Life in Graz

Snow, Sun, a Baby & Spring Fashion Fun

2012-01-30T15:43:00.002+01:00

Graz today: the first snow of the season

Welcome to the Graz Weather Channel. That's all I seem to talk about on here these days. The winter doldrums really get to me, though, esp. come late January and February. We had our first snow this morning, which was actually pretty since it was accompanied with some bright sunshine.

Oh, and yes, I'm having a baby! Thanks for all your kind comments and well wishes. He or she is due in August.

Would you like to see a German tinkle stick?

This means we will probably be moving back to the States (we're not sure where yet) within a month or two of having our first child. Hey, we like to shove it all in at once. Get married, honeymoon, move to Graz three weeks later. Moving back? Let's be 8 months pregnant around that time to ease things along!

No, we are thrilled. (My stomach isn't and it's trying to take me down with it, but I won't let it. This nausea business is not my idea of fun, happy preggie time.) (Ok, so I am letting it get the best of me at least 3 times a day when I complain.)

So, to enjoy the sun, sprinkling of snow and to get some much needed walking in, I went to get some color therapy at the stores this morning. I haven't been shopping in months and have been sporting black leggings (was again today) and some sort of long, dreary top for about 2 months now. It starts to get old and make you feel like a dumptruck. (Throw in an expanding waistline and you're screwed.)

I like the red family. Coral, pink, red, orange....come to mama.

Fun and bright and pretty good quality for an H&M trench, but not loving it.

Had to go up a size (grr), but this was my only purchase. Best quality? Nein. Fun to throw on over jeans and a white top (my spring staple) for some pink polish? Sure.

Some other fun spring items I spotted on Anthropologie.com:

love it

I saw this on Pinterest almost a year ago and loved it.
Now I might (if it's a girl) have a reason to get it!

Hi and Recent Work

2012-01-23T10:01:00.003+01:00

Happy New Year! Took an extended blogging break there. REAL ready for the winter to be over. We haven't had any snow this winter, but I'm not complaining. Ready for flowers, sandals, short sleeves and nausea-free days.

Some recent work:

Stuffed with Stockings & Blessings

2011-12-22T16:47:00.005+01:00

My sister wrote a great little post about Christmas at my parents' house and I love that she included a collage of photos to showcase all 17 stockings. Thanks, Molly, for showing me the Christmas atmosphere I know and love. I miss it every year. Ok, enough feeling sorry for myself.

Now, let's take a look at the two new family members that have raised our stocking count from 15 to 17 this year.

Baby girl Quinn:

and baby boy Evan:

I can't wait to hold these love muffins!

Pre-Christmas Fun

2011-12-20T15:21:00.007+01:00

For us, the most social & gathering part of Christmas is over. We had our fun all throughout the month with parties, gatherings, decor, markets, etc. Now, most all of our friends are headed back to their own home country and we stay here and enjoy a quiet, mellow Christmas Eve and day.

I'm ok with it because I know there are countless American family Christmases ahead and this is our last Austrian Christmas. While quiet and not billowing with family folk and noise, they are nice in their own right. Also, I am skyped into my family's gift opening bonanza on Christmas morn..and well, that's just like being there, right? (Molly, move the computer 3 inches to the left so I can see what Mom got!)

We haven't had a tree the past two years and I remedied that this year with a tree as early as mid-November. We kept it under wraps as Austrians don't generally put their trees up 'til Christmas Eve. We did not want to be evicted due to American eagerness and having decor up before the stores!

I had to put a little touch of Steiermark/Austria on my wrapping efforts.

Earlier this month, I turned 32 and my friends threw me the nicest surprise birthday brunch!

We had a baking exchange with the ladies with a fab selection of calories.

We received this hilarious and most-appropriate ornament from a thoughtful friend. She's wearing a necklace, bow and tutu.

Graz is decked in the usual

And we have had lots of eating, drinking and being merry.

Still, it would be nice to be with these folks as well:

(Art's parents)

and this crew:

(my fam all smiles at Thanksgiving...they are surely hiding the pain of our absence)

Merry Christmas to all wherever you may be celebrating!

A Sad Christmas Poem

2011-12-19T22:42:00.000+01:00

Oh, honey, are you waitin' on Santa? He doesn't come 'round here.

That stuffed animal carcass is gonna have to last you another year.

Bringing 'em Home

2011-12-19T16:33:00.006+01:00

After Salzburg, we brought Sarah and Roger back with us to Graz to show them our little city.

And there was some photo takin', natürlich.

Everyone loves the Schloss cave.

First stop that night was the Christmas markets so they could meet our Graz friends.

Elsie must snuggle with every visitor. If you close your door, she waits outside it puffing her nose under the crack so you don't forget she's there.

A day after they left and I walked by this spot and it was weird to think that Sarah was there with me just a day before walking around. I love having friends from home here with me in this 'other life'. It's a huge treat and we're blessed and thankful that people travel all this way just for a little Spaß and schnitzel with us. :)

Salzburg at Christmas Time

2011-12-06T10:41:00.007+01:00

Salzburg is such a pretty, quaint town (could do without the Mozart madness) and they definitely do it up right for Christmas. It was Sarah's favorite city...not hard to see why. We Christmas marketed, took a trip up to the fortress, wandered around the beautiful cathedral and ate, drank and window shopped, of course.

(The only thing that could have made it better was some snowfall. This is the driest winter this area of Europe has had in 140 years...read that somewhere.)

Munich with Sarah and Roger

2011-12-05T16:06:00.005+01:00

A week or so ago, we headed off to Munich to meet one of my best friends (over here from Texas) and her boyfriend in Munich. Art had never been and I was excited to go during Christmas when all is merry and bright in Bavaria.

the lovely couple.

headed to the Christmas markets

in the center of it all.

a dreary, drizzly day.

Onto the deutsches museum, the world's largest museum of technology and science. I went here with Lindsey 2 years ago. I knew the boys would like it, but we all enjoyed it.

a little propeller posing.

the 'scale' is saying sarah is 'grosse' meaning large. i'm not steppin' on it.

gotta have a big beer

our latino men

College fun 2000

Munich fun 2011

stay tuned for Salzburg comin' up nächste haltestelle.

Chalk It Up to Christmas!

2011-12-01T09:31:00.010+01:00

It's December now, and I have something perfect to start it off right.

You've met my talented sister before here and here, and now she's back at it with the cutest, most creative Christmas card/video ever:

(click here to view if you don't see the video)

I watched it about 6 times the morning she sent it over for a previewing. And maybe a dozen more since. That'll be the third baby our family welcomes this year!

'Tis the Season!

Giving thanks

2011-11-24T10:33:00.004+01:00

I always miss celebrating this holiday with my big family back home. It's hard to be away in a non-Thanksgiving'd place! I have a lot to be thankful for, but on this day, I'm always most thankful for all of the family Art and I have. They are pretty wondey and we miss them tons.

We are also quite thankful that we are meeting our friends from the States in Munich tomorrow. And I'd be thankful if there was some nice fresh snow to accompany our Christmas market wanderings there and in Salzburg.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Viel Spaß & Sass

2011-11-22T09:24:00.002+01:00

Some lady friends and I went to a club (the one inside the Schlossberg mountain) on Saturday night. I don't really do clubbing, but I figured it fit into my ~~mindfulness~~ "living up the last year of Graz" plan.

At Lee's house before.

Sparkles, black and boots.

Kimmy poo

Down into the mountain we go.

Not at Lee's anymore

These two never stopped.

Yes, Lee wore gloves.

I'm not gonna lie. I think we all suffered foot and head trauma the next day. Did I feel young again? On the contrary, hanging out in a crowded, smoky cave with the youngsters made me feel like an old fool...or was it my attempt at dancing? Either way..this fool had some fun and added a page to the Graz history book.

Mindfulness

2011-10-24T10:38:00.010+02:00

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

{source}

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

Recent Designs

2011-10-06T11:38:00.006+02:00

Thanks to all my clients for keeping me busy and creating!

(created logo and blog design; Wordpress Pro Photo Template)

(Wordpress; coding by The Blog Butler)

(Wordpress)

(header and logo design)

(logo design)

The Expat Inquiries: Don & Terri formerly in Graz

2011-09-26T12:58:00.001+02:00

I have a great Expat Inquiries for you today! Don and Terri, whom Art and I met last September when they came back to visit Graz, have given us some really great answers (and even added some more good questions and answers) about their time in Graz from '98 - '00. You real Austrians will especially appreciate it. Thanks for the fabulous write-up (and pics!), Don.

Where did you live?

We lived on the north side of Graz in the Geidorf precinct; Panoramagasse 10. It was a huge apartment, by European standards.

There were nine apartments on the bottom two floors. We had the entire top floor!

How long did you live there? And was this your first home away from the States?

We lived in Graz for 26 months; from August 1998 to October 2000. It was our first and only expat assignment.

