Wien

**Warning! This post is all over the place! This is just how my brain happens to be working today...**

Ahhh...Vienna in spring. The sights, the sounds, the smells (but maybe not the distinct smell in the Laurenzgasse station). This was my first time traveling overseas, actually anywhere out of the country (except that time we crossed the New York state border into Canada and then turned around to come back-'look kids! another country!') And since Matt and I have been recently converted into ginormous 'Lost' fans, I don't need to tell you that I was pretty nervous about flying "over the pond". Would we end up on a remote, undiscovered island in the middle of the Atlantic? Ok. I need to back off the Lost episodes.

The last time we flew with the kids Kenzie was 4 and Ethan was almost 2. It was a nightmare and I swore that I would never fly with the kids again until they were at least 18. So, how did I get talked into flying over 9 hours (that's just one plane ride) with long layovers to another continent?? For our dear, dear friends the Hunters, of course!! And, praise God! The trip was great. The kids did very well. The layovers were just right for the big airports we stopped in, and the long flights went by pretty quickly. Did I mention that we had the best Memoo around with us?? I will say that she can sleep on a plane like a champ. But the whole time we were traveling to Vienna, it just didn't seem real that I was going there.

I made sure to keep a journal of our everyday happenings, and I took 700+ pictures. For future reference, 700 pictures make for a real long slide show during which one's grandfather falls asleep. ('Wake up Everett!') It seems that when I take a trip to visit people that are dear to me, I feel the need to record everything. Is it necessary? For me, yes. Is it worth reading? For you, maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of it. (Wake up, Everett!) Maybe I should've titled this post 'Random Thoughts and Ramblings About Wien' by: Kim. So here it goes...

It was great to see their family when we got to their apartment! My kids were so excited to see their friends that they ran across the street on a green light, BUT thankfully the street was without moving cars. To say that Brad and Stacey were gracious hosts is like saying that Ethan is fast. It just doesn't quite describe them fully. They were so patient with our family coming to stay at their house for a week, and they planned some fantastic activities for us. Like what, you say? Well. We visited the Schonbrunn Palace, went to the opera (who knew that Tristan and Isolde was 4 hours and 45 minutes?), ate a brioche and drank a cafe melange with my pinky up at Demel, drooled outside of the Stephansdom Cathedral, and ate Viennese food like wiener schnitzel, brauts, kebabs, chocolate croissants, and LOTS of ice cream (maybe these things are not strictly Viennese foods but, seriously, we did eat ice cream almost every day). Who knew the Cates and Hunters had the same love language? FOOD! Did we shop? Yeah we did! Stacey took Mary and me to the Naschmarkt. It was like being in a rainbow made of food. Nuts, olives, herbs, fruits, veggies, fish, meat...Heckling Turks = no pictures of the food rainbow taken by Kim.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
??WHO KNEW??

Who knew...
*that Austrian adults like to play dress up?





*that Austrians played 'Monopoly' and that they call the one who loses a LOSER?



*that the movie 'Raising Arizona' is as funny in Austria as it is in the States?
("Son, you got a panty on your head.") OK, Matt and Stacey wouldn't agree with this one...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


As a family we visited the Natural History Museum, and we saw lots of rocks, bones, and stuffed animals. It was all good. Then, for a bonus adventure, I went to the Art History Museum - by myself! And with very detailed instructions on how to make it back to their house, I discovered that I'm not as mentally challenged with directions as I originally thought. (i.e.-Kim is not a 'tard with directions all the time.) Both museums were fascinating, but I especially liked the Art Museum. Lots of old stuff. Pretty cool.



The Cates' Family's Favorite Things About Vienna:

Matt- the "spam-like horse liver with a pus-like cheese that oozes out of it". According to Matt it was "good-it tasted like corned beef". Yeah, I saw that same Mr. Ed liver while passing a street vendor, and I thought I was going to barf on the street. To each his own I suppose.

Kim-the old buildings, so much history behind everything, the architecture, the cathedral-breathtaking! (This is my drama queen coming out again.)

Kenzie-the spiral staircase to the Hunter's apt (now that was seriously breath taking. I need to start working out again.)

Ethan- the break dancers (Come visit us and he'll reenact the dancers' moves for you!)

*************************************************************************************
My New Motto- "At least it's not $7 a gallon!" Trust me-you can use it almost every time. 'Can you believe I just spent $50 on a tank of gas??' (plug new motto) "At least it's not $7 a gallon!" 'A gallon of milk is over $4??!!' "At least it's not $7 a gallon!" You get the picture...
*************************************************************************************

Any regrets? Nein, except I think I should've gone against my gut instinct and visited the "Mostly Mozart" store to look for a Mozart bobble head (if there is such a thing). Since Matt and I nominated Brad as the official "Cliff Claven" of Austria, maybe he would know where I can get one.



I was told by a certain local who will remained unnamed that we did look like tourists. I don't know why....



Look at me! Gray pea coat, rainbow-striped scarf (the South Floridian had to ask how to wear one), fake Converse sneakers, camera stuck to my face most of the time. I scream non-Austrian! What you don't see: a completely clueless look on my face at all times, English words streaming from my mouth and German words that don't sound like German when I say them, and the big black paisley backpack. The only thing I forgot was my American flag on an easy-to-carry pole. (I can so relate to the Brazilian tourists who flock annually to the Sawgrass Mills mall.)



It was great to see our kids playing with theirs again. It was heart breaking to say goodbye to them. I found myself pacing the halls trying not to cry and failing at that. I was one rocking motion away from Rainman. But it's always harder being the one left behind...so we continue to pray for them as they are getting back into their daily groove without visitors.



It was weird to look at my watch and know that the rat race at home was six hours behind us. It was disconcerting and a little intimidating to be in a place where I couldn't communicate with anyone outside of the Hunter Haus or the coat check lady at the Art Museum (whom I'm pretty certain laughed at me when I walked away-stupid American). But what I really came to Vienna for, I got. I had a chance to see what everyday life is like for their family. How their kids are doing in school and how they're coming on learning the language. Watching Stacey shop for groceries and interacting (yes! speaking the language) with those same outsiders I was intimidated by. Being with Brad in one of his classes at the university (Matt tagged along with the teacher's pet one evening). Taking the strassenbahn to get around town. When they were getting ready to leave South Florida, I would think how weird it would be to hear updates from them and read about their life in a different place. I actually had a chance to experience that with them for a week. For that, I am so thankful! What amazes me even more is how we have seen God's hand at work in their lives for the past 10 months (and longer) as they have been over there. So many prayers answered. Are they completely adjusted? No. Is it difficult for them being over there? Sure, but they know that they can do all things through Him that strengthens them and they rely on His promises. It is encouraging to me in my walk to see that, while God's answers may be different than we would like, no prayer goes unanswered.

I am so thankful for our friendship with the Hunters. As Stacey mentioned in one of her posts, this trip and the time spent with their family really helped to knit our hearts more closely together. The kids keep asking when we get to go back. We hope it won't too long in coming.




Next stop on Kim's World Tour '08: Peru! Stay tuned-maybe she'll get spit on by a llama or Matt will eat a guinea pig!