I’ve been writing a full narrative at the end of every day anyway, but it’s basically just stream-of-consciousness and nothing anybody could bear to read. So I figure I should provide a legitimate update. Full disclosure: this room has a single bed and my roommate is snoring, so I can’t sleep.

Our wake-up call was at 7 am this morning; apparently aforementioned roommate woke me up 3 times before I was actually aware she was waking me up. The hotel breakfast was not as stellar as in Salzburg, precisely because they served us up some American food - eggs and bacon when we had gotten used to bread, cheese, and champagne. By 9 we were on the bus and on our way to the Hapsburg summer palace, Schonbrunn, which wasstunning, to say the least. (I’ve picked that word up because music majors tend to use it to describe everything from a haircut to an epic opera. Along with sensational, fabulous, fantastic, etc.) Our guide Ilse spoke flawless English, including words like “superlative” and “zigzag,” although she did say queue instead of line. They learn British English, for obvious reasons. It’s better.

The Hapsburgs were fascinating; I do admit I appreciate the stories about the people more than the gold crowning on the walls (although that’ssensationalas well). Case in point: bought a biography of Elisabeth in the gift store, so my first souvenir of the trip is a book. Typical. From the palace we were free to lunch and explore on our own; I found myself in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant (recommended by Rick Steve) with 3 others eating my most authentically Austrian meal yet: bratwurst, sauerkraut and potatoes with an Almdudler to drink. In fact, a few minutes into the meal an elderly couple sitting behind us overheard us exclaiming over it in English and promptly offered to take our picture. Turns out they’re from Virginia, were also led to the place by Rick Steve, and are now coming to our concert tomorrow at St. Stephen’s. Hooray for making friends!

Katy desperately wanted a ticket to the Arabella showing tonight, so we hurried through the rain to the opera house…Unfortunately, the most success we had there was being haggled by a crew of creepy sellers trying to trick us into paying for a cheap orchestra concert instead. One of them reached for Katy’s arm and said, in a thick Italian accent, “I love you! Are you from Italy? Beautiful, beautiful!” We snatched her and bolted; he proceeded to follow us down the street calling “I love you! I love you!” It’s not the first encounter like that we’ve had; her beauty is slightly dangerous here. And it doesn’t help that her primary goal is to be mistaken for a European on a daily basis.

Ducked into a cafe for coffee and dessert, but didn’t get to enjoy it in the leisurely European way today because we had to board the bus again to go to…the cemetery. Which was literally awe-some, because it houses the graves of Brahms, Schubert, and Beethoven, for starters. We all agreed that’s one place we wouldn’t mind being haunted at night.

Dinner at the town hall followed, but really the best was walking back with Rebecca and Hope. We window-shopped, went to another cafe, and watched part of the opera projected on the giant screen outside (for free!). We had been sitting there for about 5 minutes when Caleb just reached over and dropped his jacket in my lap. It was sub-60 degrees, and I wasn’t wearing long sleeves, but I wasn’t shivering or chattering and I hadn’t asked… Here’s the deal, if a guy offers me his coat I’m going to refuse because it’s not like I need it more than him, but when he just gives it to me and doesn’t say a word? It was the sweetest gesture. I love when you find that people are paying attention, and acting intentionally.

Sometimes, though, things just happen by accident - for example, 4 friends end up in a hotel room together talking for 3 more hours even though we have to get up just as early tomorrow. Europe is fabulous, but the thing is, the people you’re with make all the difference. I thought I was going to be miserable not knowing anybody in the group particularly well; I think about how much more I know about them now and how much more I trust them and it amazes me. The first couple of days had me worried, I’ll admit - I wondered when we would get past talking pretentious intellectual gibberish at each other. Anybody can spew facts at me about Beethoven, orrr I could just read about him in the encyclopedia. I want to know about you, or at least what Beethoven’s 9th means to you and why. Where were you when you first heard it? What was your reaction? Has it changed for you since then? How so? Etc.

There was a quote on the wall in one of my high school teacher’s classrooms that’s been re-blogged again and again. “Great people talk about ideas. Average people talk about things. Small people talk about other people.” And okay, I get that the idea is probably just to refrain from gossip and materialism. But the way it’s worded can be misleading, and for that I dislike it. Because ideas come from people, finding out about other people and what they’re like and where they’ve been and what they need and who they are. You can’t have one without the other. I don’t ever want to be fooled into thinking that talking about even the “smallest” person’s family, or aspirations, or simply how their day was yesterday is trivial or petty. Yet, I also have to remind myself that the best things in life often require the most patience, and honest answers to those questions may take the most time of all.

But they made an appearance tonight! So yeah. I am all joy because I was considering quitting Singers next year, but now I can’t wait for our first rehearsal. Auf Wiedersehen!

Final trip to the grocery store consisted of all the varieties of junk food sworn off after the first trip to the grocery store…

• Velveeta
• Fritos & dip
• Coca Cola
• Dove chocolate

And Luigi’s mango Italian ice, a new addition. Happy studying (and snacking) to me. AKA SURVIVAL MODE.

I have to say, now that I can say it - I amsoexcited for this summer. A little nervous too, but that is far outweighed by the excitement. So blessed to have this opportunity to return to the church and the youth group that I love, only as a youth intern. It will certainly be different without my youth pastor of 6 years, but I trust that God will work everything together for good. Can’t wait to spend time with all the youth, new and old, and get to know them better as we grow in our faith together.

Just 2 short weeks and I’ll be home, then a couple more till I start this journey! Let’s be real, it’s basically already begun and I wish I was there now…

But in fact, I probably have a paper or 2 to write.