Where are you originally from?

We were both raised in southeast Michigan, between Detroit and Toledo, Ohio.

What brought you to Graz?

I worked for Chrysler, and was offered an expat assignment. At the time, a local manufacturer was assembling several vehicles for Chrysler.

What did you do for a living?

I was an engineer, working in product development. In Graz, I acted as the communication link between engineering in Detroit and the plant in Graz. Terri used to have a direct sales/management job with Longaberger. She gave that up for this opportunity, and became a full-time homemaker.

Do you speak German fluently? If so, how long did it take you to learn? Do you find it to be an easy language?

No, and no. My friends think that I am fluent, but I am not. I can carry on a conversation, as long as they keep it simple, and speak “High German”. But in southern Austria, most speak a peculiar dialect that is only remotely related to German. (And NOBODY will teach this to you!) I found German to be a difficult language to learn, especially later in life. I took German classes when I began working with Austrians, and had regular Berlitz classes during my entire assignment. Terri also took Berlitz classes while we lived in Graz.

What are the people like?

We were lucky, in that I had developed many business relationships with locals prior to our moving there. Many of these developed into friendships that we hope will be life-long. But even amongst strangers, we found Austrians to be very warm and welcoming. There will always be a special place in my heart for Austrian people.

How long did it take until you felt mostly adjusted?

I was feeling at home after about 6 months. For Terri, it was longer—maybe 9 months or so.

What were some of the hardest things/aspects to adjust to?

All the rules! “Winter tires”, for example, are required on all vehicles between certain dates. (Yes, everyone must own two sets of tires for your vehicle.) It was “not allowed” to walk barefoot on the grass until a certain date each spring. Parking in the city was (and still is) a mystery. Not being able to shop late in the evening, or on Saturday afternoons, or on Sundays was downright frustrating. Lack of variety in the stores and restaurants was also hard to adjust to. The readiness of people to accept it, when something was “not possible”.

What are some things/aspects you didn’t miss back home?

Crazy (unorderly) drivers. Unprofessional sales people in stores. Politics. (They certainly have it, but we were isolated from it, due to the language barrier and lack of interest.)

What are your top three favorite things about Graz and Austria?

The village of Hallstatt, the Buschenschanks (food-serving wineries) of southern Styria, the Old Town in Graz.

Hallstatt

Just your average Buschenschank

Just your average Brettlejause

In what areas do you think moving abroad has helped you grow?

We better understand and appreciate the value of social programs (health care, for example), when they are done right.

Favorite places you’ve travelled in Europe?

The Salzkammergut of Austria, anywhere in the Styrian and/or Austrian countryside. Rural Austria is Europe at its best. For name recognition back home, I’d answer Venice, Salzburg, Paris, Vienna and Prague. But I’ll take a little no-name Austrian village over these any day of the week.

Hiking on an Alm in the Salzkammergut

Has your expatriate experience changed you in any way?

• We are more socially and environmentally-conscious.

• Our taste in interior décor has done a complete flip-flop (from country to casual contemporary).

• We have a sharper appreciation for the value of friends and good family. Our Austrian friendships are a highly-valued treasure.

• Our taste in beer and wine has changed dramatically.

This is hard cider, not beer

Have you been back?

We like to go back every two or three years, as our schedule and budget permits. We often travel with friends. We always meet friends, both old and new.

In 2010 we got to meet Carolyn and Art!

How difficult was it, to repatriate in the U.S.?

It was surprisingly difficult! Here are some examples:

• Very few people wanted to hear about our experiences in Austria. When we’d start a sentence with “In Austria, we…”, you would see eyes glaze over immediately.

• It was difficult to explain some concepts using only English! Sometimes, we couldn’t think of the English word for something, only the German. We found ourselves saying “how do you say, in English, ….?”

In some ways, however, it was wonderful. I have a fond memory of talking to a cashier in a store. We had a great conversation in sloppy English. I did not take care to enunciate each word clearly. I used idioms and slang with abandon. Amazingly, we understood absolutely everything each other said! This was when I knew I was truly home again.

My notes: I think it always takes a bit longer for us ladies to adjust (if we are not working). I did not know about the barefoot on grass rule, but I am not one bit surprised! I think it's funny that your decor style changed...I think the different style has definitely had some influence on me...in fashion too. Rural Austria is heaven...Art wants to retire to a buschenschank in southern Styria! So true about being more socially and environmentally conscious. We'll definitely have to watch ourselves with our "In Austria...". That's why it has been so nice to connect with other expats, esp. fellow Graz expats that 'get it' 100%.

Thanks, again, Don and Terri.

Color Kombi

2011-09-23T14:52:00.001+02:00

Kombi is the german word/slang for combo and it's one of my faves...that and elbogen for elbow. Art thinks he can speak German by adding -gen or -en to words, and I have to laugh because sometimes he accidentally gets it right. "Oh, that is my favoriten" (wrong) "Let's buy some Beeren" (he means beer, but he doesn't know he's asking for berries).

When my sister was visiting and she learned that all G's in German are hard as in the word 'grapes', she thought she was being clever and goes "oh, so do they say "grr-men" (for German)...I said "no, they say Deutsch." Busted.

OK, onto silly business...so, I've got sort of another fashion/designy post again for this lovely fallish Friday.

I like me a good color kombi. One of my favorites for the fall is red and tan or coral and khaki or orange and taupe...all variations of this.

That's all, y'all. Happy fall.

Random Fashion Talk

2011-09-16T14:11:00.010+02:00

I'm doing a blog design for a girl studying fashion in college that interned with Project Runway winner, Christian Siriano, this past summer, so I took a peek at his New York fashion week collection.

This was my favorite one:

That skirt is so pretty. Where you would wear it, I don't know.

I am loving long maxi skirts these days. They are just a bit classier and easier to wear in the fall.

Love the ones in fun, bright colors too.

And they're definitely more comfortable than a regular skirt.

Atlantic-Pacific turned her gorgeous DVF silk maxi-dress into more of a maxi skirt.

It's better in its original form, though. Oh, how I love this dress.

Boho chic style

And, if you get one and have no where to wear it, you can just go in your backyard, do a little stretchin' around and admire yourself.

Have a great weekend.

Wine Country ♥

2011-09-06T09:17:00.001+02:00

We had a great weekend with Shyla and Grant in the Southern Austria wine region. Just an hour away from Graz and close the Slovenian border we have our own Napa or Tuscany.

It's really a little slice of heaven (with some slices of wurst on the side). I feel bad showing my family these photos after the horrible, devastating droughts (and now wildfires) Texas is having. I wish I could export chunks of the green hills to them.

the Gang

ripe for the pickins

never been in an English car

our accommodations (winery, restaurant (buschenschank) and guest rooms..all owned and operated by one family through many generations)

so cute

we had the dog

shyla and grant got an elephant

dinner time

Buschenschank food. All from the region. No hot plates, but lots of yum stuff.

{pic from internet}

Vanilla ice cream with Southern Austria's claim to fame: kürbiskernöl (pumpkin seed oil) drizzled on top. Sounds gross, but unbelieveably GOOD.

a day of wandering.

and gymnastics.

and kitty loving.

these signs to various buschenschanks pop up at forks in the road and are quite daunting. this is the tallest.

walking out of the church and into heaven.

an Austrian family of blondies all in traditional dress at lunch. how Sound of Music!

Italian and Irish (can you tell which is which?)

lovely boys (after some vino).

and the girls. (wined up + some schnapps too)

Had a surprise visit from Kim and her sister-in-law. So fun.

I'll leave you with a shot of the calendar in the girls' bathroom at our hotel.

Man's (and Woman's) Best Friend

2011-08-31T11:17:00.010+02:00

Elsie turned 2 yesterday.

I didn't realize that until today. Whoops. Sorry, Pumpy, we'll give you a pork rib cake next year. If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know I'm an animal lover..and that I love my pups. Art was hesitant about getting a dog, but well...you know the rest of the story. He loves this dog so damn much it's a bit sickening.

{This is his Elsie face...you know how people make a face when they're concentrating or writing. Art has a face for holding Pumpy.}

Since we don't yet have our own child, she is currently filling that spot. She's given us quite the child training in some areas...occasionally wakes us up in middle of the night whining to go outside(I've trained her to wake only Art up), constant interruptions, pumpy-proofing the house, and well, she can just be downright needy.

But, I come here not to complain of my pups, but to tell you a tale of how a dog makes life swell.

I read this article yesterday about slowing down, being mindful and not living in such a manic way. I've noticed that since I've started reading blogs and working on the computer (and getting most of my info and even watching TV on the comp.), my attention span has suffered. I'm so used to instant gratification and having 85 browsers open at once that anything normal in real life like waiting in line or listening to a babbler..I'm like, can I click 'Next' or minimize this person? ha. Terri.

