A Belated Hello from Austria!

Thank you everyone for being so paitent in waiting for a new blog post! I know it has a been nearly two weeks since an update but as you can probably imagine things have been very crazy!

So. To fill you in on the important details first:

Everything is going so great here. I am alive and doing very well, (in addition to being very well fed on delicious bread and cheese.) The WiFi is very limited at the moment, as I am current in the midst of my two week long language camp. And despite the many warnings about the Austrian's having a dialect, one cannot really appreciate the added challenge for a new speaker unless you expierence it yourself! So of course, a little bit of extra work has to be devoted to studying and reviewing notes. 

 However, not even all the hours studying German before I came here could not have prepared me for all of the wonderful new things I am seeing, tasting, hearing, and doing here in Austria. 

"But what sort of things are you seeing (tasting, etc.) Ashley?"

 Oh! Well that is a very good question.

I suppose the best place to start would be when I first got off the plane. At least, I'll try to explain it as best as I can, considering my state of mind was not all that good. (I found that sixteen hours of total travel time really messes with how awake and alert one feels.) Finally stepping foot in the city I was going to be living in for almost a year was definitely surreal, and I must have looked kind of like a deer in the headlights because at least two people came up to me and asked if I was lost/needed help. 

Thankfully I found my way to my luggage just fine, thanks to the giant signs indicating "To Vienna". I think I started running down the terminal because I was so excited, and because of this nobody asked me if I need help again. But as I rounded the next corner I ran right into a sea of people; all of them holding up pieces of paper with names written on them. I scanned over them quickly, and there was one I recognized. 

"Ashley!" 

I was so excited, scared, happy, and tired from everything that when I saw Wolfgang and Mia, my new host parents, I started crying and gave them huge hugs. Maybe that wasn't the best way to make first introductions, but they simply smiled, said they were so very happy to see me, and ushered me to the car. Needless to say, I was very grateful I had stuffed lots of tissues into the pocket of my Rotaary blazer before hand. 

As we were driving to the aparment, I couldn't stop looking out the window. But Mia and Wolfgang seemed almost as excited as I was, and were nice enough to expalin everything we passed by. 

When we reached the apartment I was shown all parts of the house, which didn't take too long. I realized very quickly that I was going to have to get comfortable with the idea of close living quaters: but I didn't care. I was dead focused on getting into my new bed and going to sleep. 

But it seems that 1:30pm is not a normal bed time even in Austria, and wanting to avoid jet lag, I knew I had to kill some time. Luckily, Mia and Wolfgang thought it would be a perfect time for an impromptu tour. We walked across a bridge on the Donaukanal from our apartment in second district into first district. Which if you don't know Vienna, is the tourist center.

 I thought there were a lot of people in Edmonton, Alberta, so obviously Vienna was extra impressive. Wolfgang mentioned it was a quiet day and that there were way more people on the weekends, so I then made a mental note to avoid first district on weekends. 

Among all the craziness and people we found an ice cream palour, or Eis Cafe as they call them here, I attempted to be modest and politely declined, but I guess that was a no go, because I ended up with a small ice cream in my hand regardless. Did I mention they are very welcoming and hospitable?

We then took a long walk around the first district, going to St. Stevens Cathedral (Stephansdom), the Kohlmarkt, in addition to walking down many what is called Blutstraße. Which, contrary their name are actually lovely places to walk down. You really get a sense of domestic life amongst all the commericalism and tourism. 

By the end of the night, just as I thought we were going to head back home, it was time to go out for dinner at one of the many cafes. On the menu? Wiener Schnitzel, of course. Although I am not experienced in cuisine what so ever, I can confirm it was delicious and done to perfection. To be honest, I couldn't think of a better meal to have on the first day and nor could I think of a better introduction to Vienna. 

I could go on and continue in detail as to what else happened in the last two weeks, as there is obviously more to talk about, but like I said, Internet is very limited here. So sorry to cut it off at an akward spot. I will maybe just have to spread it out over several, shorter, blog posts over the next few days, so keep watching! As well, don't be afraid to send me an email, Facebook message, Whatsapp, or whatever if you want to share your own stories with me! 

So until then. All the best and take care! 

-Ashley 

Nervousness. Would it help?

At this current moment I am huddled under a small blanket in a Calgary hotel room, trying by best not to wake up my mom and sister who are sleeping beside me. (The art of typing quietly eludes me it seems.) However, I am not the only one making noise. The airport is close by and every now and again the muffled roar of jet engine can be heard in the distance. This whole set up is peaceful almost, but right now it seems that I can't seem to settle into any sort of peace.

A thousands thoughts are running through my head. With my flight being a mere few hours away now, it seems everything has just gotten very, very real very fast. But I'll try my best to short hand my thoughts for you. After all, this is a blog, not a diary. 

