Summer break is over!

Honestly, I think for at least three of us, one of the biggest anxieties for this adventure was beginning school in Austria. I think the kids were nervous about meeting new friends among other things and I was just plain nervous for them to have a good experience. Like lose sleep nervous. The Mama’s way I guess.

We woke up to a beautiful crisp autumn day with colorful sky to the south and to the north a cloak of clouds hanging on the Alps. (I just like to type that. We freaking live in the Alps!) Since we were still trying to figure out the seasonal tram tickets, we walked the first few days. Which is no problem for Patrick since it’s only about an 8 min walk. Aeneas’s school is a good 25 min, but with short legs and the not being used to waking up so early, make that a good 35 min. We walked together to Patrick’s school and I stayed with him to get him settled while Justin took Aeneas further to his.

Let’s back up for a minute to the whole “starting middle school thing.” Honestly, my experience was terrifying and miserable and wasn’t that great. The drama and pressure of fitting in was such a burden. But we all survived and learned a lot along the way. To all you girls out there starting middle school here’s some advice. Stay away from the drama. Be kind to everyone, even the not so cool kids. Find one or two really good solid friends to stick with you through the thick and thin of middle school. It’s much better than 20 friends who will drop you when the heat of middle school drama sets in. Hang in there ladies! Here’s to hoping it’s easier for boys.

It was months ago when I began to see the anxiety in Patrick’s face about middle school. He was nervous, like most of his friends, about getting into his locker, finding his classes, not knowing where to go and navigating a whole new school without the oversight of teachers all the time. And that was in Durango. I felt for him. Good parents that we are, we encouraged him by saying, “Hey, we know you are nervous, so we enrolled you in an all German speaking school. It’s in a country none of us have set foot in. And one where you won’t know a single soul. We love you son!” I can’t imagine why that didn’t calm him.

I met Aeneas to pick him up from school (it gets out at 12:30! unless you have after school care or activities) and there were a few kids all standing around him aggressively recruiting him to their fußball teams. They seemed very pleased with him. And he has met a friend that lives a block from our place that he can catch the tram with. It was brilliant.

Middle schools here most days only go to about 1:30 unless its a long day or there are afternoon classes which happens a couple of days a week. This particular day was a long day for Patrick, and they just take a break for lunch. The kids scatter about the city to get lunch (read pizza, what else is there!) on their own and have to be back in time for the next class.  Justin reassured Patrick that he would meet him for lunch (so he wasn’t eating by himself his first day). He came out to pick P up and asked him what he wanted to eat. Patrick shuffled his feet and asked, “Can we get it to go? My friends are waiting for me.” So Justin got the shaft and ate by himself on his first day of school. It was perfect.

All in all, the independence was the single most thing P was worried about and yet it’s probably his favorite thing so far. They both rode to school all by themselves on day 4!

And that’s a back to school wrap!

#school #classes #everydaylife #culture #views