Hallo!

Griaß Euch Alle!

The time is 00:26 right now, and I am starting a new blog post. It might be a good idea, or a bad one. But I think that I think better at night. You can all let me know if this post makes sense by the time you're done reading it!
This past week was very, very busy again, as each week seems to be. I always enter the week thinking that I have nothing big planned, but before I know it, it's the weekend again!
Last weekend came and went super fast because I was travelling again. On Friday night I went to visit Sophi (!!!) and we spent the afternoon walking around together downtown. If you don't know already, Sophi is in Schaldming working for a season, at a hotel. She is now only a 3 1/2 hour train ride (south-east) away from me- isn't that exciting?! We also celebrated our 'being together' by eating junk food and watching a chick-flick. Lovely sister bonding time.

The next day we continued our adventure together by going to my cousin, Anne, who lives close to Vienna, with my aunt and uncle. They invited us to join them in going to a 'Trachten Ball'. 'Trachten' is the German word for 'costume' but refers to a traditional costume, meaning that for this ball everyone dressed in traditional Austrian outfits. Dirndl's for the women and Lederhosen for the men! The ball was fairly small (in comparison to other balls in Austria) but it was great for me, I wouldn't know what other balls are like. The ball I think can be compared to some weddings that I have been to, where we sat and ate and drank and danced long into the night. The only difficult thing was attempting to learn some dances, like the polka and waltz. Sophi and I were sure entertainment for those who were watching us, but all the same, I had so much fun! I also got to show off my line-dancing moves for the only western song! It was a really good weekend and I am so happy that I was able to experience something this fun with such great people!

Of course, I had to return to Innsbruck for my LAST CLASS this semester! On Wednesday I finished the classroom portion of the semester and now I just have one more final essay to write! It came so abruptly, the end of school here, that it has suddenly turned my thoughts to Canada. I am getting excited to be at home again, but oh! I know I will be sad to leave. BUT... I still actually have 5 weeks here, over one month!
And I am excited to announce, that I have some travel plans that are coming together!
I have planned to go travelling for a total of about 12 days, during which I will be going to Poland for 5 days, and from there, to England for 6 days! I am so, so very excited for both of these trips! So far the planning has been working out really well, and I am blessed to have had my friends open up their homes to me in both of these countries as well as finding some very cheap transportation. Without these things, I think that travelling may have not been an option!
So these are some things that I are happening in my life right now and the month to come!

I hope all is going well where ever you are and to whoever reads this.
May you have a wonderful day,
Christi

Fresh-faced at the station for an early-morning train ride!

Ready for the 'Dirndl Ball'

Another week passing...!

A week often passes and I look back, wondering exactly what it was that I did this weekend. It also often happens that I look back at an event, thinking it happened quite a while ago, and then realize that it was only week ago!
This is how my weeks are progressing here in Austria. But there is always something interesting to talk about, and my life definitely doesn't get boring here!
So this last week I went skiing, and it was surprisingly wonderful! Though I did have to wait 2 hours for my friend to come to the train station, I had a lot of time to actually sit and read! (I must inform you that it really was a miscommunication on BOTH ends that left me waiting- with tea and a good book in a warm coffee shop!) Then I encountered one of the snowiest days I have ever skied in, but, I also discovered that I really, really like powder skiing! Not quite 'love' yet. I really, really like feeling of skiing and not being able to see your ski boot or the skis, but gliding through and having the snow pass by. And the landing will always be soft! Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from the day!

Another great experience this past week was singing in church on Sunday with the worship team. Though I've done it before, this week was different because we prepared a special song. We sang an a capella version of 'The Love of God'. After practicing so much, then finally getting it right, and enjoying the music too felt so good! Especially then not having to concentrate so much on the music and being able to listen to the music and harmonies.... :)

My other adventure for the weekend was going on a walk in the afternoon on Saturday. It was super nice, and sunny and going up on the mountain alone was a great way to pass 3 hours. Except, you're never really alone in these mountains. There are always other people walking about! Something that I am still not used to, is going into the mountains, thinking I am in the 'wilderness' or 'all alone' and the turning the corner, only to run into someone!

The dangers of walking through the forest!

Plans for the next few days?
Tomorrow I will go sledding with a group of friends. Suddenly we are all feeling the pressure to do things all together, because every few days and weeks we are losing people, as they go back to their home countries and end their international semester! My room mate, Hyeonwoo, and I figured out we actually only have 4 days left together since she and I are both travelling within the next week!

On the weekend I will be going to Vienna, with a night spent in Schladming at my sister, Sophi's hotel! Then I am doing something very exciting in Vienna
I will post pictures next week, just to keep y'all in suspense :)

Impromptu snowball fight! :)

Ciao and have a good weekend!
Christi

hi.

Hello Everyone!

