Sunday at Schonbrunn

Schonbrunn Palace - one of my favorite places in Vienna.  It is about 10 minutes from my apartment.  I like to go here and read.  As long as the weather is nice, it's going to be my Sunday afternoon routine.  The place is filled with beautiful gardens, water fountains, and a walk up a small hill that gives an amazing view of the city.  There are statutes everywhere and benches for people to sit and enjoy the surroundings.  Just yesterday, I found myself in awe that this is where I get to come and hang out.  Amazing views and peaceful settings! 

This spot holds some fun memories.  The first time I was here I was leading a study abroad trip and as the professor I had given the students a lecture on staying together and not going off alone.  I did not take my own advice.  I decided to go explore Schonburnn... and I forgot the time.  All the sudden I looked and had only minutes to get to Westbahnhof, the main train station.  It was like a scene from a movie.  I am not kidding... I was running with luggage.  Students were on the train holding the doors open.  The train started to roll down the tracks, 2 guys threw my bags onboard, and I jumped on the moving train.  And, the students loved that I was the one who was late.  :-)

Schonburnn Palace, it's a beautiful place.  One you can go to and easily forget the time.  My new Sunday afternoon spot.   

New Orleans

One of my favorite places in the entire world is New Orleans.  I love this city... So, it's hard to think that just 5 years ago this week Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf coast.  5 years ago over 1,800 people died in the tragedy turning people's lives upside down.

New Orleans holds a special place in my heart.  I have been to the city many times since the hurricane to help rebuild.  I have such positive memories working alongside families reconstructing their homes - making friendships that will last a lifetime.

Currently, the city, along with other towns in the gulf coast region, still needs help rebuilding.  Even 5 years since the aftermath many people are waiting to get into their homes!  It's sad - really.  I find it shocking that people are still displaced... more attention needs to be given to the ever-eluding crisis.  

 

Awareness is the first step.  I love learning and believe education creates positive change. :)  There are 3 documentaries that have helped me better understand the situation:

 - "When the Levees Broke", by Spike Lee

 - "Trouble the Water", by Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

 - New feature 5 years after by Spike Lee called, "If God is Willing & Da Creek Don't Rise"

I love New Orleans so much, here are my top 15 reasons:

15 - Jazz, Jazz, Jazz, Jazz Music (makes my heart happy)

14 - Mrs. Martha Harris

13 - Ms. Debroah Calopy

12 - Snoop, Mary, Dez and family

11 - Cafe Du Monde

10 - Great food, great.

 9 - The people  - they have heart.

 8 - Closest city I can find to Europe in the US.

 7 - French Quarter.

 6 - Drive through Daiquiri stands... fresh daiquiris in 2 gallon milk jugs... seriously... open 24/7! 

 5 - Leading service trips and taking college students... seeing how service changes lives.

 4 - New Orleans is the spot where my dad and I meet every year.  It's our father/daughter time to work together helping others (with college students joining us).

 3 - www.stbernardproject.org  a volunteer group = Wonderful people!!!

 2 - www.livestbernard.org  the most amazing volunteer house!

 1 - Crawfish parties for the locals and having b-b-q with families.  

My favorite person in New Orleans is Mrs. Martha Harris.  She was the first lady I met.  The first house I worked on after the hurricane hit.  Mrs. Martha is 80.  Mrs. Martha has a love for God and for life that I've never seen before.  She is full of joy, even in the hardest of times.  I remember going inside of her FEMA trailer - it was freezing with no heat - and she was still grateful.  Grateful to be alive.  She sat me down and encouraged me!  Really, in the midst of her trials and having no home, she still cared for others.  Every year I go back and visit Mrs. Martha.  She is like a second grandma to me.  I plant her flower garden and we talk about life, love, and what makes the world go round.

Mrs. Martha Harris - even as I sit in Europe... I am thinking of you this week.  I love you my friend.  Thank you for reminding me of the meaning of life.   

Languages

Languages. The spoken word is something you cannot capture in a photo. It’s heard. It’s felt. While traveling I’ve been privileged to be around people who speak not one language, not two languages, but often three and four languages. I find it fascinating. I find it beautiful. I can honestly say I am envious.

I’m carrying with me mental pictures that cannot be experienced in photo format. My first night in Croatia I stayed with a family in Rijeka. At the breakfast table we sat drinking coffee and passing around homemade bread. The languages were also being passed like food… chatting in Croatian, English, Italian, and a little Deutsch.

One night I was in an outdoor beach café listening to a mix of music from all over the world… John Denver’s famous “West Virginia” to some Croatian love songs to the Beatles. At the table next to me was this adorable little girl dancing without a care in the world. I chatted with her mother who is from Milan, Italy. She is 26, on holiday for a week with her parents. Her daughter Julia turns 4 in September.  We talked about jobs, life, yoga, traveling, California, Italy, dancing, marriage, etc. The languages flowed with a combo of Italian, English, and Spanish -  and somehow we managed to understand each other. 