I have learned that a person, no matter how prepared they feel in the days or weeks leading up to the departure of their trip, will suddenly remember all the things they have (or might have) forgotten to pack, or to organize, to prepare and to plan for. Despite me planning this trip months in advance, the last minute things still managed to sneak their way in. I may have purchased enough tubes of toothpaste to stock a fallout shelter, but ensuring all my travel documents are in order managed to push itself to the day before I leave. The important take away though is that I got it done. Last minute or not.

Whether a feeling of inadequacy has crept up on me as these past few weeks because of these the general feeling of rushed preparations or not has yet to be determined. Regardless thoughts like: Why didn't I think of that sooner? Shouldn't I find a better way of doing that? How come I can't do that the right way? Still manage to cross my mind.

These self-doubting questions have certainly not helped me focus on being in a good state of mind for my coming journey and exchange. If anything, it has probably made my state of mind worse. Obviously, something had to be done to refocus myself. And for me this is taking the time to simply relax and do something I enjoy; in this case, watch a movie. 

It was while watching this movie that I discovered something quite interesting, an almost answer to how I could refocus myself. It's kind of weird that the answer is a question, but it is. And that question is simply: "Would it help?"

The quote is from Bridge of Spies; a Steven Spielberg movie. If you have seen it you will recognize where this quote fits in. In case you haven't, I'll link a movie clip so you understand the context but I highly suggest you go watch it. It's a pretty good movie:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVZRVi-KNog

So. As I go about all of my own worrying I have discovered one way to cope with it. Ask myself the very simple question of "Would it help?" If the answer is no, I'm sure I can manage to find a better way to occupy my time.

Now, in closing. I know today's post has almost nothing to do with Austria, so I apologize if that's what you were hoping for. But I just wanted to share what is really going through my head in the hours before I leave and if that includes Steven Spielberg, it includes Steven Spielberg, What happens tomorrow is not an unknown (my flight itinerary is pretty solid) but when I land in Vienna, well then, who knows? All I know is that I am overwhelming excited and happy about this exchange, and, in my experience those two things I'm sure would help. 

-Ashley

First Blog Entry! My Thoughts Before Leaving

Wow! Isn't this exciting? For the first time I am writing a blog post- A real blog post! Fair warning, however: At this time I am still slightly lost on what one includes in a blog post, and this one will probably be one of the longest ones I will write. Hopefully I will be able to update it at least once a week and by that time I'll be really good at it. (Maybe?) But I suppose if I invited you to come read my blog I'll need to include something worth reading besides a warning won't I? So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, might I present the blog post:

Today is a special occasion of sorts. Exactly one week from today my sister, my mom, my grandma, my Nana, and I will all be in Calgary to celebrate me leaving for one year. Eleven months if you want to get technical. And for the duration of that year I will be living in Vienna, Austria. The idea of this event being a celebration may seem a bit strange. After all, they are losing my wonderful presence for one year, aren't they? (I'm just kidding.) But this celebration, including all the essential celebratory staples such as food, those we love, and more food, will be a special time for us all.

When a person celebrates, it is because they are happy. And my feelings towards my exchange are exactly so; filled with happiness. The thought of going to a country that means so much to my family history, is filled with so many beautiful things, and is completely new and foreign gives me a true sense of joy. Excitement, happiness, joy, and then of course nervousness.

As much as I like to think of myself as a person who works well under stress, I'm aware that the things I am going to be experiencing are far beyond the scope of what usually stresses me out. Late English essays may not quite be comparable to saying goodbye (even if it is for just one year) all that is familiar. The unknown often gets a bad rap for being something to worry about, and I find myself slowly seeing why this is. In times of stress it is comforting to have something familiar to fall back on. It could be getting up at the same time every morning, sleeping in your own bed, or maybe knowing exactly where your mom hides all the cookies so you can eat them when you're sad. In Austria, everything will not be familiar at first. It will take more than a little adjustment, having to be vulnerable, and having ask many important questions as to where the cookies are hidden.

I often refer to my exchange as an adventure, and there is a reason why. If I'm embarking on an adventure, the unknown itself is expected to happen most of the time. (Unless you're really thorough on planning your adventures. If that's the case, good on you. ) If I can expect to come faced with the unknown, my nervousness no longer seems relevant and I can focus back on what I'm mainly feeling: happiness. I feel prepared with the tools that my family, my friends, that my Rotary club, and my Rotary district have all given me to go forward into this adventure prepared to tackle it head on.

I am no longer as concerned with my affairs in Canada either. I have ensured I will still graduate from high school when I get back, my friends have all affirmed to me that they won't forget me, and I made sure I cleaned my room. If anything, this exchange has opened my eyes to amazing friendships, love, and overall goodness that exists in my life, and for this I am grateful. I can only imagine, if this beauty has been brought by this exchange over the past eight months of preparation what else lies ahead in the unknowns of the next eleven months.

-Ashley