While I am obviously a bit of a techie and computer geek, I do love travel. So when my sister messaged me about a month ago, “Hey, do you think you could make it to Austria to surprise Mom for her wedding reception?” I was all in!
I fired up the credit cards and put my years of travel industry expertise to work–I used to be a ticketing and gate agent for Delta and United Airlines in a past life. British Airways, one of my favorites, was the way to go, and in only three weeks, I was off!
It might help to have a little background. About 20 years ago, my mom had the chance to teach at a university in Austria, something she had dreamed about since she was a little girl watching the Sound of Music. She taught in Graz, Austria for a year as a Fulbright professor, and made some amazing friends over there. After she was done with her year abroad, she spent a few years getting her affairs in order in the states – visiting Austria every six months or so – before moving to Austria permanently in 2005. While she has lived with her partner, Illona, ever since, they only got married this year. Okay, back to the trip.
I met my sister, Kate, and niece, Lucy, in Munich, Germany, and we stayed at the hotel at the airport before a 5 hour train ride to Austria the next day. At this point, I was wishing that my mom lived a little closer to a major airport, but I was excited to see the Alps.
Finally Arrived!
After leaving Chadron at 11:00AM on Wednesday, I finally arrived at Lienz, Austria at 2:00PM Friday (6:00AM Chadron time). Forty-three hours of traveling definitely deserves a beer.
That afternoon we gave my mom the best surprise of her life. She never suspected a thing, and to see two of her kids (and one grand-kid) from 5,000 miles away show up on her doorstep was a shock. It was worth every jet-lagged minute and every dollar on the credit card to be there with my sister, my niece, my mom, and Illona. We had a lot of fun catching up, eating traditional Austrian breads, meats, and cheeses, and drinking beer. There is a lot of beer drinking in Austria. Then back to the hotel to catch some sleep before the main event, the Wedding Reception! And one more surprise for my mom, my other sister, Tracy, was also on her way from Seattle to show up during the reception.
The wedding reception was at a beautiful Gasthaus high up in the mountains, and was filled with all of the wonderful friends my mom has made in Austria. I enjoyed chatting with the few guests who spoke English, but spent most of the time talking with my mom who I hadn’t seen in two years. Then the final surprise of my oldest sister showing up, then the four of us were together for the first time in years.
The next day was a family day with lot’s of adventures, and a bit more relaxing after all the surprises and emotions of the wedding reception, and we were all starting to recover from jetlag.
Heading home already?
By Monday morning, it was already time to start making my way back home. Another 5 hour train ride, with Tracy this time, some time in Munich, then back on a plane from Munich to London to Denver to Chadron.
As with every time I visit Austria, I wished I could have stayed longer. It is a beautiful country with kind people and amazing food. But I needed to get back to real life.
Over all, the travel went smoothly. Flights and trains were on-time, food was good, and weather was beautiful. I caught a cold at some point during the trip which wasn’t fun, and just when I had adjusted to European time, I was heading home and needing to re-adjust all over again. But it was worth it.
Techno Tom 