A Long Weekend Trip Down Memory Lane October 9th-14th

I have a feeling I will me pretty “meh” about blogging, and even worse about adding photos, so bear with me. The catch-up posts might be long and rambly too. Many of the photos here are actually from my exchange year....

This past weekend I had a very long weekend which lasted essentially from Wednesday afternoon to Monday evening. Thursday, October 10^th was a holiday in my state to celebrate the Volksabstimmung. On this day in 1920, a mostly ethnically Slovene part of Carinthia decided to formally join Austria instead of Slovenia. Carinthia also designated Slovene as a minority language, which is kind of cool (though it seems very few people, except more recent immigrants actually speak the language)

Friday my school STILL had classes but I don't teach on Fridays

The students had off Monday. Why they didn't attach this to Friday I don't know, but not complaining about an extra day off for me

SALZBURG

I spent most of my time in/around Salzburg. Many of you know I spent January 2009-July 2009 of my exchange year outside of Salzburg and LOVED it. It was the first place I really went out on the evenings and the first time I felt like and independent and confident adult (never mind at 19 I was still on my parents dime).

Now I live about 2.5 hours away by train, which means it's definitely somewhere I can only visit on weekends. At about half an hour outside of the city, I started passing other places I frequented and felt emotionally overwhelmed. I could not believe that after 4 long years I was coming back! (Those feelings of disbelief waxed and waned the whole weekend).

I stayed with the lovely Maddy and Amy in the city for two nights, and went out to one of my old hangouts, an Irish pub in the middle of the city.

The next day was great just for wandering around the city. I swear I spent a solid 6 hours walking my old paths, letting the memories come back. In my exchange year I also spent a lot of time hanging out at a youth hostel. Thursday afternoon I was able to make up with the guy running the place for the first time in YEARS. He was one of the first people I saw again from my exchange year again and who knew some people I did. Surreal.

HALLEIN

The actual town I lived in was a small village called Oberalm, right outside of a town called Hallein. Hallein is one town where I attended school. It turns out that one of the TAs this year is the assistant there! So I got on the 8:15 train to the Hallein Bahnhof to relive the walk I took so many dozens of times before.

Two old pics from my walk to the train station to school.

Something exciting about the walk this time, though, parts of Austria got their FIRST SNOWFALL OF THE SEASON! So there was snow. The entire walk there. It was pretty surreal. Wish I had my camera on me.

The school time was a little awkward, though. I remembered about 4 teachers, and only 1 was still there. Not to mention that all of my classmates graduated and were elsewhere. I still found a school photo of all of them, though, so I spent way too much time staring at that.

A few days before I left for my long weekend, I emailed my host mom but she wasn't able to write back. She was such a wonderful, welcoming host mom. It helped that she trusted me enough to allow me to go out and make my exchange the best experience it could be.

So even if she didn't answer, I was going to make a meet up happen. I knew where she worked and decided just to... show up... after visiting my school and see what would happen.

Sure enough she was there! Like most of the trip, it was unbelievable seeing her again. We went out to lunch, and I spent Saturday night/ Sunday morning at her house catching up. This is where I learned

-Her flat looks almost exactly as I remember it

-Except for one of the only new things was a Christmas card I sent them a few years ago

-My host brother is so grown up!! How is he 18?!

-My host nieces and nephews aren't toddlers anymore!

-My exchange wasn't a long dream after all

-She was on a years-long quest for the spice mix, Tony Chachere, and I helped her find it

Kitchen from my last night of exchange, July 2009. Not too many changes =)

So yeah, pretty much the best vacation down memory lane. I'm definitely visiting several times before I leave Austria

Me leaving "my" train station after a wonderful visit

GMUNDEN: Sunday-Monday

I lived in a different part of Austria from August 2008-January 2009. This is what I'm calling my “bootcamp” part of exchange. It's where I learned a LOT of German, life lessons, and confronting extreme shelteredness and social awkwardness head-on. It wasn't exactly fun most of the time, but possibly one of the most valuable and emotional places/times of my life. In fairness, too, the region is BEAUTIFUL.

