Guitars and Go-Getters

I've been in the City of Mozart for two months now, and I went to my first concert at the Mozarteum today--the School of Music at University of Salzburg. It was a guitar concert that Victor (a student who is studying guitar) invited me to. The first piece was a little bit less that amusing, but as the concert progressed, the talent and creativity of the artists began to show through. The guitarists understood their instruments perfectly, and knew exaclty what to do to manipulate the guitars to produce the desired effects. Just from watching the performance, I learned so much about the guitar and the importance of the tension of the strings, the different ways you can use the instrument to produce sound, and the effects of putting several different sounds together. At the end, the group played a song called, "Staubzucker" that incorporated hundreds of different tones from the strings, the body and the sound hole of the guitar. I give it two thumbs up for creativity and fun with music. Leaving the concert, I noticed a lot of the people clicking their tongues to the beat of the last song, or talking about how they enjoyed that last part of the concert especially well.
I admire those ambitious people who have enough energy, endurance, and excitement to accomplish their dreams, even if it doesn't mean that other people will notice. The sacrifice that is required to excel is so worth it in the end... not that I would know yet, but I'm in the process of sacrificing an awful lot in order to learn German. Some days, it doesn't feel like it's worth it, especially when I compare to how things could be if I just went home, got a job, and lived comfortably among friends and family. The important difference is this: when all is said and done, I would not have been content with that life where I just stopped when things got rough because I was "good enough" at it. I would have added German to my long list of "adequacies," and not excelled at one more thing. This time it's worth it. the language, the culture, and especially the people are changing my life in every way for the better, and someday, I'll be able to say that I stuck with something until it was a success! For now, I'll look to the future and hope for the best.

Living the Dream

First things first: Fact: There are more holidays in Austria than any other country. I love that!

I've been here for about a month and it has been wonderful seeing everyone in Austria and Germany. School started on October 4th, and it has been an absolute adventure since day one. Things are a little different here, seeing as how most classes only meet once or twice a week, and most students don't have class on Fridays--hello 3 day weekends. :) That means, however, that most of the work is student-directed, and I haven't done nearly as much research as I should because I've been so distracted--That leads me actually to my second point. Everything here is so close! I have gone to Munich twice since I've been here, Vienna was last weekend, and this weekend I'm headed to London to meet one of my cousins who is going to be there for work.
There's so much for me to say that I don't really know where to start. I am so excited to be here, and I know that I am so blessed to have an opportunity like this, though I don't know exactly how I deserve it. My roommate here is a girl named Amy. She's a grad student from the same program as me, and we're having a blast! Some of the undergraduates in the group have given her the title of "The kindest person on the planet," and I couldn't agree more. She knows more about music than I ever thought was possible, so I'm learning a lot about history through a musical perspective.
The dorm that I live in is more multicultural than a UN Conference. On my floor alone, there are people from Austria, Poland, Slovenia, Italy, Mongolia, Mexico, USA, (and that's only the people I know so far...). It's a blast to learn about all the different cultures and the varieties of cooking never cease to amuse me. I think I'm gonna like this year.
Another perk: living near the city of music means that there are a plethora of musicians here. there's no denying that there's something amazing about them. they have a different view on life, and add new dimension to a lot of things. So, if anyone is looking for a musical vacation, this city comes highly recommended. :)
With all of the great things that have been happening, I still haven't avoided getting homesick. Last week, I was frustrated and tired--of the party scene here, and of being so far away from people who mean so much to me, not to mention the fact that I don't speak perfect German yet. I hate making mistakes... In any case, after calling several of my family members, and getting a little bit of rest, I realized that I am living my dream. I chose to come here, and it's definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live like this and study here where there is so much diversity. One year is not that long, and it's definitely a major blessing to me to understand my strengths and my weaknesses, and to realize that the Lord will help me overcome trials that come in my way.

Last Day

Tomorrow, I will be returning to the country I love--my parents like to remind me how much I didn't write them the first time I lived there because I was always so busy with life there--I'll be living in Austria for 10 months, studying German and working as a teaching assistant, and hopefully interviewing World War II veterans and getting ready to work on my thesis when I come back. The thoughts that are running through my head are giving me a headache. There's still so much to do. I haven't even started packing yet, and my flight leaves in 15 hours. It's like turning another page in the book of my life. I love adventures, and this is nothing short of that.

Blessings Unmeasured

Over the course of the last few days, I've been reminded of the numerous things people have done for me in my life. I went to lunch with some friends from SkyWest Airlines last week and one series of memories that came to mind were the times when I was stranded at various airports throughout the US. I was always able to call Donna, one of the ladies who works with my mom, and ask her to help me airport hop back home. One particularly rough weekend, I had been flying around visiting people before my mission, and I got stranded in Atlanta (go figure) because of inclement weather. As I sat for a few hours with other passengers waiting for some sort of miracle, I heard about their concerns as they tried to find ways home, ranging from altering flight plans to buying a ticket for a greyhound bus. I called Donna, and she found me a route right away, got me out of Atlanta and back home faster than I realized was possible. It's nice to know that people are there to help me find my way home, no matter where I am, or how hopeless the outlook is.
There are so many ways that God watches out for us through the people we know, and He puts us in a position to help each other in ways that we don't consider. In the time that I've been home, I was able to meet an elderly couple in my parents' ward at church. They are the best examples to me of what love and service are. The husband takes care of his wife 24 hours a day, who is ill with dementia--an illness that affects short term memory. He is always so attentive, and though she can't remember things, she remembers everything about him. Seeing what happens when we put others' interests before our own is inspiring. I want to be like that--the kind of person who can put my faith in God, knowing that He'll take care of me as I take care of His children. So far, He has put people in my life who have been great examples of service. They come from everywhere in the world and serve in so many different ways.