But, seriously, I know most of you check your e-mail constantly and if you're on Facebook and Twitter, then you have extra problems. It makes us all a little crazy and manic. Scientific studies have shown that things like receiving a new e-mail increases your dopamine levels a bit, and so it really is like a mini crack addiction. People browsing Pinterest are huge druggies just steps away from rehab. I'm just saying.

Ok, so how am I relating this to a dog? (off on a little tangent there) I think one of the best qualities of pets (and I know children are this way) is that they have enthusiasm for the most mundane things. They are fun to watch. And they aren't cyber at all. Elsie actually shuts my laptop screen down with her paw sometimes. She means business.

She also requires at least two walks a day and while Art and I are usually reluctant to jump up and take her, it ends up being our favorite time of day. Many times we end up on an hour walk around the city (Graz is pretty small) and talking about things we wouldn't necessarily talk about if we were at home zoned into our computer or TV screens.

We get sheer joy out of watching her jump into the Mur river to get a stick.

Is that crazy? Will we be psycho crazy parents? Do people in the US go to parks to hang out anymore? I know we don't in Houston. I love walking through the park on the weekend here and seeing people scattered about playing badminton, frisbee, doing yoga, reading or mugging down.

Art and I often sit down in the grass here and mug down. Not really.

So, moral of the story: having a dog adds years to your life and definitely life to your years. On average, pet owners get more exercise too and dogs are good snugglers and are always right there licking your tears when you're sad.

So, do yourself a favor. Adopt a pet today. :)

(but read the warning label that comes with English Cockers.)

Guesting at The Rigolosos

2011-08-30T10:27:00.002+02:00

Molly was so kind to ask me to guest post for her blog while she's away. A true guest poster writes a new post for the readers, but I'm terri and was crunched for time, so Molly took my Expat Inquiries interview (I interviewed myself..what a sad life I live) and posted it up here.

Even though you've heard my schtick before (I did throw an unseen dirndl pic in there), go check out Molly's blog. She and her husband, Justin, are on their own adventure: moving to a new town every 6 months to a year and she documents it all with her wondey writing and photos.

Current stop : NYC.

p.s. It's cooled up about 15 - 20 degrees since I last wrote and it's marvelous! Sorry, Texans...don't read. You can bust me up come wintertime when I'm sad, cold and sans sunshine.

Summer Slowly Subsiding

2011-08-27T10:42:00.002+02:00

Not much to report over here besides the fact that we're slowly melting.

Yes, I know it's hot other places, esp. back in Texas, but AC really helps and Austria ain't got none. Summer's not really my favorite. It's too slow and everyone's either vacationing or back in their home country. I like the action and routine that comes with fall. Although the constant sunshine of the past several weeks has been nice, I'm ready to take on some crisp fall days and a light sweater or two.

I've been filling my days with design work, reading, walks with Art and Elsie (at night in the cool) and the mandatory once or thrice weekly get-togethers with friends.

Working from home has its obvious benefits, but it can be really isolating and all-consuming if you're not careful. There's no clear distinction between work and rest/play, so you have to be diligent in making your own routine and schedule and stickin' to it.

I do like the fact that I can meet the girls for a nice rooftop coffee in the afternoon:

Hadn't been to the new K&Ö rooftop café and I was quite loving it.

Cooled off with some pool volleyball at Shyla's:

Shyla's not messing around with pool time:

And, that's a wrap, folks.

Next weekend's a nice getaway to the wine region. It best cool down!

Recent Designs

2011-08-05T13:11:00.003+02:00

The Expat Inquiries: Juliette in Germany

2011-08-02T10:10:00.012+02:00

Juliette and I met through the blogworld way back when I first started blogging. She's got a great blog full of crafts and creativity and can do something I envy: sew. It's crazy to think we've never actually met...maybe someday?

Where do you live?

- I live in a little university town right in the middle of Germany. It's pretty cute here (we have a great little 'old city'), but it rains a ton. It's also really hilly here. There are two little 'jokes' about our town:

1) It's a university that has a town, not a university town (said because e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g. here revolves around the Uni!).

2)There are more stairs in the city than in the houses themselves (I totally could believe this!).

{Juliette's university town}

How long have you lived there? And is this your first home away from the States?

- We just hit the four year mark this month, wow! I can't believe it's been so long, but at the same time it's like nothing. This is my first long-term home outside of the States, however different chapters of life have seen me living 3-6 months in other countries, even Germany (!).

Where are you originally from?

- This is always a funny question to me considering how much my family moved when I was growing up, but I have aspects of home attached to the South, California, and the Boston area where I attended college and stuck around for years afterward.

What brought you to Germany?

- I married a wonderful German man. =)

What do you do for a living?

- I'm a freelance editor for English-language publications. The bulk of my income comes from helping medical researchers polish their manuscripts before submitting them to journals like Nature, Science, The British Medical Journal, etc. I do anything from basic copy editing to almost full developmental editing. However, nobody likes to be too house-bound, so I mix it up by teaching English at our local university's Modern Language Institute, teaching a "Scientific English Writing Lab" for PhD students at the university, as well as working with a few private clients. I love being my own boss and I hardly miss a thing about working in an office like I did back in the US!

I also blog, but not for money. It's my creative outlet and makes me feel very left brain/right brain about my life....for better or for worse! Learning how to sew overseas has been an interesting challenge for me, but, like cooking it's fun in the way that organized mess tends to be!

{Juliette (far right) meeting fun fabric Queen Amy Butler (center) earlier this year in Germany at a trade show}

Do you speak German fluently? If so, how long did it take you to learn? Do you find it to be an easy language?

- German and I have long been acquainted. I took German in high school (back before the spelling reform) and again in college and had to re-learn some things post-spelling reform. Once we moved here I had to take classes again. After not being in school for nearly 10 years, going back to school for German was pretty anticlimactic, however, I did end up taking the Zertifikat Deutsch exam and getting a decent score, phew! German is HARD. The der/die/das thing is just KILLER. I'm technically fluent, but not yet proficient. I keep telling myself I'll improve with time...

What are the people like?

- If you mean the Germans, I like to call them the Über-Yankees (my husband finds this funny and offensive at the same time). The people in northeastern USA are called Yankees and are known for being a tough bunch. Since I lived in the NE area during my last 10yrs in the US, Germany was just a more intense version of the same sort of people. My experience with Germans is similar to my experience with Yankees: if you happen to be able to crack through the outside you'll find a pleasant inside. The other nice thing about Germans is that if you finally make a friend (it can take a while), you'll generally have a friend for life. People aren't mean here or anything, they're just polite and reserved.

How long did it take until you felt mostly adjusted?

- This is strange for me. I think having moved so much growing up, as well as having spent time abroad in the past, really helped me transition well. However, there are some situations and life moments where I really miss the US!

What were some of the hardest things/aspects to adjust to?

- Three things that never cease to annoy me here are:

1) There is no space available to bag your groceries at the grocery store. I don't mind bringing my own bags and bagging my own groceries, but I DO mind when you don't give me ample space to do so. I also mind when the people behind me glare and imply that I'm not getting out of their way fast enough. Chill already!

2) Patient privacy in medical situations. This is probably aggravated by the fact that I worked at one of the largest hospitals in Boston before moving here, but doggone if it doesn't just make me mental! From simple things like not having privacy screens between patients when you have to share a room at a hospital to seeing a semi-conscious person wheeled in on a gurney to wait in the hall where everybody can see them (while waiting for their own Dr. appts)...yeah, not cool. If I have to be a patient I'm already out of my comfort zone and I don't need it to be made worse by lack of privacy. Of course my definition of privacy is based on where I was brought up, but that's what makes it an 'adjustment' here.

3) The 19% sales tax on most things. No wonder Germans love eBay like Americans love Craigslist.

What are some things/aspects you don't miss back home?

- I don't miss seeing the gajillion plastic bags at every store, overflowing in my pantry, and perpetually woven into random chain-link fences. I don't miss the stress/sadness/worry that came over me when people lost their jobs...and their health insurance. I also don't miss the prescription medication advertisements everywhere or the SUVs that most people really don't need to be driving. I definitely don't miss the consumerism. I know America is a capitalist society and that brings a lot of benefits, but can we all just chill a little?

What are your top three faves about your current city or country?

1) The chocolate...um, yeah.

2) People are more balanced here in terms of stepping away from work. In Germany the minimum amount of vacation you get at a full time job is 24 days. Again, that's the minimum, not the average (don't quote me, but I'm pretty certain about this). Even with those regulations Germany still does awesome in terms of world finance. And yes, people actually do take those vacation days and use them to get away. Props to them.

3) Healthcare. I might not like the privacy stuff, but -generally speaking- people are not financially scared to go to the dr. or hospital. Many medical procedures here cost 1/3 to 1/8 of American rates.

In what areas do you think moving abroad has helped you to grow?

- I once read that being an expat accelerates your brain's creative problem-solving section and I totally believe that's happened with me. I've been able to become my own boss and start to try and find my niche both in work and creative efforts.
(Love this answer..so true...you were a huge encouragement and help to me in starting my blog design business!)

