Meine Woche in Wien

You know how sometimes you remember something as being so amazing and wonderful, only to go back and be disappointed that it's not really as good as your memories?

Well, Vienna was not one of those cases. I felt like a kid in a candy store the entire time I was there, walking around with a silly grin on my face. The smallest things- from recognizing German words, to sitting on the U-bahn, to browsing the coffee aisles in Zielpunkt and Merkur- made me so overwhelmingly happy. I spent all week visiting my favorite places, usually spending most of my time alone, but yet surrouded by warm memories to keep me company.

Pastor Laura (whom I stayed with and she was so wonderful!) talked my first night there about how some people's native language is different than their heart language. I think the same can be true for places. I think that although my home is Tennessee, Vienna is my heart city...

(Read on if you have any interest in what I did in Vienna, although much of it only will make sense to people who have been there!)

So, here is what I managed to see/do/eat while I was in Vienna for the week:
FRIDAY: Woke up to fresh brewed Julius Meinl coffee prepared by Laura; walked to IES; strolled down Kartner Strasse; had a delicious Dark Chocochino and muffin at Coffee-to-go (Coffee Zum Mitnehmen) and had a kaiserkrainer for lunch; went to Stephansdom and shopped in the Graben; walked all the way down Mariahilferstrasse; went to ClubSchiffe, which is a club on a boat on the Danube
SATURDAY: Naschmarkt in the morning, where I bought some pumpkin seeds from Styria; I visited the Prater and took pictures of rides I had been on the first time I was in Vienna 8 years ago; I ate my favorite dessert EVER in the Palmenhaus; went to the opera to see Barber of Seville, which was fantastic; went and had a drink with 2 Americans and 2 Polish students I met at the opera
SUNDAY: Went to church at ESUMC :), went out to lunch with Selena, Christian, and their kids, along with some other church members; wandered around Stadtpark in the afternoon; had dinner over at Missy's apartment that night
MONDAY: Revisted my old stomping grounds of the Meiselmarkt, Johnstrasse, and then finally Selzergasse 12; I actually followed someone into the apartment building and wandered up to where we used to live, only to have a guy ask me if I needed help...he was kind of attractive, and actually looked like he could have been Frau Sardar's son...; visited Schonbrunn gardens with the gorgeous fall colors; met Eleonore (the teacher I worked with in Vienna) at Cafe Diglas for cake and coffee; walked around for a long time
TUESDAY: Cafe Dommayer, as suggested by Missy and Kai, which was delicious; went to the chocolate museum for lots of free samples :); went to Merkur; wandered around some more; met Laura for dinner and had a great Viennese meal~ Weiner Schnitzel, potatoes, and sturm!

Some observations of things that have changed:
*The U2 is now twice as long! I was really freaked out by this...
*An opera is now 3 euros for standing room, instead of 2 (Esther, be glad we studied there last year!)
*Plus is no more :( It has been replaced by Zielpunkt
*Kauf & Spar has been totally rearranged...I only know this because I frequented the grocery stores/cheap discount stores way too often in my 4 months there
*Frau Sardar's name has been removed from Selzergasse 12
*The Westbahnhof is under MAJOR reconstruction...Katy, I was going to take a picture of the escalator for you, and you can't even go in right now....sehr traurig!

PICTURES OF VIENNA
Click the link for pictures....for my roommates, I will be sending you a few videos soon ;)

"When will you realize, Vienna waits for you"

In less than 48 hours I will be in the wonderful land of pastries, classical music, schnitzel, Deutsch, and of course, the best coffee in the world :) As requested by the lovely Katy Cordle, I want to write as much as I can about the experience, and so it starts now.

So much has changed in the past 2 months. When I booked my flight to Vienna, it seemed like the one thing I had to look forward to in the near future. Now I am adjusted to Barcelona; I am starting to remember less the things I miss so much about home and instead realize all of the wonderful things that I will be leaving behind come December. Even still, I am so excited to get on that plane to Austria and revisit the city that still has a piece of my heart.

Leaving Vienna last December was one of the hardest transitions I had to make. As strange as it sounds, I was so homesick for the place I only lived in for four months. I can't wait to go back and be able to fully take it all in. I know that it will be much different; I am a different person, and the circumstances are definitely not the same. Part of what I loved about my semester in Vienna were the people I shared it with. It will be strange to go back to a place that is missing such an essential piece of what I think about when my mind drifts back to those 4 months. Even still, I know it will be a fabulous week!

