The end is fast approaching. While today I can say that I will be ready to come home, I know it will still be tough when the day actually comes. As the end nears, however, it seems only natural to think back to the beginning. Lately I've been having flashbacks to when we first arrived. All I can say is, we've come a long way, baby!I remember our first meeting with the landlord. I understood absolutely nothing while I sat there watching the flies catch on the sticky roll hung in the kitchen. Gross. I remember the first days in Pöchlarn cleaning out the apartment and trying to adjust to living in a small town thousands of miles away from familiarity. I remember eating noodles with pesto and frozen pizzas until we got used to the different kinds of food at Spar. And I remember being able to speak and understand zero Deutsch.
All that was eight plus months ago. Since then, I've proudly conversed with the landlord (ohne Michael), come to really enjoy the pace of small-town life, and greatly expand my cooking repertoire. One of the main reasons we've had such a great time in Austria is because of the hospitality of Familie Schagerl (Elsa and Josef) and Matthias. Both helped us acclimate to Austrian life in different ways, and our experience wouldn't have been the same without them. Michael joining the men's choir and both of us getting teaching jobs also helped us feel more a part of the culture and experience authentic Austrian life. That being said, I still definitely feel like an outsider. People often still stare at us like we're aliens, but that's just how it is. Maybe we should make crop circles when we leave to mark our territory?
When we first arrived, I realized just how important is was to "get comfortable being uncomfortable." That hasn't changed during our nine month stint here. I think we've both embraced the philosophy and will hopefully be more adventurous and confident people going forward.
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