{So cute: felt cookies (Leibnitz!..my fave), cake and table linens Juliette made for her niece.}

Fave places you've traveled in Europe?

1) Tallinn, Estonia! It's cheap, the people are friendly, and it's really pretty and has tons of history. We want to go back sometime and explore the countryside and coastline.

2) Stockholm is pretty cool if you've got money to blow (and it will go fast there), but Finland was just awesome. Why does nobody write about Finland? It's gorgeous, chill, has amazing design stuff, and Helsinki is an Art Deco/Nouveau lover's paradise! (and it's a short ferry ride away from Estonia) Finland is totally unique from other Scandinavian countries; it's like it takes Sweden, Norway and DK's cool aspects and puts its own fingerprint on it all. It's also not as jammed as those countries, which is nice.

Thanks, Juliette, for such great and thorough answers.
Loving your Über-Yankees term!
The differing mentality in vacation time between here and the States is one we discuss often with friends. I ~~think~~ know people are more productive when given breaks...I mean, the Germans are probably the most productive people in the world. It's a reason some of my North American friends consider living in Europe forever. It makes a big impact on the quality of life. (And let's not even get started on maternity leave.)

Moments of Delight

2011-07-29T09:54:00.001+02:00

Just some perks from my week. It's been raining and dreary (and one day so cold I was wearing a fleece and wool pashmina) and my moods are definitely affected by the weather.

Rain doesn't have to put a damper on the whole week, though.

I was skyping with my sister when my nieces came in dressed in their matching Mexican dresses singing "La Cucaracha". It was quite the show:

I have also learned in the past couple of weeks we will be blessed with a new nephew and a new niece in November! (from different siblings, not twins.)

Finding a new delicious Spanish tapas restaurant with Shyla and Lee:

Bringing home some pastries on a Sunday morning.

Left to right: a honey & cinnamon drizzled puff, a Himbeer-Joghurt Stangerl (Raspberry & Yogurt Cream in a sweet brioche-type pocket) and my fave: Schoko Croissant.

I picked these two weeks ago! Ok, so this picture was about a week ago, but they are still holding pretty strong:

Since I've cut milk (not all dairy like cheese...impossy) out of my diet for skin purposes, I've had to substitute the summer gelato with some greek yogurt mixed with honey and cinnamon. If I make it look pretty, I feel like it's more of a real dessert:

Seeing a great spread about Heidelberg in Lonny Magazine:

And getting the hang of designing in the Thesis template in Wordpress. You peeps have no idea how much time can be spent figuring out how to code one dang small detail. It's a good feeling to click refresh and see the fruits of your labor live and well on screen:

Tschüß und Schönes Wochenende!

Keeping House

2011-07-21T14:57:00.005+02:00

I didn't know that there are fields of flowers outside of Graz where you can go pick your own and drop some change in a coinbox! Check out this Gladiola field some girlfriends and I hit last week on the way home from some Trachten browsing:

We had friends over for dinner on Saturday and they add a nice perk to the room.

Do you find it appalling that the dog sits on our couch?

Well, going to make the bed this morning (I find that making the bed in the morning is one of those things that starts the day off right...with a feeling of productivity and order)...and honey badger (if you haven't seen this video (beware of the language), you won't get that) makes herself quite cozy in there. She would never do this if I weren't in there making the bed. She has to be in the way.

(those eyes are the cause of our demise)

Have you ever seen cuteoverload.com?

I've heard guys in America complain about girls and their ever-growing sense of entitlement these days. I believe my dog has a sense of entitlement. A damn big one. (and none of it's our fault.)

Just ended up making the bed around her. I mean...some people use stuffed animals thrown in...I just leave honey badger in there. Problem is, when I leave...she most definitely will leave too and my whole 'order and productivity' for the day will have been trampled upon.

I think it's time to sprinkle in some discipline to the morning routine as well.

A Rendezvous with Rachael & Robby in Maribor

2011-07-13T09:58:00.007+02:00

Several weeks ago, I got to meet up in Maribor, Slovenia with my long-time, friend-since-third-grade friend Rachael and her boyfriend, Robby.

Maribor was their first stop on a trip that led them through Slovenia and ended at the delicious beaches of northern Croatia. Luckily, Maribor is just an hour train ride from Graz. Art was in the States at a conference, so I took my booty over there to meet up with them and spend the day (which turned into spending the night after a long, fun day at the wine festival (which we learned was to celebrate Slovenia's 20 year independence from Yugoslavia).

Ah, we had perfect, cool sunny weather and it was so fun to hang with my old friend and laugh, drink and eat all day. I had kinda forgotten what it's like to be with someone who knows you so well and is just as crazy quirky as you.

Maribor's not a tourist destination or anything, but a cute, small town on the river similar in look and feel to Graz.

That wine vine behind us on the building? Oldest in the world. That's Maribor's claim to fame. Pink Rosé wine is this region's specialty and it is sehr gut.

ending the night with some Sangria...yes, I had a headache the next day.

Rach's pic of Maribor:

And then Rach and Robby headed out to Ljubljana, Slovenia and Lake Bled:

(these are all her pics)

And Pula and Split, Croatia:

Um, Art? I've got somewhere we can go this weekend!

Doppel Whammy

2011-07-06T14:08:00.001+02:00

Canada Day:

three days later: July 4th.

It's Surely Summer

2011-06-29T15:57:00.002+02:00

Well, sorta easy. I'm busy, busy with blogs, but I did take a 4 hour (yes, we sat there for 4 hours!) coffee break with my friends this morning/afternoon.

I had to hide my white skeen from the harsh, hot sun.. "Let me in the middle! I sunburn!" (I really like this excuse for getting the middle spot!). A lot of ladies were getting insta-tans while I felt smoke coming off the back of my arms.

let's try this (starting at left going clockwise):

Sylvia (Austria), Kim (Canada), Carla (Argentina), Lee (Australia), Katelyn (Virginia), Olga (Serbia/Boston), Wendy (San Diego), Me, Marion (Austria)

Always fun with the girls. They were appalled I hadn't made July 4th celebration plans.

They nominated me planner of a July 4th lunch at the Harley Davidson store restaurant. Apparently, they have the best steaks and hamburgers. Ha. You do what ya gotta do.

Answering the Question

2011-06-22T15:34:00.004+02:00

Emily left this question in the comments yesterday and I had two other people ask for the answer, so I thought I'd do a little follow-up:

How do you feel about going back at the end of hubbie's postdoc research?

I think I made it sound like I love Graz and don't like the U.S. and that's not the case.

Like I said, living over here has been sorta like a sabbatical in the sense that we were totally out of our comfort zones and were forced to think about everyday things in a new light. We are away from friends, family and all familiarity. I don't think our life here is the same as what life is like for a typical Austrian our age that's grown up here. They probably experience a lot of the same things I was saying about the States...we just don't because we're foreigners and without a family, social circle or even a car. It makes it different. A lot of it is the culture, though, and I think Austrians would definitely have some shock going to America, but it's also our situation and not just Graz. Am I making sense? I'm giving you quite a long drawn-out explanation here!

There are so many wonderful things about home too, of course. My interview questions were sort of loaded and I didn't ask what people missed about home sorta assuming it was more obvious. Family and friends being #1. That's the HUGE biggie mama. The food. The friendliness. The job opportunities. Driving at least some of the time. Better stores. Being able to wear heels and wedges easily. ha. (see, I'm not saying I'm not into some consumerism.)

A woman from my English club spoke to us last week (she's an Opera singer that's recently relocated to Graz, but been a European expat for 25 years now) and she started out with this:

The second most miserable people are expats.

The first? Expats that have just moved back home.

We laughed. I haven't experienced it yet, but I already know it won't be 100% easy just because it's 'home'.

Some people say it's harder than moving to the foreign country.

I have discussed this with several of my friends here and what it boils down to is:

There will never be one perfect place that embodies everything you love. You will never be able to reconcile your love for two totally different places. You will always have a small yearning for the other place. And, that's ok. We should consider ourselves lucky to have the experiences and have 'two loves'. (Hey, this ain't men.)

So, my answer is:

I have mixed feelings about moving home. I have no idea where we'll go, so we aren't really moving 'home' anyways. It will be another start. And, it will be great. Really, a lot of it is what you make of it. And I would like to move somewhere a little more European in city set-up, but we'll see what happens.

Do I sound like Pollyanna? I'm so not. Whoa...moving abroad really has done things to me!

The Expat Inquiries: Little ole me

2011-06-21T16:24:00.002+02:00

I've run out of interviews, so I'm here answering my own questions:

Where do you live?
- Graz, Austria

little us in front of the Graz Opera House.

How long have you lived there? And is this your first home away from the States?
- A little over 2 years. Yes, first time living out of America.

