I'm BACK!

Readers, I'm sure you're on the edge of your seat! I'm back from my adventures overseas. I'm sure you've all been reading, but it's been a whirlwind adventure. Just on my return trip, I was in Austria, Germany, Chicago, Omaha, and finally Des Moines!

If you've been reading, I was really antsy to get back to the US. I missed my car, my cell phone, and my own apartment. As soon as I got to Chicago though, that seemed to change a bit. I was overwhelmed with "America." When I left, it wasn't as noticeable, but as I returned, I was immediately aware of our stereotypes. And in Chicago's O'Hare Airport, they were immediately visible.

Europe is an experience every American needs to experience at some point in their lives. The history and culture is much more prevalent and widespread than in the US. For example, the building where I went to school, Salzburg College, was built in 1338. Now what in America is that old? NOTHING!! And they have an entire city that is just as old. The history itself is overwhelming. And in America where we idolize pop stars and sport figures, in Salzburg, they idolize opera. During the summer, the Salzburg Festival is where the who's who of the opera world goes to perform. I saw Don Giovanni with Orlando Vecellio, who is engaged to opera star Anna Nebtrebko. Friends I went to school with got pictures with Orlando while he was walking the streets of Salzburg one night, and another group of us (including me) saw Anna at intermission of Don Giovanni! How cool is that?! Way cool.

This is the pic where Anna Nebtrebko is in the background!


Just things like that make me love Europe, and Salzburg in general. Not to mention the breathtaking views of the fortress and city.

This is the area outside Salzburg called the Salzkammagut, literally the "salt fortress" or basically the salt region around Salzburg:


Me after one of our concerts in a hall where Mozart performed when he was a child:


Mirabell Gardens on a beautiful evening:


Now that I'm back in the states, I am forced to be in school mode again, not for class, but for student teaching. This fall, I'll be chronicling the adventures of my time at both Waukee High School and Urbandale Middle School.

Currently my time is spent working out and running errands. And 3 hour naps. I suppose it's my calm before the storm.

Place of the Post: CostCo at Jordan Creek Town Center. It's like Sam's Club, but without the guilt of Walmart.

A beautiful sunset evening:


Oh, and P.S. This is a hilarious video we watched a lot in Salzburg. Just thought I'd share. It's from MadTV: