ne me quitte pas

I'm exhausted from a long weekend travelling to meet up with friends, catching up over calzone and watching the Scotland v Italy rugby match at Murrayfield, the first one I'd ever seen! The photo above is Suzie, Annie and myself (l-r)enjoying the sunshine before the game.

As everyone does, I've been wondering recently what I will do with my life after graduating (2 years away but when did that ever stop me from daydreaming?!) Then I spoke to a friend who is travelling, asking what his plans are when he returns back to Australia and he said "I barely plan the next few days, let alone a year away". That is my main goal I guess, living for the moment and enjoying the now. I'll only be who I am and doing what I am doing right now, so best to revel in it while I can.

Nevertheless, I would quite like to fill up all my spare time abroad with some volunteering plans (I figure the busier I am, the less time I have to dwell!). I am looking into teaching/childcare/human rights and of course interpreting/translating jobs but the latter seems SO hard to get into. I am also really interested in spending next summer working at an orphanage/doing community work, but there seems to be so many companies offering this and other gap year type work I have no idea where to start narrowing down. Please feel free to share your experiences on this! However I worry that if I started doing such work, I wouldn't want to return to do my final year of my degree..

“Love for yourself means love for all, love for animals,
love for everything, for you are all one.”
— Swami Vivekananda

puppy power!

We have a new addition to the family! We've always had golden retrievers and have had a 2 year break since having our last dog so the time seemed right to get little Oscar! We absolutely adore him, he seems so at home already but I wonder if he's going to grow up into a dog or a lion as his paws are HUGE!

#

I really enjoyed a weekend showing my sister the city I've called home for the past two months (Vienna, if you've not been reading).

I'm finally back home after getting annoyed at airport security (why is it never consistent? They took my photo this time at Heathrow!) and staying in Newcastle for a few nights (the Wagamamas was deeeeelightful!) and we watched the final Harry Potter (how unconvincing are their older selves?!) Glad I wasn't tempted by the shops as my wardrobe/chest of drawers are groaning, I really have gone crazy these last years... I'm thinking I won't really *need* to buy anything for a good few years, but that's not going to happen, living in Germany and France (Paris, no less...) however there is that pesky suitcase weight limit..... it's all about the capsule wardrobe, Beth!

Tonight was not only my first night back, but also Zumba night. Mum is obsessed with it (this brings with it her discovery of Shakira, Lady Gaga and J-Lo!) and I was surprised to find myself absolutely knackered after an hour of it... I was very impressed that women A LOT older than me kept going that long... I blame it on being weighed down by lots of cake and sausage/schnitzel from my time abroad... I wonder how long I can use that excuse for?! I'll definately be going back next week!

Hello August!

I've finished reading 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy'. Although quite amusing and an easy read, to me, the story didn't really go anywhere (perhaps I should read the sequels?!) and was left unsatisfied with the lack of deep and meaningful quotes I thought I'd find. (I need to accept things for what they are!)

I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is (We always search for answers and solutions and never really know what we really want in the first place?). I guess this book, more so than others, can be interpreted in so many ways and that is why you either love it or loathe it?

Anyway it was the first book I've read in far too long and I'm going to try and keep rotating between English, French and German books.

This weekend I visited Sigmund Freud's old residence where you can sit down and read his works and lots of other books on psychology in the 'Living Library'. Hundertwasserhaus and Kuntshaus Wien left me feeling very happy and inspired, I want to visit the church he designed!

Tonight I'm going to register for my classes at Heidelberg university, book flights and look up info on my accommodation! They've been extremely helpful in sending me lots of emails keeping me up to date on the never-ending stream of paperwork us ERASMUS students have to do.

Know hope.

Where has this week gone?! It's zoomed by so quickly... not that I'm complaining because in a week I'll be meeting my sister for a weekend here before flying back home to see my boyfriend and family, all who I've missed like crazy! I've also missed walks on the beach! Wherever I end up living will have to be near the sea (helloooo south of France?!)

Last weekend 'Haus der Musik' made me fall in love with classical music (if the men dressed up as Mozart on the streets didn't), after watching the following:



So so so brilliant, I have been humming Strauss all week!

After this, I went to a restaurant all on my own! Something I've never really felt comfortable about doing before. I know this comes without a second thought to some people, and I love eating at different places, but on my own?? I would always worry what people thought of me/where should I look if I have no one else to talk to? Wouldn't people think I was weird/staring at them? However I got over these silly thoughts and enjoyed a nice Italian meal with some wine and Sacher torte for dessert, yum! I felt a little invincible... one small step for man...

It's all in the palm of your hands

I am exhausted. It's never good to think too much.

I've not updated for a week or so as we went on holiday to a farm on a mountain... having no internet was a killer! The week consisted of a lot of table tennis, seesawing, a wood museum and a 2 hour ride on a steam train! We had to extend our holiday by one day as the whole family, apart from me, caught a virus, not so much fun!

Burgenland adventure

"Ce qui doit arriver, arrivera"

On Saturday I went to Neusiedler See which is about 2 hours away from here, dubbed the Austrian's Med, it's a huge lake which would take you the whole day to get all the way around. We approached it from the east before enjoying the view at Neusiedl as the sun set. We walked along the jetty which had a jazz band playing. Everyone was sitting at the edges with their glasses of wine, taking in the view, the sky's hues of blue and pink reflecting off the still water....

Yesterday was about 35 degrees in the city... I couldn't even spend 10 minutes in the sun... Cue lots of ice cream and frappucinos... it had to be done!