Where are you originally from?
- Houston, Texas

What brought you to Austria?
- Husband's postdoctorate research

What do you do for a living?
- I do blog designs for some extra money, but I don't make a living from it. :)

I never found a job due to insufficient German skills, so I created my own little stay-at-home work.

Do you speak German fluently? If so, how long did it take you to learn? Do you find it to be an easy language?
- Um, no. I took two 3-month / 4 hours a day / 5 days a week intensive courses in the first year we lived here, but when you don't get good, daily real life practice, it's almost impossible to become fluent. I find I can read magazine articles fairly well and understand e-mails from some Austrian friends, but when it comes to speaking, I am sehr peinlich (embarrassed) and nicht so schnell (not very quick). I'm not proud that I've lived here for over 2 years and am still not fluent, but the fact that Germans come to Austria, esp. southern Austria, and say they have a hard time understanding the German here makes me feel much better. We learn one thing in school and hear a pretty mutated version of it out on the streets, which makes it really hard. There's my excuse. :)

Oh, and to answer the second question, I did not and do not find it easy (Spanish is WAY easier), but if I compare it to Chinese or Hungarian, it doesn't seem quite so bad.

What are the people like?
- The people are more reserved. At first I thought it was snobby or a bit rude, but what I've come to learn is that that is just what they are used to. They find it fake that we automatically ask "How are you?" and don't always expect an answer. I do miss the mega-friendliness in Texas, though. Not the pushy salespeople or waiters...in that regard, I like the Euro leave-you-alone style.

How long did it take until you felt mostly adjusted?
- I would say a year...and you keep adjusting more and more, of course, the longer you are here. I felt mostly adjusted when I had a set of friends, when I knew enough German to order food and grocery shop, when my house had at least 5 pieces of furniture and when I was calling Graz 'home'.

What were some of the hardest things/aspects to adjust to?
- Language, not working (no routine..at first), the WINTER

What are some things/aspects you don't miss back home?
- Overconsumption (lots of people have said this..it's a biggie), 'Keeping up with the Joneses' crapola, traffic

What are your top three faves about your current city or country?
- Most everything is in walking distance/public transportation (I LOVE this...it makes more of an impact on your life and health (physical and mental) than you think), the old-fashioned charm (buildings, cafés, our apt.) and the simpler way of living.

In what areas do you think moving abroad has helped you to grow?
- I didn't really realize the subconscious pressures and expectations that I felt back home (not really from friends and family, but society in general), until I moved away and felt sort of a freedom. Living here is kinda like a rather long sabbatical. It gives you some serious perspective to step out (way out across the Atlantic) and see a different way of life than you're used to.

Fave places you've traveled in Europe?
- Don't really have a fave...I've really liked everywhere I've gotten to go. Europe is wondey like that.

Mein Vater ist einfach der Beste

2011-06-19T16:27:00.008+02:00

Sounds cliché, but in my case, it's simply true.

Father to seven children puts you in the nomination pool automatically.

Here's what earns him the gold:

He was always there for us...and still is.

Made it to almost every sporting event, no matter how kinda boring some were.

ALWAYS worked hard, but you'd never know if he had a bad day when he came home to us...

In fact, I've probably heard two complaints from this man's lips my entire life.

He's friendly and extremely likeable.

"Your dad is a great guy" is something I've heard my whole life.

He was always interested in what was going on with us... and still is.

(look above..that's a lot of people to keep up with.)

He's patient, selfless and a wonderful husband to my mama.

And, he's got a laugh that makes you laugh just because it's so fun to see him so cracked up.

and he's quite a dapper Dad.

A girl's father has a strong influence on her life.

I consider myself extremely blessed.

I love you, Dad.

Happy Father's Day.

Vienna at a Glance

2011-06-16T14:10:00.004+02:00

We took Art's mama to Vienna last week. Can you believe it was his first time too?

So muscley, that groin region.

So groovy, those lights in an old, beautiful church.

So cheesy, that antiquey effect.

So leetle, those people.

So good.

So rooty, my hair.
(I mean, that is downright horrendous...it does not look that bad in real life..i hope.)

So gilded, this city.

So long, Wien.

And so long, M. We loved having you here.

Who now will stand afar and take pics of our important life events?

:) xoxo

Fun with Marilia

2011-06-06T14:48:00.001+02:00

Art's mom is here, he's taking some time off from work and we're all just cruisin' around.

Tschüß baba for now!

Everything's Coming Up Roses

2011-05-31T13:41:00.005+02:00

I hope all you Amerikanerins had a great Memorial Day weekend.

Life over here is just rosy. :) We've been enjoying them for the past couple of weeks and they might almost be on their way out. Don't leave us, Rosies! Poor Art has been sneezing, wheezing and puffy eyeballing for a good month now, so he might be ready for all flowers to fire their arses outta here.

Our front garden:

And around the neighborhood:

Art's mom comes on Thursday and we're looking forward to that!

The Expat Inquiries: Rachel in Heidelberg

2011-05-26T10:12:00.001+02:00

Next up is my friend, Rachel, currently dwelling in the quaint town of Heidelberg, Germany. Rachel and I met when she moved to Graz last year for six months for her studies. We bonded over coffee and neighborhood walks and I was sad to see her go. Heidelberg is on our list for places to visit!

Where do you live?

- Heidelberg, Germany

How long have you lived there? And is this your first home away from England?

- Since August 2009 with stints in Graz, Austria and the UK in 2010. No, I previously spent a year divided between Paris, a tiny village near Heidelberg and a town near Verona as part of my undergraduate studies from 2004 - 2005.

Where are you originally from?

- Oxford, England

{Oxford looks pretty wondey itself..would love to visit one day}

What brought you to Germany?

-The opportunity to further my studies, improve my German and escape the rain!

What do you do for a living?

-I'm a student, currently writing my MA dissertation (in English I hasten to add!) but I also work part-time as a translator.

Do you speak German fluently? If so, how long did it take you to learn? Do you find it to be an easy language?

- Most people I meet think my German is amazing but then most English people don't speak any German at all ;p I understand everything but sometimes I make silly mistakes when I'm nervous :s I started learning German when I was 13 and I would never claim to be perfect but I think within 6 months of being here I'd reached the kind of 'fluency' a non-native speaker can hope to attain. I have a BA in 3 European languages and have studied semitic languages (Arabic and Hebrew) for my Masters but German has got to be one of the hardest languages out there! If I ever have children, I've said I'd like them to have German as a mother-tongue or at least start learning at a very young age so they don't have to learn this terrible language!

What are the people like?

- Most Germans are very open, friendly, accepting and delighted that anyone wants to (try to) learn their language.

How long did it take until you felt mostly adjusted?

- About 6 weeks? 6 months or so after arriving here I had to spend 7 - 8 months in Austria and the UK and it was heart-wrenching having got settled and started to make friends etc. I've now been here consistently since October 2010.

What were some of the hardest things/aspects to adjust to?

- Learning to deal with all the bureaucracy, particularly university bureaucracy is heart-attack inducing! Not being able to consult my parents every time I had a problem/question :p

What are some things/aspects you don't miss back home?

- The weather, the high cost of living and the lack of public transport.

What are your top three faves about your current city or country?

- The breathtaking scenery, the great public transport system which makes it so easy and affordable to get places, my beautiful home :)

In what areas do you think moving abroad has helped you to grow?

- It has definitely forced me to become more independent and made me more confident.

Fave places you've traveled in Europe?

- I've hardly traveled in Europe I'm ashamed to say; the area between Verona and Lake Garda has a special place in my heart as that's where I first fell in love with and learnt Italian (my other great love); I also love Munich, the Austrian Alps and Romania.

Do you plan on living anywhere else (foreign) in the next 5 - 10 years?

- Definitely!

Thanks, Rach, for participating.
We miss you in Graz!

Recent Designs

2011-05-20T09:11:00.004+02:00

Have a good weekend, y'all.

We'll be back Monday with a new episode of The Expat Inquiries.

The Scoop on Venice

2011-05-16T15:08:00.001+02:00

(Reposting this from last Thursday because Blogger deleted all posts that day.)

Venice is one of those places that people seem to either love or hate. I can definitely see that if you go at a time with some serious heat and crowds (during the time when the canal smell is wafting possibly), you could be quite less than impressed.

Things are expensive (during peak time) and you could feel like you're forking over a lot of cash for a steam bath of stink with the herds.

Fortunately, we didn't have this experience!

Our hotel (two left buildings) in the less traveled, more local Santa Croce district. (It was 1-star, 90 euros a night, but actually quite great.)

Hotel info and reviews here.

Our view.

And a cute terrace patio to enjoy.

One of the finer mask shops, but there are cheesy mask kiosks EVERYWHERE.

