Down, set, hike

Alright team, now huddle up. We are out sized and out numbered. So here’s our play. Aeneas, and Patrick move to the platform keep watch and block. Mom and dad will work together and pick the other team off as they come. We’ll move the lot and then as a mob move all together to advance to the next play. There is no “i” in team people! Alright, all hands in. GO TEAM! NOW LET’S GO!

MCB…8…6…14…hup, hup, hup!

8 carry on, 6 checked, 14 total bags, plus two ski helmets and 3 stuffed animals that we were hoping would fly under the radar.

That’s pretty much what moving from Austria back to the US was like. I am being completely serious when I say that we huddled and discussed the strategy and everyone’s part in the “game” before we set off from our flat on Andreas Hofer Strasse for the last time. Because moving this amount of luggage from flat to Prius (can you believe it fit into a Prius?!?) to train, to another train to hotel to airport, through customs and immigration and finally to the bed of the pickup truck that arrived at the airport in Atlanta was no small feat.

The mother of one of Patrick’s school friends offered to meet us at the train station to help us get on the first train. She even brought a sweet parting gift and snacks for the train ride since she was riding at least part way in the same direction for work anyway. We were on our own for the rest of the ride.

With some final things to finish up in Vienna for the Fulbright and the ability to check luggage 24 hours before your departure, we booked a couple of nights at the airport hotel hoping to have plenty of time to manage the task. We woke up the following morning and checked our bags, ridding ourselves of more than half of our load (certainly the heaviest part) and then headed in to Vienna for one last traditional Austrian dinner. About 12 hours later, we arrived with little fuss into the Atlanta airport.

I simply can’t put to words what this was like for our family and the close time we got to spend with each other.

It’s amazing.  When you take away all of the craziness of the everyday obligations and activities, go far away from your entire social network of friends, and really experience something special…together as a family, just how much you learn about one another. How much you begin to respect and admire each other for things you never really noticed before. You watch each other succeed and fail and be brave and be scared and every time fall back into the family for praise, support and comfort. I’m at a loss for words. It has truly been amazing to just be…us.

#funny #transportation #culture #home #family