As I am working with the German language now, I find that I can find common phrases.  Super and Cool are my new favorite words.  They are the same in both languages.  haha  :-)  

My dream would be to know three languages.  I would love to speak Spanish and French.  Languages remind me of water.  They are fluid/liquid.  Words and phrases flowing together, bringing people together.  Languages are beautiful. The spoken word is something you cannot capture in a photo. It’s heard. It’s felt.

Mwendwa Muange

August 25th.
Today is my little guys birthday.
Mwendwa Muange turns 12!
He lives in Kenya.
He wants to grow up and be a pilot.
He has dreams and a desire to live.  
His name means "Beloved."
His mom has died of AIDS.
His dad is very sick with the virus.
Mwendwa was recently diagnosed with HIV.
He is one of the many children in Africa born with this fatal disease.

I am his adopted American mom.  My mind takes me back to meeting him in Kenya.
I gave him a soccer ball and an Ohio State Football shirt.  We played.  We talked.  We exchanged smiles.  He wore my sunglasses and I taught him the peace sign.  I didn't want to leave his home.  A house that sits far out off dirt roads in the Kenyan countryside.

Not a day goes by where I do not pray for this little guy.  I think of him often. He holds a special place in my heart.  Happy Birthday Mwendwa.  May God keep you safe my little man...

moving into my aparment

This weekend I moved into my apartment in Vienna.
It's cute.  It's quaint.  It's perfect for me.
I am living in the 7th District off one of the main shopping streets in the city.
I can walk to everything I need.  And walk is what I did.  
I walked to so many stores equipping my new place.  At one point I was walking down the crowded street on Saturday carrying huge green bags.  The bags where heavy and big.  Filled with bedding, towels, sheets, comforter, etc.  I was trying not to hit people with pillows.  The scene was rather funny.

I managed to unpack and settle in within 72 hours.  24 of those hours I could not do much since on Sunday everything is closed... literally - everything.  Even the grocery stores.  Take note, when in Austria, do not expect to run errands or get groceries on a Sunday.  It's not going to happen.  My plans changed and the Sunday was nice as I took a walk around the city.  I visited my favorite places and stopped at a park to read a book, soaking in the last days of summer.  As I walked around the city, I began to feel comfortable.  With my I-pod in, I strolled the streets being grateful for my beautiful surroundings.  I smiled.  :-)


Today I start a new job.  I'm going to have to walk, subway, bus, and walk again to get there!  Yeah... how I wish I still had my mini cooper.  Regardless, I am happy to be in Europe and working in Vienna for this season of my life.  It's an adventure... one I will never forget.

Baska Top 10

I love being by the water.  The ocean feels like home to me.

Recently in Baska, I stayed in a room with an amazing view.  Every morning I sat on the window seal, drank my Turkish coffee, and was grateful for where life had brought me.
If you want to relax, Baska is the spot on the map to visit.  It's a small sea village on the southern tip of the Krk island.  Life is slower here.  It is beautiful and peaceful.  Only 1 Internet cafe in the entire town... From my place a 20 minute walk, one-way.  Two phrases sum up this old city: "enjoying life" and "taking it easy".

Here are my top 10 things I think of when reflecting on Baska:

10 - Old winding cobble-stone streets.
9 - Unique architecture as every house is different.
8 - Good bbq's and good wine with friends. 
7 - Swimming in the Adriatic Sea, so warm.
6 - Beautiful ocean with white rocks instead of sand. 
5 - Stray cats... everywhere.  I wanted to take one!
4 - Yoga
3 - Hiking to nude beaches through a nude campground.  Oy Vey, Oy Vey.  Mental pictures I will never forget!!!
2 - Eating this amazing pastry called Bourke.
1 - Nude Beaches!!! :) :) :)

Thank you Ana, Eva, and Braunamier for a wonderful week filled with good company and good memories.

Croatia

Feeling inspired in Vienna as I reflect on Croatia.


I smile and laugh, yet again.
4 summers ago I was in Dubrovnik.
4 summers ago I went kayaking in Croatia.
4 summers ago I had the Worst sunburn of my entire life... and I grew up a lifeguard!
I was with my friend Christine.  It was the 2nd day of our trip and we looked like bloody lobsters but just on the front side of our bodies.  Comical!  The backside was white from sitting in the kayak. The front = bright red.
We looked like a walking freak show on our vacation.   I'm not kidding!

Fast-forward 4 years and I revisit Croatia.  9 days with my Croatian yoga friends Eva and Ana (roommates from my yoga training).  My first stop was Rijeka. 

Rijeka.  A nice coastal city on the northern part of the country.  Spent one night there with Ana's friend Franjo.  He's a local who took us around the town.  My favorite was our walk to this old castle on top of city that's been converted into an outdoor cafe.  Amazing!

Opatija.  The next day we visited this neighboring town.  So far, Opatija is the closest thing I've seen to Laguna Beach.  There's a walking path of 3 miles; nothing but beach.  I wanted to stay longer in this city, but the island of Krk was calling...

Baska.  On the island of Krk.  This was to be my home for the next 8 days.
More to come on the time in Baska...
The Adriatic Sea and the coast of Croatia is beautiful.