks.  In addition, I will now have another English-speaking American that can be in the same boat as me."

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Back to Austria, I Go

I was expected to leave for Austria last week, but due to a slight inconvenience, I was forced to reschedule a new flight back to Austria for this week.  I had to get a visa for my return to Austria and needed to wait until I received my visa and passport in the mail.  Now that I have successfully received my visa and passport, I am able to return to Austria tomorrow!  I depart from Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk, Va. at 10:25 a.m. and arrive at Washington Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. at 11:31 a.m.  I have a 50-minute layover in Washington, D.C. until I leave for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, N.Y. at 12:21 p.m.  I will be at the JFK Intl. Airport for four hours and 15 minutes until I step onto the last plane of my trip.  I leave at 5:50 p.m.  After my eight-hour and 45-minute flight crossing the Atlantic Ocean, I will arrive at Vienna International Airport in Vienna, Austria at 8:35 a.m. (Central European Time), or 2:35 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time USA).  A map detailing my travels is located below.



View My Trip Back to Austria in a larger map

I will be in Austria for another three months to finish the season with the Neuberg Highlanders, as I am expected to leave on April 11 and arrive in America on April 12.

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