This morning, I ate toast for breakfast.
Not just any toast. Bread that was delicately placed in the big black toaster and carefully carried to the table in a plastic lunch box and served to me...by my favorite 4-year-old boy.
This morning I woke up to snow. Again. After 2 weeks of sunshine.
Mother nature lied to me.
But instead of sitting in my room and Gabi in her office, we decided to take advantage of the fresh powder and take a few runs together while the girls had their ski lesson. After an hour of skiing, we sat in the lodge on top of the hill and had hot chocolate and wonderful conversation.
As we stood on the bunny hill awaiting the girls' arrival, we talked of what a whirlwind the past 5 and a half months have been. And how much we have grown to understand and accept each other through it all.
We drove the girls home and sat down to a meal comprised of left over soup, meat, and salad.
After french braiding Valentina's hair and fluffing Johanna's curls, we played for an hour and then Gabi took them to buy new shoes as an Easter present from Oma.
My "work" was finished for the day.
Do I really only have three more weeks of this?
Am I honestly only 21 days away from home?
6 months ago, I thought that I would be more than ready to leave this place by now. But now that the time to go draws uncomfortably near, I can't say that I am quite ready.
I have grown accustomed to this European way of life.
I have fallen in love with these kids.
I have made relationships that I'm not ready to leave.
And I feel that have a second family here.
Sure, we have had our ups and downs.
Yes, there were times that I wanted to throw in the towel.
There were days that I was fed up with these crazy Austrians and their lifestyle.
But today is not one of those days.
I don't think I'll have too many more of those days.
I went to Budapest, Hungary last weekend. I had an incredible time exploring a foreign country, but by the time I left, I was glad to be leaving. I was glad to not hear the jumbled Hungarian conversations around me. And the second that I crossed the border on to Austrian soil, I felt relief. I heard German. Sure, I still didn't understand it, but it was familiar. It was what I knew. When I arrived in Ramsau that night and collapsed on my bed, I was home.
Today I feel blessed. I feel so close to this family. I feel so loved by this community. I feel at home.
The fact that I am leaving this culture in just three short weeks scares me. It has gone too fast. I spent too long talking about this adventure and anticipating it for it to have flown by at such rapid speed.
While I am scared to go, I am excited. I know that God has plans for me in America and I know that my Austrian adventure has shaped how I will face the next opportunities He throws my way.
So with that said, I have two favorite places on earth: Wenatchee, Washington in the good ole UsofA and Ramsau am Dachstein, Steiermark, Austria. Both are home and both are favorite. It's like having two favorites: grape and cherry. They're both good. If that made no sense to you, please view the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prLLabn1vPA
So anyway,
I am so excited to go home in three weeks and, yet so sad to leave home in three weeks.
So today, I am encouraged. I am scared. I am thankful. I am happy.
