Vienna Waits For You

I like trips just as much as you probably do; that is, of course, every trip but a guilt trip. On Friday we had a Halloween party at JYM, and I had told Lynn I'd decide at the party whether or not I'd arrive to visit her Saturday or Monday. I really felt I needed a moment to breathe after a frustrating week of mishaps. When I got home that night and told Lynn Monday would be the day, my special sister-only radar went off, and made it clear that Monday just wasn't going to cut it. So I slept a short six hours, threw clothes in a bag, and headed off to the main train station. I sent Stefan and Lynn an e-mail minutes before walking out the door entitled, "See you soon."

I thought it was costing me 65 euros or so to travel to Vienna. But when I got to the ticket office, the man told me in his best German that it was 135 euros. Now, you must remember, I have had no way of acquiring more cash since the wallet incident. I had gathered all the cash I had with me. Every cent. I thought it was sixty, I said. ONE WAY, he said. Fine. I moved aside because the frantic woman behind me was impatient and couldn't wait her turn in line. As she ranted, I counted out my money. I had only 130 euros in cash. Now I was counting coins. One thirty-one. One thirty-two. One thirty-four (two-euro coin!). One thirty-five. I smiled and presented the money to him with relief, thinking, "I guess no breakfast for me." He turned the money to his side, counted it, put his lips up to the window and said, "Hundred thirty-five...SIXTY." Agh! I scooped up the bottom of my purse and finally found it. Thank God. I even found 1,90 euro more in coins. Looks like I could eat breakfast after all. Long story short...I traveled to Vienna with a mere six cents in my pocket, and with no means to access more.

Lynn greeted me with a happy sunflower and a banana--man, does she know me well or what? Her blog has given a great account of our days together: lynn.sikora@blogspot.com. But what I must add is how grateful I feel to know Stefan and his family. It is fate that our families were matched up just three years ago, and I can't stress enough how meaningful it is, and has been, to have kept contact with their family all these years. We really are part of something special. The Weihs family was so kind to me while I visited. It is so entertaining to be at any meal together--the content is half of your average monolingual conversation, because the other half is explaining the English to an Austrian, or the Viennese dialect to an American. Their family friend told me I had a "typical American laugh," which I of course took as less than a compliment. So I laugh loud...again, a crime! Maybe I should keep track of how many people can't handle me laughing. So far: two (remember the construction workers?)

Vienna is quite a beautiful place and I'm very happy for Lynn to be there. It was great to see what her apartment looks like in person, because the pictures don't do justice. It's a lovely home with big windows and no clutter whatsoever. (My bag doesn't count as clutter.) I slept more than I would have liked to, but I don't think anyone could understand what I've been going through lately. That, plus the headaches, plus the time change, plus the change in weather, plus the bathtub, made it very easy to revert to my nook in the corner of the L-couch and hibernate for some time.

This morning was funny, as I attempted to get a sandwich for my train ride. The woman squeezed the sandwich I pointed out with her little tongs, and as she did such and air lifted it to the counter below, cucumbers and tomatoes went flying up. She started wrapping it and I thought, "I can't believe she's going to give me that one now." But she took that wrapped one and tossed it aside. Attempt #2: As she goes in for the kill with her right hand, she sneezes and covers with her left. "I can't believe she's going to give me THAT one." And I wish I could say there was an Attempt #3, but to my dismay, she wrapped that sucker up and forked it over. Siiiiick.

But the most important thing about this week was that it was the first time I let my big sister take care of me in a while. Thanks, sis.