Home » Austria » And now for something totally different: A White Christmas in Vienna

My Year in Asia had always seemed to stretch endlessly out before me, all the way to the distant curve of the horizon and into the vagueness beyond. So it was with a sense of real disbelief - as well as sadness - that I realised I only had three weeks left after returning from Burma! And these three, already inadequate, weeks passed by ridiculously quickly - a loud, fast-forward blur of parties & dinners, cramming for final exams, nights out on the town with good mates, and all the inevitably bittersweet 'Lasts' that come with leaving a place...

And now for something totally different: A White Christmas in Vienna

Michael Meadows
2007-04-21 21:14:28

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My Year in Asia had always seemed to stretch endlessly out before me, all the way to the distant curve of the horizon and into the vagueness beyond. So it was with a sense of real disbelief - as well as sadness - that I realised I only had three weeks left after returning from Burma! And these three, already inadequate, weeks passed by ridiculously quickly - a loud, fast-forward blur of parties & dinners, cramming for final exams, nights out on the town with good mates, and all the inevitably bittersweet 'Lasts' that come with leaving a place... The Last som tam from the chatty ladies opposite the IC, the Last lazy afternoon at the Rangsit public pool, the Last truly-unbelievably delicious bag of grilled pork from the street-vendor I'd visited almost every day, the Last night out with the Adventure Squad A-Team & friends, and so on and on. They were amazing times - even if I did rack up a sleep debt I'm still paying off! - but sad as well of course. I may never see those people or places again. And even if I do, everything changes, nothing ever stays exactly the same, and it will
The Lippizaner stallions of the Spanish Riding School
The Lippizaner stallions of the Spanish Riding School
An amazing display of controlled power and disciplined grace, set to classical music by some of Vienna's many composers.

I certainly didn't have long to dwell on these thoughts though. I arrived back in Perth a couple of days earlier than I'd initially booked; it was worth the rescheduling fee just to see the look on Mum & Dad's faces when I turned up unexpectedly on the doorstep! It had been almost a year since I left, and I found with surprise that I felt (at least initially) a bit like a stranger in my own city. The next couple of days passed quickly though - unpacking, meeting up with friends, a dentist appointment and so on - and then it was time to repack for the next adventure! My brother Joel had almost finished ...