Sorry for a potential post overload, but here’s a little update of what has happened so far. I’m sure it’ll slow down as uni begins.

Saturday consisted of going to the farmers markets in the town square which is about a five minute walk from where we’re living. There are heaps of stalls full of fresh flowers and nuts and jams and meats and baked goods and fruit and vegetables, all organic and much cheaper than the supermarket. There was a fair amount of liver for sale which was avoided but I did purchase some apples and this little nut pastry thing.

Later, Isabella and I went for a big walk, came home and planned to go out with some of the exchange students here. Overcome by a chronic case of jetlag, I managed to sleep through the invite which wasn’t ideal but anyway.

Sunday morning, I woke up at 4am yiew! Facetimed a few people and then went for a jetlag run which turned into a jog which turned into a walk as it started to snow and I couldn’t help but pause for a) my safety and b) photo opportunities as the sun started to come up. At 9:30, a lovely couple from church picked me up with their two toddlers and I went to FEG, where I heard a sermon on ‘Why doesn’t God intervene in the hard times?’ It was in German which was okay (good to practice but probably meant I understood about 70% as the lingo is a bit different, not to mention a very thick sing-song Austrian accent.) There I met some really friendly youth and I’m going to a small group on Tuesday night.

Isabella and I then went down to the common room where we interrupted a boy sleeping (which I’d accidentally done a few days in a row). Curious as to why he had not yet moved from the couch in four days, we asked what was going on. Turns out he’d been locked out and was somewhat homeless and moneyless and toothbrushless (which wasn’t ideal as he has braces). We invited him up for baked eggs for lunch and I had a second toothbrush (thanks mum) and toothpaste which I could give him. We then went for a big walk round the mountains where we saw them setting up for ‘Funken’ that night which is a big tradition of burning two (fake) figures on top of piles of wood to farewell the winter. We got some traditional funken savoury cakes and walked home to have a bit of a jetlag nap and head back out again with lots of other exchange students.

It was amazing, burning them at night! There were so many people and the atmosphere was awesome with traditional burgers and sausages and hot drinks and mulled wine, not to mention Elvis and Kesha playing over the speakers. There were also the most beautiful fireworks I’ve ever seen (apparently the biggest in Austria maybe or I could’ve made that up). I usually hate fireworks but these were all glittery and pretty and not too long for my short attention span. They also have fireworks waterfall down the woodpile before they burn it. We hung around for a while then headed home, slept, and awoke, where I now find myself. 4am on the first day of uni.

Thanks for reading, you’re the best. You must be as exhausted as I am after that essay and a half.