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| The Packers and me |
OK, it's not quite the party I had envisioned for my 60th, but hey, makes for a good blog. It's 3 days until we fly from Vienna to Texas. The weather is dark, gloomy, and very cold. I think if it were nice and sunny then it would be more difficult to leave, so maybe God put the gloom in the air just to help me out a little.
The movers are closing in on me. I have had my little spot in the extra bedroom with a chair and card table, but not for long. Alex from Austria, Richie from America, and Serdar from Turkey are all working together to pack up our things. They are amazingly efficient and have yet to take a lunch break (it's 2:00.) Incredibly, they all speak English and actually understand everything I say. Not so with the packers of our air shipment. At one point one of the air shipper guys said to me in frustration, "Sprechen Sie Deutsch, bitte (Please speak German!)
Here's what moving looks like:
We have several piles of items to take to friends. We are also leaving for Bill (the guy from NM who will be taking Greg's place at the IAEA) my shopping cart full of European electronics plus my wonderful vacuum cleaner (named Euclid by its previous American owners.) It will be bitter/sweet goodbyes to both Euclid and the shopping cart. If only they could figure out how to make vacuum cleaners in the US that work like the ones here--they really suck! As far as my shopping cart, the shocker is that it still has its wheels. It has gotten me back and forth from stores and the Vienna International Center commissary so many times (holding many pounds (uh, I mean kilograms!)
There are so many things about this apartment and its surroundings that I have loved. It has been "home" for these 2 1/2 years. We have had many people visit here. The record was nearly 50 for Thanksgiving. I have been able to host the international cooking group here twice and we have had a NM tamale making party once. We have hosted our church numerous times, along with potlucks. We have had all our "surrogate grandchildren" (Nathan, Maya, Carli, Caleb, Cotter, Carson, Izabela, Krystian, Victoria, Abby, Katy, Lisa, Lena, Rafael, Chiara) over to play. We have a play room at the front of the apartment complete with legos, books, and K'nex. We have loved housing friends and family from abroad. I will always cherish my guest book where everyone signed and wrote little notes.
I look out my window now and see Winter (dreary.) Each season has shown off its own unique personality.
There were times I sat in the warmth of this window and soaked up the sun. Other times I just people watch (elderly people, young people, children, babies in strollers, dogs on leashes.) The people here are so interesting. On the surface they aren't very friendly, but once you get to know them they are warm and delightful (like my Austrian friend, Edda!)
This isn't really goodbye since I'm sure we will be back. I am convinced that the weariness of moving and all it entails keeps us from feeling so much sadness. We will dearly miss our friends here, but onward now to another chapter in our lives.
We have been richly blessed by our time here and for now I will say auf Wedersehen, Wien.
It has been Happy Living in Vienna!