So look for posts of randomness...I plan to spend a lot of time just wandering around back to the places where I went everyday and took for granted. Expect pictures of Selzergasse 12, Johnstrasse Ubahn, and maybe even a little video of the famous Karlsplatz metro station announcement :) Until then, auf Wiedersehen!

Conchita

I realize more and more each day how lucky I am to have such a wonderful senora. I knew from the minute she opened her door to me with open arms and kisses on the cheek (typical Spanish greeting), that she would be a blessing in my life.

Conchita is a mother, and that totally reflects on how she treats me. She is always making sure I eat enough "Quieres mas? Un pocito, un pocito!" (Do you want more? Just a little, just a little!). When we were homesick the first week, she made us tea and talked to us for 2 hours about how 4 months was short, and that we were so lucky to be able to come to Europe. The first weekend that I was away for orientation, she packed Lexi and I little bags with apples and juice to take with us, and sent us text messages the first night that read "Buenas noches, besos" (Good night, kisses).

The IES guidebook mentioned that some families treat students like tennants and not like family. I was a little nervous about going to live with someone I didn't know at all and who didn't speak my language. However, she has been more than hospitable to me in every way. From talking to other people about their homestays, I can tell that I am extremely fortunate.

I know that when I leave here, I will be sad to leave her because she has become my family while I am away. As difficult as living apart from other students and speaking only Spanish has been, it will be one of the most rewarding experiences of the semester. God answered my prayers that I started saying way before I left Spain!

A little insight on how weird I am

I'll admit it...I can't help it...I'm somewhat of a control freak and I love having a routine. I like being able to cook for myself because not only do I get enjoyment out of the process, but it means that I can eat what I want whenever I want. I actually enjoy cleaning/organizing because it makes me feel productive and in control of my environment. Doing dishes, laundry, general cleaning etc. is part of my normal routine at home that I don't mind at all (and if I really want to be a nerd, I can say that I kind of like it sometimes). In Barcelona, I feel so obsessive about food because I never know when I am going to get to eat next or what exactly it will be. I also feel so helpless here because I don't do any household chores. When I am bored or procrastinating, I don't have the option of organizing the space around me because my senora cleans, does my laundry, etc. and we have someone clean our apartment once a week. I know...such a rough life....
I crave variety but find comfort in consistency. It's an interesting paradox. I don't have very many things that are consistent here, which is unsettling. I don't have a set "group" of friends, so I find myself floating back and forth a lot. I am torn between trying new cafes, stores, restaurants, etc. and finding a select few favorites that I can visit routinely. Maybe I just don't know what I want...

Pictures from Costa Brava & Barcelona

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2116518&l=adbc2&id=18307155

Here you go...the link to my weekend in Costa Brava! I am really glad I chose this IES trip because it isn't one I could have done on my own. We went to such small towns that are definitely off the tourist radar. Also, you can't travel to most of these places by train or plane because they aren't big enough. We spent a lot of time in the bus, but then we got to see the amazing Pyrenes mountains. It was a very busy three days, but I saw so much! I also learned more about the idea of borders, frontier, and exile in Catalunya.

Also, this is the 2nd Barcelona album, which will be updated as time goes along!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2115623&l=2a039&id=18307155

Limbo

It's such a strange feeling to be so caught in between emotions. On the one hand, I can finally say that I am glad to be in Barcelona. No, it's not the constant high that I experienced while I was in Vienna, but I am enjoying my time here and feeling like I am learning a lot. But on the other hand, I am still counting down the days until December 19th rolls around (74 days, in case you were wondering).

My time in Barcelona is actually only 110 days, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I have now been here for 36 days, so one-third of my semester abroad has already passed. When I think about it that way, it seems like time is just flashing before my eyes. Then, I think that I still have 2 1/2 months left here, and I feel like December will never come. This dilemma puts my emotions on such a roller coaster just within the day. For a person who craves balance and stability in her life, this phenomenon is pretty foreign to me. Living in limbo is difficult...

(Update on my weekend in Costa Brava, including pictures, coming later today!)