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Monday 30 January 2017

Six Months later, doesn't time fly?

It's been six months to the day since we loaded up that stupid van and left the UK for good. It seems like so long ago and so much has happened since then. Knowing where to begin is a problem. ITs been a problem for awhile. This is the third blog post I've sat down to write in the last few months. with the first two, it seemed difficult to really get a theme going. Much of that probably has to do with moving. Its mot easy getting settled in. Life becomes staggered as one thing or another needs sorting before you can really feel at home. So what's gone on.

Cometh the hour, Cometh the Jodie.

Late August brought with it an angel of a sort, in the form of our good friend, Jodie Gibson. Jodie is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Ridiculously talented, as a Singer, musician, make up artist, regular artist, and a host of other skills she effortlessly excels at, Jodie is that one friend that everyone should have. Jodie, being a bit of a free spirit, happened to buy herself a nice new transit style van, and, as part of a little tour around Europe in said van, offered to load up the van with some of our forgotten crap. She really is brilliant. After three days and selection of colourful stories later (including a trip to Frankfurt's red light district!) she arrived with a second load of furniture for us. She stayed for three days, we had a blast before she headed off to Budapest, then to Italy via Slovakia. We're forever grateful to her and she really is one in a million.



Summer heat

Summer seemed to last a very long time here. Even at the end of September, we were experiencing temperatures in the high 20's. Summer also brought with it some good news. At the end of August, Lynda began the search for work. She'd seen a job advertised on a website that had her interest, but after emailing them, she heard nothing. teaching for the listing again, she stumbled across a second job listed that she hadn't seen. Within a week of seeing this job, she had an interview and got accepted. Job sorted in less than a week. Lynda found herself working for Kidsco, company who teach kids english from Kindergarten up. She had to work freelance, was allowed to 'go outside the lines' to teach and lots of other things. In short, it was the perfect job, almost identical to what she did in the UK. The job suited her so well, that after two months, she was offered a full-time contract, with all the protections and benefits that entails.


Old friends and new. 

A New job, New city and new home will inevitably lead to new friends. Thats the hope at any rate. Whilst making an Austrian friend can be seen as difficult, The ExPat community is often full of new friends just waiting to be met. For Lynda, Her new job threw her together with bunch of English speakers, all starting at the same time. A new Australian colleague would go on to have a huge impact on both of our lives. More on him later.


The Vienna Expats website (www.viennaexpats.com) is a great site that offers plenty of articles and a forum to help out new and old arrivals. It also has plenty of get togethers all over Vienna, at least bi monthly, often more. Site Admin, Michael is great guy, who enjoys a pint and a good chat. If you get a chance to attend one of these get togethers do. We went to one around Christmas time and it as a great night out.




Family and Christmas time. 

In Mid November, Lynda's family visited our new home. Included in that family was Lynda's Brother, who at the age of 56, was taking his first flight and first trip abroad. Having family over is a lot different than having friends visit. Lynda's Mother took up residence with ease and soon became a familiar fixture in the apartment. the local bar, the Cafe frog cocktail bar also took a battering. The staff now wave at us as we pass. So I guess they've gotten use to us then.
Christmas was a little different, but in a good way. there's no getting away from the fact that things are different. It was our first Christmas not spent in the UK. hoping to get in the swing of things, we adopted a few new traditions, Like Stollen cake, Panettoni and a few other bits and pieces. We missed out on Advent crowns, avoided the Glugwein and forgot about more that few other things, but all in all, we had a great Christmas.



Unexpected opportunities. 

Into the new year, and things began to take an unexpected turn. That new Friend of Lynda's, a boisterous Australian called Ian, well he's fun to be around. He and his Husband found themselves in Vienna and, as was Ian's nature, he got involved with the local LGBTIQ groups, dealing with the pride parade in June, just before we arrived. Now Ian is a fantastic guy and he loves nothing better than hosting a party. I got introduced to him by Lynda at just such a get together. By our second party at Ian and Adrian's, I find myself being hunted down. Three months later and I'm now on the Board of Directors for Europride Vienna 2019. Europride takes place every year in a different host city. Vienna Bid for and was awarded the event. Ian, as luck would have it, was offered the job of managing the event. Its a job he's use to in his Native Canberra. I get to help put on the biggest party in Vienna, and that's not bad. Oh and I'm also one of the poster girls for the whole thing. See things got weird. Just this weekend both of us attended the Rainbow Ball. Attending any Ball is an experience, Attending a LGBTIQ ball is simply The Event. Nothing covers it better than enjoying a beer at two in the morning next to Austria's very own Conchita Wurst. Life has definitely become strange.



More to come?

Its amazing what can happen in just Six months. We're now settled in to Vienna and the Viennese lifestyle. I recently grumbled very loudly that the next U-bahn was in 5 minutes! What's clear is that the fun is just beginning. Vienna is now our home, now if I could just get the hang of the German.