A Farewell to Vienna

This is one of the more difficult posts I've had to write. It's Thursday now and I fly out of Vienna on Friday morning. It's been a long three months here. I've befriended some lovely people and I've also met some people I was not very fond of. I have grown apart from some things and have valued other things much more highly. I'm no longer afraid of living in a city, public transportation seems much simpler, and traveling is a breeze. But I've also missed my family, getting to see my baby nephew learning his first words, spending Thanksgiving with my extended family and driving a car. 

I've learned a lot here. I've learned about history, art, politics, and cultures. I've learned about myself. I've learned what I care about and what I don't need. I have had so many experiences that I never would have if I had sat at home. I have stories that fill my head from people I've met. I now have lots of material for my writing from this adventure. 

I did not get as homesick as I imagined I would. It wasn't until the end that I started longing for it. I think a part of me knew it would be hard to handle if I thought too much about it. 

Vienna is a beautiful city with more charm than you could imagine. But the holiday season is well upon us now and as the song goes, "There's no place like home for the holidays no matter how far away you roam, when you long for the sunshine of a friendly gaze - for the holidays you can't beat home sweet home." So as lovely and delightful as Vienna is, it is not home. It's felt like home after bad days and long journeys but with the holidays being here I know it is not. I've never been away from home at Thanksgiving until today. I've always been surrounded by my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, parents and brothers at Thanksgiving. Being away has made me value that time so much more than I had before.

Packing for Vienna was tough. I was going to a country I had been to with a group of people I didn't know. I was scared and I had no guarantee what it would be like. Packing for home was bittersweet. I packed up things that were filled with new memories and put them in a suitcase without knowing when I will ever be back. On the other hand, I'm going back to my family, my dogs, my friends, my job, my home, and my country. I have guarantees where I'm going and that's great. But it was an incredible experience getting to put myself out there and praying everything would work out. I'm so grateful that it did. 

Vienna, you will always have a special place in my heart. I will be back someday. All my love. 

Yours until the end of the Internet, 

Eiggam