Mindfulness

Well, fall is mostly here now and such a great time of year.  Pretty soon the Christmas markets will be here and my first winter visitor ever and good friend Sarah will be here to experience it with us for a bit.  I feel like fall/winter came in a day.  One day I was out in my tank top and then the mornings were 28°(F) and I'm pulling out the puffer.

I'm also very mindful of the fact that our time in Graz will come to an end in the next year or so.  I want to try to soak up the last bits of our experience here.  Not necessarily go and visit every museum and check off every landmark, but to try to savor our time here.  Be mindful and present.  With a new move on the horizon, I could easily get caught up in stressing about that and being antsy for the next phase, but then I'd be wasting our last moments here..something we'll never get back!  So, more reading at cafes, eating more seasonal Austrian fare, random walks through town, more gluhwein nights during christmas, going out with friends and perhaps a couple of trips.

Amber and I did a little hike on Friday up to the Gösting castle ruins.  Unfortunately, it was closed, but we still got the steep, huff-inducing walk and a good, long chat.

View from Gösting Castle

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After living here for almost 3 years, I've begun to take scenery like this a bit for granted...there's a whopping chance I won't be surrounded by luscious greenery and the Alps in our next home, so I am trying to take it all in and enjoy it while I can.

Arnold proposed to Maria here at a cafe in his hometown, Thal. Didn't turn out so well.

Time for these trees to turn burnt orange, red, coral and yellow!

This one's doing it right.

"The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention" 

- Julia Cameron