As with all good spots, Venice has become quite the tourist destination. So much so that tourists far outnumber locals on any given day. For me, this takes away from the wondiness of a place. Some people don't mind, but I'm not a person that likes to be in crowds. I especially don't like that it takes away from the authenticity of a place...when around every corner there's cheesy souvenir shops with glass trinkets up to your eyeballs. And more Nikons in a square foot than you've ever seen in your life (us included!).

Around the Rialto Bridge...a popular spot. I can only imagine this doubles in June and July. Nein, danke!

And if you've seen The Tourist (not good, but pretty scenery), you might recognize some sites walking around. When we were standing at the famous Rialto Market, I noticed this was the scene where Johnny Depp is chased over that balcony. Then the cop falls in the water. Then Angelina's lips puff out some more.

St. Mark's Square.

You have to see St. Mark's, though. It's impressive. Too bad we didn't make it inside because of long lines the first day and the second day...preparations for the Pope's arrival! Yes, we didn't even know the Papa was coming.

His little red stage. I'm sad to report we did not venture out to see him that evening because judging from the crowds and chaos during the day, we would not have even made it into the square or even be able to see him.

Flags hung with care for Benedict.

We found that we loved the other areas of Venice that most tourists don't venture to. I especially love the city in the evening and at night.

We got a little lost, but enjoyed walking around solo and stumbling upon some fancy homes and hotels.

Venice is hard to navigate. Definitely get yourself a map and look like a fool with it blowing in your face walking around. One slightly wrong alley and you're in a new district. Good thing it's an island.

Narrow little walkways everywhere. "Oh, we're at the canal" doesn't help.

We did take a water taxi over to Murano island and saw the brief glass blowing demonstration.

Another gondola ride offer-er.

Great coffee shop. I like choco chips in my stuff.

We especially liked the Dosoduro district close to where we were staying. Filled with students and quaint trattorias with better food and prices. (We were not impressed with our food the first two nights.)

a family in Dosoduro outside playing..what else.. soccer.

Just cute.

Veggie market boat.

Pimp my ride.

Cute restaurant we found for the last night.

All in all, a success. Just to get away from the daily grind and experience something new together is fun...like a second little honeymoon.

Back to Austria. The Worthersee above. I tell you what... You can tell when you are in Austria and when you are in Italy. This little country we live in is pristine and green!

3 Nights in Venezia

2011-05-09T14:35:00.012+02:00

We just had a great three nights in Venice. What a beautiful little city. We went sort of as a birthday trip for Art, but mostly just to go...when the weather was perfect and when it wasn't quite peak tourist time.

Venice is definitely one-of-a-kind.

Back to real life sans canals. :(

to be continued when I have the energy to upload more...

Royal Fun

2011-05-03T11:04:00.003+02:00

I told you she has energy.

Shyla's glorious cupcake stand

Happy Connor

Royal Wedding watchers

Leee ist ein bisschen verruückt.

Shyla, Kim and their Pimm's

Kim's delicious teapot empire cookies

Made my first Victoria Sponge Cake

K had to be a princess too.

cute Shyla and Grant

Busted, Cecile.

cute Brit boys ready to head home with their flags

{thanks for the pics, Shyla}

Quite a Beauty

2011-04-30T10:01:00.006+02:00

Yesterday was a full day of Royal Wedding goodness and celebrations...complete with British friends, British BBC TV and BBQ. I left dreaming in bloodies and blimeys, and I was just chuffed to bits about it all. (I learned 'chuffed to bits' yesterday thanks to my friend Shyla...a former Canadian gone Brit now Grazer who had enough spunk and excitement for this wedding for us all...and I quite love the term, natürlich!)

So, let's get down to important business.

Kate's dress.

Ah, so beautiful. I loved it.

Sister Pippa's dress was really pretty too.

not so lovely.

used to be cuter:

But, that's ok.

I mean, she makes a pretty princess.

And then getting a little more comfy and mod later in her same dress and with the lace sleeves, train and lace skirt removed and a belt and angora sweater added.

Congratulations Royals and thanks for giving us reason to celebrate with lots of food, friends and Union Jack decor.

A Good Easter

2011-04-26T12:54:00.004+02:00

We had a very nice Easter this year at our friends' house a little bit outside of Graz. Too bad we didn't get a pic of mom and dad, but their three daughters, Hannah, Stella and Eva are always down for some shots.

They requested that we bring Elsie and do a way better job of wearing her out than we ever do.

{Their family alone keeps the Graz Crocs store running.}

They filled us up with food, drinks and sweets. The typical Austrian Easter cuisine is ham, sausages, spreads, kren (freshly grated horseradish), cheeses and other cold cuts similar to what you find at a Buschenschank.

And the flowers are coming out in staggered times, so we have a new one to enjoy every week or so. Right now, the lilac is busting out everywhere, and its smell and beauty is quite wondey when walking around.

These are some of my favey trees (Japanese Saucer Magnolia). The petals fall all over the sidewalk and they are slippery...like pink banana peels, k.

And, that's all. I hope you had a Frohe Ostern too.

The Expat Inquiries: Kim in Australia

2011-04-25T09:57:00.003+02:00

I'm doing a little series here on the blog where I'll ask some of my fellow expat friends questions about life in another country. Of course, I find this interesting, but I hope you do too. Surely you'd like other perspectives about life abroad other than mine. :)

Next up is Kimberly, originally from Houston, Texas (yes, again), currently residing in Perth, Australia with her husband, Marc, and cutie daughter, Chloe.

Kim is actually a long-time friend of my older sister's. She moved to Australia around the same time we moved to Graz and my sister sent me her blog to follow...also as an example of what I needed to do...blog! Yes, this all began the madness. It's been so fun to keep up with each other through our blogs, especially since we are in such different places. People often confuse Austria with Australia, so much so that they sell shirts here that say "NO Kangaroos in Austria".

Where do you live?

- I live in Perth, Western Australia

How long have you lived there? And is this your first home away from the States?

- We have lived here for 2 years and it is my first time away from the US.

Where are you originally from?

- Houston, Texas

What brought you to Perth?

- My hubby had an opportunity with his job on a big project in Perth.

What do you do for a living?

- I'm a domestic engineer

What are the people like?

- Laid back, friendly, with a no worries attitude

How long did it take until you felt mostly adjusted?

- Probably about 6 months

What were some of the hardest things/aspects to adjust to?

- Driving on the left side of the road, getting used to different brands and foods at the grocery store, lack of good service at restaurants

(Her first taste of Vegemite here.)

What are some things/aspects you don't miss back home?

- Horrid freeways and traffic, overconsuming

What are your top three faves about your current city or country?

- Perth's amazing beaches, parks abound, a slower pace of life

Fave places you've traveled in Australia?

- Sydney, Broome, Margaret River wine region...hopefully more soon!

(Kim's blog causes much jealous during our winter months when I all is see is glorious sunny beach photos such as these...

Christmas in summer!)

In what areas do you think moving abroad has helped you to grow?

- I think being away from home has made our little family tighter in that we rely on each other more, friendships are more intense because they become your family in a way, and you really know that you can do something so big and new that many people have never experienced.

I hear ya, mate! Thanks so much for participating, Kim!

And, of course, I must leave you with a good old-fashioned kangaroo (and Chloe!).

A New Series: The Expat Inquiries

2011-04-18T09:01:00.002+02:00

{Julie with her cute fam}

Julie is a fellow Houstonian whom I met via blogland. We both crave our Tex-Mex and I love how she often blogs about and posts pictures of the small details of German living. A Houstonian and detail-noticer is a friend of mine indeed. Würzburg seems to be a bit like Graz... Bavaria (southern Germany) is similar to Austria in tradition, landscape and culture..ja?

Where do you live?

-Würzburg/Bavaria

How long have you lived there? And is this your first home away from the States?

-Since 1996; it's my first home away from the US.

Where are you originally from?

-Houston, Texas

What brought you to Germany?

-A guy that I assumed would take me to California (I mistook the blond hair, blue eyes, and hot pink shirt for a surfer boy)...

What do you do for a living?

-I raise our two wild and crazy (but amazing) boys, teach English at local firms, do a bit of correction work, and help organize the film festival here in town.

Do you speak German fluently? If so, how long did it take you to learn? Do you find it to be an easy language?

-Hmmm...fluent is relative...I am still learning (have been since 1996), but oddly enough, can't imagine my life any more without German. It is not an easy language to learn, but very rewarding once you realize you're making your world work with it!

What are the people like?

-In the beginning, I always thought people in Germany were different than folks in the States. Now, I'm not really sure anymore. I never really agreed with the stereotypes and have often seen them challenged. The people I run with are open, funny, warm, and thoughtful.

How long did it take until you felt mostly adjusted?

-"Mostly adjusted" is good. I'd have to say the day I caught myself saying, "In Germany, they..." while visiting the States.

What were some of the hardest things/aspects to adjust to?

-I'm still trying to get used to wanting spontaneous family visits, craving Tex-Mex, the lack of sassy hardware at local stores (seriously, the lamps at Target are amazing!), and being a foreigner.

