Across the Pond

It's almost 5 am here in Vienna and for the second time in the past month I will be leaving Vienna. The emotions are raw, real, and are sure to continue as I travel today and return back to my home country. From Vienna I will fly through London and arrive in Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon as I travel "back in time" today. In Philly I will have a short debriefing and then on Thursday I will fly to Boston where I will be greeted by my three lovely roommates whom I am very excited to see!! They are very sweet and all coming to get me at the Boston airport. :)

I am looking forward to the plane ride. I plan on looking over my journal entries from this summer and reflecting on God's goodness. I hope to share some of those over-arching reflections here as I will continue to blog even though my Vienna internship is done! Please feel free to continue following this blog past the summer. I hope to continue to put some thought-provoking posts up as the school year starts!

Here is a quote that is most prevalent for me today:

"You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world, but a world lives in you."

- Frederick Buechner, Telling The Truth

Home Again Home Again

Home again, home again!

Well, almost.

After traveling to Germany to visit some dear friends of mine I met up with my dad in Edinburgh, Scotland to start a few weeks vacation with him through Scotland, London, and finally Vienna. After a day of travel and a short walk through Vienna's "downtown" we are currently resting in our hotel room which is much needed since it is 93º in Vienna today!! My time with dad has been wonderful and it's been kinda fun being a "tourist" again. It was also refreshing to be in the UK where English is everywhere, especially since they sound like William Wallace and Johnny Depp. :)

I apologize for not updating this blog during my time in Germany, Edinburgh, and London. I thought I would be able to, but to be honest, I was so busy that I never got the time to sit down and update you all. There were several nights where we would get back to the hotel at 9 in the evening after getting up at 6:30 in the morning! It was well worth it though, and we saw some really great sites, with many days of guided tours with delightful guides. Here are a few pictures of our time so far:

August 16: I meet up with Dad in Edinburgh and celebrated his birthday in style!

Boat tour of Loch Lomond

Sheep dog demonstration

Long-haired highland cattle in Scotland

King and Princess of Scotland :)

Military Tattoo Festival in Edinburgh Castle

London: Classic phone booth picture

Westminster Abbey

After our tour of Buckingham Palace

Views of London in the London Eye, a giant ferris wheel

Window reflections at Oxford University

Now we're off to get some dinner and check out what Vienna looks like at night :)

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"I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, 'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown,' and he replied, 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God, that shall be to you better than a light and safer than a known way.' "

-Plaque in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle

This Just In...

Schladming and the Final Countdown

The team's discipleship retreat in Schladming was surreal and very raw at the same time. While we were surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever encountered, us interns went through discipleship lessons that challenged us to share our burdens, struggles, and failings with one another concerning our respective walks with the Lord. It was during these raw times of being honest with ourselves and one another that healing and growth occurred, and I am thankful for my fellow interns and the WHM staff who made this retreat such a powerful time!! I only wish that such a retreat were longer. Below are some photos of Schladming and the surrounding area:

Some of the most beautiful scenery I have encountered

On a suspension bridge

Sheep grazing on the mountain side

View after a ski lift

The lodge at the top was serving buttermilk with blueberries

Delicious apple strudel swimming in vanilla cream sauce

This next phrase will be difficult to type, especially since I am living in denial of this:

there is only one week left of the Vienna internship.

As I begin to realize that only a week is remaining, I can't help but think of all the support from back home that I have received from family and friends before, during, and I'm sure after, this summer journey. Although the internship is almost completed, my summer in Europe is not. After our last day on August 9 (next Tuesday) I will be traveling to Germany to spend a week with a German friend of mine and her family. I visited them two years ago and I am excited to see them in person again! Please pray for this time - it is a short time we have together, so please pray that the Lord enriches every moment and that it will be a fruitful time of conversation and fun :) After spending time in Germany, I will be meeting up with Dad in Edinburgh, Scotland where we will start our two week adventure which will also take us to London and then to Vienna. We will both leave Vienna on August 31 to return back to the States. Please pray for safety in our travels and that we will have a relaxing and enriching time together making memories :)

Bis Später