Home in Austria

As I was walking last night, admiring the buildings and getting to know my neighborhood, it suddenly dawned on me, I’m in Austria. They don’t park on the sidewalk here.

I love the food here, lots of wonderful bread, kaseweiner ( a cheese hot dog), dumplings. I can get sour cream and cottage cheese here. I miss Portuguese coffee and American sharp cheddar cheese.
I’m much more used to German but not ready to speak, still absorbing sounds.


I finished unpacking all of my boxes and spent the weekend cocooning. It feels like home although I still need a few things, an office chair and rug for the living room. I’m set on enjoying the seasons. Right now the air is crisp but it is still warm. Pulling out the sweaters.


Work is busy so I’ve had little time to explore. I went to Schonbrunn, a beautiful castle/estate and have ,checked out some neighborhoods. I’m saving the museums for colder weather. I’m in Austria! Come have a pastry with me.

Week 3

Week 3 is over and I’m not sure how. I am now internet connected and my stuff has arrived from Portugal. All of that is very nice but I went from minimalist to 16 boxes of stuff. Glad to have silverware and my pictures but I wish this had arrived two weeks ago, when I had time to find a place for it, before work started. Ah life, rarely a dull moment. So I had classes in the library all week, getting to know the teachers, getting a feel for the school. The surprise for me is the amount of time I have with the littlies. I have 4 preschool classes and 4 kindergarten (called grade primary here), for 40 minutes each week. I’ve gone from teenagers to toddlers! What do I do? There is a bit of a panic but also a bit of fun. It means I have a lot to learn, strategies and tricks for the littlies and books to read and learn.
My schedule is busy! The library is busy, non-stop. Not the stereotype of quiet, quite the opposite. I have two bright upbeat adult helpers, thank goodness. Last week at the end of one day, as I walked to the subway (U bahn), I was surprised to hear German. I had been so immersed in English all day. Then there is the after work stuff of negotiating the grocery store or…and it all comes back to me. I’m sleeping better still not settled yet still enjoying life!