Vienna...

So, I finally made it! Ok, the last few days at home... rafting was amazing, Teri was the BEST river guide ever. Our meals were delicious, everything was premade and ready, we had wine, coffee delicious food, perfect weather and it was great quality time with my HR people from way back when I first moved there... can´t wait to do it again next summer! We did some wine tasting and one last dinner at 6th Street. PERFECT! I just had a little bit of time in Portland, I ran a zillion errands, saw some friends and got on a plane.

Vienna has been better than I expected. It is exactly what I had in mind when I thought about international teaching. I have walked a million miles, gone to cafe's, farmers markets, museums, beer gardens, rode on the famous ferris wheel, walked through an amusement park, eaten pork and drank spritzers. I also met another one of the new teachers, so that's been really nice to have someone to do these things with!

My second day here I toured all over the city looking for a place to live. I walked into one apartment and realized that I know where I want to live, 1st district, but how can I ever afford it! And, the commute to work might be LONG. Who knows... I'm currently staying at a friend's house while I look for a place to live. I'm so thankful! I'm not sure exactly what I would be doing if it wasn't for her! She arrives on Wednesday, it'll be so much more fun when she gets here! I'm leaving for Dubai the same day though, I guess that will give her a chance to settle in a bit. I can't believe work starts August 6th! That seems way too soon. Especially when I have no place to live. Oh well, I'm sure it will work out!

Sad. Happy. Excited. Blah.

This summer is just a crazy roller coaster. I'm so excited to get out to HR right now so we can get ready for our rafting trip and I'm sad that the rafting trip is here because it means the end of my time home is here too. I hardly slept at all last night, I'm pretty sure it's because I'm getting all anxious about leaving, or maybe it was the free Grey's Anatomy episodes. Whenever I know it's almost time to go, I just want to leave and not have that waiting around time. Not that it would matter one way or another, because no matter how long I have, it'd always be those last few days that I go a little crazy. Same thing with car rides too, it's those last 20 minutes that always drive me crazy.

Final countdown...

Had a great time down at the beach, yesterday was a big goodbye day. No fun! I left the beach in the morning and had to say goodbye to my sister and her family, went out to lunch with the Lam's, (aka nanny family) and saw them for the last time and then went out to sushi and a few drinks to say goodbye to Portland friends. Blah. There are so many parts of living abroad I love, then I get back here and want to be here too. Well, not exactly want to be here to stay, but I miss people!

My mom and I just had to drive all the way down to Salem to get my police report and birth certificate apositled. Do you know what the means? Me neither, but it sure is an annoying, complicated process. Tonight is my goodbye to family evening. Tomorrow I leave for rafting, it is supposed to be hot and I'm sure we'll have a great time! And, I'll get to go to HR one last time... I love it there!

Less than 10 days left!

Time has been flying by! Quick run down, I was in Portland for a few days, caught up with some friends, had a birthday celebration that included watching some friends have a karaoke kind of night, family wedding, my Dad got VERY sick, and of course is fine now, went to the beach for Gavin's birthday and 4th of July, back to PDX for a few days, then out to HR, wine tasting yesterday and now in PDX for the night and then back to the beach for a few days, then a rafting trip, then off to Vienna on the 21st.... Relaxing, right?

Ahhh! It has been so busy, fun but hectic. Let's see, some highlights, I pulled into HR and realized I could move back to the states in one second if I knew I could find a job and live there again, Pacific Way Cafe and Bakery in Gearhart really is the best place ever. Seeing my neice and nephews is SO fun and even though I am slightly bias, they are possibly the cutest kids in the world! I am loving all the fresh fruit and wine. Somehow wine tasting during the day turned into me wearing a toilet paper veil and pretending it was my bachelorette party, and me climbing on high roadside signs, who is this person I've turned into? Ha!

And... sadly I DO NOT have time to see and talk to everyone that I want to see. It's so sad and time just goes by too fast!