Friday, September 21, 2007

Arrival in Graz

On Tuesday I left New York for Graz. Thanks to some amazing help (and some extra prayers for my luggage to arrive with me!) I was able to get there easily and on time and with everything I needed. This is the first time I've been back in Austria since I left in 2004 after 11 months as a study abroad student; during the trip over and for my first couple days here, it was really surreal to me that I was returning, and it still hasn't entirely sunk in.

I will certainly write more later about being in Graz, but I just wanted to officially announce that, yes, I made it in without any problems.

A couple notable sidenotes for the flight over:

  • I flew with Aer Lingus, which is an Irish airline with a great name...but that's about it. Upon liftoff, we were promised dinner and then a breakfast shortly before we landed, and the pleasant airline attendants with the nice accents wished us a pleasant journey. However, there was a long, dark hair in my dinner (and HOW exactly does a hair get into pre-packaged airline food?!), there was a puddle of standing water that was literally a couple inches deep in the bathroom, and then they never served us breakfast as promised and never mentioned it again!
  • Every time I travel abroad--without fail--an item of luggage has been lost. It seems hard to believe, as that is certainly supposed to be the exception rather than the rule. But usually one or both of my bags are lost...Austria, Australia, Romania...you name it! This time, before I set off, we prayed specifically that my luggage would arrive, and it's like God overcompensated in his answer to prayer since not only did *both* of my suitcases arrive, but that were the very FIRST ones onto the conveyor belt and were right next to each other! Amazing!!


Noteworthy in Graz:

  • FRESH AIR!! The weather here is about the same as it was in New York when I left--crisp and cool, like fall. But the major difference is, the air here is so amazingly fresh, it's unbelievable. It's a noticable difference, this clean mountain air! It's the kind of thing where I just stand outside, breathing deeply, and looking like a fool until my roommate pulls me away.
  • Quiet! I'll write more about my new place later, but it amazes me that there's a tram stop right outside my window, and yet I don't really hear it. In New York there was a bus stop outside my window, and it was always incredibly loud as the brakes squealed to stop and the engine revved to pull away. Here, the tram is like the gentle whoosh of the wind through hollow reeds. Yes, gentle whoosh.


As soon as I have my room unpacked and organized, I'll post the grand tour. But until then, know that I am here safe and sound, and thank you so much for your comments and emails!

5 comments:

Lindsay said...

Hi Rebecca... I've been eagerly awaiting a post of safe arrival and no lost luggage. What an incredible answer to prayer to have them arrive side by side. As for Aer Lingus, might avoid that airline...lol.

Love, Lindsay

Unknown said...

LOL... calling the air here CLEAN shows just how dirty it is in nyc... it isnt actually clean. actually, it's quite dirty. anywho... sooooo happy you made it ok and like it again!
i miss nyc noise. MISS it. it's too quiet here.

so we all love the places farfaraway ;)

smorgan said...

hi rebecca! glad to hear you arrived safely! guess who else just left artnet?? saehee. the PDB department is crumbling fast! we miss you. take care

~sarah morgan

PeasOnMoss said...

BLECH! From a food safety inspector's view... OMIGOSH! that's crazy. Did you remove the wrapper to your food or had it been removed prior to service? That is just nasty. I've found some fascinating things in my food too... but a long hair. Yuck. I've always wondered about the phenomenon that hair, cylindrical in nature, is disgusting in our mouths, but spaghetti is not. Okay, I know, Spaghetti is much larger, but still...
Anyway, I'm glad you made it!

Unknown said...

imagine a hair the size of a spaghetto... *dozes off in hairish nightmares*

[and for the record, hair per se is not disgusting. but in the food... ]