Have Master's Will Travel: Österreich

It just occurred to me that this is technically our second-to-last stop before heading back to our departing city. Where has the time gone? I sat down to write this entry about half an hour ago, but I've spent the last thirty minutes thinking about all I've experienced in these last twenty-something days. I'm sitting here in a country home of Austria, watching the clouds obstruct my view of the beautiful mountains and then be on their merry way just seconds later. It occurred to me that the rivers I've seen in Germany and Austria seem to move at a faster pace than the others in Europe--that I have seen. I smile as I write all of this, because now I'll be one of those people who make comments that begin with, "When I was in Switzerland," or "Back in Stans..." There really are no words to describe the feeling of gratitude and awe I feel as I think about how fortunate I am to be experiencing this right about now.

Oh, Happy (belated) 4th of July! These two girls from California celebrated the day with a five hour hike to one of the mountains here in Annaberg, Austria. Amelie and Uli, her boyfriend, led the way as we trekked over dry dusty paths that turned into narrow muddy wegs before becoming rocky mountainside that we had to climb on. We made our way to the top under sunny skies and then I spent the next fifteen minutes contemplating the quiet solitude of being among nature's creations from a long time ago. Back in Zermatt, the sound of the wind had been quite strong, but here in Austria the wind was more of a gliding whisper. Other hikers had reached the top alongside our group of four, and the members of my group were busy snacking and taking pictures. Me? I slowly and safely made my way to a flat rock near the edge of the mountainside (don't worry, I was being very careful!) and I sat, and nothing else. I had the same sense of overwhelming calm as I did back in Venice, the only movement being my diaphragm as it took in the crisp mountain air and traded it for that which I'd inhaled seconds before. I noticed coulds in the distance looking like cotton balls that I split in two when wiping off lipstick from Adriana's face, after whispering that she should put her mama's makeup back in place. The different colors of green on the mountainside reminded me of Monet and the pictures I saw back in Paris, laughing softly as I realized that blending and fuzzy details becoming a beautiful picture is only an idea that he borrowed from nature.

After hiking, we walked down to a local restaurant nestled in the mountainside and feasted on tasty Austrian dishes. We were careful not to have too much, as a barbecue courtesy of Uli awaited us that evening. Back at the house, we watched the two quarter-final games, enjoyed some good ol' country music as the four of us pitched in to make dinner, and then finally enjoyed a scrumptious spread, part of which I'll post below. Today, I find myself enjoying the simple fact that for the next few days, the worries of my life when I get bsck home are put on hold. I'm not as concerned to write all the details of my day on here, trying to document it with pictures or details about the names of dishes or places relative to each other; I'm content with making sure I enjoy every moment and not spend it trying to keep a record of how it was spent. It really does become quite circular, doesn't it? I'm breaking that cycle right now! Whatever the plan, whatever the changes, these last few days in Europe will be well spent so that I have no regrets as I get back on my fancy airplane and head home.

Servus!