I was back again to meet up with someone very near and dear to me, Maggi. She was the woman I stayed with in December '08 when things went horribly wrong with my host family. Her presence always seemed so full of life, joy, and love. She, more than almost anyone I know, gave me an appreciation of the beauty of the everyday, of the home.

Maggi!

Me, at Maggi's house--just like old times

It was such a relaxing, quality visit. We visited her daughter's gallery, went to the swan-filled lake, got ice cream, and had visits and conversations in her house that I've been needing to have with her for months.

just the view from Maggi's balcony; no big deal.

SO MANY FEELS!!!

After our visit, it was time for a 4 hour train ride back to Villach for another week at school. But, I will be back. And this time, I won't wait 4+ more years.

What a Wonderful First Day!

Today was AMAZING! And not just for teaching. It really was an awesome day filled with so many new, exciting things.

This morning before class even started (8:35 for my first course) I had to go and pick up my residency permit card. I got to the right office at 8am, signed for the card, and went about my day. I felt extra smug picking it up on the day the US Government shut-down started. The Austrian State/Province/District I'm in is paying me, HA! Anyway...

I had already go to my school on Monday to take care of some bureaucratic stuff. I had received my schedule. It turns out they were able to get Fridays off for me! I also got my key and met most of the other English teachers. So this morning I walked in feeling somewhat prepared—but still nervous.

I had prepared the same powerpoint and class activity for all levels, just because it was the firt

The first class I taught was the 5^th years (same age as 9^th graders in America). They haven't had as much English but it still went pretty well.

The next two classes were 8^th years (12^th graders in the American system). Both fun and interesting to work with but VERY different ways of acting as a whole.

I at least feel confident I can be a pretty good assistant, so that's good.

Some observations or differences about the school system for my readers. I already experienced the school system at the Gymnasium, so most of this is review for me but some differences are:

-Different high schools for different education tracks. But most of them end with a special diploma, a Matura, which opens up many jobs for a lot of people.

-Each class of students has their own room, and teachers move around throughout the day (the classes still have a sort of “homeroom teacher” though)

-No cafeteria, but instead a small place to buy snacks and sandwiches

-Required subejcts are usally done for students around 1 in the afternoon, and they have some electives a few times a week (at least at the Gymnasium)

-Classes aren't every day. My students will have English either 2 or 3 times a week

-Teachers all have places at tables in a large Konferenzzimmer. Since I knew about this before it was kind of awesome being on the other side of this sort-of forbidden place for me

-Back in my day, students didn't try to friend their teaching assistants in high school. Then again, back in my day Facebook wasn't as ubiquitous....

After teaching I was surprisingly tired and napped. I figure it'll be like this the next week or 2.

My evening was also somewhat productive. I was able to meet up in-person with another Austrian I'd been taking to online for a while. It was GREAT! I had tea and we got to speak in German the whole time. Hopefully I can get to know his friends and start to form some semblance of a Villach-based social life.

And right after the meet up, I received a perfectly timed phone call from Maggi!!

For those of you who don't know, Maggi was one of the most amazing people I've ever met. We met during language camp of my exchange year and I stayed with her for most of December and part of January when things didn't work out with my first host family.

Sorrynotsorry for the off-centered crop. It's for reasons (including at least SOME of the landscape must be in the pic)...

Anyway, she called to invite me to stay with her over the weekend! I CANNOT WAIT to meet up with her since it's been over 4 years now... and possibly about 3 since we've even heard each other's voices. I know a lot has changed for both of us in that time. Gah, she was so central (in one way or another) to connecting so many parts of my life over more than half a decade, I'm getting all emotional!

Anyway, what this means for you guys is pictures of a different, VERY beautiful part of Austria

So to sum everything up awesome about today:

-First classes going well!

-Meeting new contacts FROM around Villach

-Plans to reconnect with a pivotal person in my life