I'm finally back! I apologize for not blogging for a while but between finals, getting ready to go home, being home and then coming back, my blog didn't quite feel like a priority. I figured I'd have fun and report back when I'm done. Since I traveled a little bit in January as well, I'll make those into their own posts. Also, I'll add little FAQs throughout the post because I got asked a the same questions a lot!
In February, after 5 months of not seeing anyone from back home, I finally got to visit!
My flight was around 10 am that morning so I stayed the night in Vienna in my very own hotel room! It felt very adult. I had a really hard time sleeping because I was so excited so I took a walk around the area I was in after I had dinner.
I definitely didn't realize I'd be experiencing some of the last of the snow for a really long time!
But the next morning at 7 am, I left for the airport, equipped with about 50 pounds of luggage.
I didn't need nearly that much for so short of a time back home, but I figured I should start bringing some things home so I wouldn't have to pack as much come July.
My flight was broken down into two parts: the first being a two hour flight to Paris, a two hour layover and then an eight hour flight to Newark.
This is Charles Degaulle Airport (CDG), where I had my layover. My flight got delayed so it added an extra hour to my layover, but I still somehow managed to get to Newark at the same time they predicted before the delay. Weird.
You may notice that CDG is beautiful. It's hard to appreciate this beauty when it is so big and impossible to navigate sometimes. I'm so glad this flight was in the same terminal as the one I got off of...it was a different story for my return trip when it took me over 45 minutes to get to the right terminal. Not as pretty then.
Finally, they call my row number, I get up to scan my ticket and a quietish alarm goes off. As I'm about to say "I'm not a criminal, I swear" the flight attendant informs me, in her very French accent, that my seat was changed. "We upgraded you to Delta+ for free. It's an aisle seat, you're gonna love it!!" So I get to my seat and she was right! I had enough room to stretch my legs all the way out! This was never before experienced.
Despite the deliciously comfortable seat, I had to keep myself awake, despite having gotten up at 6, after I went to bed at 3 am. I figured if I stayed awake, it would ease the jet lag later on since Austria is six hours ahead of the US. But after 8 hours of watching Deadpool, Bob's Burgers and being occasionally interrupted by flight attendants handing me weird food, I made it to New Jersey!!!
My friends picked me up and I stayed up at Montclair for a few days. It was so great to catch up with everyone and tell them all about my journey.
FAQ: How did it feel to be back in the USA?
WEIRD. It felt weird at first but I readjusted quickly. I'd often find myself almost answering people in German, despite the fact that most of the time, someone was not speaking German to me. Also restaurants are weird when you're used to the European restaurant way. Not in the I'm so cultured and used to a fine European dining experience way, because trust me, Austria still has McDonald's and I still go there. Just in the way that because the servers here do not have wages that are tip-based, you have a completely different atmosphere. That was probably the only thing that confused me for a little bit.
FAQ: How did it feel to see your (friends, family, boyfriend) again?
Friends/boyfriend:
When I first saw them, I expected to cry or scream or jump up and down. Maybe it was that I had been awake for almost 24 hours, but my reaction was more one of peace and pure happiness. Of course I hugged everyone for probably too long, but over all it felt like I had never even left in the first place. Also, being able to spend their birthday and Valentine's Day with your significant other after not having seen them for five months is an amazing experience. Definitely one of the highlights of me coming back. The picture below is from my Galentine's Dinner. I missed american sushi so much!
Family:
My parents and sisters came to pick me up because we were going to visit my Grandma for her birthday. I remember waiting on the sidewalk in the sun (it was so warm in Jersey!) and seeing the car pull up and smiling really big. As soon as the car came to a stop, my sisters ran out and hug-tackled me. My parents were right behind. That was an awesome feeling. After that, we drove to my grandmas. I thought we'd be having lunch with my grandma, but in attendance were also my cousins and my Aunts and Uncles!! It was so great to see everyone, especially my adorable younger cousins because the last time I saw my youngest cousin, he was only a few days old and he got so big! Being so immediately surrounded with so many of my family members was really nice. Plus they're almost all dedicated followers of this blog, so I got a little yelled at for not posting for a while.
The picture below is one my grandma showed me. This time when all four Toich sisters hung out, we didn't make Julia cry...hopefully. (From left to right: Margaret, Julia, Laurie, me)
Most importantly, my dog:
I'm not kidding. I missed my dog so much! She's so fat and old and sassy. Normally, she does not like me unless she's bored or I'm sad and she gives me some pity cuddles. (I'll take them, I'm not above it.) She was MILDLY EXCITED TO SEE ME. I know that doesn't sound like a big deal but compared to outright ignoring me, this was a huge step up.
After being home for about a week, she went back to ignoring me, just like old times.
I found myself wishing that my time at home had moved more slowly as I was packing my things to head back to Graz. Which brings me to my next FAQ.
FAQ: How did it feel to go back to Graz? Did you have trouble? Did you want to go back?
It was difficult to say goodbye again. That I can say for sure. But I didn't fall back into my usual routine that I had when I was in Jersey for about 20 years straight (new high score?). Part of me always knew it would soon be time to go back, but that I needed to still be in the moment and see as many people as I could before I went back. It was a hectic time but I don't regret it at all. I really feel like I needed that time back home to decompress and relax, especially after finals, and see all of my loved ones. The goodbyes were bittersweet and being back in Graz was weird at first, but I was also glad to go back because last semester has just made me want to travel all the time and that's really hard to do in the US.
So I was on my way, sad to go but excited for the new semester.
This has been a great way for me to welcome my next four months in Graz. This week has flown by and I'm sure the coming weeks will fly by too. But I'll keep you updated!
Here are some pictures I've taken since I've been back in Graz or on the way back.
Here are some pictures I've taken since I've been back in Graz or on the way back.