What are some things/aspects you don't miss back home?

-The shop 'til you drop and 'super-size me' mentality

What are your top three faves about your current city or country?

-The views, the fests, that I can bike/walk most everywhere I need to go

In what areas do you think moving abroad has helped you to grow?

-I have learned to be where I'm at and that I alone control how happy or unhappy I am.

Fave places you've traveled in Europe?

-The pizza joints in Naples, the little beaches surrounding Sorrento, the pubs in Dublin, the shops in Madrid, the wineries in Franconia.

Thanks so much for participating, Julie! Wanna open up our own Mexican food restaurant on the border of Austria and Germany? We'll be Mama Ninfas in Europa!

Color Combo Inspiration

2011-04-06T14:31:00.002+02:00

it's out there.

I can never stay away from the pink/red family! Coral's my #1.

WWII Reminder

2011-04-05T15:16:00.004+02:00

We weren't informed of this until this past weekend from our dinner guests, since we live in non-local-news-reading-or-listening-land here most of the time, and we felt kinda dumb for living under a rock, but...

{source}

They've been doing construction on our main train station for months and just two Fridays ago, workers uncovered a bomb from WWII while digging...dropped by British fighter jets in the mid-40's. They had to evacuate a kilometer radius around the train station and detonate it! Nobody was hurt, but windows shattered, the train station clock lost a hand and some fragments flew several hundred meters. Dang. Art now remembers hearing it that Friday evening and thinking it was thunder...which rarely occurs here and was not followed by any rain or storm. {Article here.}

Of course I'm kind of an idiot when it comes to this stuff and asked Art how in the heck that thing could still function, picturing it to look like a black ball with one rope wick. Think coyote and the roadrunner style.

I mean...kinda crazy. And, while on this topic, I have to recommend this book:

I read this book in two days. It's over 400 pages and if you knew my tendency to read a book here and there over the course of months and then maybe never finish it, you'd be impressed. It's testament to how good it is and how in need of a substantial and well-written story (instead of another crap rom-com movie from the internet) I was.

I don't read enough real books these days...don't make the time for it and instead most reading takes place on the internet or in magazines in short form where nothing requires too much thought or goes too deep. I had sort of forgotten how wonderful it is to get lost in a book and what a great use of leisure time reading is. It's good for the soul. And it's not bad for the brain either.

My friend, Lindsey, gave me this book after devouring it during our down time in the hotel in Prague almost two years ago. I just now picked it up. I recommend it. It hits closer to home when you are living over here (or when you are traveling through Germany like she was when she read it). I understood all of the German vocab scattered throughout. I had a better feel for the culture she describes even though it was almost 70 years ago and obviously different.

The book's a bit different since it's told from the German perspective and how everyday German women and families were impacted. Not to compare to what the Jews suffered, but life for the German civilians wasn't so great either. This story shows the sacrifices a German mother made for her daughter..and for prisoners of the camp.

It made me grateful for the wonderful life we have and ashamed that sometimes I complain that we don't have a car or haven't gotten to travel much. It wasn't so long ago that people right in this very spot were starving to death..or worse.

It's not something people like to talk about, but it really wasn't that long ago and it's important to remember. You can get much more of a reminder than a bomb.

Spring!

2011-04-04T10:04:00.001+02:00

The forsythia tree outside of our window literally busted out overnight.

I promise I did not saturate this pic.

What a nice way to liven up the inside too.

We had some friends over for dinner on Saturday and I like people to think my house always has fresh flowers sprinkled throughout. ha.

We headed out on Sunday to our new favorite neighborhood with a great view:

see the Schlossberg and clocktower straight in view

happy spring peeps

there's also a great area for the pups to roam

and then just rub her just-yesterday-bathed-self in some manure plumps. awesome.

Cute restaurant/gasthaus complete with loud chickens, goats, cows and sheep in the area.

more manure rolling.

Everyone's happy it's spring.

Delight times 3

2011-03-23T09:30:00.005+01:00

Delight that I am missing.

My nieces and nephew:

Ana, Sam & Ceci

I'm not joking. They are this cute. And constantly entertaining.

My sister's learning the ropes of her new camera and I'd say she's doing a pretty good job. Such a great investment when you have kids.

TMI

2011-03-22T13:57:00.001+01:00

I received a Versatile blogger award from my friend Molly (thanks, Molly!). I am usually hesitant to do what's required of me and post a list of facts about myself, but today, for some reason, it's a happening.

1. I'm the third of seven children.
2. A night (vs. morning) person for sure.
3. A sad scene in a movie involving animals sends me over the edge weeping.
4. I would say I'm sensitive, which I don't always like, but that it gives me a keen sense of empathy, which I don't always like either.
5. I'm not as happy-go-lucky or funny as maybe my blog makes me seem.
6. I do everything fast (except get out of bed). My husband does everything s..l..o..w.. and methodically (except eat). It sometimes drives me crazy. My fastness drives him crazy.

7. I am hypothyroid, I can't see a foot in front of me without contacts or glasses, I have slightly crooked pinkies, cold hands and feet, annoying hair that's not straight or curly and too thick, an often hurting hip, but I never had braces or one cavity.

8. I like cheese, salt and sugar far too much. My hips are hefty.

Goodbye.

Food & Friends

2011-03-21T09:43:00.002+01:00

LOVE these 'sandwiches' from Frankowitsch.

great little place in Graz we just now discovered.

And love these girls/fellow expats: Katelyn and Shyla (from America & Canada)

Kim from Canada.

Latest Work

2011-03-17T13:28:00.003+01:00

{helped customize this Wordpress blog's ProPhoto Theme}

{updated by adding custom icons in the nav menu}

Nicer Weather!

2011-03-14T13:53:00.006+01:00

I have only become obsessed with talking about the weather since living here. You see, I lived in Houston, Texas most of my life where it was either blazing hot & humid, warm & humid, nice or rainy (& steamy) with just several weeks of cold.

I will say living through 4-5 months of winter here makes the spring all that more delicious. People are coming out of hibernation, parks and streets are again bustling and those once-a-week evening jogs are back on the agenda.

This kind of weather makes those "Wow, I actually live in Europe...look at these churches, these buildings, this place that is my home" moments more frequent.

{you think they can't turn traditional Austrian dress into sex that sells?}

{rainbow booties anyone?}

And equally nice as the flowers starting to bloom and crisp, breezy nights is the shedding of the winter garb into the transitional winter-to-spring uniform: trenchy, jegs + FLATS!

{thanks for the trench, Erin. sometimes being the shorty of the fam is beneficial..really only when the arms on your sister's jacket are too short for her.}

and I know I'm late jumping on the Adele bandwagon, but I'm loving her up. I think if I could pick any talent, I would like to be able to sing like this. I don't do singing. Or dancing for that matter...unless there's been some rum and cokes.

Wilkommen to Frühling und a new Woche...

Coffee Chats

2011-03-11T13:18:00.007+01:00

...are one of the best things about life here. I do it at least once a week and I thoroughly enjoy it. It's a great way to get to know someone I've met briefly at an English club meeting or to catch up with a girlfriend. And when there's Sacher Torte and a blop of Schlag joining you, can you really go wrong?

{Art would like how they make a 'wall' next to the cake. He's very protective of his sweets. He's an only child...k?}

It's one of the things I'll miss most about Graz and think back on fondly. I do know that. Starbucks can't compete.

Have a great weekend!

(Enjoy your weak a#$ coffee, Americans!) ahahah!

Spring Chops

2011-03-04T10:28:00.004+01:00

My hair right now is long, long, long and nasty, nasty, nasty. I am so perked to get a spring choppin' soon.

I keep seeing these new Mango billboards everywhere around town with Scarlett Johansson and her darling hair and well...don't you think it's pretty cute?

{dang cute outfit, Scar Jo}

The hair woman, herself, went a bit shorter and I be lovin' it.

Nat looks good in the do. Nat is always beauty, though.

So, that's all.

I get perked over haircuts and highlights...and Mango...it's not so easy for me to get to, but it might need a little visit soon.

Freaky then Hilarious

2011-03-01T16:07:00.003+01:00

Last night after an episode of CSI: Miami, (Art and I watch that when we have nothing else because the cheesiness is hilarious, we love Horatio's terri lines and let's admit it...we just kinda love it) I somehow stumbled across this photographer's blog and saw these animated photos. Art was peering over my shoulder looking too...

"oh, kinda freaky"

something about this is very unsettling

again with the freaky hair

the eyeballs are just kinda funny.

and then we cracked up at the never-ending wobbly champagne.

Her caption on this was "Anna sees everything."

As we were scrolling through her blog (she's a great photographer, so she has tons of pretty photos), we found ourselves stopping and staring at EVERY photo, waiting for something to happen. About 15% of the photos are animated, so we felt kinda loserish for spending our time stopping, staring, waiting and then moving on.

