classical music and coffee

I don’t have much to complain about, I mean sure I’m still waking up at ungodly hours and the whole learning German thing is probably going to be a little harder than I thought, but that's just small potatoes. Well, and the fact that I have to use an adapter and converter to charge my toothbrush. But I refuse to convert to a standard, non-electric toothbrush. No sir, I just can’t do it.

I arrived in Vienna yesterday, after a few days in Marienbad and Prague. Both were beautiful, although I spent most of the Marienbad trip sick in bed, sleeping during the day and wandering around the house during the night. Prague is always beautiful, and it was good to see my grandma, cousins, uncle, etc again. I have to applaud anyone and everyone that lives with their extended family, mostly grandparents, because there’s not a chance I could do it (Sorry to my cousins if you stumbled upon this blog). I love my grandma dearly, don’t get me wrong, but when she started to wrap half her dinner in a napkin so she could shove it in her purse and take it ‘to-go’, my dad and I nearly lost it. She still doesn’t believe that restaurants offer to-go boxes.

My grandma, being the amazing woman that she is, got us two concert tickets for Saturday night. I know, I know, what grandma goes to a concert? Well, when it’s a classical music concert, lots of grandmas do. And grandpas. And old people in general. Oh, and me.

I’d never been to a classical music concert before, and it sounded like something a very classy and sophisticated person would do (it took me three tries to spell sophisticated, even the computer knows I’m a phony), so I told my grandma I’d go with her. Although I did feel very classy using the coat check, I quickly felt un-classy when I realized everyone was in floor length evening gowns and I was kickin’ it in black boots and leggings. And again, I felt fancy shmancy when we sat in the fourth row, and then not so fancy shmancy when I fell asleep five minutes into it and the instrumentalists could clearly see me from the stage. Sorry, grandma! Regardless, it was an experience and I now know classical music puts me to sleep.

I don’t have an alarm clock with me, and I’ve never been one to wear a watch, so I have no clue what time it is here. I’ve found a solution for the time being: I’ve been googling the current time. 8:36 am.

I’ve also realized people here drink a lot more wine than I’m used to. And coffee. And tea. Not so much water. The wine and tea I’ve gotten used to, the coffee I’m still working on. I’m hoping that acquired taste will come with time. But I’m still not sure what I’m going to do about the beer.

I’m moving into my dorm today, and I’m really looking forward to it. I’m glad my dad’s here to help me get a cell phone, bank account, speak German for me, etc, but I’m looking forward to meeting my classmates/roommates/people my age.

I really have to pee, but it’s freezing cold and I don’t want to get out of bed. Tough life, huh?

What you've done becomes the judge of what you're going to do - especially in other people's minds. When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don't have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road.

-William Least Heat Moon, Blue Highways