Well, another week has passed by, so quickly! I would like to say that things are back to normal here, but... what is normal? Yes, I am getting back into the routine of things here, like going to school and church, and going to bible study. Then a curve ball comes like: I don't have school this week! A whole week without school! Then next week will continue as normal and then after that I only have 2 more classes of the semester! So In just under 2 weeks I will be done my semester completely!
But before I get ahead of myself, I also have to tell y'all about my exciting weekend! That was not normal either! It starts out with an innocent text message, 'What are you doing this weekend?' I really didn't reply because I wasn't sure yet. Then on Thursday I replied, and then comes the phone call, 'Do you want to go to Munich with us!?' The reasoning behind this, is that my two friends are hosting a friend from Bolivia for a month and they decided to show her some of Europe! And they thought of me and decided to invite me- how kind!
So early, early in the morning on Saturday we left to spend a few hours in Munich! Surprisingly, there was snow in Munich (which rarely happens) and no snow in Innsbruck! We quickly passed by all of the important buildings, viewing them from the outside. I can say, that this being my second time doing this, I have seen all the main sites of Munich from the outside!

                Another beautiful building in Munich...

In the afternoon, we then went to Dachau, a concentration camp on the outskirts of Munich! Now, that was an interesting experience. I must admit, that I was really nervous before going in. I didn't know what to expect, I thought it would be really bad. But it wasn't, though it was terrible too. Reading about all the history of the concentration camp and seeing the sites where things happened was pretty intense. Not to mention that the weather was about as perfect as it could be. It was a cold, really bleak and dreary winter day. Looking at the pictures of the prisoners and reading about how cold they were was not hard to imagine.
It was interesting that after we left, and the next day I was writing in my journal, I was affected me. Maybe I blocked it out in the moment, but when I was recounting everything in my journal, it just seemed so unbelievable and it was hard for me to really grasp the fact that this was done, and so many, many lives were lost for absolutely no good reason.

Barbed wire, a trench, a small creek and constant patrol were what one had to get through in order to 'escape' the prison.

Rows and rows of beds... At the beginning of the war a bunker slept 200 people, by the end 2000 were crammed into one bunker.

                           The entrance gate to prison, Dachau





The next day we went skiing in the morning. The weather was so beautiful and sunny. Fresh snow and mostly perfect conditions. Quite a contrast from the previous day! But so nice!
We also went to the famous castle of Neuschwanstein, which is supposedly the castle the inspired Disney in the design for the castle in Sleeping Beauty. Unfortunately, it was a little bit of a foggy day. And from our special view point, we couldn't see too much! But, we did then go into the courtyard to view the castle from closer, and it was impressive. Legend has it that the king who built it (King Ludwig II) was crazy and wanted to build this                      huge, amazing castle. But then he ran out of money,
so the outside is impressive, but the inside isn't too great.
I won't know, because I didn't go in!
All in all, the trip was really great, and I got to
know some really great people!

Anyways, I am going to enjoy my not being in school tomorrow by going skiing, in some fresh snow! Winter has finally arrived in it's full force in Innsbruck, making for good skiing, sledding, skating and nice walks in the snow.
I will write again soon, as plans hopefully begin to come together for February!

Love,
Christi

                        Hyeonwoo (my room mate) and I skating!

Winter in the Alps.

Happy New Year!

Hi Everyone!
It has been a long while, so here is a new post to catch you all up. As I wrote in my last post, I spent my 3 weeks of Christmas Holiday at my grandmother's house in another part of Austria. It was a lovely, relaxing time, though also challenging at times too. Now I am back in Innsbruck, diving straight into my studies again (essay due on Thursday- oh no!). I actually only have class left until January 30th, which is amazing, because that is coming soon! I leave Austria in the first week of March... which gives me a month with nothing to do! At the moment, I am planning a few things, but I will let you know when the time comes :)
For now, since I haven't posted in such a long time, I'll share some pictures to help describe how I spent my Christmas!

 At the start of my holiday I was invited to Salburg (and area) by my friend Maria (who is now studying at TRU!) This is the 'Stille Nacht Chapelle'- where Silent Night was first written and performed!

       Maria and I touring a Christmas Market in Europe's longest castle!

 Before Christmas, we drove Sophi to her hotel, where she'll be working as a room maid/kitchen help until Easter!

     It finally snowed, leaving a story-book winter-land behind! BEAUTIFUL!

Only to melt again the next day and leave Christmas sunny and green (Dec. 24th)

                               Heilige Nacht, Christmas Eve

 In pursuit of snow, on Boxing Day we hiked around the top of a mountain and enjoyed hot chocolate at the top, in a mountain hut.

     We went to visit Sophi and stayed for a night at 'her' hotel! We also celebrated Christmas with her!
     What a view of the Alps, right from her hotel!

    O Sisters... we needed a good picture together

We came back from Sophi's, just in time to see some ski racing (Women's Night Slalom)

 You would never guess what country we were watching the races in... The crowd went WILD when an Austrian was in first place!

                                 HAPPY NEW YEAR'S!

   My mom drove me to Innsbruck (back to school). We got to enjoy a wonderful, relaxing hot springs!

 The next day we went to see ski-jumping! With a total of 22,000 viewers and an Austrian coming in 1st!

                                     Go Austria!

  And to end the year off completely, I finished reading my bible (all the way through, chronologically) in one year!


Have a good start to the year everyone, as routines start again and life becomes 'normal', may each and everyone of you find joy in life and in the one who brings JOY.
Love,
Christi

P.S.
A big thanks to my aunt and uncle who are lending me there computer, making it possible to post pictures again! Thank you! I appreciate it so much!