You can imagine our disappointment when we realized this was just a static regular on her about page.

So much potential for just a little jingle.

I can't believe I'm posting this peek into my our juvenile ways.

You too can share in the fun here.

Homesick? Need Help?

2011-02-24T14:50:00.003+01:00

Might I offer you some tips on how to ease your Heimweh:

EINS:

Go to your nearest grocery and grab yourself a bottle and some Snickers Ice Cream Bars. I mean, Snickers themselves are ok, but Snickers Ice Cream Bars...heavenly.

ZWEI:

Have one of these around. (Husband is good too since he can actually talk to you and hug you up.) Elsie helps with homesickness in a dual fashion. First, that sweet dang face and personality. Second, you see that plastic coke bottle on the floor next to her bear? Yeah, she kicks and chases that thing around the floor making the loudest noise from hell that you can't be homesick...just deaf and annoyed.

DREI:

Eat well. Not that this reminds me of home because I didn't cook until I moved here, but this dish I make often (and put on rice) cause it's quick and tasty does cheer me up. It ain't no fried chicken steak or bowl of queso, but let's not overdo it, k? We already had two Snickies. (Art had four.)

A Little Bit of Heimweh

2011-02-23T13:22:00.001+01:00

Since we've lived here (2 years on Monday), I haven't been too homesick (surprisingly)....until now. I don't know if it's the weather, a 2-year itch or because I was home recently, but I miss my friends, family, car and I'm nostalgic for life before Graz. I want to be able to get in my Accord, turn on my tunes and drive wherever. I want to be able to meet an old friend for fajitas or a good big salad and have a big Diet Coke in a way-too-big plastic glass full of lots of ice and a straw. (I acutally now like my once-a-week Coke Zeros (they aren't good for you and if I have them 2 days in a row, the addiction's back) cold in a glass without any horrific, diluting ice...one of the little things Europe has done to me.)

I want to go for a jog in the warm humidity down Tanglewood Lane. I want to drop by my parents' house for dinner and sit on the stairs with the dog (totally did that) while eating a handful of peanut M&M's from mama's candy dish. Then my sister could drop in with my nieces and we could just chat...they'd show me their newest tricks, dances and possibly fight over my attention. :)

{a picture (2007?) I found on my computer..I don't recommend looking at those when you are homesick. I probably was like "get off of me fatties" a second after the picture was taken, but that's all part of the glory, isn't it? }

Someone recently commented anonymously asking whether we'd ever move back to Texas since we seem to be so accustomed to Graz. The answer is, I'm not sure. I know we won't stay in Graz, as much as we do like it here, as this is and always was temporary. I'm 95% sure we'll move back to the States, but if it will be Texas, I don't know.

So, ich hab heimweh. Don't feel sorry for me. It was bound to (and should) happen every now and then. Writing it down is just sorta cathartic, so that's why I'm doing so.

I'm off to get a Coke Zero, hotwire a car and drive around listening to some Van Morrison, k?

Fun stuff

2011-02-16T15:46:00.002+01:00

Someone actually did this by folding pages...very strategically...not photoshop.

{via}

Love a good fruit Rubik's Cube. Is that feta? Wondey.

{via}

Cupcakes. Hilarious. My family would be p!ssed there's no Words with Friends.

{via}

Anything organized in a color array pleases my eyeballs.

{via}

Animal love gets me every time.

{via}

Just dang darling.

{via}

Shall I make my own vertical herb garden (with gutters) for the summer?

{via}

Fun.

{via}

And my new word for the past 4 months has been "horrify" and I say dumb things like "that horrifies my life" or "oh, that is so horrifying to my soul" and I NEVER in a million years would have thought I'd see this in the Graz train station bookstore.

I felt like God was smiling down on me and giving me a nice laugh in recompense for the horrific weather we've had.

The subtitle is "Wie Sie sich das Leben zur Hölle machen".

which means: "How you make your life a living hell".

AHAHA.

My life is complete.

More Finished Jobbies...

2011-02-11T14:35:00.006+01:00

{some of these have not quite 'come to life' yet, but will soon!}

Non-scrapper & calligrapher/painter

2011-02-10T10:56:00.001+01:00

{this is only part of the stash. don't look at my boobies}

You think after two years it might be time to actually load all this crap I lugged to Austria (I only brought two suitcases and still brought this...I must have still been on a wedding high) into the nice scrapbook I bought? Ugh. Don't want to. A box works just fine. This scheiße has been sitting in the storage compartment of our couch for, oh, almost two years.

It does bring back some memories (of glee and stress) to look at. One time when I was on a train to Vienna, a girl about my age told me she thought Americans are obsessed with marriage. I think she really meant weddings. I think she was a bit correcto.

My sister drew this map for my Save the Date and did all the calligraphy (for my invites too). I colored it in on the computer. Is it not wondey to have a sis with a fine, steady and talented hand? 'Tis.

Look at this aboriginal painting she saw on a blog and then painted herself.

this is her inspiration:

and this is hers:

and this is an 'in progress' shot that gives you an idea of how big it is.

She's not only talented, but patient (sometimes).

Two Years

2011-02-07T10:06:00.011+01:00

Today marks two years of wedded bliss for me and Art.
We've never really been married anywhere but Austria. (Those first two weeks in Houston after the wedding packing up and preparing our move don't count.) I wouldn't say it's easy to get married and move across the world to another country, but I would say it's been well worth it.

Our relationship has grown so much in the past two years. Like my friend Amber says, "When you come here, you are really stripped of everything familiar"... and I have found it gives you sort of a fresh start and clean slate to build the life that you both want. It's not easy living life without your friends and family around, but it does allow you to focus on what you both want, no outside pressures or distractions.

It brings you both together, because at first, that's all you really have. And although every moment isn't bliss, the whole thing's pretty dang wondey. I love you, Arturo.

Some Finished Work

2011-01-28T09:38:00.001+01:00

Happy Friday!

{click to go to actual blog}

{Wordpress blog}

Not a fan of Jan.

2011-01-26T15:49:00.006+01:00

First of all, that was NOT our apartment. Don't want to mislead anyone into thinking that...I just really quite loved it and filed it away under "dream on fool".

Second of all, can we get some variety on the weather? I'm so tired of this cold crap. Time to wrap it up. You know I was loving my new puffer just a mere month ago and now I want to burn that thing to hell. Every day...zip on, zip off, get zipper stuck in flap thing, zip up, zip down, tie around, look like Michelin woman, repeat.

I don't need to go frolicking outside much as I have PLENTY of work to do. I sorta overbooked January and have been designing and html-ing like a mad woman.

Another reason I think I'm so canty...too much computer time and not enough outside fun time. But, it's not fun out there. Elsie thinks so and continues to romp to victory in the snow, ice ..you name it. She charges forward with constant vigor and might, huffing and puffing her way to our destination...causing complete embarrassment to my soul and society. I get one of two reactions from fellow passersby:
1. So Süß! They love it and her and cause even more disruption in my life by paying her attention and sending her tail into turbospin.
2. They tell me what I should be doing with her so that she isn't so perked and pulling or that she is dying from suffocation. Does it look like she is dying? Did I ask for your horrific advice? She does this to herself. She loves it. (she doesn't do it on the way home.)

Another tidbit: Did you know in some of my friends' home towns it's like -34 degrees. Come again? My friend Monica (Grüß Gott, Monica!), from Canada, said it's a whole nother kind of cold. Your nose hairs freeze...your rubber boots feel and sound like metal. That sounds great.

Obviously, I need some respite. Usually that comes in the form of carb loading. Usually it's not good that there's a fine pastry shop down the street...

Our Apt

2011-01-20T18:33:00.004+01:00

Last time I showed our apt it was shortly after we moved in and I wanted to show you what we've done so far with what we have. It's not much, but it's perfect for now.

I did the painting one dreary, grey afternoon that you see above the antique settee that we found for 60 Euros at a flea market here. I've always loved our tall windows. You can see we redid our herringbone lighter colored wood floors one weekend with longer planked darker ones.

We had to throw in some Euro-mod with the Panton chairs. The desk is where I do my blogging and graphic designing. The pillows on the floor are you-know-whose. Do you think it was a good idea that we let the curtains puddle onto the floor? I like the relaxed feel.

And, I'm only gonna show you one more room cause I don't want to show you our whole apartment. But, I am going to show you our bedroom since it's cozy and simple.

I love me any shade of darker pink, so our suzani-esque coverlet (another score for 35 euros from the flea) adds some much needed pizazz to the bedroom. The vintage suitcase belonged to Art's great-grandfather. I do love our little oval windows. Lamp on the bedside table from Ikea as well as the Lack table acting as a nightstand (right).

I hope you enjoyed the little tour. And all my lies.

In all honesty, I just LOVE this place. Not matchy matchy or out-of-a-catalog looking and just a wondey mix of textures and love. It's somebody's place in Barcelona. From here. Seen over here.