The Best is Yet to Be

I've been home at my parents house for six days now, and they have tried so hard to make it nice for me. I appreciate and love them for all that they do. Still, it's hard for me to be stuck in this transitional phase where i'm not part of anything. I come and go as I please, but with that freedom comes a feeling of uselessness. In Provo, I had my place. I contributed to the society in which I lived.
St. George brings new challenges for me. I feel like Lot's wife, looking back at the city she knew so well, friends she must have had, and her life's memories and experiences. It's time for me to move on, but I can't help looking back. There are obvious differences to her story and mine. For example, I'm not turning into a pillar of salt and Provo, UT isn't exactly sodom and gomhorra.
The whole experience reminds me of a talk by Elder Holland called, "The Best is Yet to Be." He challenges us to realize that God has better things planned for us if we are willing to move forward with our lives and not dwell in the past. While we have great memories of where we were and the friends we've had, Elder Holland reminds his readers that we are not through creating memories. There is more to our story, and God has greater plans for us than we know.
There's a great, big world out there, and I know that God is ready to help me see the great things to come. St. George is just a stop on the way to where I'm going, and I need to keep the bigger picture in mind as I prepare to move ot Austria again, and learn more about who I can become and the people I can serve.

Graduation

The time has finally arrived. I am officially a graduate of Brigham Young University. The journey that started Fall 2004 has reached its climax and come to a wonderful end. I began the endeavor planning to finish with a degree in chemical engineering. However, a strange series of events brought me to the history major, where I have learned to write, analyze, evaluate, and inform. The process was accompanied by a lot of dancing and a little bit of singing to get me through the rough parts. All in all, I feel like it was a major success. All the good days, the bad days, the unbelievable semesters of work and study are gone. Something that seemed so surreal and available to so many people, but not to me is now mine. Mission impossible=Accomplished.
Now, on to graduate school. Salzburg, here I come!

Senior Citizens and Social Skills

So, an update on the 101 year old woman who needs a friend... She's fantastic. Her name is Alice and I adore her. I've gone to visit her twice now, and both times I have left feeling uplifted and empowered. Andrea(a good friend) and I were talking about some of the things Alice has lived through, and we made the following list:
World War I
World War II
Vietnam
Korea
Feminist Movement
Great Depression
Blacks receiving the priesthood
JFK assassination
Landing on the moon
invention of the television
development of the automobile
It only took us a few minutes to make the list, and there are a lot of things missing (obviously there are more than 11 world events that happen over the course of a century). In any case, when I went to visit Alice last night, we talked and enjoyed each others' company for a short hour and didn't even talk about one of those events. In that time, Alice brought up the growth of the LDS Church in Southern California, the 'invention' of Disneyland, and a few other things that I had just accepted as existing somehow forever. Alice helped me understand that there are so many questions to ask and so many answers to seek. I learned from her the art of social skills and how to enjoy the simplicity of a conversation without outside distractions. Her age may or may not be a contributing factor to her wisdom and patience, but I am appreciative of that wisdom and patience nonetheless.

Addictions

Addictions are an interesting thing. I know people who are addicted to drugs, alcohol, and some people are even addicted to pain. Pain might be the creepiest addiction in existence--just listen to the Rihanna and Eminem song that's exploding onto the billboard charts. The lyrics are sickening. Anyway, I digress. I think that my preferred addiction, after ice cream, is service. How great would it be to have to help others, as a way to survive?

I walked past the Center for Service and Learning on campus yesterday and one of the service opportunities was: "101 Year-old Woman Needs a Friend." Honestly, how hard is it to be a friend? So, I jotted down the number and called it up. The woman who made the posting was so kind, and we're getting together tonight for a visit. For just one hour, I can make someone's day. Really. And how much is an hour? People waste an hour on facebook every day, or just looking at the clock thinking of something to do. I've even spent a half hour just sitting and not doing anything more than letting my thoughts fly around in my head.

Conclusion: one hour a day or week is easy to give in order to help someone, and I can't think of a better weekly addiction than that of service to others. It helps the person being served, it lifts the person doing the serving, and in the end, there really isn't a downside.

Let's start a service epidemic!

Outta Control

So, I just found out that none of my siblings will be attending my graduation. It's kind of like a kick in the face to me, as it seems to be the biggest thing in my life for a long time coming, and I'm moving to Austria again for a year. Cool. Maybe I'll see you again in a year. REALLY?!
On the other side of the argument, two of them just got new jobs in the last two weeks, and another is coming out to Utah for her brother-in-law's wedding in October. The last one has three kids, and still might be coming. In that light, it's understandable, but it still hurts.
I'm learning how to face the facts with grace, rather than choosing to ingore them for the next 8 weeks until I leave for Salzburg. We'll see which wins out in the end--emotion or self control.

Alas, It's Time to Start Blogging

Well, the time has come. I have avoided the blogging addiction for 4 years since people started telling me to blog in 2006. This will be the blog that I update, and I'll do my best to let everyone know what I'm up to and what my vacation days are for those who plan to visit. If you're interested, I'll even learn how to post pictures to the blog... although I'll let you know in advance: I'm not much of a photographer. For the next year, plan on seeing about one blog a month--if I'm really ambitious.