A Nice Way to Wrap Things Up

(actual link here, page 12)

Last week a journalist from the paper here in Graz, Kleine Zeitung, e-mailed me about doing a short story on me and my blog (her colleague had told her about it) in their Sunday excerpt section.  I met her for coffee the next day in the midst of all the packing and furniture selling and had a good time reliving and reviewing my experience here in Graz through our conversation.

The sign I'm holding says "My Story"...a weekly feature they do on a Graz resident.  I never did say I was a cowgirl because I most certainly am not being city girl from Houston, but people can't help themselves when they hear 'Texas'. :)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

English translation:

Traveled to the Past 

A full-blooded American moves to Graz and becomes a Styrian. Proof: her blog.

TEXT: SABRINA LUTTENBERGER, PHOTO: Gernot Eder

On her wrist Carolyn Valentín wears a wooden bracelet adorned with many little Edelweiss. Three and a half years in Graz, and even a well-kept cowgirl from the very conservative Texas now lives white-green. Initially: unimaginable. "Honestly, I did not even know what language you spoke here. I just googled it" said Valentín, grinning. Typical American, that's clear, but that was then.

In February 2009, Valentin's husband took a job at TU Graz University, and together they moved to an unknown land to them, to a city of which they knew nothing. The American created a blog for her family and her friends, and later got many questions from strangers who were interested in living in the city. The first entries were about Valentín handling the culture shock. "It felt like we were traveling back in time. Graz kind of looks like 1950." Today the 32-year-old still sees her second home as old-fashioned, but now appreciates this charm. You can live a life here, she says, that one can also very much enjoy. We learned to appreciate little things again. And suddenly their old ways of living sometimes seem strange to them: "Everybody drives big cars (in Texas) so you are rarely walking and almost always sitting."  In her time in Graz, Valentin has enjoyed the walking,  the fresh bread and the Austrian coffee house culture. About herself she says: "I'm basically still the same person - only more open and less judgmental." An American 2.0.

Next week, the current web designer, her husband and the baby in her belly move back home. Next Residence: Pittsburgh. What they'll miss: the Schlossberg and the medical care. Really looking forward to: more choice in supermarkets and their family. There is only one thing the blogger regrets: to have never really learned German. Without fixed employment, it was almost impossible". "It was one of the best times of my life" They would like to visit again - she says it's a "must". Her husband already has plans to retire in the Styrian wine country.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to Sabrina for the feature!  It was a treat and a great keepsake.  

We'll miss you, Graz!

We fly out tomorrow!

Pregnant in Austria

During the three years that we've lived here (I can't believe it's already been three years), I've had friends from back home ask "Would you have a baby over there?"..."Do you trust their medical system enough to have a baby over there?".

Lederhosen onesies are available.

Peeps, this isn't a third world country.  This is Austria.  Have you seen how they care for their land?  Meticulous rows of perfect crops, perfectly stacked firewood and flowers bustling from the windowsills.  Have you seen their freeways - cars neatly lined up driving happily amongst each other?  Have you seen how they serve coffee?  The only thing that causes concern is "Have you heard how they speak?".  The language barrier can be tricky, but thankfully I've found a doctor whose English satisfies.

Now, the part about not having family or mama or mama-in-law around is a bit scary, but it looks like we might be back in the States for the actual birth anyways, so come on over mamas.

As for the medical care, so far everything's been wonderful.  In fact, possibly better than if I was in the States.  I get an ultrasound every time I go...3-D too if I want that.  In America, I believe you get two the entire pregnancy and if you want 3-D, you pay lots extra.  My doctor said some doctors like to spend their money on a ferrari, he spends his on the latest and greatest ultrasound machine.  He also told us his office was the first in the world to have a 3D ultrasound machine back in 1998.  He is proud and I like that.  He cares about his craft. 

I also get a little yellow preggie passport called a Mutter Kind Pass (Mother Child Passport) that documents my preggie stats.  Lovin' it.

I've also recently taken part in a European study on the CMV (Cytomegalovirus) virus during pregnancy that my doctor is participating in.  Turns out I've never had it and don't have antibodies to it, so I best not contract it while pregnant.  I somehow got in the crap group (the control group) that won't be tested for it during the pregnancy...only at the end.  The chances of getting it are rare, but I won't be loving up on any kids for awhile (as they are the main sources of it).  Anyways, this virus is currently not tested for, but is more common than any other (common being .5% or so?) and this study will see if it's worth testing for and if medication can help if caught early.  I sat in with 15 other pregnant girls (all around 9 - 12 weeks pregnant) and listened to the details of this study in German for about 15 minutes and understood about 10% of what my doctor said.  I went for it anyways.  This is trust, people.

So, that's how it's been so far.  So far, so good.  If we do end up staying in Austria through the birth, I will have to do some research.  Like how do you say epidural in German?

Wine Country ♥

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.

A Good Easter

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.

WWII Reminder

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.

Coffee Chats

...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!

Come walk with me...

Most of the time when I show you Graz, it's sorta with Glamour Shots, so sometimes we need to just give you Graz raw and unedited.  (I don't edit my pics a ton...just lighten and brighten..which still makes a big diff.)

So, what better way to do that then with my first edition P.O.S. iPhone camera, complete with 4 screen cracks and a wobbly power button.

We had glorious weather (still pretty cold) the past four days and I took a little run/walk through the city this weekend and then at midpoint started snapping some city pics.  This may be more for my future self's benefit as they aren't particularly exciting photos...more for me to remember the little things that make up our memories here.

Ready?

Blue skies for miles...love it up.

"I am not allowed inside" 

sometimes a familiar view is nice.

Enjoy coke for a snack.

Where I shop #1.

Where I shop #2.  And that's it.

sparkle store. 

No water in any fountains this time of year (much to Elsie's dismay).

Pronounced like B.O. and means organic.
"Fresh daily!" and then some lamb and mixed meat loaf options.

always a favorite.

almost home.

Auf wiedersehen.